Victoria-based book publisher is helping a 17-year-old photographer fulfill her dreams of producing a book of photos, while also giving back to the regionB次元官网网址檚 homeless population.
Leah Denbok, who lives in Collingwood, Ont., first picked up a camera five years ago. It was a used DSLR from a hockshop that Denbok says she was drawn to having always been fascinated by photography, but lacking the right equipment.
B次元官网网址淚t was merely for artistic reasons,B次元官网网址� she says of finding herself photographing the homeless, inspired by her motherB次元官网网址檚 story of living as an orphan on the streets of India.
At first she was taken aback spending time in alleyways with people she never would have encountered otherwise. Denbok soon felt the photos deserved a larger audience and with the encouragement of her father Tim, and National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore who believed in her talent, decided a book was imminent.
B次元官网网址淲e saw something pretty unique about her project,B次元官网网址� says Tammara Kennelly, president of Friesen Press. The self-publishing model the Victoria-based company offered appealed to Denbok, primarily for financial reasons.
B次元官网网址淭here was definitely a values alignment,B次元官网网址� Kennelly says of DenbokB次元官网网址檚 work and Friesen PressB次元官网网址� mandate. B次元官网网址淲e are very involved in our community in giving back and thatB次元官网网址檚 what the genesis of her book was.B次元官网网址�
Friesen publishes 1,000 books year in all genres, and earlier this month released . Friesen will donate a significant portion of the proceeds from sales of DenbokB次元官网网址檚 book to , a therapeutic community in Central Saanich that assists Greater VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 homeless population.
B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檙e almost always very kind and humble and selfless, and they have very attractive attributes about them,B次元官网网址� Denbok says of her subjects. B次元官网网址淧eople usually avoid them at all costs [but] theyB次元官网网址檙e so kind, because theyB次元官网网址檙e just happy for people to talk to them.B次元官网网址�
The book includes 40 portraits, each with a story gleaned from conversations she and her father have had with street people B次元官网网址� from Toronto to Hamilton to Barrie to New York City B次元官网网址� each of whom they pay $10 to photograph. Denbok is interested in coming west to photograph the homeless communities in Victoria and Vancouver, so sheB次元官网网址檚 campaign to cover travel expenses and the costs associated with self-publishing.
The proceeds of her book however, are going right back into the community that has made the entire project possible. Denbok donates everything she earns to the Barrie Bayside Mission, a homeless shelter in Ontario.
Meanwhile, the teen is tossing around the idea of pursuing photojournalism, but first sheB次元官网网址檚 got to graduate high school and then, release volumes two and three of Nowhere To Call Home, already in the works.
B次元官网网址淚 found you can actually make a difference with photographs and the reality is that I can make a difference doing something I enjoy,B次元官网网址� she says.
