Toronto photographer says it takes community, not clout to achieve your dreams

BY SELINA McCALLUM

This photographer did not think she would get the response she did when she tweeted the link to her GoFundMe to raise money for a creative studio solely for black photographers and videographers in the city of Toronto.

“AIGHT SO BOOM. Started a GoFundMe to help us get funds to get studio equipment for our future studio space that will be for black creatives to use at a low cost,” tweeted Toronto photographer, Vonny Lorde, on her account.

On June 22^nd, 2020, Lorde launched her GoFundMe Campaign which hit the $5,000 goal in only 10 hours. By the end of the day, the GoFundMe had reached over $6,000.

On the GoFundMe page it breaks down in detail what the funds are for.

“Exposure Toronto is dedicated to helping amplify and fund black photographers and videographers in the city of Toronto. When we asked local photographers what they felt they needed to succeed in the industry, one of the most common answers was affordable studio space.”

Lorde has been a photographer since she was 17 years old.

“I turned 26 this year. I got into photography professionally when I was 19. That’s when I started to do paid gigs and art shows, but I’ve been shooting for 10 years,” said Lorde.

Lorde, also known as LastnameLorde, is a photographer and creative director with unique expertise in film photography. Lorde’s work can be seen in Noisey, Complex, and in alignment with brand campaigns with Chanel, Budlight, Sony and Warner Music. She has also taken photos of international artists like Jorja Smith, Tory Lanez, Ty Dolla $ign, and Toronto artists like Just John.

Growing up, Lorde would use photography as a coping mechanism for their depression and anxiety.

“When I was younger my work was definitely a lot darker and revolved around mental health. Being a black girl coming from a low-income family, things like therapy aren’t even in the question because of pricing, not to mention my background is Jamaican. A lot of older Jamaicans don’t take mental health issues as seriously as they should,” said Lorde.

Lorde decided to keep up the GoFundMe page for a few more days and raised a total of just over $10,000. Before June 22^nd, the idea of Exposure was just a few words on a screen, before it came to life.

“Exposure just started as a series of tweets. It was a simple idea that I asked my followers about. From the response that I got back, I was just like, you know what, I have to stop doubting myself and just dive into this,” said Lorde.

She reminisces on entering the photography industry years ago, and really struggling to afford all the equipment, studio time and travel expenses.

“Photography is so expensive. Nothing sucks more, as a creative, than sitting at home, formulating all these ideas and not being able to execute them because you don’t have the resources, and it shouldn’t be like that,” said Lorde.

Lorde and her team will be purchasing items like backdrops, light kits, cameras, tripods and an iMac. She is also accepting equipment donations, and to her surprise, a Canadian camera store offered to help.

“I just heard back from Henry’s, the camera store in downtown, Toronto. And they are actually willing to sponsor us with all of the stuff from their shop that we have listed in our GoFundMe bio which is absolutely amazing,” said Lorde. “With that being said, it gives us more room to allocate funding into finding a space.”

However, it hasn’t been easy for Lorde and her team to find a space in Toronto, which is a reoccurring frustration for many black organizations, entrepreneurs and artists in the city.

“I would like the space to be located as close to downtown as possible just so it’s accessible for more people,” said Lorde. “We found a space that we had our eyes on. We would have been able to afford the rent for a couple of months. The owner was ready to go, but the moment I tell her what the space is being used for, immediately, she backed out.”

Lorde was heartbroken by the response. The landlord was only comfortable with Lorde and her staff coming in and out of the space, but no one else.

“At the end of the day, it’s things like this that emphasize the importance of black people having a space,” said the photographer. “I’ve been trying to keep a positive attitude about it. A lot of people have told me that, that wasn’t the right space.”

 Lorde hopes to have the Exposure studio and the website up and running by the end of summer. She excitedly tells me why she chose the name Exposure and what it means to her.

“I chose the name Exposure because it’s a play on words. It has a double meaning. Exposure can mean amplifying an artist, but also when shooting, you often have to adjust your exposure for the person you’re shooting,” she said.

Lorde is extremely grateful for her friends, family and the community for helping her, and she is excited to impact dozens of black creatives in the city.

“We’re in a time where, as black people, we face so many obstacles that other people don’t even have to worry about a day in their life. All we have is each other really,” said Lorde. “Impact over influence. Community over clout.”