PhotoSensitive

Brief History
The brainchild of Toronto Star photographer Andrew Stawicki and former Star graphics editor Peter Robertson, PhotoSensitive was founded in 1990 as a non-profit collective of photographers determined to explore how photography can contribute to social justice. Their idea was to bring together the photographic talents of a number of Toronto-based professional photographers to harness the power of the camera to achieve social goals. Each photographer would bring his or her own vision to the subject; the sum of these visions would provide a compelling social comment.

Today PhotoSensitive is branching out to include the talents of photographers from across Canada and seeks to photograph issues that affect our social well-being.

Our work is defined by the following characteristics:

Social Issues
PhotoSensitive projects focus on realities with which North Americans are familiar including poverty, hunger, illness, racism, ignorance, injustice. But it concentrates, too, on their antidotes: the hope found in the face of adversity, the laughter and love that make the difficulties of life tolerable, the simple pleasures that lightens dark lives. The photographers use the camera's ability to tell a story, make social comment, and spur viewers to action.

Black and White
PhotoSensitive believes that still photographs, especially in black and white, have a way of touching people in a unique way. By working exclusively in black and white, the photographers force viewers to concentrate on the image rather than the photograph.

Voluntary
Photographers who contribute to PhotoSensitive projects as volunteers, giving their time to photography that falls outside their professional work.