The most widely disseminated images of Calgary's Sled Island festival are either concert snaps or footage from the devastating 2013 flood. Now, a photo book called Casual Encounters aims to shed some new light on Sled Island.
The pictures were shot by Stephen Harper (no, not that Stephen Harper) and Kyle Berger, who aimed to take a more personal approach than most festival photography. There are some band photos, but there are also lots of candid shots of the crowd and behind-the-scenes shenanigans.
A description reads, "Straying away from show photography norms they [Harper and Berger] present a more personal aspect of the festival contrasting the flood of images seen throughout social media outlets at the time. The festivals eclectic attendees take centre stage resulting in relatable imagery that simultaneously garners attention for the pairs acute sense of colour and placement."
Harper and Berger are self-publishing Casual Encounters and they will release it, appropriately enough, with a launch at Sled Island.
This year's festival runs from June 24 to 28 and performers include Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Television, Swervedriver, Teengirl Fantasy, Cancer Bats, Lighting Bolt, Daniel Lanois, Viet Cong and more. Casual Encounters will launch on Friday, June 26 at Good Luck Bar with an art show that will be up for the duration of the festival.
For a taste of Casual Encounters, we've embedded some of the photographers' images below. The first six are credited to Stephen Harper and the latter six come courtesy of Kyle Berger.
The pictures were shot by Stephen Harper (no, not that Stephen Harper) and Kyle Berger, who aimed to take a more personal approach than most festival photography. There are some band photos, but there are also lots of candid shots of the crowd and behind-the-scenes shenanigans.
A description reads, "Straying away from show photography norms they [Harper and Berger] present a more personal aspect of the festival contrasting the flood of images seen throughout social media outlets at the time. The festivals eclectic attendees take centre stage resulting in relatable imagery that simultaneously garners attention for the pairs acute sense of colour and placement."
Harper and Berger are self-publishing Casual Encounters and they will release it, appropriately enough, with a launch at Sled Island.
This year's festival runs from June 24 to 28 and performers include Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Television, Swervedriver, Teengirl Fantasy, Cancer Bats, Lighting Bolt, Daniel Lanois, Viet Cong and more. Casual Encounters will launch on Friday, June 26 at Good Luck Bar with an art show that will be up for the duration of the festival.
For a taste of Casual Encounters, we've embedded some of the photographers' images below. The first six are credited to Stephen Harper and the latter six come courtesy of Kyle Berger.
