Born and raised in Toronto, Simeon Posen is a landscape and architectural photographer with works spanning over four decades. His studies in architecture and stage design contribute to the unique perspective evident in his black and white photographs – namely, illuminating the intricacies of the parts to express the structure of the whole, whether created by nature or by man.

Posen’s technique, style and composition are also influenced by such photographers as Marie Cosindas, Wynn Bullock and Brett Weston and Ansel Adams with whom he studied in California.

Receiving both federal and provincial grants, Posen has conducted extensive photographic studies of the architecture of France, Austria, Iran and Greece; as well as broadly documenting the Ontario landscape.

Today, Posen continues his exploration of photographic art through blending new and old technology, frequently exhibiting while continuing his professional career in architecture.

Photographic Techniques

Circa 2024, from the artist:   Explorations with the “Camera in Motion”

In my earlier work the camera is still and static.

The camera is a fascinated, yet motionless observer.

In the last few years I have been exploring the expression of “Camera in Motion”. It started in the “Midway Lights” portfolio. The camera moves in rhythm to the movement of the amusement rides. It is very experimental and each evening, after leaving the fair, I would go into the darkroom to see what I had done and with that new knowledge, attempt to build on it the next night.

This work has now grown into taking this idea and experimenting with it in the natural world. The images have a magic quality, not expected when the experiment began.

Every movement and shift creates a transparency and brightness I haven’t found in my earlier still images.

Circa early 2000s:  Posen utilizes 8x10 and mid-size negative formats to express the beauty of natural form. He prefers the subtlety of ‘black and white’, maximizing the use of digital technology interwoven with more traditional methods. He uses ‘Pyro’ for negative development, a formula favoured by Adams and Weston, and continues to print on silver fibre-based papers.

Simeon Posen brings an added dimension of brilliance to his works by carefully selecting the conditions of light and weather for the subject chosen. This study and patience bring an intensity yet subtlety to his nature studies.

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