Henry VanderSpek - Photographer
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culturesnapca.bsky.social
Henry VanderSpek - Photographer
@culturesnapca.bsky.social
370 followers 260 following 420 posts
Art & documentary photographer based in Toronto, ON, Canada. Shooting film and digital, documenting people, non-profits and creative street scenes. 🚫AI

www.culturesnap.ca
https://bio.link/culturesnap
www.instagram.com/culturesnap
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culturesnapca.bsky.social
Four images of Lee B. Johnson’s Department Store in Toronto. A wonderful shop filled with unique clothing from decades past, and intriguing artifacts - like a mug shot of Johnny Cash from Folsom Prison.
📷 Konica Auto S3
🎞️ Kodak Tri-X 400
#believeinfilm #Toronto
A view of the front of a store. A man stands in the doorway, leaning against a wall, and looks out into the street. A set of chairs and a bike are in the foreground. A view from inside a store looking out to the street. Two mannequins and some boots are silhouetted against the background. A man and his dog stand inside a store and look towards the camera. Clothes can be seen on racks beside and behind them. A straight on view of a store named “Lee B. Johnson’s”. A bike leans against the front of the store and a fire hydrant can be seen in front of the bike, in the middle of the sidewalk.
December 8, 2025 at 5:14 PM
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I’ll always be thankful to Ellen Vivacqua of La Parigina Shoes or being the first person to grant me an interview for the project.
December 2, 2025 at 8:39 PM
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Four years ago today I opened Old World Shoes - an exhibit celebrating owners of small shoe, shoe repair and shoe making businesses in Toronto. The exhibit was part of the annual Contact Photo Festival.
#oldworldshoes #Toronto
A poster for an exhibit titled “Old World Shoes”. On the poster is a photo of hands holding out a pair of light brown handmade children’s shoes.
December 2, 2025 at 8:34 PM
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“It’s only a deal if you need it”.
Advice no one wants to hear while out shopping on Black Friday. Books though - they are always worthwhile. Enjoy this day whatever you do!
#booksky #blackfriday #Toronto
A man peers through the glass window of a used book store. In neon above him a sign says “We buy books, music videos.”
November 28, 2025 at 5:51 PM
culturesnapca.bsky.social
Every dog has its day - Pt II
(Yes. 🐶😊)
B&H Camera. NYC. Oct 2025.
#photography #diptych #FujiXHalf #XHF1 #NYC
A pair of images side by side. On the left a couple is walking holding hands. The man can be seen holding a white and green bag bag from the B&H camera store. The image on the right is a close up of the man’s hand holding the camera bag. A camera can be seen prominently on the white area of the bag.
November 19, 2025 at 7:48 PM
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Every dog has its day - Pt I
(This wasn’t it.)
At B&H Camera in NYC, Oct 2025.
#photography #NYC #dogsofbluesky
A dog lies on his side on a tiled floor. Next to him is a bag from B&H camera store in New York City.
November 19, 2025 at 7:42 PM
culturesnapca.bsky.social
The Imperial Pub in Toronto closes tonight after some 81 years in business. It’s a landmark and welcoming establishment that will be missed by many.
1) March 2015
2) Nov 2020 - Kodak Ektar 100
3) Jan-Feb 2022 - Kodak Portra 800
4) Mar 2024 - Reflx Lab 800
#Toronto #photography
November 15, 2025 at 7:46 PM
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The Imperial Pub, Toronto, ON, Canada. Opened in 1944. Closing tonight- Nov 15, 2025. Cheers to a great Toronto establishment, soon lost to time.
🎞️ Kodak Double-X 5222
📷 Black’s Attaché II
🗓️ Spring 2024
A view looking upwards to a sign on a wall that says “Imperial Pub”. Below are two people walking - one towards the camera and the other away. Above the wall is a power line with a pair of shoes hanging on it. Nearby a bird soars with its wings spread wide.
November 15, 2025 at 7:03 PM
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Broadview Bird
A pigeon rests on a rail inside of Broadview Station.
#ttc #Toronto #Broadview #Danforth #subway #metro
A pigeon rests on a rail inside of Broadview Station. Below people walk up and down stairs leading into and out of the subway station.
November 12, 2025 at 7:17 PM
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Lest We Forget.
Flag bearers at the 2016 Remembrance Day ceremony in East York, Ontario, Canada.
#RemembranceDay #LestWeForget #EastYork #Toronto #Ontario #Canada #Commonwealth
A large group marches toward the camera, each one bearing a flag. At the front is a man carrying the Canada flag, behind him are the Ontario and the British flags. The United Nations flag, and more Canada flags can also be seen further back.
November 11, 2025 at 3:47 PM
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Best feet forward.
Helio, Chris and Fernando - all working at the construction of the new Ontario line station at Yonge and Queen.
Oct 1, 2025
#diptych #FujiXHalf #XHF1 #Toronto #Canada
A pairing of two images. In the upper image three men stand side by side. Two are construction workers and one, standing in the centre, is a police officer. The lower image shows one of each of their feet, close together. The outer two are wearing steel toe boots. The centre one is a black leather boot.
November 10, 2025 at 7:00 PM
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Meet Joseph.
A musical charmer, encountered at the corner of Toronto’s Broadview and Danforth in early October.
📷 Konica Auto S3
🎞️ Adox 50
#Toronto #Canada #believeinfilm
A guitar player sitting on a milk crate holding his electric guitar in hand. On the ground in front of him is a coffee cup from Tim Horton’s. A guitar player sitting on a milk crate with his electric guitar in his lap. He is leaning forward towards the camera, with his hands held together. On the ground in front of him is a coffee cup from Tim Horton’s.
November 6, 2025 at 8:10 PM
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Many thanks to the Toronto Blue Jays for a truly incredible season. A team marked by character, friendship and great skill - true champions regardless of the series outcome. Thank you for inspiring a city, a country and beyond.
#Toronto #BlueJays #worldseries #baseball #Canada
A woman, shown from behind, wears a glittery blue jacket that says “Blue Jays” and has the Toronto Blue Jays logo. She holds a glittery blue cap up in the air towards the CN Tower that is seen high above her.
November 3, 2025 at 7:22 PM
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Octavio with Sosa, Bella and Stormy.
- Parkdale, Toronto
📷 Fuji X Half
🗓️ Sept 29, 2025
#Toronto #Canada #FujiXHalf #XHF1 #dogsofbluesky #bnw #classicmono #urbangaze
A man named Octavio, with long dark hair and a moustache, sits on a concrete step. His three dogs sit on their haunches in front of him. A large white furred dog names Sosa, a medium sized brown and white dog named Bella and a medium sized black and white dog named Stormy.
October 30, 2025 at 7:51 PM
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How about them Blue Jays!! Winners of game one against the LA Dodgers.
Photo taken last night before the game started.
#bluejays #worldseries #baseball #Toronto #Canada
A Toronto Blue Jays fan waves the Canadian flag above his head. Behind him is the CN Tower.
October 25, 2025 at 12:58 PM
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Let’s go Blue Jays!
A panoramic view of the Toronto Blue Jays playing in the SkyDome (aka The Rogers Centre).
📷 @lomography.com Sprocket Rocket
🎞️ Kodak Portra 400
🗓️ June 2023
#bluejays #worldseries #lomography #sprocketrocket #kodak #portra400 #toronto
A panoramic view of the Toronto Blue Jays playing in the Roger Centre (aka The SkyDome) in Toronto in June 2023.
October 24, 2025 at 5:07 PM
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Book City
A great independent book store found in Toronto.
#books #bookcity #booksky #photography #Toronto #Canada
An older woman holding two shopping bags peers into the window of a book store. The sign above shows the name of the store: “Book City”. It is a night time scene and the main source of light is from inside the book store. The store is in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
October 9, 2025 at 9:23 AM
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Top of the world.
Statue of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen on Spadina Avenue, Toronto.
📷 Konica Auto S3
🎞️ Kodak Tri-X 400
🗓️ July 2025
#Toronto #Canada #believeinfilm #bnw #noiretblanc #classicmono
A statue of a man, Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, taken from below. The man is holding out his cap. A pigeon is sitting on his left shoulder.
October 3, 2025 at 12:55 PM
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Hay bales in a field near Siksika First Nation territory, Alberta.
#siksika #firstnation #landscape #photography #bnw #blackandwhite #noiretblanc #classicmono
A black and white image of hay bales in rolls, in a field east of Calgary Alberta, near Siksika First Nation territory.
September 29, 2025 at 6:14 PM
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Good morning from YYC!
#Calgary #Alberta #Canada #sunrise
An orange gold sky mixed with clouds overtop of an airport. A plane in the foreground is coloured orange by the light of the sky.
September 27, 2025 at 1:41 PM
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Dark Horse Coffee
🎞️ Rollei Paul & Reinhold 640
(comes in a pack of two rolls)
📷 Konica Auto S3
🗓️ Mar-Apr 2025
#toronto #coffee #believeinfilm
#konica #rollei #lightleaks #classicmono
A scene inside a coffee shop called Dark Horse. People are working at tables. Outside is a bike share rack. A large light leak extends from bottom to top of the frame o top of a person who is working on their computer.
September 25, 2025 at 10:53 AM
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This is me - set up at the Danforth East Arts Fair in Toronto. If you are in the area please stop by. It’s a wonderful event with some 50 local artisans, live music and many great food vendors. On until 5:00 PM today!
#Toronto #shoplocal #buylocal #artsmarket #photography #localart
A photo of myself standing in front of a tent/booth with my art photography hanging in frames.
September 21, 2025 at 2:28 PM
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Excited to be showing a number of new framed prints at an art show this weekend, including this one titled “Homeward Dove”.
#artphotography #classicmono #bnw #montreal #leonardcohen
September 20, 2025 at 1:30 AM
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Love Jamel Shabazz’s photography. He is known for capturing stylish NYC street portraits over several eras.
“Drama and Flava” is his latest and well worth a look/buy.
#jamelshabazz #NYC #portraiture #documentary #photobook #photography
A photo of photographer Jamel Shabazz’s latest book “Drama & Flava” sitting on a pool table. The book is a few red and the table is a royal blue. Above the book is a set of pool balls, a pool cue and the cue ball.
September 17, 2025 at 6:51 PM
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While working this scene I took a portrait of this stylish couple. It was very quick and unfortunately I didn’t get their names.
#lomochrome92 #heylomography
#believeinfilm #toronto
Portrait of a fashionable older couple. The woman on the left is wearing a long grey overcoat and a thick turquoise blue scarf. The man in the right is wearing a textured brown suit, white and brown leather shoes, a matching multi toned brown tie and has a curled white moustache and a pointy chin goatee.
September 12, 2025 at 4:54 PM