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‘presence’

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Nature Reflections Travel

Travel Photography: Balancing Presence and Capturing Memories

joubaitori

🔇
The Art of Becoming
Photographer & Multidisciplinary Artist
TMU Photo Media Arts
Toronto, Canada 🇨🇦

I don’t often share my face — but this time, i

I don’t often share my face — but this time, it felt necessary.

Landscapes of Identity is a digital mixed-media self-portrait I created in 2024 exploring what it means to live in-between. Shaped by my Filipino, Chinese, German, and Canadian heritage, it reflects the layered experience of hybrid identity — not as a contradiction, but as a convergence.

Created with care and restraint, this piece honours the complex beauty within — the kind shaped by memory, ancestry, and becoming.

I’m deeply honoured that it was selected for exhibition at @maxex2025 and received two awards, selected and generously presented by @akashaart and the panel of MaxEx judges alongside @photoedmagazine.

I’ve written about the story behind this image — the process, the theory, and the quiet courage it took to be seen — in a new blog post now live:

➡️ “Privacy, Visibility, and Being Seen” (link in bio).

#MaximumExposure2025 #Portrait #Selfportrait #InBetweenness #SelfPortraiture #CreativeVoice #PhotographyAsArt #MixedMediaArt #NewBlogPost #TorontoArtist #Toronto #Torontophotographer #AkashaArtProject #photoEDmagazine #iamcanadian

Seasons of the Soul (Where We’d Rather Be), 2025

Seasons of the Soul (Where We’d Rather Be), 2025
My final portraiture project of the year.

This series composites portraits into imagined emotional spaces—worlds built not from where they are, but where they long to be.
I was inspired by Annie Leibovitz, Arnold Newman, and Gregory Crewdson to explore environmental portraiture in a new way. I couldn’t bring my subjects into surreal locations—so I brought the environments to them.
This project gave me permission to push past technical limits and lean into storytelling through composite imagery. It was extremely ambitious and weird.
This image of my dad is my favourite. Every detail in it, like the others, was built with so much love and care.
As a bookend to my first year in a dedicated lens-based program, I’m starting to see the signs of artistic growth. My work won’t be for everyone, but I’m proud of what I’m discovering—of what I’m becoming.

To my first-year peers: I’m proud of us. Truly.
Here’s to a year of creativity, and everything ahead. ✨

As I wrap up my first year in the Photo Media Arts

As I wrap up my first year in the Photo Media Arts program, I’ve been reflecting on how much I’ve grown—not just as a photographer, but in how I trust my creative process. With each project, I’m learning to show up fully, to give what I can, and to keep building something meaningful from the inside out.

Being here feels like I’ve arrived at just the right moment in my life. This program has given me more than I ever imagined when I returned to university—new opportunities, deep growth, and the space to explore my artistic identity.

I’m learning: I don’t need permission to take up space—or for others to be proud of my work.

This triptych is made up of images I shot… and then snacked on when I was done. 😄
In the making, I felt like a bird—flying free. 🕊️

#PhotoMediaArts #EmergingArtist #CreativeProcess #TrustTheProcess #PhotographyStudent #VisualStorytelling #StillLifePhotography #TriptychArt #foodphotography #ArtSchoolLife #CreativeGrowth #TakeUpSpace #ShootEatRepeat #TorontoPhotographer #TorontoArt #MadeWithHeart #digitalart

“The Shell-Shocking Truth”, 2025. As my first

“The Shell-Shocking Truth”, 2025.

As my first year in art school winds down, I’ve been reflecting on the weird and wonderful things I’ve had the chance to create. One of the greatest lessons so far? The freedom to express my inner world through so many different mediums—and the joy of being seen and heard in ways that go beyond words.

This project is from my Photo and the Screen course, where I explored moving images and created something I’ve always dreamed of: my very first stop-motion animation.

Few know how deep my love for stop-motion runs—from Pingu and Paddington Bear to The Corpse Bride and Isle of Dogs. I’ve always been drawn to the playfulness, the humor, the meaning.

So, here it is: “The Shell-Shocking Truth” — where a trio of eggs learns their fate. Enjoy!

#StopMotionAnimation #ArtSchoolLife #artschool #stopmotion #CreativeJourney #animation #VisualStorytelling #EggsistentialCrisis #weirdandwonderful #toronto #baking #torontophotographer

Thinking about pursuing photography seriously? TMU

Thinking about pursuing photography seriously? TMU’s Image Arts: Photography Media Arts program gives you the tools, space, and creative freedom to explore your passion as an image maker. Whether you’re working with digital or analogue, stills or film, studio lighting or large-format photography, you’ll gain hands-on experience with industry-standard software and equipment—including the 4x5 large format camera (which I used to create this unintentional but cool double exposure!).

What sets this program apart is its balance of theory and practical application, access to state-of-the-art facilities, and a supportive community of peers, instructors, and staff who are invested in your growth. Plus, your work has the opportunity to be featured in student galleries and exhibitions, helping you build your portfolio and artistic voice.

Taking the leap might feel intimidating, but trust me—it’s worth it. If you’re ready to push your creativity and grow as a photographer, apply now—don’t wait!

@tmuimagearts @thecreativeschl @analogueclub.tmu @choosetmu @maxex2025 @artspace_tmu @ima_studentgalleries

Special thanks to @zsnax__ & @tom11270.

#TMUImageArts #PhotographyStudies #PhotographyProgram #LargeFormatPhotography #AnalogPhotography #DarkroomMagic #FilmPhotography #DoubleExposure #TorontoPhotography #PhotographyEducation #CreativeCommunity #ExploreYourCreativity #4x5Film #TMUPhotography

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ABOUT

Joubaitori is the photo journal of Jenni Lee, a Toronto-based multidisciplinary artist exploring growth, identity, and creative expression through the art of becoming.

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Jennifer Lee

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I’d love to hear from you. Whether you’d like to share your creative journey, reflect on growth, or simply connect through art and conversation—reach out anytime.

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