Peter Juranka was taught the basics of photography while a teenager. His father showed him how to develop black and white prints in a makeshift darkroom under a set of basement stairs. Peter's photographic interests are wide-ranging. His art photography focuses on colourful and strong graphic compositions of found objects/ subjects. Event photography (including a penchant for dance photography) comes in a close second. The camera is but an extension of his sight and you would be hard-pressed to find Peter without a camera during waking hours. He has had numerous exhibitions and was featured in "Ottawa Life" magazine.

Menno Spijker wanted to give his photography a new vitality. Through attending various workshops, entering photo club competitions and practice, his photography attained a new depth and dimension. He worked prolifically with model photography in the studio and recently re-discovered the darkroom. Architecture and models have been his main subjects to date. Now a member of the Dante group, he is turning to Street and environmental photography for his new focus and challenges. The series on Smokers is his first assignment with the Dante group. Menno shoots exclusively 35mm film.

Bob Acton’s camera has been a part of his life since he was 10 years old, attested to by a large slide collection. He joined a photography club in January 2007 to more seriously pursue photography as an artistic endeavour. Bob's involvement in Dante Was Here and the results of his "People of Mello's" project is an evolution of that ambition.

Robert James’ passion has compelled him to try to capture aspects of beauty through his camera lenses. Although he has travelled to many of the most some remote places on Earth, he has recently been learning to appreciate the beauty of the life that surrounds us on a daily basis, with all of its dignity, humour, pathos, irreverance, beauty and, sometimes, the lack thereof. Life explodes with stories that are told with a glance, a look, a shared moment."We share a beautiful, spectacularly interesting world, with lots to teach us, if we have the eye to see it and the soul to appreciate it." he says.

Azimir Burzic wanted to be a painter, a visual artist. He settled for journalist. In 1992 the evil of war resurfaced in his homeland Bosnia and left a scar in his soul. He came to Canada a few years later. What is his photographic "credo"? A picture, whatever it is. A frame of his mind, sometimes a sequence of memories, sensation of light, a nervous look around someone, an untold story or painfully crafted visual poem. Sometimes odd, but passionate and contagious, Azimir's work always stands out.

Caroline Gomersall has many artistic interests, and has aspirations of being a creative polymath. She is a qualified modelmaker, animator, custom picture framer and photographer. She has an MA, and has worked as a lecturer, independant filmmaker, photographer, animator, court reporter, newspaper photographer and custom picture framer. She has an unquenchable thirst for Guinness, a passion for riding her bikes (fast) and for creating photographic work that is both graphic and evocative.

Maureen Murphy has had a camera in her hand since the age of ten and has always been a keen photographer with a passion for people and their connections to the world. Her photographs have appeared in local and community newspapers, magazines, on the cover of government reports, in the Stephen Lewis Magazine/Newsletter, G2G Campaign newsletters and on the In Community ads, website and posters as well as multiple websites and private collections. She has a strong belief that making a contribution to help others is an important part of life. Although Maureen enjoys taking photographs of a wide variety of subjects, her first love is people photography.

Natasha Penknovich Walking through the labyrinth of life in its full variety, Natasha didn’t know that for years photography was waiting just around the corner… Once discovered, it has  become both pain and narcotic with no risk of overdose, as  thirst for poetry and search for metaphors of geometrical forms in photography  do  not lead to satisfaction but to a more restless,  endless  search…

Eric Fruhauf has been fascinated by photography for as long as he can remember – ever since his father let him take a photograph with his Rolleiflex at three years old. He is currently combining his photographic passion with his profession, documenting the reconstruction of the Museum of Nature in Ottawa. Recently, partly through his engagement with photographic colleagues, Eric has begun to expand the boundaries of his vision, moving outside of his comfort zone. Now, as a founding member of the photography collective "Dante Was Here", he is looking forward to further exploring his desire to capture the infernal and the sublime.

©2010, Dante Was Here. All rights reserved.

The group meets occasionally at the Armada Lounge, inside the Brig Pub in the Byward Market, Ottawa, Canada. Inquiries about the group should be directed via email to questions@DanteWasHere.com.

Photographers