Michael de Haan
Calgary, Alberta
ARTIST BIO
Michael de Haan is a Canadian photographer whose work documents the quiet character of people and places in everyday life. Working primarily with film, he photographs with a clear and deliberate eye, interested in how gesture, light, and setting reveal something honest about his subjects. His images often balance warmth and distance, finding meaning in the small details that define ordinary experience.
De Haan’s photographs are calm, direct, and attentive, reflecting a quiet respect for the people and environments he encounters.
Michael lives and works in Calgary, Alberta.
PROJECT STATEMENT
“This project explores identity and place in the Summer Village of White Sands, located on Buffalo Lake. Through portraits, landscapes, and still lifes, I tell the story of a small community and the people who call it home. I examine how the village’s location, season, and perception shape its character, and how residents, both permanent and seasonal, contribute to its sense of belonging.Growing up, I spent many summers in White Sands at my family cabin. The village is vibrant in the warmer months, but I have long been fascinated by its quieter winter life and the people who remain when the crowds disappear. By documenting the community throughout the year, I aim to reveal the dedication, resilience, and connection that define life in this place beyond its summer identity.
This work serves both as documentation and personal exploration. It reflects my curiosity about how people inhabit and shape their environments, and how place, in turn, shapes them. My process is rooted in engagement, meeting people, listening to their stories, and allowing those experiences to guide the direction of the project.
Ultimately, I see this work as a tangible record of White Sands and the lives that animate it. Through photography, I hope to capture the enduring spirit of this community, its rhythms, quiet moments, and collective identity, preserving a sense of belonging that extends beyond any single season.” – Michael de Haan
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
In the spirit of reconciliation, we acknowledge that the Exposure Photography Festival is situated on land adjacent to where the Bow River meets the Elbow River. The traditional Blackfoot name of this place is “Moh’kins’tsis”, which we now call the City of Calgary. This is the traditional Treaty 7 territory of the Blackfoot confederacy: Siksika, Kainai, Piikani as well as the Îyâxe Nakoda and Tsuut’ina nations. It is home to the Métis Nation of Alberta, Region 3 within the historical Northwest Métis homeland. We honour and acknowledge all Nations, who live, work and play in Moh’kins’tsis, help steward this land, and honour and celebrate this territory.