Gillian Gibbes

footnotes@footprintsphoto.com

416-493-0403

Toronto - Canada

Footprints Photography wedding photographs featured in
The National Post newspaper Monday, June 6, 2005
Check it out here:

National Post Nuptials Column

Artwork Exhibitions

Praxis Gallery - May 2006

Insomnia Cafe - August 2004

Desinee Art Gallery - 1995

Ryerson Gallery, Art at 80 - May 1995

Footprints Photography's Dancer photographs featured in this article about Ballerina, Rachel Fox

(click photo to enter)

Check out this article featuring Gill in the Arts section of the NORTH YORK MIRROR

About the Artist


Born and raised in Scarborough (a large town within Toronto, Ontario, Canada), I was fascinated with photographs as they related to the music business. As I sat in my basement listening to my favourite musicians, I would stare at the album covers and protective sleeves - yes, they were vinyl records back then - and imagine the pictures I would have come up with to represent the album instead.
I lost myself in daydreams of becoming a singer and guitarist for a good many years...always paired with imagery, but it hadn't occurred to me to pursue photography as a profession.
It wasn't until my highschool built a professional grade darkroom and created a photography class that I was reunited with my thoughts of being the creator of images. It became obvious I had found my true calling.
Travel was always a big part of my life (my mother worked for an airline), and as I became educated about art and photography, I found myself disinterested in the snapshots we took of our travels just to aid memory. I had always been
detail-oriented in my vision and wanted others to notice the little things I would notice, so they could experience the trip through my eyes, instead of through verbal stories as we pointed to some vague shot of the area we were in.
I hadn't realized that I already knew which avenues within the photographic field I wanted to pursue, so I enrolled in Ryerson University's Still Photography program, and achieved my Bachelor of Applied Arts degree in 1996. I had come full circle there, right back to the desire to shoot band portraits and interesting album cover artwork. I decided to approach all of my portrait work with the notion of shooting my subjects as if for a magazine spread or CD liner booklets, and treat my travel work as paintings, to keep my own interest in the images I create.
I've found my niche in the photography world, but I don't pigeon-hole myself into any one direction, I have many
different interests. I love searching for compositions worthy of hanging in my living room; I think family portraits should look just as engaging as your favourite painting; I love weddings, I love babies, I love pets and musicians etc. ... I want to leave my mark on the world by helping others leave theirs. 

The addition of Make-up Artistry to my resume is a childhood dream come true.  I was a practice "model" for my neighbours, coming home for dinner, at the age of 8, in full-regalia hair and make-up, ready for the red carpet!  Then, in my 20s, one of my University friends began working for MAC Cosmetics, making me a "MAC Addict", and inspiring my love for the art of Make-up.  I then took private lessons and have been having the time of my life as a budding Make-up Artist! 

It is all for the love of imagery.

Gillian Gibbes
Footprints Photography