FAQ
Questions & answers
Straightforward answers to the questions we hear most often. If something is missing, the contact page is open.
What is Portrait of Canada?
Portrait of Canada is a national portrait and voice record. It begins with photographers, who contribute a self-portrait and short recorded answers to questions shared by everyone who takes part. In 2026, a photographer-led proof of concept tests the story, the workflow, and the submission process ahead of a broader public record opening in 2027.
What happens in 2026?
2026 is a focused proof of concept. It tests the story, the workflow, the consent process, and the submission system, and it listens for genuine interest from photographers across the country. It is deliberately not about volume: the goal is to learn what works, with care, before the record opens more widely.
Who can participate now?
Photographers across Canada are the 2026 participants. Alongside them, advisors and partners are welcome to start conversations. The wider public is invited to take part in 2027, shaped by what photographers help establish this year.
How do people join, and will it stay open?
2026 is an open expression of interest for any working photographer in Canada; from there the record grows by invitation, photographers vouching for photographers they trust. Self-portrait and answers are the membership.
Are there different ways to take part?
Over time, three: a wider public around the edges, the member photographers who make the record, and a curated annual printed book. In 2026 the focus is only the first member photographers, so this is a direction, not a finished structure.
What happens in 2027?
In 2027, the record opens to the wider public. What photographers, advisors, and partners help us learn in 2026, about story, consent, and care, shapes how that happens and on what terms.
Will members have a say in how it runs?
That is the intention: as the community opens in 2027, members help choose the shared question, recognize a representative for each province, territory, and federally, and weigh in on how it is run, with the option to lend your voice to people they trust. A human board holds final responsibility.
Will all submitted material be public?
No. Raw material is never automatically public. Publication happens only after consent is confirmed and the work is reviewed. Photographers decide what they share, and nothing moves forward without that agreement in place.
How is consent handled?
Consent comes first, at every stage. Photographers decide what they contribute and what they share. Publication follows review: nothing is released without explicit agreement from the people involved. The full approach is described in the governance section.
What about French, Indigenous languages, and other languages?
The record runs in English and French. The French site is a working translation while a francophone advisor settles the wording, and participants' recorded words always stay in the language they were spoken in. Indigenous languages are the next conversation we want to have, Inuktitut, Cree, and Dene first, and through consultation. Other languages widely spoken in Canada, Mandarin among them, can follow over time. None of it happens all at once. The source record is captured and documented in English, so each new language can be added carefully, without rebuilding the archive.
How can I help?
If you are a photographer, you can express interest in taking part in the 2026 proof of concept. If you are an advisor, institution, or potential partner, you can start a conversation about how you might support or contribute to the project.
Ready to take part?
If you are a photographer interested in the 2026 proof of concept, or you would like to start a conversation as an advisor or partner, the contact page is the right place to begin.