“A Day in the Life” with: Photographer Anne Launcelott

Born in Nottingham, England and raised in Ottawa, Canada, photographer Anne Launcelott has spent a lifetime turning close observation into a visual language of colour, light, and gesture. She received her first camera as a teenager and began in black-and-white, building a home darkroom and teaching herself to develop and print her own work. Over more than 25 years with film, she honed a quiet, attentive way of seeing that still underpins her photography today.

After moving to Halifax, Nova Scotia—where she has lived for over 40 years—Launcelott gradually transitioned to digital colour, embracing a more expansive palette without abandoning her documentary instincts. Influential workshops with renowned photographers such as Jay Maisel and Steve McCurry helped sharpen her focus on everyday human moments, particularly in places where life appears to move at a different rhythm. Travel and street portraiture became her natural territory, from Cuba and China to Myanmar and Ethiopia. Working independently through her practice, Anne has exhibited widely in Canada, the United States, Europe, and China, including a major solo exhibition in Rybinsk, Russia. An elected member of the Society of Canadian Artists and recipient of international recognition for her colour work, she continues to build long-form projects such as her 2023 book We Are Nova Scotia, inviting viewers into nuanced, compassionate stories of place and community.

Anne Launcelott
I was rather apprehensive when I first set out to document a slum in Dhaka, Bangladesh called Geneva Camp. My preconceived ideas were immediately challenged when I found a vibrant “city within a city”. A bustling market greeted me upon arrival and this young boy was standing nonchalantly against a stall.
Anne Launcelott
Visiting a monastic school in Mandalay, Myanmar, I walked into this classroom where a novice nun was studying for her grade 12 final exams. The sun was streaming in through the window, illuminating the girl and the wonderful artistic wall behind her.
Exploring a wharf in Sri Lanka, I happened to upon a fish market. The contrast between the light and shadow caught my eye with the old fisherman illuminated in the sun.
In a small community in Sri Lanka, I visited a monastery. A monk acted as tour guide and opened the door to this temple. It was a feast for the eyes.
Along the shoreline of the Bay of Bengal in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, I captured this young surfer girl in a moment of quiet defiance. Her uncovered face is a direct challenge to the decrees returning women to the traditional, unseen shadows of the niqab, where their place is in the home.
There is something so delightful in watching a child at play. I caught this boy as he was jumping from boat to boat in Mandalay, Myanmar.
Anne Launcelott
In an old, unoccupied temple in Bagan, Myanmar, I happened to witness this tender moment of shared love between a sister and brother.
Anne Launcelott
A “moon” boat, named for its lunar shape, is winched onto the sandy beach by a tractor. Its brightly painted hull was in sharp contrast to the washed-out sky. Bay of Bengal, Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh

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Which ’hood are you in?

Halifax, Nova Scotia

What do you do?

I am a travel/street photographer

What are you currently working on?

I am currently working on a book about my travels through Bangladesh.

Where can we find your work?

Website

 

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