Sparkplug Coffee + SPARK Photo Festival X PhotoED Magazine are excited to announce Lucas DeClavasio as the winner of the “Focus on Coffee” competition!

We were looking for images that catch attention, tell us a story about at-home coffee experiences, and nourish us like the first coffee of the day.

The judges unanimously selected “Focus” by Lucas DeClavasio as the winning image that best represents a creative, imaginative and technically well-executed interpretation of the competition theme, “coffee at home”.

DeClavasio’s said, of his series,

“Coffee at home is a must. This series of five images takes you through each stage of coffee consumption, from the craving to the first sip, to the last drop. The double exposure is taken in-camera with the intention of portraying the physical effects of caffeine and bodily feeling of sipping coffee first thing in the morning. It's like your body is in bloom and your mind is ready for whatever the day has in store for you.”

When asked about the technique used for his image, he explains, “A lot of people ask me if I use Photoshop to overlay the images, but I do it in camera. I shoot digitally and I expose the sensor twice. I find this process more true to shooting a double exposure on film.”

He also notes, “I took a long hiatus from photography, and it was actually the pandemic that got me back into it. I needed a creative outlet. My overarching goal with my photography is to embrace the chaos surrounding us, reconnect with my surroundings, and hopefully find a way to mentally cope with all these external factors.”

We couldn’t agree more! Photography, and coffee, have been a great escape for many Canadians.

DeClavasio will be rewarded with

• A YEAR of Sparkplug Coffee — delivered every month for 12 months.

• A YEAR of PhotoED Magazine — delivered. PhotoED Magazine shares Canadian photography stories in a brand new light! In print + digital editions, 3x/year, coast to coast.

• THE WINNING IMAGE will be featured on the packaging for a special edition, Sparkplug X SPARK Photo Festival 2021 coffee. This special edition coffee will be released in time for the SPARK Photo Festival in September and will be available for sale online across Canada. Check it out HERE!

• THE WINNING IMAGE WILL BE EXHIBITED in the SPARK Photo Festival 2021, and shared on Sparkplug Coffee, SPARK Photo Festival and PhotoED Magazine social channels.

The SPARK Festival of Photography is a celebration of photography in Peterborough, the Kawarthas, and Northumberland that runs throughout the month of September, 2021.