What's wrong with this picture?: Exhibit captures quirky moments in fashion

After snapping pictures on his vintage camera, Trint Thomas says he has to wait patiently until the night sky arrives and the bathroom in his one-bedroom apartment becomes his dark room.

Thomas is a fine art photographer from Saskatoon. This week he's bringing his collection Eye on U to the Eye Gallery, an eyewear store and optometry clinic on College Drive.

The series is a collection of pictures he took over two years in Vancouver, Paris and Amsterdam examining fashion and the obsession with style as well as the marketing of fashion.

"I spent a lot of time window shopping and I started to notice the different things they're trying to sell and all the different words they use to sell," Thomas said.

One example Thomas notes in a piece titled Similar shows a storefront window with three mannequins dressed up and the word "unique" hovering over them in large, block letters.

The hook is that the mannequins don't appear unique at all.

"I really try and show a lot of juxtaposition and kind of make the viewers think a little bit, more than just showing a pretty picture," Thomas said.

The printing and developing process is also a major part of his artistry. Thomas uses film photography and traditional printing methods of developing pictures in a darkroom. No Photoshop, no airbrushing, just a bathroom tub and sink.

"I shoot both digital and analog and I prefer to shoot analog because I found that it really holds a lot more power," Thomas said. "Digital photographs it's just one step. You take the picture and you can edit, but it's not really hands-on work. These photographs, from start to finish, I did every single step myself. So it's something I can be more proud of."

Monique Martin, curator of the Eye Gallery, said the exhibit is well-timed considering that Saskatchewan Fashion Week is just right around the corner (May 12-14).

She added the gallery's focus on photography and printmaking artists is something that's not often found in the province.

The Eye on U exhibit runs until June 1.