In Wish You Were Here, Toronto-based photographer Sarah Palmer documents the world of “last-chance” cruise tourism, where passengers seek leisure time through voyages to destinations adversely affected by the climate crisis

Printed in larger-than-life scale at Toronto’s waterfront-facing Donald D. Summerville Pools, Palmer’s photographs immerse viewers in the experience of traveling alongside happy vacationers, passing through fading coral reefs, disappearing glaciers, and what remains of endangered species—all aboard a vessel that further accelerates these negative environmental impacts.

The artist captures multiple subjects in-camera on film, creating dreamy, semi-distorted, and overlapping images that simultaneously look like advertisements and personal vacation photos, subtly revealing themes of excess and indifference. 

Curated by Brian St. Denis, Scotiabank Contact Photo Festival

Palmer composes multi-frame exposures in camera, with no manipulation, building layers of stories on the same piece of film. Her work straddles the realm of journalism and fine art and is part of this year’s Scotiabank Contact Photo Festival,

Exhibition runs (outdoors) Apr 26–May 31 at Summerville Olympic Pools ⁠in Toronto’s Beach district.

Sarah Palmer’s website, here.