Month: <span>February 2017</span>

Published February 22, 2017 by

Sunset and streetlights are a good combination

night, Dundas West, Toronto, 1984,
Dundas West and Medland, Toronto; 1984   © Avard Woolaver

When it comes to capturing the mood of city, sunset and streetlights are a good combination. This photo was taken over thirty years ago near where I lived in Toronto’s west end, in an area is known as The Junction. It was a bit run down at the time but had a lot of character and I enjoyed living there. With this photo I wanted to create a mood with colour and light and try to convey my warm feelings for The Junction.

from the photo series: Toronto Days

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Photo tip: For night shooting a tripod is useful but not essential. I find the best time to shoot is just after sundown as there is a good balance between natural light and city light.

 

Colour Documentary Film Photography New Topographics Photography Social Landscape

Avard Woolaver Dundas Street West The Junction Toronto Toronto Days

Published February 20, 2017 by

Astronaut Chris Hadfield performs with Symphony Nova Scotia

Chris Hadfield, Symphony Nova Scotia,
Chris Hadfield with Symphony Nova Scotia, Halifax, NS, 2017        photo © Avard Woolaver

 

“Through his 21 years as an astronaut, three space flights, 2600 orbits of Earth, Colonel Chris Hadfield has become a worldwide sensation, harnessing the power of social media to make outer space accessible to millions and infusing a sense of wonder into our collective consciousness not felt since humanity first walked on the moon. He has been called the most famous astronaut since Neil Armstrong.”

-from the Symphony Nova Scotia program notes about Chris Hadfield’s “Symphony in Space” event with the symphony at Rebecca Cohn Auditorium, Halifax.

You can’t help but be amazed by Chris Hadfield. He has been a test pilot, engineer, astronaut; first Canadian to walk in space; commander of the International Space Station. And he is an accomplished singer-songwriter.  It seems as if there is nothing he doesn’t excel at.

As he performed his songs and told numerous stories, you heard a warm, articulate man sharing his experiences with the audience–so modest and down to earth. The symphonic backdrop was a wonderful complement to his songs, some of which were co-written by his son, Evan, and his brother, Dave. There was also “Is Somebody Singing,” written with Ed Robertson of the Barenaked Ladies, as well as version of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity,” with lyrics modified “so the astronaut doesn’t die.” Hadfield was happy that his music hero gave his blessing to the song before his death.

Perhaps the most entertaining song of the concert came during the encore, when Hadfield sang “In Canada”—a sing-along number filled with in-jokes about what it is to be Canadian. “We pronounce the letter ‘R’ like we’re pirates on a ship. We’ll drive two thousand miles, on a summer camping trip,”

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Photo tip: According to Hadfield, when taking photos in space you get the best results shooting straight down at Earth, even though your eye may be constantly drawn to the horizon.

 

Colour Documentary Photography Social Landscape

2017 Avard Woolaver Canada Chris Hadfield concert February Halifax Nova Scotia photography Symphony Nova Scotia

Published February 17, 2017 by

Those unforgettable Hipgnosis album covers

surreal, lights, window, Hipgnosis
Wish You Were Here, Cornwallis, NS;  2013   © Avard Woolaver

Do you remember those unforgettable Hipgnosis album covers? If you are around my age, you probably spent a lot of time in your teenage years listening to LPs and studying the album covers. You would play side one, then flip over to side two, all the while contemplating the meaning of the prism on the cover. The album art was often straightforward–an attractive portrait of the singer or band. But sometimes it was surreal and enigmatic–very artsy.

When I got a camera some years later I remembered those cool Hipgnosis creations (by Storm Thorgerson) and looked for photos with similar moods and juxtapositions. A discarded door on a sidewalk, an odd reflection in a mirror, a blank sign–this lead me to produce a series titled: Wish You Were Here. Thorgerson was good at isolating odd elements in the image, much like the painter René Magritte. It was clear what you were supposed to notice, but an intended meaning was not so clear. This ambiguity can draw you in and keep you looking for a long time.

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Photo tip: Use intentional point of view (POV)–stand in a place so as to get rid of clutter in the background.

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Avard Woolaver Hipgnosis social landscape surrealism Wish You Were Here

Published February 13, 2017 by

When the blizzard rages outside, it’s a good time to read some poetry

blizzard, snow, winter, February, 2017, forest,
Blizzard Day, Newport, Nova Scotia; 2017   © Avard Woolaver

When the blizzard rages outside, it’s a good time to read some poetry. Snowstorms and snowy days can be harsh and sometimes threatening, but also contain such rare opportunities to see natural beauty. Here is a poem by Emily Dickinson, titled “It sifts from leaden sieves” that manages to describe this sense of beauty.

It sifts from leaden sieves

It sifts from leaden sieves,
It powders all the wood,
It fills with alabaster wool
The wrinkles of the road.

It makes an even face
Of mountain and of plain,
Unbroken forehead from the east
Unto the east again.

It reaches to the fence,
It wraps it, rail by rail,
Till it is lost in fleeces;
It flings a crystal veil

On stump and stack and stem,
The summer’s empty room,
Acres of seams where harvests were,
Recordless, but for them.

It ruffles wrists of posts,
As ankles of a queen,
Then stills its artisans like ghosts,
Denying they have been.

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Photo tip: Unusual weather conditions often create interesting photos. This photo was taken near my house in the middle of a blizzard. I kept my camera in its case and only took it out briefly to take the photo. The lens was instantly covered in snow–a good reason also to have a UV filter on your lens for protection.

 

 

Colour Landscape Light Photography

2017 Avard Woolaver blizzard February landscape poetry snow snow storm winter

Published February 9, 2017 by

Time to get a “storm combo” and some “storm chips”

Chickenburger Restaurant, Storm Combo, Bedford, NS,
Bedford, NS; 2017              © Avard Woolaver

The term “storm chips” was coined in 2014 by  CBC radio host Stephanie Domet. It refers to people stocking up on potato chips and other snacks in advance of a snow storm.

Rebecca Rupp writes, “What most of us do buy in the face of impending blizzard is usually not what we should buy. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has an extensive list of supplies to have on hand for winter weather, which includes canned goods, crackers, dried fruit, infant food and formula (should there be a baby in the house), and bottled water. Other what-to-buy-for-a-blizzard lists recommend such sturdy, non-perishable items as peanut butter, canned soup and chili, beans, trail mix, canned tuna, and protein bars. In the event of awful weather, the consensus is, it’s a good idea to have on hand a supply of low-maintenance stuff that you don’t have to cook.”

We get our share of winter storms here in the Maritimes and storm chips have become a phenomenon. New Brunswick company Covered Bridge has even come out with a flavour called Storm Chips.  So I wasn’t surprised to see a sign advertising a Storm Combo. There is a big winter storm coming tonight–time to get a good “storm book” and some “storm coffee.”

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Photo tip: Wet pavement at night is great for colourful reflections. You can also get things like traffic lights or signs reflected in puddles.

Colour Documentary Light Photography Social Landscape

Avard Woolaver Bedford Canon Rebel T3 night Nova Scotia storm chips winter