Category: <span>Documentary</span>

Published February 25, 2017 by

Animals are unpredictable creatures

cat, humour, animals, sign, guard dogs,
Eastern Avenue, Toronto; 1983    © Avard Woolaver

 

Animals are unpredictable creatures. With anything unpredictable (motion; changing light) you’ll want to keep timing in the front of your mind while photographing.

Animals, both willing and unwilling, have been the subject of photographs since the earliest daguerreotype in 1839. Capturing an image of an animal was a tricky business back then, when  exposure times of 10 to 60 seconds were needed. These days digital cameras and smart phones make the process much easier, but getting a good photo is still tricky.

W.C. Fields famously said, “Never work with animals or children.” Photographer Elliott Erwitt, on the other hand, said, “I like working with children and animals. They are more obedient than most grownups. . . and they don’t ask for prints.” Erwitt has a unique way of getting humourous and idiosyncratic photos of dogs, yet manages to show our human connection with them. Many of his dog photos show people interacting with animals, and timing seems to be the critical component.

—

Photo tip: Try observing  an animal for some time before taking a photo; often the interaction with people makes a great moment. Stay ready to press the button.

 

Colour Documentary Film Photography Observation Photography Social Landscape

1983 analog animals Avard Woolaver cat film humour Toronto Toronto Days

Published February 24, 2017 by

Wabi-sabi and worn out street signs

wrong way, sign, wabi-sabi, Kentville, Nova Scotia,
Kentville, Nova Scotia;  2006    © Avard Woolaver

Wabi-sabi is a Japanese concept that roughly translates to “imperfect beauty.” It’s an aesthetic that comes from Buddhist teaching; it describes a beauty that’s imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete.

Though there is something appealing about fresh new things wrapped in plastic, we often prefer old, worn-out things. I think of my old LPs with their crackle and pops; my t-shirts from Japan in the 1980’s; a faded hockey team photo from 1972; a baseball glove from 1987. You have your own long list, I’m sure.

Lots of times you may find yourself seeking this wabi-sabi aspect in your photographs. It’s something I do often in my photography–preferring to shoot a run-down street sign over a shiny new one. The lyric I’ve seen most often invoked in discussing wabi-sabi is from “Anthem” by Leonard Cohen: “There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.”

There could be many interpretations of the faded “wrong way” sign in the photo above: this is the wrong way to maintain a street sign, or it’s just a sign of the times. It might as well say, “Nothing lasts forever.”

—

Photo tip: Juxtaposition can lead to visual interest. Try including an object in the foreground that seems incongruous with the rest of the scene.

Colour Documentary New Topographics Photography Social Landscape

Avard Woolaver decay Kentville new topographics Nova Scotia sign social landscape wabi sabi

Published February 23, 2017 by

Scale can be deceiving in photographs

scale, photography, Peggys Cove, Nova Scotia,
Peggys Cove, Nova Scotia, 2010   © Avard Woolaver

Scale can be deceiving in photographs, and sometimes it intended to be that way. A photograph can be both fact and fiction, both a document and a lie. It may contain numerous narratives that spring from our imagination. It can be staged or manipulated in Photoshop, yet still be a document. These days the line between fact and fiction has become blurred.

According to photographer Martin Parr, “Most of the photographs in your paper, unless they are hard news, are lies. Fashion pictures show people looking glamorous. Travel pictures show a place looking at its best, nothing to do with the reality. In the cookery pages, the food always looks amazing, right? Most of the pictures we consume are propaganda.”

My photography has always been rooted in the documentary tradition–I’m not one for manipulation, or post-production. Most everything is achieved by where I stand and when I take the photo–(light is a crucial component as well). But sometimes I aim to take photos that are ambiguous. They look like manipulated photos, yet they are not. Using scale is one way to achieve this sense of ambiguity.

This photo was taken in Peggys Cove, Nova Scotia,–a place that is both beautiful and surreal. The rocks in the frame are actually much smaller than the house, but you may disagree!

—

Photo tip:  Scale provides a frame of reference. A person or object is often put in the frame as a reference point. Try creating tension by including an object of unknown size in the frame.

Black and White Documentary New Topographics Observation Photography Social Landscape

Avard Woolaver black and white documentary house Nova Scotia Peggys Cove rocks scale

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

—

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,”

—

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