Category: <span>Film Photography</span>

Published June 1, 2017 by

Give yourself a photo assignment

assignment, arcade, pinball arcade, Yonge Street, Toronto, 1981,
Arcade Scene, Toronto, 1981                              © Avard Woolaver

Give yourself a photo assignment. A bit of structure can be helpful when taking photos; it gives you a set purpose.

There is something to be said for wandering around aimlessly with a camera looking for whatever grabs your eye. This is the mode I’m frequently in; to me it represents the ultimate freedom. Some of my more memorable photos, however, have come about as the result of a specific assignment.

When attending Ryerson in Toronto I did a project on popular culture. My assignment was to go out on Yonge Street and record as many instances of popular culture as I could find. It was a fun task. I photographed record shops, posters, cars, televisions, fashions, and fast food stores. It led to some interesting photos; shots I normally would not have taken—like this photo in a pinball arcade, for instance. I almost never went to arcades (one of my classmates was addicted to Pac Man) but the assignment gave me reason to go there.

So, if you find yourself in a creative rut, or simply want to try something new, give yourself a photo assignment. It could be stop signs, people wearing hats, triangular shapes, or environmental degradation; the list is endless. You may be pleasantly surprised at the results.

Arcade Scene, Toronto, 1981, is from the Facebook series: Toronto Days

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1981 arcade assignment Avard Woolaver black and white film photography pinball arcade Toronto Toronto Days

Published May 23, 2017 by

Nostalgia is the drug of choice for baby boomers

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Gerrard East and Ontario Street, Toronto, 1981    © Avard Woolaver

Nostalgia can be described as a sentimental longing for the past. It comes from the Greek nostos (homecoming) and algos (pain) and is thought to have been derived from Homer’s The Odyssey.

With baby boomers reaching their senior years, nostalgia seems to be their drug of choice. Advertisers target boomers with Beatles music, retro fashions, and even long dead actors such as Marilyn Munroe selling perfume. While boomers seem to be lapping it up, not everyone is crazy about the nostalgia bug. Heather Havrilesky writes in The Washington Post, “While griping about boomer nostalgia has become a somewhat common art, the cultural impact of that nostalgia transcends mere annoyance. Through sheer repetition and force of will, boomers have so thoroughly indoctrinated us into their worldview that we all now reflexively frame most current affairs through the lens of another generation’s formative experiences.” Abbey Hoffman might say not to trust anyone under 50!

I myself am a baby boomer. Born in 1958, I was six years old when the Beatles came to North America. I sang “A Hard Day’s Night” in my Grade One classroom, watched the moon landing on a fuzzy black and white TV, and took my Diana camera to Expo ’67 in Montreal. While I have nostalgia for those early years, the time I miss most was when I was in my early twenties, studying photography at Ryerson in Toronto.

The photo at the head of this blog captures the time that I am nostalgic for. It was taken in my neighborhood in downtown Toronto in my first year of study. Everything was new and fresh, conversations were stimulating, photography was invigorating. Several of my classmates from that year became lifelong friends. Since returning to those days is impossible, I can make the journey with my retro photographs. It’s the next best thing.

Gerrard East and Ontario Street, Toronto, 1981, is from the series: Toronto Days

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1981 analog baby boomers black and white film photography nostalgia Toronto Toronto Days

Published May 19, 2017 by

Friday roundup, May 19, 2017

Toronto, social media, Friday roundup, blog, 1997,
Toronto Skyline from Queens Quay East, 1997                  © Avard Woolaver

Friday roundup, May 19, 2017. Here are some things that caught my eye, and ear, on social media this week: #fbf

The keen eye of Vancouver’s Brad McMurray,

Brilliant illustration from Dominic Bugatto,

Ottawa designer crowdfunds reprint of 1974 CBC ‘Graphic Standards Manual’,

Jill Freedman’s best photograph,

Sit down, rise up: how meditation supports activists,

‘Brandy’ songwriter on how ‘Guardians of the Galaxy 2’ finally gave his hit a deeper meaning,

Japan’s luxurious Shiki-shima sleeper train – in pictures,

Ria Mae – Thoughts on Fire ft. Classified

 

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#FBF 1997 Avard Woolaver film photography Flashback Friday friday roundup social media Toronto Toronto Days urban landscape

Published May 12, 2017 by

Friday roundup, May 12, 2017

Toronto 1995, Mill Street, 1995, Friday roundup, May 12 2017,
Mill Street, Toronto, 1995                   © Avard Woolaver

Friday roundup, May 12, 2017. Here are some things that caught my eye, and ear, on social media this week: #fbf

Music from Josh Tillman aka Father John Misty,

Meatloaf will give free concert in Toronto,

Taj Mahal performs with the amazing guitarist Jessie Ed Davis (1968),

Mystery photographer behind ‘lost photos of Barcelona’ discovered,

13 strange and beautiful Japanese islands you must visit,

New Brunswick roasts Ottawa for erroneously placing famous rocks in Nova Scotia,

German photographer captures everyday lives of refugees,

Diffusion photography festival in Wales

 

Black and White Blogging Documentary Film Photography Friday Roundup New Topographics Photography

1995 analog Avard Woolaver black and white blog film photography friday roundup Mill Street The Image Journey Toronto

Published May 8, 2017 by

Photo sleuthing and old memories

baseball, Toronto Blue Jays, 1978, Exhibition Stadium, Otto Velez, Tom Hutton,
Otto Velez and Tom Hutton, Toronto, 1978      © Avard Woolaver

Awhile ago I discovered an old slide taken at a Toronto Blue Jays baseball game years earlier. I didn’t remember much about it.

I knew I’d taken it in May 1978—a memorable time in my life. I was on my way to Germany for a university student work program. It was my first trip on an airplane, and my first time in Toronto.

I also recalled that the Montreal Canadiens had defeated the Boston Bruins on that day to win the Stanley Cup. From this fact, I figured out online that the game had been May 25, 1978—a Thursday. A baseball reference website told me all the details. The player at bat was Tom Hutton (#14) and the player on deck was Otto Velez (#19). The Boston Red Sox defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 9-5, with relief pitcher Dennis Eckersley getting the win. The game was held at the old Exhibition Stadium, a venue that was also the field for the Toronto Argonauts football team. The attendance at the game was 17, 197 for the fledgling Jays, who were struggling through their second season.

I’ve found Google Maps Streetview to be another valuable resource for finding the exact location of old photos. There is a sense of satisfaction in piecing together old memories. It helps me remember more details of a photo, or an event. How did I get to the game, who did I go with, what did I do afterwards?

It’s impossible to go back in time, but often it is possible to reconstruct the details of a photo. This can be a worthwhile endeavor as the past recedes further in the distance. Not every day will be one you’ll care to return to in memory; not every ball game is one you would want to sit through again. There are plenty of elements of our past lives that are better left in the past. But, for those memories that are a pleasure to recall, using photo sleuthing to retrieve forgotten bits of the day can add greatly to the texture of a treasured memory.

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1978 Avard Woolaver Ektachrome film Exhibition Stadium memory Toronto Blue Jays