I like to observe the shapes of things–it’s a big part of my photographic vision. I also like the 1966 hit song by the Yardbirds. You may recall the the opening line…”Shapes of things before my eyes.” Some photos I take remind me of this song with its dark and moody lyrics that are said to be in opposition to the Vietnam War. I love the guitar sounds, the marching beat, and the unforgettable “rave-up” with Jeff Beck’s eastern sounding guitar solo. It is said to be the first popular psychedelic rock song.
When I take a walk with my camera, I’m always on the lookout for the unusual–odd scenes, quirky juxtapositions. To me unusual things are more visually interesting. They demand our attention in different ways than traditional beauty does.
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, and unusual.
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.
Wish You Were Here is available through Blurb Books .
It’s paradise here in Nova Scotia, but in winter it becomes a salt stained paradise. On certain days, when the road salt and brine have melted the snow and ice, you literally need gallons of windshield washer fluid to constantly clean your windshield.
When driving to Halifax recently I had to make an emergency stop in Bedford to buy some windshield washer fluid as I had run out. It was very hard to see, driving into the sun. I took this photo to show the effects of the salt. After all, if you want to properly view the salt stained paradise you need a clean windshield.
Reflections create another layer of reality in a photo. It can be like gazing into an alternate world, or listening to the layered sound in a Brian Eno recording.
When I was a boy I would walk around the house looking down into a mirror. The reflections of the ceiling created a whole new space to walk in. Several years later when I first picked up a camera, I was drawn once again to layered images found in mirrors, windows, and water.
With the winter season upon us and frigid temperatures outside, it’s nice to remember summer and those hot sunny days at the beach. I choose to remember summer with this photo of Cherry Beach in Toronto, taken in 1982. Sooner than we know it, it will be here.
