Category: <span>Photography</span>

Published March 2, 2017 by

Have your camera ready as the photo moment passes quickly

street photography, candid, photo moment
Keele Street, Toronto; 1984                                                 © Avard Woolaver

You may have had the unfortunate experience of coming upon an interesting scene only to discover that your camera is not in your bag. Or you realize that your cell phone is back at home. Or there is no film in your camera. There are any number of scenarios, but the conclusion is that you missed the moment: you missed the shot. This has happened to me numerous times and I always vow to never let it happen again.

Capturing the moment has been one of the key aspects of photography from the very beginning. Photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson coined the term “the decisive moment” in 1952. He said, “To me, photography is the simultaneous recognition, in a fraction of a second, of the significance of an event as well as of a precise organization of forms which give that event its proper expression.” There has been much debate as to whether one moment is more decisive than another, nonetheless, if there is a moment we are after it is important to be prepared for it.

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Photo tip: Be as ready as you can–batteries charged, space on the memory card, film in the camera, etc. When you are anticipating a good moment try to position yourself so that what is in background will be unobtrusive. And be patient–it can happen when you least expect it.

Keele Street, Toronto; 1984 is from the series Toronto Days and appears in Photo Vogue.

Black and White Documentary Film Photography Photography Social Landscape

1984 Avard Woolaver black and white street photography Toronto Toronto Days

Published February 28, 2017 by

The winter blues are not so bad

colour, winter blues, landscape, snow,
 Newport, NS; 2015                         © Avard Woolaver

The winter blues are not so bad; they calm the mind and aid in concentration. And according to one study of Instagram posts, “mostly-blue images receive 24 percent more likes than photos with high concentrations of reds and oranges.”

Colour psychology is widely used in advertising and marketing and it’s something to consider when you are out taking photos. According to Wikipedia, “Many marketers see color as an important part of marketing because color can be used to influence consumers’ emotions and perceptions of goods and services. Research shows that warm colors tended to attract spontaneous purchasers, despite cooler colors being more favorable.”

One of the pioneers of colour photography was Ernst Haas. He used techniques like shallow depth of field, selective focus, and blurred motion to create evocative, metaphorical works. His colour work was based on keen observation, or “dreaming with open eyes.”

“You become things, you become an atmosphere, and if you become it, which means you incorporate it within you, you can also give it back. You can put this feeling into a picture. A painter can do it. And a musician can do it and I think a photographer can do that too and that I would call the dreaming with open eyes.” – Ernst Haas

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Photo tip: Taking photos at midday when the colour temperature is high (about 5500k) produces blue results as does shooting just before dark. You can also play around with the white balance setting on your camera. The tungsten setting will give a nice blue hue in daylight conditions.

Colour Landscape Light Photography

Avard Woolaver colour colour field landscape minimalism Nova Scotia photography winter

Published February 27, 2017 by

Everyday Objects and the Democratic Forest

brooms, mops, Toronto, street scene, St. Clair West, everyday objects,
St. Clair West, Toronto, 1983     © Avard Woolaver

Photographer Willliam Eggleston is known for legitimizing colour photography as art. His photos are a visual treat without clichés—no sunsets, no lighthouses. Instead, he has ordinary scenes and everyday objects—things that we mostly pass by without notice.

As Eudora Welty says in her introduction to Eggleston’s book The Democratic Forest (1989), one of his photographs might include “old tyres, Dr. Pepper machines, discarded air-conditioners, vending machines, empty and dirty Coca-Cola bottles, torn posters, power poles and power wires, street barricades, one-way signs, detour signs, No Parking signs, parking meters and palm trees crowding the same curb.”

Eggleston looks at the world in a democratic way; all things, even the most banal, are worth photographing. It’s a form of mindfulness—being aware and concentrating on the moment.

“I just wait until [my subject] appears, which is often where I happen to be. Might be something right across the street. Might be something on down the road. And I’m usually very pleased when I get the image back. It’s usually exactly what I saw. I don’t have any favorites. Every picture is equal but different.” – William Eggleston

When I’m in that zone, I take time to observe everything around me. I find it relaxing and meditative. And it can lead to photos of brushes and brooms!

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Photo tip: Try taking photos just where you happen to be. In the coffee shop, in your backyard, in the parking lot. You don’t need to go to Mt. Everest to get good photos.

Colour Documentary Film Photography New Topographics Photography Social Landscape

1983 analog Avard Woolaver film photography new topographics social landscape St. Clair West Toronto Toronto Days

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.

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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.”

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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