I took a lot of photographs in my early years in Toronto in the 1980s, capturing street scenes and ordinary aspects of daily life that happened to catch my eye. I had no way to anticipate how significant these Toronto photos would seem to me 40 years later. They show things that no longer exist, even though it hasn’t been that long. Without necessarily trying to, I caught images of buildings, cars, fashions, gadgets that are no longer part of our world. Toronto’s entire skyline is utterly changed, part of the inevitable growth and evolution. So, I thought I’d go back and rephotograph some of the scenes to highlight these changes in the topography of the city. It was both fun and challenging, trying to find the spot where a photo was taken 40 years earlier, using the same focal length. It took me back to familiar places like Yonge Street, Queen Street, and the Junction.
Here is a sneak peak at my upcoming photography exhibit at the Viewpoint Gallery in Bedford, Nova Scotia, July 4-28, 2024.
I’m always on the lookout for quirky, whimsical scenes. Photographer Elliott Erwitt, who passed away last year at age 95, was a master of capturing ironic and absurd situations within everyday settings. He’s certainly been an influence on my photography.
Here are some recent oddities that appeared in my viewfinder. In the words of American clergyman Douglas Horton, “Smile, it’s free therapy.”
My “Featured Member” exhibit at ViewPoint Gallery is a selection of photos covering my photographic journey from the late 1970s to the present day. The exhibit runs from Feb.1 – March 3, 2024.
I do social landscape photography and am interested in New Topographics—the human-altered landscape–recording how human behavior and activity has affected the world. I also look for whimsical scenes, as well as elements of surrealism found in everyday life. My work is firmly planted in the documentary tradition, getting photos through observation rather than through set-up and image manipulation. Photography keeps me in touch with the changing seasons and the passage of time. My images are intertwined with childhood memories, music, and locations around Hants County, Nova Scotia.
I got my start I photography in the late 70s at the Acadia University camera club, and I took photos for the school paper, The Athenaeum. After that, I studied photography at TMU (formerly Ryerson) in Toronto and worked for a time doing freelance jobs, as well as street photography.
Over the years I’ve learned always to carry a camera, and, even more important, to take time to study details of the world around me. In refining my vision and technique, I also strive for images that, I hope, carry some deeper meaning.
My work has been exhibited in Canada and, internationally, in France and China. It’s also featured online and in print: in blogTO, iNPUBLIC, the Toronto Star, the Japan Times, Eyeshot Magazine, Camera Canada, and Photo Life.
I have eight self-published photo books that are available online (through Blurb Books) and at the gallery.
In October 2023, I became a member of ViewPoint Gallery–a vibrant photo co-op with a group of talented photographers. It has been a pleasure connecting with like-minded people who are passionate about photography.
I had a summer job on a railway gang in Alberta while studying at Acadia University. I started to explore the potential of street photography and using juxtaposition in my compositions.
This collage is all about the transition from Wolfville, Nova Scotia, to a new life in Toronto. When we move to a new place, some things are kept while others are left behind.
Mountain worshippers of the Shugendou religion watch the sunrise over Mt. Fuji. I’d climbed the mountain two years earlier, but seeing the sunrise from this location was a more powerful experience.
I found this birch bark in Algonquin Park on a canoeing trip, and used it as a mat. I always welcomed opportunities to get out of the city and into nature.
I was still doing some of the adjacent frame diptych work that I started in 1982. I received two 12-exposure rolls of Kodak “Cosmos” 400 in a promotion, and this was shot on that rare and mysterious film.
In 2010, I discovered Flickr and started posting photos online. It started a renaissance in my photography that has continued for the past 14 years. I look for hooks to make my photos more interesting, like juxtaposition, scale, reflections, and unusual subject matter. My daughter Jane took some painting classes at NSCAD in 2022, and did a nice representation.
Beauty and chaos in the modern world. Interesting photos can be found anywhere–even in a McDonalds.
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Viewpoint Gallery in Halifax, NS., Canada exhibits fine art photography. Viewpoint offers monthly exhibitions and a variety of photography focused events.
1475 Bedford Highway Unit 109, Bedford, NS B4A 3Z5
Every year ViewPoint Gallery welcomes new exhibiting members with a “NewPoints” exhibition that showcases their work. I am pleased to be part of this exhibition along with Craig Benjamin and Heather Rose. It runs from January 4th – 28th with an artist talk on January 14th. The gallery is located at 1475 Bedford Highway, Unit 109, Bedford, Nova Scotia.
My portion of the show, titled Found Fields, features ten photos from my recently released photo book, available at Blurb Books. Below are the exhibit photos with their captions.
My latest self-published photo book is titled Found Fields – available through Blurb Books.
Found Fields refers to my approach when taking photos: scenes found in my field of vision. Photographers often call it being a gatherer rather than a hunter—finding scenes by chance, rather than intentionally hunting them down. Many of my photos are taken during my daily routine, or just going somewhere ordinary. Of course, I’m attracted to novelty–going to new places, seeing new things. But I also love seeing familiar scenes, places that I have photographed many times before, and discovering once more that nothing ever looks the same way twice.
Over the years I’ve learned always to carry a camera, and, even more important, to take time to study details of the world around me. In refining my vision and technique, I also strive for images that, I hope, carry some deeper meaning.
The photos in this book show some themes that I have been exploring for a long time now (societal issues; climate change; the failure of capitalism), along with wonderment, and, sometimes, the sheer absurdity of life. I think of the photos collected here as being both optimistic and pessimistic, in roughly equal measure. Ultimately, though, I have a great deal of hope for the future, and I trust these images reflect that. Photography has always been magic for me, and the camera a loyal memory maker.
Found Fields
Photographs by Avard Woolaver
Softcover, 54 pages; 50 colour photos
20 x 25 cm / 8 x 10 in.
