The Image Journey

Published March 24, 2019 by avardw

Edmonton, Alberta in 1979

Klondike Days, 1979, — Klondike Days, Edmonton, Alberta, 1979 – © Avard Woolaver

I worked in Alberta in the summer of 1979–a summer job on the railway gang and a break from my studies at Acadia University. I managed to get into Edmonton a few weekends that summer and was eager to photograph in an urban environment as I had been living in the small town of Wolfville and hadn’t done much city photography.

I would stay at a dive hotel off Jasper Avenue in Edmonton called the Gateway Hotel (now long gone)–$15 a night, or $16 with a small black and white TV. It was the most basic of accommodation but such a feeling of freedom and independence. I was twenty years old and free to explore the city with my camera–my Jack Kerouac days. And being alone was a big part of it. Photography for me, has mostly been a solitary pursuit. I don’t prefer to be with others when I’m wandering with my camera.

I remember the city being really quiet on Sundays. Almost no stores were open, but you could see a movie, go to the library, or to a restaurant. I saw Woody Allen’s Manhattan that summer and heard Blondie’s Heart of Glass for the first time in a department store. Alberta seemed like the wild west in some ways–lots of red necks driving pick-up trucks. But Edmonton is quite a cultural center with a thriving arts scene. I really enjoyed my time there.

Alberta, 1979, — Edmonton, Alberta, 1979 – © Avard Woolaver

Jasper Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, 1979, — Jasper Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, 1979 – © Avard Woolaver

Kinsmen Park, Edmonton, Alberta, 1979, — Kinsmen Park, Edmonton, Alberta, 1979 – © Avard Woolaver

Black and White Blogging Film Photography Photography

1979 Alberta Edmonton photography street photography

Published March 21, 2019 by avardw

Forty years ago in 1979

Jasper Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, 1979 – © Avard Woolaver

My life was quite different forty years ago in 1979. I remember some of that time, but a lot is forgotten. But photographs have a way of bringing the past into sharp focus in a way that almost nothing else can. A moment in 1979, frozen in time.

In 1979, I was in my second year at Acadia University living in residence at Chipman House. I had bought my first guitar–a used Marlin for $25. (This guitar is a Korean knockoff of the legendary Martin guitar–I still play that guitar to this day.) Although I spent some time on my studies, my real passion was taking photographs. Doing assignments for the school paper The Athenaeum was good training and taught me a lot about getting the shot even under difficult conditions. It also taught me the importance of meeting deadlines. We would often be working frantically in the darkroom right up until the last minute before putting the paper to bed.

In the summer of 1979, I got a job working on a railway gang in Wainwright, Alberta. How I got that job, and ended up there is a long and winding story. It was a summer of physical labour, working in the sun doing track maintenance–a good job for a twenty year old. With my photographs, I tried then as I do now, to capture a mood, or a feeling. I didn’t know much back then, but I could recognize good light and at times could capture a moment. It’s what Henri Cartier-Bresson called “a joint operation of the brain, the eye and the heart.”

Railway gang bunk cars, Wainwright, Alberta, 1979 – © Avard Woolaver

100A Street NW, Edmonton, Alberta, 1979 – © Avard Woolaver

Viking, Alberta, 1979 – © Avard Woolaver

Wainwright, Alberta, 1979 – © Avard Woolaver

Black and White Blogging Photography

1979 Alberta film photography photography

Published March 20, 2019 by avardw

Photos to welcome spring

Newport, Nova Scotia, 2019, spring, — Newport, Nova Scotia, 2019 – © Avard Woolaver

Today is the first day of spring. Here in Nova Scotia the vernal equinox will occur a few hours from now at 6:58 pm. Although it hasn’t been a particularly rough winter in this part of the world, there is still an unusually thick layer of frost in the earth (about a meter’s worth). This was caused by a lot of cold weather, and little snow (that usually provides a layer of insulation). In a recent rainstorm my basement flooded with 4 inches ( 10 cm) of water–the drains were frozen and there was nowhere for the water to go. I’m sure this happened to many people in Nova Scotia. I haven’t had the courage to plug in my guitar amp to see if it still works.

Still, spring fills me with optimism. I like to put on Hello Mr. Blue Sky by New Brunswick’s John Campbelljohn and turn up the volume. I can forget all about flooded basements and cold weather, and look forward to fat robins hopping around in my backyard.

And the spring light is great for photography. With Daylight Saving Time starting on March 10, the sun sets at 7:30 pm these days. The golden hour is back and this is a good reason to celebrate. Here are a few recent photos of this wonderful time of year. Happy spring, everyone!

Newport, Nova Scotia, 2019, — Newport, Nova Scotia, 2019 – © Avard Woolaver

Bayers Lake, Nova Scotia, 2019, spring, — Bayers Lake, Nova Scotia, 2019 – © Avard Woolaver

Newport, Nova Scotia, 2019 – © Avard Woolaver

Blogging Photography

photography

Published March 18, 2019 by avardw

Rediscovering the Nifty Fifty

Newport, Nova Scotia, 2019, 50 mm lens, nifty fifty, — Newport, Nova Scotia, 2019 – © Avard Woolaver

Recently I have been using only my 50 mm lens and it has brought about a significant change in how I take photos. Yes, I’m loving my nifty fifty! Two weeks ago when my trusty zoom lens bit the dust, I put on my seldom used 50 mm lens. It’s the only other lens I own, so the decision was out of necessity. See the blog post: Getting back to the 50 mm lens.

I was expecting it to be a compromise–I would use the lens for a few days, then buy another zoom lens. But the more I used the nifty fifty, the more I grew to love it. At first everything seemed too tight (I’m more used to the range of vision of a 35mm lens). I was presented with a narrower view and had to make the best with how to frame it. Then it became a challenge. I got used to how far I had to be away from a subject or scene to get optimal framing. It started to feel natural. Also, the lens is sharper than the zoom.

As there is no zoom to contend with, I can take photos more quickly and efficiently. In short, it’s a liberating experience. I notice different things and see the world in a new way. It takes me back to my days in Toronto doing street photography with a Rollei 35–a tiny camera with a fixed 40 mm lens. One camera, one lens. There’s something to be said for simplicity.

If you have a 50 mm lens that you never use, I urge you to give it a try. You may be surprised at the results. Here are some recent photos taken with the nifty fifty.

Halifax, Nova Scotia, 2019, 50 mm lens, nifty fifty, — Halifax, Nova Scotia, 2019 – © Avard Woolaver

Bedford, Nova Scotia, 2019, winter, snow, — Bedford, Nova Scotia, 2019 – © Avard Woolaver

Halifax, Nova Scotia, 2019, — Halifax, Nova Scotia, 2019 – © Avard Woolaver

Halifax, Nova Scotia, 2019, nifty fifty — Halifax, Nova Scotia, 2019 – © Avard Woolaver

Newport, Nova Scotia, 2019, winter, snow, — Newport, Nova Scotia, 2019 – © Avard Woolaver

Blogging Photography Techniques

50 mm lens nifty fifty photography

Published March 14, 2019 by avardw

Nagoya, Japan in 1987

Kanayama Station, Nagoya, Japan, 1987 – © Avard Woolaver

I arrived in Nagoya, Japan in January 1987–met at the station by Mike and Richard, my friends from Ryerson. Mike had said in a voice tape sent to me in Toronto, that living in Japan was like “putting your brain in a tin can and launching it into space.” And he was right. I had studied some Japanese at U of T, but nothing could have prepared me for life in Japan. Everything was so different.

The culture shock wore off as the months passed. I learned the language, got accustomed to teaching English and learned how to get around. Perhaps the most rewarding thing was a chance encounter with some locals that lead to a life-long friendship. From them I learned that people are basically the same everywhere.

And I continued to take photos with my Rollei 35. These photos were taken in the first few months when everything seemed fresh and new. I wish I had taken more, but living and working in Nagoya was so all-consuming that there wasn’t much room left for creative endeavors.

I look back on my six years in Nagoya, Japan with great fondness. The experience had such a great impact on my life. I plan to go back there next year with my family. I can hardly wait.