Tag: <span>Avard Woolaver</span>

Published October 14, 2017 by

Memory of Where They Used to Be

gone, remnants, ghosts, remember, memory
© Avard Woolaver

Memory of Where They Used to Be (Day 14 of 31)

Memory is a funny thing. Some photographs contain ghosts that not everyone can see. Not ghosts of people, but of buildings, trees, gardens that are gone. Like the sides of city buildings that still show where long-departed neighbouring structures used to stand, some photos show mounds of empty earth, driveways to nothing, tattered remnants of former lives.

Such pictures can have an evocative melancholy for those who can remember what’s missing; but it may be that even viewers who aren’t familiar with the changed landscape can appreciate it. A pang of loss is a universal thing.

Consider taking some photos of places you know well that have changed over the years, and try some different ways of including clues to the past life of this place. For instance, I mentioned driveways that no longer lead anywhere—a sight that can be so odd and moving. If you happen to take a photo in such a landscape, think about playing up the driveway in your picture and showing how it trails away.

Virtually all of us who are older than, say, ten or twelve have many people who are missing from our lives, but that doesn’t mean we’ve forgotten them all. In some sense a photo can still show that same kind of memory: an element may be no longer there, but also not quite erased altogether.

(For the month of October 2017, I’m participating in the 31 Days bloggers’ challenge. You can find out about it here, and check out the interesting work other bloggers are posting.)

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31 Days Avard Woolaver memory

Published October 13, 2017 by

The Moose Was a One-Time Thing

moose
Shubenacadie Wildlife Park                 © Avard Woolaver  

The Moose Was a One-Time Thing (Day 13 of 31)

Did you hear, earlier this year, about the so-called Moose Sex Corridor? It was a news item from my part of the world, Canada’s Maritimes, that was picked up by a number of news outlets worldwide.

Here’s the gist of it: Moose are endangered and quite rare in mainland Nova Scotia, where I live, though they’re pretty common in the northern part of the province (which is Cape Breton island), in neighboring New Brunswick, and down through Maine. Because they’re such a hazard on the roads (moose are huge), the New Brunswick highway department spends vast sums of money fencing both sides of the highways for long distances. It’s pretty effective at keeping them off the roads but limits their movement and is an issue for them during mating season. Hence the moose sex corridor—not its official name—designed to make it easier for lonely moose to find one another.

Though they’re rare in my part of the province, they’re not unheard of. And last winter there was one in our small community, causing great excitement. I saw its prints in the woods but never got a chance to see the animal itself. Sightings were reported, and I had my camera ready, but I never got a chance to get the photo I wanted.

Our lives are full of these missed photos, like the fish that got away. We have to let them go, unmourned. It’s so easy for those of us who love taking photos to develop a collector’s mindset—but let’s be honest: Would my life be at all better, by even the slightest bit, if I had a photo of that moose on my camera?

No. No, it would not.

(For the month of October 2017, I’m participating in the 31 Days bloggers’ challenge. You can find out about it here, and check out the interesting work other bloggers are posting.)

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31 Days Avard Woolaver moose

Published October 12, 2017 by

For Golden Hour Light, Get up Early

Golden Hour, morning light, sunrise, pond, Nova Scotia,
© Avard Woolaver

For Golden Hour Light, Get up Early (Day 12 of 31)

The best-known examples of the famous Golden Hour occur late in the day. The phrase refers, of course, to that time in the evening, before twilight, when the sunlight can take on a magical richness and intensity. (It often overlaps, as parents know, with the time of day also known as Arsenic Hour or Crazy Time—the period before dinner when adults are worn out and children are impossible.) For photography, Golden Hour light is invaluable. Some of your best outdoor shots have probably been taken then.

There’s another option, of course: getting up early. I can do it, and often have, sometimes for years on end. It’s undeniable, though, that there have been long stretches of my life when I haven’t seen many sunrises. My tendency has always been more toward the night-owl side than the early riser.

Nonetheless, morning light has many of the same inherently beautiful qualities as evening light, and it’s worth making the effort to get up early from time to time. The light is much softer than at midday, and of course it’s much more golden—more yellow-toned. This enhances colours. The light is dimensional, as well. Shadows are longer and softer than during the middle of the day.

One thing you can do to take advantage of this light is just to be aware of the possibilities, twice a day (if you’re up). Be alert to when the Golden Hour falls in your region in the season you’re in. Keep an eye out. If you see some great light, grab your phone or camera and run outside. Sometimes it only lasts a few minutes, so be ready and act fast.

And, if your kids are being cranky and impossible, getting them outdoors for a few minutes may be just what’s needed to keep everyone sane until you get dinner on the table.

(For the month of October 2017, I’m participating in the 31 Days bloggers’ challenge. You can find out about it here, and check out the interesting work other bloggers are posting.)

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31 Days Avard Woolaver Golden Hour morning light

Published October 11, 2017 by

For a Change of Perspective, Stand on a Balcony or Climb a Tree

perspective, viewpoint, Toronto,
Queen Street, Toronto, 2003                          © Avard Woolaver

For a Change of Perspective, Stand on a Balcony or Climb a Tree (Day 11 of 31)

A simple change of perspective can sometimes give you ideas with your photos. It need not even be a lot of effort. Just getting up high is one way I’ve found to facilitate a shift in viewpoint that can lead to some interesting pictures.

When you’re at a different level, not only do your scenes look different; you also see shapes and details you hadn’t noticed before. People’s expressions and features aren’t quite the same.

Check out the work of Russian photographer Alexander Rodchenko who said, “the most interesting viewpoints of today are ‘from the top down’ and ‘from the bottom up'”. His use of unusual angles, often from above, make his photos captivating and dynamic.

Newness sharpens your mind as much as your eyes. Making minor adjustments to try for a fresh approach can sometimes lead down a path of exploration. That’s been my experience, at any rate—it doesn’t necessarily take a large-scale change to find something that’s satisfyingly novel.

(For the month of October 2017, I’m participating in the 31 Days bloggers’ challenge. You can find out about it here, and check out the interesting work other bloggers are posting.)

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31 Days Avard Woolaver perspective viewpoint

Published October 10, 2017 by

With Information, Sometimes More is More

information, document,
© Avard Woolaver

With Information, Sometimes More is More (Day 10 of 31)

There’s an enormous sense of satisfaction that comes from being able to take the photo you want—not having to rely on stock photos or on other people’s work.

Much of the mental work required to take these photos lies in becoming a better editor. You learn to edit the objects included; edit the edges of the frame; edit the finished photos. Strip out and pare down. Such restrictions are effective and useful, and they make a streamlined and elegant photo possible.

But of course we’re not always trying to highlight one or two chosen objects. On photographer Eric Kim’s blog there is a great post called Ten Lessons Lee Friedlander Has Taught Me About Street Photography. I like a lot of Eric’s insights but the one I want to draw attention to is number 4: “Incorporate more content into your photos.” With more information your photos can become more interesting and visually complex. They hold the viewer’s attention for a longer time.

When the purpose of a photo is to document a situation, consider whether you want to eliminate details or pile them on by the truckload. If you’re capturing what a particular time and place contains, more information may be just what you want. In those cases, a wide-angle lens works well. Don’t zoom in or edit out; try instead to cram in details, edges, signs, labels, architecture, overhead wires, random occurrences, and stray animals darting across the path. It won’t be as peaceful a shot, but it will be one that’s filled with information.

(For the month of October 2017, I’m participating in the 31 Days bloggers’ challenge. You can find out about it here, and check out the interesting work other bloggers are posting.)

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31 Days Avard Woolaver documentary information