From the series: Toronto in the 1980s
More Toronto photos here.
Tag: <span>Avard Woolaver</span>
A visual interview on Japan Camera Hunter by Jesse Freeman. A wonderful format where questions are answered with images rather than words. I had a lot of fun with my responses!
Link: https://www.japancamerahunter.com/2018/05/jesses-visual-interviews-avard-woolaver/
Jesse Freeman says, “For this visual interview, it was one of the first times I just reached out to a complete stranger. On Flickr, (yes I still use it lol) he was always one of my favorite photographers, so was pleased when he agreed to do this. Just appreciate the originality of his eye and accompanying consistency where his Flickr doubles as an archives from 1980s of photographs he took of his locale. The color are just so amazing and quirkiness of his eye…think the “Who are you?” says it all.”
I’m excited about the exhibition in March. I hope those of you in the Toronto area can come out!
Toronto Days: photographs by Avard Woolaver
Gallery 310, Ryerson School of Image Arts
122 Bond Street, Toronto, ON
March 5 – 16, 2018
Opening Reception: Saturday March 10, 2pm – 5pm
Artist talk, 3pm
Avard Woolaver graduated from the Ryerson School of Image Arts in 1984 and has photographed, worked, and lived in Ontario and Nova Scotia. In addition to personal projects including “Wish You Were Here – Surrealism in Everyday Life” and “Scattershot: A Journey Through Place and Time (1976-present),” he has produced three books: Toronto Flashback (2016), No Money Down (2017), and Toronto Days (2018). This exhibition includes selections from each book that document the city of Toronto from 1980 to 1995 and show Woolaver’s interest observing and capturing ordinary scenes.
More work can be viewed at avardwoolaver.com, as well as at his sites on Flickr, Facebook, and Instagram.
Holiday Decorations Make Great Photos (Day 31 of 31)
Happy Halloween! It’s the last day of October. I’ve really enjoyed connecting with people this month during the 31 Days writing challenge. It’s been rewarding to participate in this project. I always find that I learn so much just by doing; I’m sure that’s true for you, as well.
Wrapping up this month on Halloween leads me to suggest documenting how your family participates in days like this one; get some close-ups of your candy dish, for example, or your decorated windows. If you have children in your life—kids of your own, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, or your neighbours’ and friends’ kids—you’ll enjoy getting a few shots that show their moods. Keep in mind that those aren’t always joy and delight; we can get great shots on holidays show kids while they’re bored, crabby, arguing, or whatever. Even if you’re too worn-out to enjoy those pictures now, in five or ten years you’re likely to treasure them.
Finally, I find it helpful to remember what a fleeting season fall is (at least in eastern Canada, where I live). As they say: Winter is coming. Taking pictures can be overdone, and I’m as guilty of that as anyone. It’s far too easy to get so caught up in capturing the shot that you sort of miss the moment.
But the flip side of that is true, as well; taking photos can be a great tool for staying engaged with the moment, for connecting to the joy that abounds in the simplest and most everyday acts. They surround us every day, and we have to remind ourselves, again and again, to open our eyes.
(For the month of October 2017, I have participated in the 31 Days bloggers’ challenge. You can find out about it here, and check out the interesting work other bloggers have posted.)
Allow Your Shadow in Your Photo Sometimes (Day 30 of 31)
Sometimes your shadow ends up in a photo by accident, but other times it’s not a mistake. Lee Friedlander was one of the first widely known photographers to make use of his shadow as a photographic element, and many people have done it since.
Why would you have your shadow in a photo? That’s one of the marks of a rank amateur, right up there with having your thumb over the lens.
Well, your shadow poking into the frame can convey a few different things. For one, it reinforces the truth that a photograph is not reality. No matter how much we’re capturing the truth of one moment, it’s still only a single moment, and it’s subject to the photographer’s point of view, conscious and unconscious biases, and frame of reference. So the photographer’s shadow in the picture operates at a very meta level, reminding the viewer that a human being held the camera.
A shadow can function as a graphic element, directing the viewer’s attention like a pointer or signpost toward something you want to emphasize in the frame. It can be used to add balance or resonance to your composition.
A third reason for letting your shadow be part of the picture is that sometimes there’s no way around it, if you want a particular shot. At certain times of day, in certain places, the only way you can include all the information you want in a photo is by letting that other piece of information—this is where the photographer was—be a part of it, as well.
And, fourth, it can add a touch of lightness or humour to your shot. A photo that’s not particularly witty or irreverent can take on those characteristics when you let your shadow fall into the frame.
As with many of our photographic efforts, what may initially seem like an egregious mistake may end up being something you like a lot. If you’ve never fooled around with including shadows in the photos you take, it’s a fun thing to experiment with.
(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.)