Tag: <span>black and white</span>

Published February 21, 2019 by

Passing through Nathan Phillips Square

Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto, 1981,
Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto, 1981 – © Avard Woolaver

Nathan Phillips Square is a large city square in downtown Toronto (12 acres) that is the home of Toronto City Hall. It is a place of numerous activities–skating rink, farmers’market, concerts, demonstrations. There is often lots going on here, but at other times it is eerily empty.

It is a place that I rarely went to for an event; I was usually just passing through. So my photos are usually just little glimpses of what was happening there. Looking back at my contact sheets from the 1980s it seems that I passed through Nathan Phillips Square a few times a year. It was a good place for photos–lots of open space, interesting architectural details, plenty of concrete, and human activity.

These photos were just random moments at the time, but mean a lot more to me now as I rediscover the past life of my 20s. It reminds me that life is short and we must Carpe diem— “sieze the day.” For me, having a camera in my hand at all times helped me remember, You only get to do this once. We have to take time and see it, as clearly as we can.

Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto, 1982,
Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto, 1982 – © Avard Woolaver

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Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto, 1983,
Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto, 1983 – © Avard Woolaver

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Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto, 1984,
Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto, 1984 – © Avard Woolaver

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Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto, 1985,
Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto, 1985 – © Avard Woolaver

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Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto, 1984 – © Avard Woolaver

Blogging Photography Toronto

black and white film photography Nathan Phillips Square street photography Toronto Toronto in the 1980s

Published February 7, 2019 by

Seeing the shapes of things

Grand Pre, Nova Scotia, 2016, shapes, shapes of things,
Grand Pre, Nova Scotia, 2016 – © Avard Woolaver

I like to observe the shapes of things–it’s a big part of my photographic vision. I also like the 1966 hit song by the Yardbirds. You may recall the the opening line…”Shapes of things before my eyes.” Some photos I take remind me of this song with its dark and moody lyrics that are said to be in opposition to the Vietnam War. I love the guitar sounds, the marching beat, and the unforgettable “rave-up” with Jeff Beck’s eastern sounding guitar solo. It is said to be the first popular psychedelic rock song.

Bakers Lake, Nova Scotia, 2010, shapes, shapes of things,
Bayers Lake, Nova Scotia, 2010 – © Avard Woolaver

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Newport, Nova Scotia, 2016, shapes, shapes of things,
Newport, Nova Scotia, 2016 – © Avard Woolaver

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Newport, Nova Scotia, 2010, shapes, shapes of things,
Newport, Nova Scotia, 2010 – © Avard Woolaver

Black and White Blogging Photography

black and white shapes Yardbirds

Published July 5, 2018 by

Sotheby’s Auction, Toronto, 1983

Black and White Photography

Avard Woolaver black and white film photography street photography Toronto Toronto in the 1980s

Published October 7, 2017 by

When I Was Young, Everything Was Black and White

film, black and white,
Wolfville, Nova Scotia, 1980                           © Avard Woolaver

When I Was Young, Everything Was Black and White (Day 7 of 31)

I’m in my late fifties, which means I grew up with a black-and-white television. When I was young our TV got two channels, both of them snowy. Even shows that had been filmed in colour were, in our household and others like ours, translated into varying shades of grey.

And I loved paging through Life magazine; there, too, reality was shown in black and white. It became my default understanding of what a photo was.

Old family photos in my parents’ and grandparents’ albums, similarly, were in black and white. We had colour film, of course, and I enjoyed my father’s colour slides (shown on a big screen in the living room when we had company or at Christmas). But the basic set of beliefs I had about photos or images was that they were in black and white.

I think there’s some level at which, when I got seriously into photography in my twenties, I was working from that assumption. I still love looking at tonal variation and shades of grey—how a black-and-white photo can contain everything from deepest inky black to a pale, foggy, mist, to white and nearly silver. Black and white isn’t lacking, or second-best; it’s just different.

And it’s not better. There can be a kind of high-handedness about it, a sort of snooty, superior quality. A whiff of reading Russian novels at breakfast and watching only foreign films, an “I’m better than you” air. That’s an empty pretense, though. There doesn’t need to be any message in using it.

It’s beautiful. Colour is beautiful. Both are great—a pleasure to shoot, a pleasure to look at.

black and white
© Avard Woolaver

(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.)

Blogging Photography

31 Days Avard Woolaver black and white

Published June 1, 2017 by

Give yourself a photo assignment

assignment, arcade, pinball arcade, Yonge Street, Toronto, 1981,
Arcade Scene, Toronto, 1981                              © Avard Woolaver

Give yourself a photo assignment. A bit of structure can be helpful when taking photos; it gives you a set purpose.

There is something to be said for wandering around aimlessly with a camera looking for whatever grabs your eye. This is the mode I’m frequently in; to me it represents the ultimate freedom. Some of my more memorable photos, however, have come about as the result of a specific assignment.

When attending Ryerson in Toronto I did a project on popular culture. My assignment was to go out on Yonge Street and record as many instances of popular culture as I could find. It was a fun task. I photographed record shops, posters, cars, televisions, fashions, and fast food stores. It led to some interesting photos; shots I normally would not have taken—like this photo in a pinball arcade, for instance. I almost never went to arcades (one of my classmates was addicted to Pac Man) but the assignment gave me reason to go there.

So, if you find yourself in a creative rut, or simply want to try something new, give yourself a photo assignment. It could be stop signs, people wearing hats, triangular shapes, or environmental degradation; the list is endless. You may be pleasantly surprised at the results.

Arcade Scene, Toronto, 1981, is from the Facebook series: Toronto Days

Black and White Blogging Documentary Film Photography Observation Photography Social Landscape

1981 arcade assignment Avard Woolaver black and white film photography pinball arcade Toronto Toronto Days