Tag: <span>documentary</span>

scale, photography, Peggys Cove, Nova Scotia,
Peggys Cove, Nova Scotia, 2010   © Avard Woolaver

Scale can be deceiving in photographs, and sometimes it intended to be that way. A photograph can be both fact and fiction, both a document and a lie. It may contain numerous narratives that spring from our imagination. It can be staged or manipulated in Photoshop, yet still be a document. These days the line between fact and fiction has become blurred.

According to photographer Martin Parr, “Most of the photographs in your paper, unless they are hard news, are lies. Fashion pictures show people looking glamorous. Travel pictures show a place looking at its best, nothing to do with the reality. In the cookery pages, the food always looks amazing, right? Most of the pictures we consume are propaganda.”

My photography has always been rooted in the documentary tradition–I’m not one for manipulation, or post-production. Most everything is achieved by where I stand and when I take the photo–(light is a crucial component as well). But sometimes I aim to take photos that are ambiguous. They look like manipulated photos, yet they are not. Using scale is one way to achieve this sense of ambiguity.

This photo was taken in Peggys Cove, Nova Scotia,–a place that is both beautiful and surreal. The rocks in the frame are actually much smaller than the house, but you may disagree!

Photo tip:  Scale provides a frame of reference. A person or object is often put in the frame as a reference point. Try creating tension by including an object of unknown size in the frame.

Black and White Documentary New Topographics Observation Photography Social Landscape

colour, photo , urban landscape,
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia; 2017    © Avard Woolaver

 

Sometimes you are in a hurry and don’t have much time to take a photo, but the light is right and there are a lot of interesting elements before you. You snap maybe one or two images, then the moment is gone. Sometimes it works out, and sometimes it doesn’t. But it is bound to be an interesting photo if the light is good and the scene has a lot to offer.

Photo tip: Good light is often the key to good photos. Make note of the time of day when you see nice light. It will vary from season to season.

 

Colour Documentary New Topographics Photography Social Landscape