Tag: <span>film photography</span>

Published May 11, 2025 by

Toronto in the 1980s – a photo book

“Toronto in the 1980s” represents a sort of greatest hits of my 1980s Toronto photos. I’m thankful to Chad Tobin for is valuable assistance in editing this collection. It is available at Blurb Books.

From the introduction:

There is a feeling of freedom walking around a city with a camera. At 66, I still have that feeling but it was more pronounced when I was in my mid twenties, studying photography as a student at Ryerson Polytechnical Institute (now Toronto Metropolitan University.) I took a lot of photographs in my early years in Toronto, capturing street scenes and ordinary aspects of daily life that happened to catch my eye. American photographer Henry Wessel sums up my approach in this way: “Part of it has to do with the discipline of being actively receptive. At the core of this receptivity is a process that might be called soft eyes. It is a physical sensation. You are not looking for something. You are open, receptive. At some point you are in front of something that you cannot ignore.”

Back in the 1980s I would shoot a roll of film (usually black and white), process it a few days later and make a contact sheet. After that I might make an enlargement of one or two of the strongest shots, and then move on. The contact sheets may have been reviewed from time to time when I was preparing for an exhibition, but basically, I didn’t look at them for years and years.
For a long time, my photos were almost all black and white. I paid a great deal of attention to lines and form and the abstract qualities that monochrome provided. My influences had been Robert Frank and Lee Friedlander who were all about documenting the social landscape. It seemed that this type of photography was so much better suited to black and white, or as Frank called it, “the colours of hope and despair.
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I had no way to anticipate how significant these Toronto photos would seem to me 40 years later. They show things that no longer exist, even though it hasn’t been that long. Without necessarily trying to, I caught images of buildings, cars, fashions, gadgets that are no longer part of our world. Toronto’s entire skyline is utterly changed, part of the inevitable growth and evolution. I sometimes think about the children and young adults in these photos who are now in their 50s and 60s. How have their lives been?
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Looking back now at the photos I spent my precious film on back then, so much comes back to me about dropped into a new environment. We use our creative tools as extensions of ourselves; they help us understand and define our place in the world. 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.
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Product Details
10×8 in, 25×20 cm
Softcover, 62 Pages
59 black and white photographs

 

photo book Photography

1980s black and white film photography photo book Toronto in the 1980s

Published February 12, 2025 by

Recent Film Photography

 

Shooting and processing film is not new to me. It’s something I did practically daily for 30 years (1976-2006). When I got my first digital camera in 2006, I thought I’d never return to shooting film. But here I am almost twenty years later, shooting Ilford HP-5 with a collection of of old film cameras, and processing the film at home in stainless steel tanks. This time around, though, there is no darkroom with a sink and enlargers. I scan the negatives and store the files on my computer.

Why did I go back to shooting film? I think I missed the process, the anticipation, the waiting, the physical connection with the medium, and perhaps the magic. It’s the rush you get when you briefly unspool the negatives (still in the wash) to see if they turned out well, and if there are any keepers. When I glanced at the above photo in negative form, I got a dopamine rush, and couldn’t stop smiling. I don’t get quite the same sense of satisfaction shooting digitally. Perhaps because the results are so immediate, and photos much more numerous.

I’ll still be shooting the majority of my images digitally, but I’ll have the film cameras on hand for those magic moments. Here are some recent film photos shot with a Yashica T4 and Canon AE-1.

Mt. Uniacke, Nova Scotia, 2025 – © Avard Woolaver

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Bayers Lake, Nova Scotia, 2025 – © Avard Woolaver

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Bayers Lake, Nova Scotia, 2024 – © Avard Woolaver

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Bedford, Nova Scotia, 2025 – © Avard Woolaver

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Bedford, Nova Scotia, 2025 – © Avard Woolaver

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Bedford, Nova Scotia, 2025 – © Avard Woolaver

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Bayers Lake, Nova Scotia, 2025 – © Avard Woolaver

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Halifax, Nova Scotia, 2025 – © Avard Woolaver
Windsor, Nova Scotia, 2025 – © Avard Woolaver

 

 

 

Photography

film photography film processing Nova Scotia

Published March 4, 2023 by

It’s an honour to have my photos in the City of Toronto Archives – 2023_03_04

It’s all too beautiful, Yonge and Queen, Toronto, 1997 – © Avard Woolaver

Recently 700 of my photos (digital images) were added to the City of Toronto Archives. It’s a real honour, and a good feeling, knowing that my 1980s street photos will be kept for future generations. Many thanks to Michele Dale, the supervisor of collection management and standards at the City of Toronto Archives, for seeing the merit in my work.

The above photo is one of my favourites from the archives collection.
In those days I worked near Queen and River. I’d ride my bicycle home along Queen Street and sometimes stop in at Tower Records, put on the headphones and listen to Summer Side of Life by Gordon Lightfoot. I’d be transported into a beautiful musical world.

When look at this photo, I think about light, and life, and the miracle of just being alive and being able to experiencing things. I also think about Toronto music: “Lost Together” by Blue Rodeo, “Spirit of Radio” by Rush, “Lovers In A Dangerous Time” by Bruce Cockburn, “Bobcaygeon” by The Tragically Hip; songs by Gordon Lightfoot, Joni Mitchell, or Neil Young. These are songs that run through my mind when I look at this photo and think about that time in my life. I’m nostalgic for those Toronto days.

Here is a link to the collection.  (Fonds 620; Avard Woolaver fonds) Scroll down and click: “browse,” and you can see the photos. I think they represent my strongest work, and there are several that have never been published previously. Hope you enjoy them!

 

 

History Photography

1980s Avard Woolaver fonds City of Toronto Archives film photography music Toronto

Published January 13, 2023 by

Sears Warehouse, Toronto, 1980 – 2023_01_13

Sears Warehouse, Toronto, 1980 – © Avard Woolaver

This photo, taken outside the Sears Warehouse in Toronto in 1980, brings to mind the song “Working Man” by Rush and the wonderful work of American photographer Harry Callahan.

The Sears Warehouse, located near Church and Dundas, was converted into lofts in the late 1990s and is now called the Merchandise Building. The original building was built in various stages from 1910 to 1949 for the Simpson’s department store, and was later owned by Sears Canada. It is an example of the Chicago School style of architecture.

Photography

1980s 6x6 film photography Sears Warehouse street photography Toronto

Published October 15, 2022 by

Suspended in Time – 2022_10_15

Suspended in time, retro, Toronto, 1980
Church and Dundas, Toronto, 1980 – © Avard Woolaver

Sometimes certain photos seem to be suspended in time. This one was taken in Toronto in 1980, though it almost looks as if it could be have been from decades earlier, say the 1920s, or 1930s. One thing is for sure, you won’t find this kind of scene in Toronto these days, unless it is on a film set.

Photography

1980s film photography street photography suspended in time Toronto