Tag: <span>film photography</span>

Published December 14, 2018 by

Sometimes Photos Resemble Paintings

Avard Woolaver, Toronto, photos resemble paintings,
Elm Street at Yonge (looking west), Toronto, 1982  © Avard Woolaver

Sometimes photos resemble paintings–whether it’s the lighting, the subject matter, or the mood. Some photographers recreate paintings as photographs like Laura Hofstadter with her self-portrait series. Also many painters use photographs as a reference when they paint.

I had always thought that this 1982 photograph of Elm Street in Toronto looked like a painting, but no painter came to mind. Then my social media friend Amy Dix suggested that it looked like something by English artist L.S. Lowry. I could immediately see the similarity. 

The above photo was taken from the rooftop of Sam the Record Man–the iconic record store. These days it’s the location of The Ryerson Student Centre, an amazing creation of function and design. In 2018, I managed to get a photo of Elm street  through a window, maybe on the 4th floor. It’s great to compare the old with the new, and see the changes over the past 36 years.

Avard Woolaver, Toronto, photos resemble paintings,

Elm Street at Yonge (looking west), Toronto, 1982, appears in the book Toronto Flashback (1980-1986) and is available through Blurb Books.

Blogging Photography

analog photography Avard Woolaver film photography photo book Toronto Toronto Flashback (1980-1986)

Published December 11, 2018 by

Montreal, Quebec, 1983

Avard Woolaver, Montreal, 1983, Kodachrome,
Montreal, Quebec, 1983 © Avard Woolaver

When taking photos I look for good light, and try to get an interesting moment, if possible. But there is also a matter of composition–how to divide the space. There are no hard and fast rules, but I often attempt to divide the frame into three or more sections. I first saw this in the photographs of Tony Ray-Jones and Lee Friedlander. There was a lot going on in the frame–a kind of unified complexity.

This  photo was taken in Montreal in 1983. My friend Stephane is on the right and we were off to celebrate Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day. I’m glad I got this Kodachrome moment.

Blogging Photography

analog photography Avard Woolaver composition film photography Kodachrome Montreal street photography

Published December 6, 2018 by

Toronto, 1994 – when Kodachrome roamed the earth

Avard Woolaver, Toronto, Kodachrome, Lakeshore Boulevard, Gardiner Expressway, traffic,

© Avard Woolaver

A moment captured on Kodachrome. It was taken on a pedestrian walkover that crosses Lakeshore Boulevard and Gardiner Expressway. The warm light in the late afternoon was a perfect match for this reversal film that was known for its red/magenta cast.

I knew Paul Simon’s song Kodachrome before I got into photography, but didn’t know anything about the film itself. I would discover its magical qualities a few years later. Here is what Songfacts says about the song: “Paul Simon was working on a song with the title “Coming Home” when the word “Kodachrome” came to him. He had no idea what it meant, but knew it would make for a much more interesting song than “Coming Home.” The song became an appreciation of the things in life that color our world, and a look at how our memories are framed to fit our worldviews. Simon sometimes sings the line “Everything looks worse in black and white” as “Everything looks better in black and white.” He changes it a lot, and claims he can’t remember which way he wrote it.”

Kodachrome started in 1935 and effectively ended in 2010, when it was no longer possible to have it processed. Competition from Fujichrome and Ektachrome (which are easier to process) brought a decrease in sales, and the emergence of digital in 2000 signaled the end of the film. But once upon a time, Kodachrome roamed the earth–in cameras, camera bags, and pockets. It was with me when I traveled around Germany in 1978, Asia in 1989, and Europe in 1993. My faithful companion.

Photography Toronto

1994 analog photography Avard Woolaver film photography Kodachrome Toronto vintage

Published December 5, 2018 by

Fifth Avenue, New York, 1983

New York, Avard Woolaver, Fifth Avenue, B.Altman and Company, 1983, street photography,

© Avard Woolaver

This photo was taken on Fifth Avenue in New York City in 1983. Walking around New York City with a camera is something I’ve only done twice in my life. Both times were unique and memorable. There is so much happening on the streets, and so many interesting locations.

The mannequin is in the store window of B. Altman and Company, a luxury department store chain founded in 1865. By 1990, the business was closed. In 1985 this Fifth Avenue building became a New York City landmark. It is now occupied by City University of New York, New York Public Library, and Oxford University Press. The Altman Foundation carries on as one of the largest private philanthropies in New York.

From the series: New York City – Flickr album

Photography

1983 analog photography Avard Woolaver B. Altman Company film photography New York New York City street photography

Published July 26, 2018 by

Allie Bennett, Acadia University, 1977

Avard Woolaver, Allie Bennett, Nova Scotia, singer, musician, 1977, Acadia University,

I first met Allie Bennett in the fall of 1977, outside the Student Union Building at Acadia University. He was playing some folk tunes to a small crowd of people. I wondered why there weren’t more people listening; he was really good–a Cape Bretoner with that magic musical touch.

Fast forward to 1982. I was upstairs at Sam the Record Man on Yonge Street looking at blues albums, and there stood Allie Bennett. He was on tour with John Allan Cameron playing bass guitar; really starting to make it in the music business. We  talked a bit about music and our days at Acadia.

Fast forward to 2009. I was at Stanfest in Canso, Nova Scotia. There were lots of amazing performers there that year–Don Maclean, Sarah Harmer, Matt Anderson, Lennie Gallant, Amelia Curran. I was backstage and ran into Allie.  He  was playing bass and fiddle for Bruce Guthro. It was great to catch up after all those years. He has had a long and prolific career as a performer, studio musician with artists such as Rita MacNeil, Stan Rogers, Murray McLauchlan, the Rankin Family, the Barra MacNeils, Mary Jane Lamond, Natalie MacMaster, Ron Hynes,  Dave Gunning, and Ashley MacIsaac. Talent, dedication and the right choices will take you far.

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Documentary Photography

1977 Acadia University Allie Bennett Avard Woolaver colour film photography musician singer