Tag: <span>Hipgnosis</span>

Kentville, Nova Scotia, 2012, Wish You Were Here,
Kentville, Nova Scotia, 2012 – © Avard Woolaver

When I was a teenage boy in the mid-Seventies, living in rural Nova Scotia, I spent hours studying the album covers created by Hipgnosis, the London-based design group. This was before I grew interested in photography, but, as LPs like Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here” or “Ummagumma” played on the turntable, I scrutinized the covers, trying to penetrate the mysteries of the evocative, layered visual compositions. My “Wish You Were Here” is an ongoing photographic project that’s been in the works for several years. I aim to capture images that have a sense of the surreal yet are readily seen in everyday life. Additionally, I try to capture the sense of whimsy and humour that I liked about those album covers. The images come about through observation, rather than with Photoshop or other manipulations. For me, that’s an important aspect of the project–there’s no manipulation of the image. Reflections, juxtaposition, and scale all come into play.

More photos in the series can be seen in the book Wish You Were Here – available through Blurb Books.

Pereaux, Nova Scotia, 2015, Wish You Were Here,
Pereaux, Nova Scotia, 2015 – © Avard Woolaver

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Truro, Nova Scotia, 2013, Wish You Were Here,
Truro, Nova Scotia, 2013 – © Avard Woolaver

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Windsor, Nova Scotia, 2013, Wish You Were Here,
Windsor, Nova Scotia, 2013 – © Avard Woolaver

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Halifax, Nova Scotia, 2012, Wish You Were Here,
Halifax, Nova Scotia, 2012 – © Avard Woolaver

Blogging Photography

Windsor, Nova Scotia, Wish you Were Here, unusual, surrealism,
Windsor, Nova Scotia, 2019 – © Avard Woolaver

When I take a walk with my camera, I’m always on the lookout for the unusual–odd scenes, quirky juxtapositions. To me unusual things are more visually interesting. They demand our attention in different ways than traditional beauty does.

Do you remember those unforgettable Hipgnosis album covers? If you are around my age, you probably spent a lot of time in your teenage years listening to LPs and studying the album covers. You would play side one, then flip over to side two, all the while contemplating the meaning of the prism on the cover. The album art was often straightforward–an attractive portrait of the singer or band. But sometimes it was surreal and enigmatic–very artsy, and unusual.

When I got a camera some years later I remembered those cool Hipgnosis creations (by Storm Thorgerson) and looked for photos with similar moods and juxtapositions. A discarded door on a sidewalk, an odd reflection in a mirror, a blank sign–this lead me to produce a series titled: Wish You Were HereThorgerson was good at isolating odd elements in the image, much like the painter René Magritte. It was clear what you were supposed to notice, but an intended meaning was not so clear. This ambiguity can draw you in and keep you looking for a long time.

Wish You Were Here is available through Blurb Books .

Blogging Photography

surreal, lights, window, Hipgnosis
Wish You Were Here, Cornwallis, NS;  2013   © Avard Woolaver

Do you remember those unforgettable Hipgnosis album covers? If you are around my age, you probably spent a lot of time in your teenage years listening to LPs and studying the album covers. You would play side one, then flip over to side two, all the while contemplating the meaning of the prism on the cover. The album art was often straightforward–an attractive portrait of the singer or band. But sometimes it was surreal and enigmatic–very artsy.

When I got a camera some years later I remembered those cool Hipgnosis creations (by Storm Thorgerson) and looked for photos with similar moods and juxtapositions. A discarded door on a sidewalk, an odd reflection in a mirror, a blank sign–this lead me to produce a series titled: Wish You Were HereThorgerson was good at isolating odd elements in the image, much like the painter René Magritte. It was clear what you were supposed to notice, but an intended meaning was not so clear. This ambiguity can draw you in and keep you looking for a long time.

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Photo tip: Use intentional point of view (POV)–stand in a place so as to get rid of clutter in the background.

Colour Light Observation Photography Social Landscape