Tag: <span>Nova Scotia</span>

Published February 14, 2019 by

Skating on Woolaver’s Pond

This is a short video of me skating on Woolaver’s Pond in Newport, Nova Scotia. I spent countless hours of my youth skating and playing hockey (shinny) on this pond. I imagined that I was Bobby Orr, rushing down the ice to score a goal. My friends and I were absolutely devoted to that pond.

If there was snow on the pond, we’d clear it. If the weather was frigid, we’d bundle up. There was no stopping us. We made wooden goals with burlap bags as the netting and lost many pucks in the cattails.

Climate change in the past two decades has meant that there are very few days in the winter when skating on the pond is possible. It is either unsafe (the ice is not thick enough), or the constant freezing and thawing makes the surface unusable. Also, kids just aren’t into pond hockey like they used to be. On a sunny Saturday in the 1970s there would have been dozens of people on the pond, and even skating parties in the evening. These days, it’s empty.

I was so glad to be back on the pond. I wished that perfect day would last forever.

I should note that the skates I was wearing were CCM Tacks circa 1976. Sadly, they are broken and have become my pond skates. You can see where I have wrapped black tape to mend the holes and cracks in the plastic.

Skates, skating on Woolaver's pond,
Newport, Nova Scotia, 2019 – © Avard Woolaver

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hockey Newport Nova Scotia Woolaver's Pond

Published January 17, 2019 by

39 years later things look different

Windsor, Nova Scotia, before and after, 1980 , 2019,
Windsor, Nova Scotia, 1980 and 2019 © Avard Woolaver

Photography is a great way to show the passage of time. The top frame was taken in 1980, and the bottom one was taken 39 years later in 2019. It was taken in Windsor, Nova Scotia. The scene, that looks west toward the Annapolis Valley, was a farmer’s field in 1980. There was a gate which was an interesting illustration of Windsor’s status as “gateway to the Annapolis Valley.” There were oil tanks in the background and No Exit signs reminiscent of Hotel California.

The scene looks quite different 39 years later. Highway 101 on the left is being twinned–changed from a single lane to double lane highway. On the place where I took the photo, there is now a roundabout. There are power lines, a stop sign, and a pedestrian sign. But most notably, there is a Petro-Canada service station and Tim Hortons restaurant on the right.

Change is inevitable, and hard to say what constitutes progress. Small farms are disappearing and urban areas are on the rise. In these two photos we see a transition from agri-culture to pop-culture. At some point, around 2006 I think, the gate was left open and commerce came charging in. What will this scene look like 39 years from now? I can only hope it’s filled with wind turbines and solar panels.

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39 years later before and after Nova Scotia Windsor

Published January 10, 2019 by

High Angle Photography

Halifax, Nova Scotia, high angle photography,
Spring Garden and Queen, Halifax, 2019 © Avard Woolaver

High angle photography has always interested me. You get a different perspective with a bird’s eye view of the world. High angle shots have been used as a technique in cinema to create drama and make the subject seem weak or vulnerable. Or, as a wide shot to establish the scene.

In my younger days living in Toronto, I used to climb fire escapes to get a different view of the streets and architecture. These days, I take fewer risks, but I still look for high angle locations. The photo above was taken from the reading room at the Halifax Central Library. It’s a fifth floor cantilever that juts out over the entrance and provides and great view of the nearby intersection.

It brings to mind the song Gift Shop by the Tragically Hip where Gord Downie sings “we get to feel small from high up above.”

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Avard Woolaver colour Halifax high angle photography new topographics Nova Scotia

Published December 21, 2018 by

Winter Solstice, 2018

Avard Woolaver, winter solstice, 2018, road, light,
Sweets Corner, Nova Scotia, 2018                 © Avard Woolaver

Today is the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere–when the sun is at is maximum tilt away from the sun. It’s the shortest day of the year, and the longest night. There are many festivals and rituals all around the world to celebrate the solstice. Stonehenge comes to mind. My favourite is in Japan, where there is a custom to soak oneself in the yuzu (citrus fruit) hot bath.

It’s a good time of year to go out for a walk and enjoy the changing of the season. And if you’re like me, you’ll end up taking a few photos along the way.

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Avard Woolaver light Nova Scotia winter solstice

Published December 13, 2018 by

My Favourite Light

Avard Woolaver, Nova Scotia, New Topographics, black and white, photography, light,
Windsor, Nova Scotia, 2018                            © Avard Woolaver

Photographers are drawn to light like moths to a flame. It’s the key ingredient in many good photos. This photo shows my favourite type–bright winter light overhead, illuminating wet pavement. I love the silver glow and the high contrast–it looks great in black and white.

The photo is taken in the style of American photographer Lee Friedlander who welcomes foreground obstructions such as poles and trees as a way of creating visual interest. He explains, “Somebody else could walk two feet away to get those poles and tress and other stuff out of the way, I almost walk two feet to get into it, because it is a part of the game that I play. It isn’t even conscious; I probably just drift into it… its like a found pleasure. You’ve found something that you like and you play with it for the rest of your life.”

Friedlander also loves sunlight so much that he often doesn’t shoot outside on overcast days; he doesn’t want to take lifeless photos. As for me, I welcome all kinds of lighting conditions but am always on the lookout for my favourite light.

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Avard Woolaver Lee Friedlander light new topographics Nova Scotia photography