Tag: <span>photography</span>

Published March 15, 2017 by

Forest bathing / Shinrin-yoku

forest bathing, shinrin-yoku, forest, winter, Nova Scotia
Forest Bathing, Newport, NS; 2017            © Avard Woolaver

The Japanese have many terms that we don’t use in English. One of my favourites is “forest bathing”– a leisurely visit to a forest. It is becoming more widely practiced in North America but has been a stress management activity in Japan since 1982. Ben Page, founder of Shinrin Yoku LA, remarked in a USA Today story, “A hike is generally oriented as a journey from point A to point B, whereas forest bathing is not about reaching a physical destination. The destination in a forest-bathing walk is more like a mental space of effortless relaxation and awareness.”

Studies have shown that exposure to nature creates calming neuro-psychological effects leading to reductions in stress, anger, anxiety, depression, and sleeplessness. It’s a good reason to take a walk in the woods whenever possible. I’m fortunate to live near a beautiful forest where I can get some exercise, calm my mind, and take some photos.

It’s pleasurable to walk in the forest, even in winter. There are numerous animal tracks in the snow, as well as interesting ice formations, and plenty of crisp, fresh air.

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Photo tip: Taking forest photos in a relaxed stare of mind is quite different from the immediacy of capturing a moment. Take note of how your vision changes when you are forest bathing.

Blogging Colour Landscape Light Observation Photography

Avard Woolaver forest forest bathing Nova Scotia photography winter

Published March 14, 2017 by

What is in the viewfinder really matters

Travelhome and the Range, Coldbrook, NS; 2017    © Avard Woolaver

 

It seems that good photos have just the right amount of content—not too busy, not too sparse. One famous quote from National Geographic photographer Jim Richardson, advises, “If you want to be a better photographer, stand in front of more interesting stuff.” And if you happen to be standing in front of some interesting stuff, there is always the question of how much to include in the frame.

American photographer Lee Friedlander, famous for his pioneering photos of the urban social landscape, has a talent for filling his photos with visual content without making them seem overly crowded. Eric Kim (whom I also cited last week) writes on his blog, ”Friedlander was very conscious of how he framed his scenes, and wanted to add more complexity to his shots through adding content of interest.”

Lee Friedlander accomplished this by using a wide-angle lens—usually a 35mm. That way objects in the foreground can remain in focus along with background elements. Though complexity is not always the answer, it certainly adds interest.

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Photo tip: If you have a wide-angle lens, try shooting with only that lens for a week or two. Make note of how this perspective changes the content in your photos.

Blogging Colour New Topographics Observation Photography Social Landscape

2017 Avard Woolaver Canon Rebel T3 colour content documentary Nova Scotia photography The Image Journey wide angle

Published March 10, 2017 by

Blacksmith’s ledger, 1936

blacksmith, ledger, 1936, family history, nostalgia,
Blacksmith’s Ledger, 1936                    © Avard Woolaver

This photo shows an entry in a blacksmith’s ledger from Clarksville, Nova Scotia, in 1936. The man who made the purchases was my grandfather, George Mason. I stumbled across this recently—it’s something my mother’s caregiver had found in her home. Leafing through the book, I was so happy and surprised to find my grandfather.

This photo tells us a number of things, the first being that times were hard, and of course money was scarce in the Depression years. George ran up a tab of $2.60 in the summer of 1936, and paid it off in January 1937. It cost just $0.85 to remove and replace a horseshoe. According to American Farriers Journal, by 2015, the average nationwide price for trimming four hooves and applying four keg shoes came to $120.

In the aftermath of the Halifax Explosion (in 1917, and, until World War II, the largest explosion in history), ordinary people from all over Nova Scotia traveled into Halifax to help with the cleanup. My grandfather did so, with his horse and wagon. The first time he owned a car was in the 1940s.

My mother, Beth Mason Woolaver with her father, George Mason, 1982                                            © Avard Woolaver

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Photo tip: If you don’t have a copy stand, you can use a piece of foam core with grid lines drawn on it. Use flat, even light and a tripod.  Put the photo or document on the foam core and line it up so the centre of the lens meets the centre of the artwork. A medium telephoto lens works best for this.

Colour Documentary Family Photography

1936 Avard Woolaver blacksmith family history ledger photography

Published March 8, 2017 by

When your faucet resembles a face

pareidolia, perception, reflection, face,
Window Reflection, 2013                                   © Avard Woolaver

Have you ever looked at the front of a house and seen a face smiling at you? Or looked at some tree bark to see a profile of Elvis Presley? Grab your camera, and take a photo. There may be thousands of others who want to see it, or even buy it.

Pareidolia is the phenomenon of the mind seeing a familiar pattern of something that doesn’t really exist. The most common examples are animal shapes in clouds, the man in the moon, and faces found on various surfaces, including toast.

It is not new—Leonardo Da Vinci wrote of pareidolia as an artistic device, “Look at walls splashed with a number of stains, or stones of various mixed colours. If you have to invent some scene, you can see resemblances to a number of landscapes… Also, you can see various battles, and lively postures of strange figures, expressions on faces, costumes and an infinite number of things, which you can reduce to good integrated form.”

So, the next time your toast pops up, or you find yourself in front of a stone wall, have a good, long look; who knows what your imagination may discover.

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Photo tip:  Look for reflections in windows. People and objects in the reflection can mingle with what is in the scene to create interesting, imagined narratives.

“Window Reflection, 2013” is from the series: Wish You Were Here

Blogging Colour Observation Photography Social Landscape

Avard Woolaver face Nova Scotia pareidolia perception photography reflection The Image Journey

Published March 4, 2017 by

Photography can be our therapy

photography, art, therapy, painting,
Photo Therapy, NS, 2015                                     © Avard Woolaver

You have probably had the experience of taking a casual walk with your camera and feeling your mood improve as you see and capture some interesting scenes. Or had a wonderful experience looking at an old family photo album. Art therapy has been used forever, and photography is just one of its applications.

When I was eighteen I came down with mono and had to drop out of my first year of university. It was a low point in my life. Walking outside with my camera made me feel better—it healed both my mind and body. Some forty years later, I’m still taking walks with my camera and still feeling the positive vibes.

Hungarian photographer Marton Perlaki, whose photos often have a surreal and quirky aspect that I admire, told British Journal of Photography interviewer Tom Seymour, “I think my pictures have a certain childish, absurd humour which plays an important role in my work. I think about photography as a sort of therapy for the mind. I am trying to understand something about myself through the process and the final work.”

Psychotherapist Joshua Miles observed, in a Counselling Directory article, “There is a meaningful and real connection between the creative and therapeutic processes.”                                                                                      —

Photo tip: Look for words on signs that can be used to used to make interesting juxtapositions–for example, a stop sign or a yield sign.

Colour Observation Photography Social Landscape

2015 art therapy Avard Woolaver Canon Rebel T3 colour Nova Scotia photography Windsor