I enjoyed capturing the Toronto streets in the 1980s. It was liberating to walk around with a camera and find that special moment when time and place come together. The time when the yellow van is stopped near the yellow hydrant, or when the boy is crossing Lake Devo on his BMX bike. The rhythm of the city was something I could feel, it was like listening to an urban symphony.
I was in my twenties then with few commitments or responsibilities. Life is much different now at 60, with a family, and living in rural Nova Scotia. I may never again have the opportunity to roam the Toronto streets with a camera like I did in the 1980s. It reminds me that life is short, and helps me remember, You only get to do this once. We have to take time and see it, as clearly as we can.
Photos in this post are from the book Toronto Days – available through Blurb Books and Amazon.
It has been said that music is the heartbeat of the universe. There is no denying its magic, and its force in the world. I took these photos in Toronto in the 1980s. They show people making music in everyday situations, giving the city a soundtrack.
Nathan Phillips Square is a large city square in downtown Toronto (12 acres) that is the home of Toronto City Hall. It is a place of numerous activities–skating rink, farmers’market, concerts, demonstrations. There is often lots going on here, but at other times it is eerily empty.
It is a place that I rarely went to for an event; I was usually just passing through. So my photos are usually just little glimpses of what was happening there. Looking back at my contact sheets from the 1980s it seems that I passed through Nathan Phillips Square a few times a year. It was a good place for photos–lots of open space, interesting architectural details, plenty of concrete, and human activity.
These photos were just random moments at the time, but mean a lot more to me now as I rediscover the past life of my 20s. It reminds me that life is short and we must Carpe diem— “sieze the day.” 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.
I’ve always been amazed at how images, like words, can convey so much emotion. I have always thought of black and white photography as an abstract medium and colour photography as a psychological medium. American photographer Elliot Erwitt said, “With colour you describe; with black and white you interpret.” If it’s true that colour appeals to our emotion and leaves less to our imagination, then it makes sense for us to be judicious in using it.
This can have a lot to do with how the photo is framed—how much of a particular colour, or colours to leave in or crop out. When I view a scene, then, I look for ways to combine colours–for me, it’s about balance. Sometimes a tiny splash of red is enough to counteract a sea of green, or a little orange goes well with a lot of blue. There are no hard and fast rules here, but the conscious combining of colour is something to keep in mind when you’re out taking photos.
On Instagram there are dozens of filters to choose from, each giving the image a certain look, but it seems the most-used Instagram filter is “normal”–that is, roughly the colours our eye sees. And that’s good news for an old-school guy (like me) who believes that colour is something to be observed, not added with a filter.
This photo was taken in Toronto, near the corner of Carlton and Parliament, in 1982. The area is known as Cabbagetown and was my neighborhood during my first two years in the city. I’d moved to Toronto to study photography at Ryerson, and I found myself inundated with new images and experiences. Whenever you’re plunked down in a wholly changed environment, there’s lots of space to create new memories.
My apartment was tiny, basically a 12 x 15 room with a fridge and stove, no counter and no kitchen sink. Dishes had to be washed in the bathroom sink. The walls were 1960s era wood paneling, and filled with cockroaches. A window left open allowed easy access for squirrels–one day I came home to discover they had chewed up my prized Bose speakers. It wasn’t exactly a palace, but the rent was only $175 a month, and it was close to school.
I felt at home living in the neighborhood. It was a bit run down but never seemed threatening or dangerous. Having moved from rural Nova Scotia, it was a good place for me to start exploring the streets with my camera. When I look back of my photos from this time, I find I can remember taking so many of these shots. And, of course, there are many others I have no recollection of taking, pictures from places I can’t remember being and sometimes can’t even identify. Moments fly past us, noticed or unnoticed, all with their particular shadings of beauty and uniqueness.
Cabbagetown got its name from reports in the 1870s that Irish immigrants were digging up their front lawns to plant cabbages. The area is known for its large number of preserved Victorian era houses, and also for its numerous homeless shelters and drop-in centres–apparently the highest concentration in Canada. Gentrification began in the 1970s and these days it isn’t so run down and scruffy.
Because its so close to the downtown core, Cabbagetown has long attracted urban professionals as well as writers and artists. Famous residents include Robbie Robertson, Avril Lavigne, and Al Purdy.
