WardsPhotography

There’s a gentleness and understanding between a dog and their best friends that clearly shows itself on long walks through the woods.  There’s no kids or dogs or cars to distract from the enjoyment of this relationship that transcends species.  Here, dog meets human in an eye-to-eye connection… isn’t this fun!

Eye-to-Eye Connection between 'Whisky' and Joey.

Portraits are glimpses into life.  Not always are they posed or closeups of faces.  Sometimes they are just about connections.

Cher, Grant, and some of the family.

And sometimes, they are about the presenting of ourselves and our fostered feelings between friends.

There’s a few times when echoes ring in the spaces of my life…visual pings off walled memories of early family life. With six active children, I’ve build some sturdy walls.

I’ve built good walls of memories.  Now years later, those memories ring when glimpsing other young families.  They ring when children tug at parents in the checkout lines, when boys climb trees beyond father’s nervous reach, and when impromptu forts appear in trampled-down field-grass.  These images tickle against memories made long ago when my children did such casual things.

My last family shoot was with this lovely family shown in the few images below. The kids were lively and dismissed any thought I may have had of getting a ‘still’ portrait. Onto plan B.  I let them play.

I loved it; although, I could see that the parents were concerned for my sake.  Little did they know this was a gold mine of picture opportunities.  This is the time of photojournalistic harvesting.  Lots of moments telling stories, capturing character, and defining memories of their lives.  They thought I was being so patient when in truth I was in a feeding frenzy of imagery.  This is what I live for.

Click image for enlarged view.

Triumph Climb!

This little fellow was a climber. Wow what a spirit. I had a boy just like him. My son’s a grown man now and still has a gleam in his eye for adventure. Echoes against my walls.

Click image for enlarged view.

The Cove of Family Trust.

The girl is a shy beauty. Her trusting reach towards her Mom is a testament to the nurturing cove of love in the home. Echos in my heart.

Unity Tower is anything but unified. What’s the idea?

Unity Tower built in 1993 to Celebrate Canada

That was my reactionary question on seeing the plaque describing this edifice. There are all sorts of interesting shapes in this architecture that are orthogonally composed and positioned. There are curves, triangles, rectangles, lines, and odd textured fills. Visually, it seems mismatched, unbalanced, and awkward. This whole structure screams diversity and not ‘Unity’. I agree that diversity is a functional advantage when working constructively towards a goal. Since this architecture is aimed at our national character, I surmise that it’s orthogonal nature represents the diversity of our culture. The link to unity was at first puzzling to me.

I’m thinking that that’s the point being made. The two strongest cultures in Canada are often at odds with each other. ‘Des fois’, we think and react in completely different directions. Furthermore, we invite and encourage peoples of even more divergent cultures to join us. How is it that we’re a strong, intelligent nation despite this appearance of disharmony in divergent natures? The build asks.

Diversity in our culture has ensured a broad response to impulse challenges such as global economic failure and natural calamity. It is a systolic strength when acting on a purpose. It is a ‘Hideous Strength’ when turned against itself.

Perhaps the designer meant to spur the observer on to such a realization. The question the building raises is the key to our national strength. We wonder why such a full range of geometry was used in a ‘Unity Tower’? We wonder why we need circles, squares, and triangles in our culture? Strength, resourcefulness, broadness of talent, compassion, tolerance, agility are good qualities to have when the times get rough and indomitable qualities when formed in unity.

I see this structure differently now after a few days of consideration. The image of it’s odd shapes is now a symbol that I feel proud to support.

The plaque reads below:

I drive a lot: coming and going to work, picking up or dropping off kids,  running errands that must be done.  I’d rather be somewhere than on the way.   However, while en-route I see beautiful farm fields that captures my wonder every time.  Too often I think of stopping to capture the image but don’t.  Instead, time and expectations tug me along and swept the moment away.

Today was an exception.  This time I listened to the familiar prompting and pulled the car over onto the gravel, got my gear out, and approached these fields of green, gold, and tan.

I know this isn’t a busting out wow’er of an image but for me it’s a triumph of sorts.  Whereas the field of wheat was planted and planned for it’s best yield, the intrusion of uncultured wild plants made for a beautiful blend of order and chaos.

There’s so many subtleties of tones and patterns.  The tones vary in bands from fore- to far-ground.  The wheat grains repeat in a patterns that seem stamped in place.  The wild flowers and intruding grass blades punctuate this order with their own statement of beauty and link the scene together.

It’s good to stop and ‘smell-the-roses’.  It reminds me that this is really a very beautiful world.

Unlike Gordon Lightfoot’s song of the riots in July 1968, Canada did not break out in violence today.  Nevertheless, it was a day to mark down as significant to our political future.  Jack Layton announced his withdrawal from office to handle his recovery, the US government was voting on their debt limit, and two clouds formed over Parliament, a white one of hope and a dark one of foreboding.

The 25th of July two clouds formed over Parliament: the White Cloud of Hope; and the Dark Cloud of Forbearance.

The hope for Canada is in the new generation of MP’s on the Hill.  They are gaining vital experience and giving a much needed young perspective.  The worry many feel at losing the Opposition Leader’s strong presence needed as a counterbalance to a very active Government is certainly there as well.  White Clouds next to Dark.

The negative projections for the US whispered among financial insiders is a ‘becoming reality’.  Their unmanageable deficits and unwillingness to take the bitter pills needed has the world holding it’s breath.  This is a perfect storm where systemic weaknesses in monetary policies meet the cross-current of American narcissistic pride. The White cloud here is in the opportunity for repositioning of foreign powers to a more balanced stasis.  If the US take lessons from other nations who have gone thru similar restricting, such as Canada and Australia, they may emerge stronger than ever.  Meanwhile, Canada gets the much deserved triple A rating at a time when money is scurrying for a hiding hole.

Notes:

In preparing for taking this image, I positioned myself across the river from the Parliament at the Museum of Civilization.  The current events of the last few days were on my mind and feelings of general anxiety were just below the surface.  I wanting to frame the building in a majestic way while showing it’s position under the boiling clouds.

Another photographer showed up and I think he had the same idea.  We quietly gave each other space while waiting for the clouds to drift into the best positions.  I’m not sure which moment he decided to go with but we did leave at about the same time.  Good luck my friend.

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There’s a way to say things that invite an empathetic response… like “hey, I’m lost.  I’ve been looking for this studio where a friend is having their play performed and I’m late.  Can you help me?”  Most people will engage with you and your woeful plea especially if it takes place in the friendly Westboro area of Ottawa.

Such was my experience last Sunday afternoon in trying to locate the Cube Gallery 1285 Wellington St to see a presentation of VOICES written by Hanna Brundson, a grade 12 Canterberry high school student.  As it turned out, I arrived in time to pick my tickets up and squeeze through to black curtains at the back of the gallery missing only a few minutes.  After settling next to Hanna’s family, I became immediately transfixed by the enfolding story.  A story of voices…

A ‘Voice’ in the play.

Voices inside our mind become real entities in response to pain, trauma, or fear.  They can inform, inspire, and push our state of mind in seductive, and at times unhealthy, directions.  Without executive control from our true self, they rule without compassion.  That was the message I heard from this haunting 20 minute play.

Hanna’s script was written in response to a very serious call for help.  Her struggles in finding a way thru the struggles of youth was compounded by bouts of depression that crippled her.  Despite this she reached out to her family.  She received the support and help so critical in overcoming this mental illness.  Then, in a moment of inspiration, she wrote this play to open the window on the voices of depression that can so often misinform their victims.

The cast share their feelings about the play and their experiences in it’s performance.  Hanna Brundson reaches out to the lead actor.

VOICES was directed by Cristina Wood and Hanna Brundson and starred Connor Spencer, Zachary Giuliani, Emma Presley, Emma Monet, Kayla Farris, James Ellison, and Kaleigh Bourk.

In a Q&A after the performance, Hanna Brunsdon explains to the audience the process she undertook in writing this play.

Well, there’s no telling the value of a helping hand.  Hanna was clever and fortunate enough to find that in those around her.  I got to this performance with the guidance of people in the neighbourhood.  A similar helping hand is available for those youth who find themselves lost on their journey.  This evening was represented by the youthnet organization, Do It For Daren, Jer’s Vision, mindyourmind.ca, KidsHelpPhone,  and financial aid from the Dare To Dream program.

YouthNet representative explains their role in helping youth with counselling and support.  From the Youthnet site, “We promote mental health to decrease the stigma associated with mental health/illness in the public and with youth in particular”

Whenever I hear that one of my favourite sing/songwriters are booked at the Blacksheep Inn in Wakefield Quebec, I also book the night to attend. This week (17 Feb 2011) it was Catherine MacLennan.

Not always can you get glimpses into stage personallities and what their everyday experiences are. We are left to fire the imagination with snapshots of their lives. I love stories and will invent them if they are not easily found. Here’s my invention from these images.

James Taylor and Carole King were close friends on and off the stage. They played the other’s songs and backed up, supported, and encouraged each other thru a long carreer. I’m not one to know the inner stories on celebrities but I’ve always imaged those two as very close platonic friends putting the lie to the adage that men and women can’t be true friends without benefits. That’s my imagined story on Catherine and Chris: good close friends that know each other’s challenges and always have their backs; a brother/sister-like relationship without rivalry.

Chris visit’s his thoughts while waiting for his friend.

The first image is of Chris. He’s waiting for Catherine to do her piano piece before stepping back on stage for the next song. What is he thinking here in these private moments? Is he far away in thought where home and family stress wait? Is he in emotional pain from a hidden wound? Is he worried about the mundane or figuring out the complex problems of life? Perhaps he’s just tired of the road life and yearning for a break? The picture doesn’t give answers… just questions.

The next is Catherine flashing a shy smile. Too rare, these smiles are golden but come with a reluctance that is difficult to decode. To me their is a sadness mixed into the eyes. Perhaps she too has an ongoing struggle shared with few. Is this the same sorrow that her friend Chris is dealing with?

Singer/Songwriter Catherine MacLennan draws her songs from deep emotions.

The burden of an artist is to connect with their audience on some meaningful level… an emotional sharing of very human experiences. In order to deliver such a connection, there must be place that allows deep wells; an emotional country of sorrow and pain, pleasure and joy, struggle and sacrifice.

This picture can’t show more than a brief glimpse of where they were and what was visible. It can’t answer what was happening inside these two friends but it’s my story that they were both far away. They were mere ghost’s at the Blacksheep but visitors to that inner country friends hide in. That’s where these two were on the 17th.

I’m an eight to five work-day engineer in a countryside building designing sonars for the commercial fishing industry. The office/factory is nestled in the middle of Eastern Ontario’s corn and soybean heartland in the small town of Finch Ontario. The hour commute is a tour of fields I’ve watched all summer go from sprout to stalk. The moment at the end of a long office day when no more work can be done comes with some expectation. The staff has headed out the door. The lights in common areas are dimmed. The hallways have settled to a quiet that approached like shadows at nightfall. I walk alone to the exit, lock up, and set out to enjoy the sweep of fields as I close the distance on home.

Not so for farmers. It’s harvest time. The rain has held off for the past two days and the ground is firm. It’s been a bumper crop and the extra silos built with government stimulus money are taking the surplus. Trucks are running again bound for the processing plants operating beyond capacity. All the harvest equipment is serviced and ready to go. The standing corn waits but the winter winds don’t. It’s time to bring it in. No end to this day.

Farmer works into the night getting the bonus crop off the fields in Stormont Dundas Glengary County, Ontario, November 9th 2010

With no one watching but the moon and stars, this work goes on without most of us knowing. How many days would we survive if this essential industry failed? We take our grocery-filled shelves as a common right that just isn’t. As I pass this scene on the country road home, I thank those farmers, we’ve eaten well today.

The story of the ruins at the Carbide-Wilson Mill near Meech Lake Quebec is a tragic one.  An inventive entrepreneur, Thomas Wilson, built a fertilizer plant in the middle of the Gatineau’s, struggled, went down to New York to raise financing, and died.  He left his family destitute.  The plant fell into ruin.  Today the remains set against the falls and landscape are a photographic jewel.

Please click on the images for a more detailed view.

Stream from the 'Little' Meech Lake runs by the ruins.

A friend and I, Phil Anderson, got this great lead on a photo-location near Meech Lake from a biking enthusiast, Al MacDonald.  There is a draining stream from Little Meech Lake that was dammed to supply the power for the mill.  The concrete supports and aqueducts are still in evidence leading to the shell of the factory.

The early morning spirit of the inside of the factory was cathedralistic.

The design of this factory was both beautifully functional and enduringly aesthetic.  Those strong walls have endured the ravages of time, vandals, passing mountain bikers, hikers, and poking photographers.  Still they stand with a poise hard to miss.

I felt this place. It stood breathlessly still for us as we made these images of it's good bones.

We stopped along the path leading to the ruins to visit this fallen giant.  He lay in the waters of the the ‘Little’ Meech that fed him during greener days.  Did that life span back to the hayday of this factory?  Did his silent story blend with the ruins around the corner?  His dignity seems of the same heritage and so I sensed their long connection was not lost.

Even when laid in a watery grave, this tree reaches for the light framed in far hills and roots in flowered earth.

After a full exploration of the area, we were wrapping up for the day when a light visitor landed on my hand.  We quickly gather our lenses again for this last image of the day.  The dragon guard bid us a dutiful farewell.

The grand plans of man meet the great forces of nature at the sentry post of this guarding dragonfly.

For more info on the location and background, check here.