Thursday, November 20, 2008
Blog Guelph: Boo Hoo
Welcome to Winter's Wonderland.
I holed up at Wings of Paradise Butterfly Conservatory yesterday afternoon, enjoying my tropical moment - albeit a form of denial - as snow blanketed the world outside. In fact, I took out a membership for the year thinking that the rainforest-like environment would serve as a winter buster for my mostly summery soul.
Other ways to heat your heart are plentiful around town this weekend starting with tonight's acoustic Kramdens show at The Cornerstone Cafe followed by their plugged in version at the Albion on Friday night. Craig and lads will be burning up the joint with their latest album release show. You can get in the R and R mood right now by listening to The Kramden's Hillside Festival concert - compliments of CBC.
For daytime fun, head up the hill to the University of Guelph's Fair November - now in it's 34th year of crafty excellence - today through Sunday.
For now - HO HO HO and Boo to You!
Sue Richards
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Blog Guelph: November Drizzle
Blog Guelph: Transformation
Blog Guelph: Stain'd
Blog Guelph: White
Blog Guelph: So Be It
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Blog Guelph: 1 of 366
We have a two part special here on Blog Guelph. The first is airing today and the second, next Wednesday.
I posed 5 questions to two Guelph photographers on their 365 days project. The 365 or in Dave's case 366, is a photo a day of himself. Not all of him has to be in the photo, but a part has to be. Sounds easy enough. I think not.
1. The 366 project is such a huge commitment. What made you want to take on this project?
Ummmm, momentary insanity?
I started shooting again a year-and-a-half ago. Most of the pics I took for the first six months were outdoors while I re/familiarised myself with digital photography, and just fooled around to see whether I remembered much from when I was younger and semi-serious about the craft and art which we all love.
After a while I needed an excuse to do something indoors and get those skills working again. I was trolling around on Flickr one day and found some 365 sites. The whole concept seemed intriguing to me. Without really thinking about it I plunged in. At the same time I was finding Strobist and sites like that, so I outfitted myself with a bare bones indoor setup. That was about it.
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Blog Guelph: 305 of 366
2. You are about sixty days away from the end. Will it be a relief or are you excited about starting another 365?
Oh no, I'm looking forward to stopping! A year is good, trust me.
Upon consideration, though, I may do other types of once a day or once a week things, but definitely not using myself.
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Blog Guelph: 55 of 366
3. My problem, besides being shy, is the commitment. Every day you have to take a photo. Are there days you just want to give up, and how do you stay motivated? (I noticed there is a mini challenge spreadsheet in the 365 group on flickr.)
The shy thing is definitely something people have to deal with. Believe it or not, I have a shy side. I am a Libra so I end up being a split personality on almost everything. It just turned out that the exhibitionist won in this instance. When I am in exhibitionist mode I have no pride, as you may have noticed. *smile* Doing this sort of project is very therapeutic for those amongst us who would rather blend than stand out, believe me.
The commitment is simpler for me than for many other folks. I can set aside a small chunk of time each day and do this work. I actually look forward to it on most days. I understand why a lot of people cannot do this.
Someone like Mike who comes home from work and does one every night gets props from me just for that, never mind how clean, green, and mean, most of his ideas are.
I have several instances (people whose 365s I was watching) where individuals have just stopped--got a third or halfway through the project and life took over. Shit happens.
I had not even seen the spreadsheet until now. What I find cool is how many of those ideas I've knocked off (many out of desperation).
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Blog Guelph: 303 of 366
4. Dave, yourself and Mike have inspired me to maybe undertake this project. Is there someone who has inspired you in regards to 365?
I think it is really cool that I would have anything to do with inspiring someone to do something creative. Really. And nope, just saw a few on Flickr and thought it looked like a pretty darned good way to insure that I picked up a camera every day at a time when that was important.
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Blog Guelph: 258 of 366
5. What is your favourite photo from your set? Why is it your favourite?
I tend to like stuff that is recent. Not a particularly new way of seeing one's work, but there is a reason it is not new. You move forward with creativity or you die. I suppose I like the darker ones that make viewers wriggle uncomfortably or scratch their noggins. I like good photography; I hope there are one or two that qualify that way.
Here, have a manifesto. It is pretty much the way I feel about it all right now. I wrote this last week in response to a conversation about being creative, and after hearing an interview with Margaret Atwood in which she says many of the same things, though in a way only Atwood can say them.
"A-hem! Myee Man-i-fest-o . . . (which is mine)"
When pressed (often when not, if the truth be known) photographers will tell you that they want their photographs to mean this, or they want their photographs to mean that. Their photography as 'art' should take precedence over most other considerations of the work. This art is what they do and they're very proud of it. Most good photographers work very hard to master the technical aspects of their craft. Good technique is often a hallmark of good art.
And that's cool, BUT, in the past 10-15 years events have conspired to allow a lot of really beautiful images to be put out there (and many mediocre ones). People have become adept at translating natural beauty, or cultural flotsam and jetsam, onto a two-dimensional medium without much work--no learning curve--instant gratification. Like anything else there is an element of mass production in it all. So many 'photographers' are shooting nowadays, and so many have access to images via the internet, that it is a very different playground than it was once upon a time.
In that sense it's all become a little stale. How many admittedly beautiful scenes, or interesting candid crowd shots, can you look at before the same process begins to occur which has taken place with our perception of images of violence and poverty? Good point, huh?
Personally, I don't give a s*** about any of that stuff. I like going out and shooting trees and stuff once in a while, Alan and Doug know this to be true. I like making architectural photographs because I was trained to do that. I like cars, and flowers, and children, and pets, all that good shit. I also LOVE shooting often controversial subjects and topics and making people look at things they might not look at or otherwise see. I would like to think this happens with some of my pictures once in a while.
Really with a lot of my stuff I just want people to wake the f*** up and react. Whether it's out of disgust, or a sense of profound wonder, or anything in between, it does not matter. Put your shit out on the line with blind faith. Let that sucker go.
Finally, I believe that any image produced in the name of art will eventually have to be viewed as utilitarian, or acknowledged as reactionary and very political, or both, in order to be remembered. The rest is commodity, only there to be consumed, converted, and crapped out. Or it is a very pretty thing that is a rendering of a very pretty thing (art for art's sake *sigh*).
Assuming anyone read this far, does that light a fire under you?
Part Deux:
Art usually reflects the times and people in which it is produced.
Easy times appear to produce art which is bloated with self-importance, often humorous without knowledge of its own folly, and seen long after the fact as pretty ironic (yes, that's a pun), again, without self-knowledge.
Hard times produce lean, mean statements which take the shortest route from A (the art) to B (the viewer/reader/listener etc). We are often not allowed to experience art produced during hard times until some point in the future due to institutional censorship, it is that powerful.
I don't think anyone will know what is valid and good from this period, our period, for a very long time, things are that f***** up. I believe lots of good things may be happening, but who can say what and where they are right now? No one that I know personally, and as I noted above, there is just too damned much of it to process in a lifetime.
Thanks, Dave!
Stay tuned for Mr. Mikey Mike next Wednesday.
Donna
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Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Blog Guelph: Made in Guelph
Happiness All, and welcome to Made in Guelph, where we try to feature the insightful skills of one Greater Guelph Area photographer each week.
and todays winner is......
Ned Bekavac.
I can't make out much about Ned personally since his profile on flickr doesn't shed much light, but I DO know he shoots all sorts of interesting angles for our wonderful local rag, The Guelph Tribune.
He's obviously a real people person, loves music and a bit of a sporty dude too.
Take a peek at these 6 to see for yourself.
-Downtown Lynn-
Labels: Ned Bekavac
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Blog Guelph: Heads Up!
Blog Guelph: Um, the ball's over here....
Blog Guelph: Our Mr. Munsch
Blog Guelph: Brown and White on White and Brown
Blog Guelph: Veteran honoured
Monday, November 17, 2008
Blog Guelph: Standing Tall
Usually every Monday morning, I load up my ipod with an episode of This American Life, and go out walking. The archives are free for the listening, and 95 cents to download through itunes. Monday's episode is free to download, until the following Monday when a new one takes it's place. I probably made that sound more complicated than it is, but if you head over there, you'll figure it out. So far, Who's Canadian, is my favourite.
Speaking of Canada, the following six photos were taken by members of the Guelph Photography Club on a meet yesterday. Stunning, I say!
Donna
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Blog Guelph: Towards The Light
Blog Guelph: Morning Jog
Blog Guelph: Honour Guard
Blog Guelph: Guv'munt Trees II
Blog Guelph: Do you see what I see?
Friday, November 14, 2008
Blog Guelph: Tiny, with teeth
It's been quite some time since we've had a Friday Ryder post.
Good to see our girl still standing up for herself.
But lest you let your guard down, beware the wee ones with the big bark.
Have a lovely weekend all.
TGIF indeed.
-Downtown Lynn-
Labels: The Giant Vermin
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Thursday, November 13, 2008
Blog Guelph: Floral Flashback
If ever there was a day to engage the Power of Yesterday - today's yucky weather day would be the day.
On that dripping wet note, please enjoy this 6 pic floral reminder series of sunnier times - or if you prefer thinking ahead, the promise of a more verdant future. Should you want to make plans for this mostly rainy weekend, check out the listings at The Loop. Otherwise, I'd advise a stack of videos from Thomas, some tasty treats from With the Grain and a date with your couch.
For now - imagine the smell of these lilacs.
Sue Richards
Labels: G.Norsworthy
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Blog Guelph: Tulip
Blog Guelph: Reaching
Blog Guelph: Don't Forget
Blog Guelph: Lightness
Blog Guelph: Lily Love
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