Tag: <span>1982</span>

Yonge Street, Toronto, 1982, emotion,
Yonge Street, Toronto, 1982 – © Avard Woolaver

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.

Blogging Film Photography Photography Toronto

Avard Woolaver, Toronto, payphones, 1982, colour,
Toronto, Ontario, 1982 © Avard Woolaver

Payphones used to be everywhere. When I did street photography in Toronto in the eighties, I didn’t go out of my way to photograph them. Yet, they appear in so many of my shots. I remember my first answering machine from the mid-eighties–I could actually get my messages remotely from a payphone with the aid of a little beeper. My, times have changed!

Photography Toronto

Avard Woolaver, Toronto in the 1980s, Toronto, 1982, colour, cityscape, Wellesley Station,

© Avard Woolaver

This photo was taken as I exited Wellesley Station, a subway station in downtown Toronto, just east of Yonge Street. Like many photos I took in Toronto in the 1980s, I had trouble identifying the exact location. In those days, for me, it was the shot that mattered; I cared little where it was taken. But with all of the changes in Toronto over the past thirty years, I’m much more interested in the location of the photos taken in those days.

With this photo I went on Google maps. I originally thought it must be St. Clair, but there was a very different view from that station. At Wellesley Station I could see by the parking lot, and buildings that I had found it.

I didn’t shoot a lot of colour in those days–maybe only 10 percent of my output. So I’m interested in what I chose to photograph in colour, and also the color palette I was drawn to. This one has some warm afternoon light contrasted with the cool blue of the newspaper stands. A moment in time.

Colour Photography Toronto

candid, posed, portrait, street, Toronto, Allan Gardens,
Allan Gardens, Toronto; 1982                           © Avard Woolaver

You have probably been in a street environment where there’s an opportunity to take a candid portrait and you know that calling attention to the camera will spoil the moment. What to do? Many factors come into it; the country you’re in, the purpose of your photograph, whether you think the person objects to having their photo taken. It depends very much on the circumstances–but the bottom line is to have respect for the subject.

Magnum photographer Carolyn Drake relates, “It depends on the circumstances. There is a pleasure in disappearing behind the camera on a crowded city street, and sometimes making the picture before the conversation makes for a more surprising picture. But if there’s someone I want to pose or spend time with, or who for some other reason it seems to make sense to ask, then I will. It’s a judgement call.”

In my experience, I have had success in engaging with the person, and asking, “May I take your photo?” Then I may look for more candid moments as I take some photos. Spending a little time with people and engaging with them may lead to more authentic portraits.

Photo tip: Try making the subject’s environment part of the portrait. These details can help form a narrative about the person.

Black and White Documentary Photography Portrait Social Landscape