Point and click
This is a post for people who don’t take photos in that sort of obsessive compulsive way some of us do.
JE ME SOUVIENS MAINTENANT… Last year, I went to a small yet spirited party at one of my fave Ottawa restaurants, Oz Kafe (huuuge respect to my pals holding down the fort over there), and I had no camera. Others did, however, and I saw at least one mostly sitting on a table, left unused. “Blasphemy!”, I thought, so I picked up the tiny CoolPowerPixShot-whatever-it-was and got to work, thinking I’d never see any of these photos again.
Like a baby, which many people I know seem to be having these days, nine months later, the photos surfaced – apparently as much a surprise to the camera’s owner to me.
Looking at the photos, I actually feel kind of pleased with what I managed to capture with a small camera that had been so neglected.
I’m stoked about these photos because I kind of see them as the potential EVERYONE has to take interesting photos in regular environments if only they cared enough to try.
And you do need to try. You need to take photos every day and become familiar with your camera – whatever it may be. Make mistakes and learn from them. Share your photos and be open to feedback. Don’t be scared to take risk and don’t be bummed when something you like isn’t the same as what your neighbour likes. Be prepared to kill your idols too.
Then again, maybe people are wise to leave their cameras on tables for people like me to pick up and maybe they should do it more often.
Or, maybe “anyone can take these photos”!
Yes? No? Discuss…
PS: Shout outs to Victoire & Danny Deleto, members of which are seen in the above photos and help make this city a bit more interesting for me every day. Sincerely.
CANADA
Two shots I got while biking up Elgin Street last night. Ottawa was pretty calm overall.
Picturama! $1 photos
Around the turn of the millennium, when I was still a student and before I felt comfortable calling myself a “photographer”, I was taking photos and getting 4×6s printed all the time. I took this camera almost everywhere I went. I used to spend hours scanning them but I doubt many people ended up seeing much of it at all.
That changes tomorrow…
Tomorrow night (Tuesday) at Canteen in Ottawa, I’ll have some of those oldies selling at $1 a pop as part of Canteen’s Picturama. In my photos, you’ll catch glimpses of life in two different communities in Nunavut, a now-defunct hardcore music festival in Syracuse, New York as well as some photos of Montreal and Ottawa. Here’s a preview:
Not seen is a photo of seal blood on the streets of Iqaluit. For real.
The $1 price tag is cheap – maybe too cheap. But, if Picturama works, it should get people thinking about photography as a medium that indeed does have value and that it should be used, printed and displayed. Also, word is that I’ve already made a sale!
Hangin’ pictures on my wall
Every Saturday Rap Attack, Mr. Magic, Marley Marl
- Biggie
Disorganized RIP & Burtynsky
Click the images to see two separate galleries from the final Disorganized, last Friday, January 1, 2010. History in the making.
This second set actually doesn’t have a single photo taken by me. I hooked up a bunch of people with disposable cameras whose flashes I covered with coloured gels. None of these people are photographers and I gave them very little direction. The dark film confused the scanning machine at the lab too so some images in this set are actually halves of two images but, it is what it is. Get into it.
Thanks to Iain, Little Alex, Jif, Antonella, Zach, Cait & Rio for being awesome parts of this project!
Totally, an unforgettable night. I think the set will be released online around Valentine’s Day. Actually, if you are reading this and you have some of your own photos from the night that you’d like to share, we’re collecting them at final.disorg@gmail.com.
The fun’s going to continue at Babylon on Friday, February 5. Details to follow…
Besides all this, I’ve had a nutty week but it has been cool. Edward Burtynsky is speaking at Carleton University this Sunday as well which I’m pyched about. If you haven’t yet, check out his movie Manufactured Landscapes. Here’s the trailer.
99 for 2009
Last year was pretty wicked and I’ve got some exciting projects coming down the pipe for 2010 too. Before those though, here are ninety-nine photos from two-thousand and nine, in chronological order.
If you still haven’t seen it and you’re still in the mood for some Christmas cheer, check my mini Santa video.
Tonight: Last Disorganized ever
Bonne année tout le monde! Last night was good but tonight is when the magic happens. For the last six years, my friends have been putting on a monthly party called Disorganized in Ottawa at Babylon Nightclub. I’ve had the good (mis)fortune of being the resident photographer for the last two years. It all ends tonight.
We’ve all got many tricks up our sleeves that you’ll have to be there to witness but worth mentioning now is the early door time. Doors open at 9pm because there is a special screening of a video made by artist Ryan Stec of the light installation he presented during Nuit Blanche in Toronto. Show up on time to be among the lucky first to see this on four(!) screens.
Here’s a preview:
Bright Lights, Big City Project Documentation from Ryan Stec on Vimeo.
This clip captures the final minutes of a section of Ryan’s project Bright Lights Big City, which synchronized the lighting system on the CN Tower to a radio broadcast on CIUT. The project was produced for Scotiabank Nuit Blanche on October 3rd, 2009.
The scrolling image across the bottom of the screen is the music visualization used to created the light show.
So busy. Little sleep. Lovin’ every minute of it.
Merry Christmas!
Comme remerciement d’avoir contribué à une année particulièrement excellente, je partage un clip du Père Noël que j’ai récemment enregistré lorsqu’il était récemment en visite à Ottawa. Cette production n’aurait pas été possible sans la participation des bonnes personnes aux Bergers de l’espoir et au Tea Store sur le marché By. Merci à tous!
Je vous souhaite tous un formidable temps des fêtes et une nouvelle année à ne pas oublier!
As a thank you for making 2009 a particularly stupendous year, I’d like to share a clip of Santa Claus that I recorded during a recent official visit he made in Ottawa. This was all made possible thanks to the good people at the Shepherds of Good Hope and the Tea Store in the Byward Market. Thanks to everyone!
So, here’s wishing you an absolutely fantastic holiday season and a very excellent new year!
Huge shout outs to my girl La Bolduc for providing the soundtrack.
La neige.
It snowed in Ottawa this week. The Olympic torch was in Ottawa on Saturday. Christmas is coming. Here are some photos.
Across the street.
Gladstone Ave.
Gladstone Ave.
Colonnade Pizza. Get into the reflections.
Axeneo7/Daïmon. Il faisait beau une fois que le vent a cédé.
Stylusts & weekend wrap up…
First weekend of November was crazy busy. Friday night, I was chilling at Babylon with my boy Tom Wrecks, who was performing with Drastik and Illo as The Stylusts. Cashtro was partying too.
Afterwards, I stayed up all night editing a video for my one night exhibit at La Petite Mort Gallery. It isn’t often that I show work in this way so huge thanks to everyone who was able to make it out! I liked being able to invite my friends for a drink in a gallery instead of a bar for once. The photos might stay up till Thursday or something but the gallery is closed Monday and Tuesday. A lot of people who couldn’t make it are asking if images will be posted online anywhere. We’re sorting that out but in case you didn’t already see it, a image from the show:
Got a few things coming down the tube which is very, very nice and appreciated. Winter’s not even here and I’m already thinking of spring and summer 2010.
Last night, I finally got to sit on my couch for first time in about a month (long story) and watched some movies by Michel Brault and Claude Jutra. One of them was called Entre la mer et l’eau douce (1967) and the last one I watched was Rouli-roulant (1966, English title: Devil’s Toy).
This movie might be one of the first Canadian skateboard videos ever made and it ends with a great song sung by the actress Geneviève Bujold. I don’t think it was ever properly released so I made an mp3 from the DVD. Please listen and let us know what you think of this quiet québécois pop song about skateboarding.
Pierre F. Brault – Rouli-roulant (feat. Geneviève Bujold)
PS: Shop at Invisible Cinema. 319 Lisgar at Bank in Ottawa. Over 13000 movies.
Baggy Bottom Boys & Pride Parade
After several months of production and post production, Jokers of the Scene’s video for Baggy Bottom Boys finally dropped a week ago. Bummer. I’m not in it a single time…
Jokers Of The Scene “Baggy Bottom Boys” from Mr Goldbar on Vimeo.
OK, I made it into the video… the spirally thing was a blue balloon that I inflated for ten minutes to a size of over a metre in diametre. I then threw it into the crowd where it didn’t even last five seconds.
To brighten things up, here’s a photo (also involving balloons) from this Sunday’s Pride Parade in Ottawa. Somehow, this pyramid of balloons and colourful parasols completely eclipsed the National War Memorial looking north on Elgin Street. A few more photos on xtra.ca but you’d already know that if you followed me on Twitter.
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