Time and Motion

I won't say what the camera was pointing at when I took these photos, because what it is and what it looks like doesn't need to be the same thing.

Most of my photos are the result of reduction and control. For these I've set up a situation and guided the process, but don't know what the results will look like until the very last stages. Captured on film, I've layered the colours and adjusted the tones, but otherwise these photos are created as physically as possible.

I don't quite have a handle on this series yet. There are anywhere from four to ten candidates in the photographs that I've already captured, but my next set are going to be taken with a different camera, and I don't know how well they'll play together. I'm expecting this to become an open-ended project that I can return to with new methods and techniques as time goes on.

Montreal Monochrome

Three photos mostly from Montreal.

Living Shangri-La

A million dollars isn't actually all that expensive for a decent home in Toronto – it's not at all difficult to find examples of the disparity in wealth in the city. But in the same way that the poorest in North America lives far above the global poverty level of $2 a day, those who experience hardship in downtown Toronto are still in a more livable city, with better services, amenities, and options, than those who live in the poorer areas of the Toronto suburbs.

Occupy Saint James Park

There are a couple of things that seem a little out of joint with the "Occupy" movement coming to Canada. One is that it's created out of an American experience, where the non-wealthy are systematically and institutionally screwed in ways that just aren't happening in Canada. The other is that despite the slogans, we here in Canada – and the USA, and western Europe – aren't the 99%. We are the top 10% that controls over 70% of the global wealth. Yes, The System needs massive changes, but we're also the bad guys who are keeping everyone else down.

But these people in their rain slickers are doing more about it than I am, no matter how much long-term impact they have.

The Occupy protest was also interesting for its lack of something to rally against. Normally, protesters face the building: City Hall, Queen's Park, the mining company, the hotel, the bank, the university. Day One of the Occupy encampment was mostly people gathered around listening to drum-and-guitar jam sessions, or small groups standing apart waiting for people to photograph their clever signs. Usually it wasn't a long wait – and I desperately hope that someone caught a picture of me as I was taking the second one in this set.

I have been considering breaking out some of my scrap bristol board and joining them for a few hours. I already know that my sign would read:

There are straws.
There are camels.
And there are backs.

When else will I have a chance to use that?