#1142 Ten Year Blogging Anniversary

Ten years ago today I published my first blog post.
Since then 1142 diverse entries have followed my career.

In 2008, my web tech / comms / librarian wife suggested it would benefit my business. I secretly thought she was crazy but I followed her advice. Of course she was correct – the blog served my photo/arts workshop business and teaching career well.

The early posts now make me chuckle. Below are some memorable moments:
• Workshops
• Photography for Communications Professionals
Preston Studio
• Ottawa Photo Contest and Results
Ottawa Photo Newsletter
• Online Photo Program 
Watershed Art Project
Teaching Reflections

Keep reading and contributing.
Thanks for following…

Ottawa blog

Harry and his big plywood camera

#1136 Art Projects

It’s a summer of art – art is everywhere.
La Machine recently roared through Ottawa. Crowds are looking for the fun.
That’s big art. Public, government-funded, fun art. I like it.

La Machine - public performance art

La Machine – public performance art

Art looms in smaller and less obvious ways…
I recently finished the first part of a year long Forest School Practitioner’s Course. We explored many of the aspects of Forest School and were asked to build tree cookies, shelters and wooden mallets as part of our teacher training. I loved making a mallet from a small cedar log and others became immersed in the art of art of crafting wood into pieces of practical art.

Craft art

Craft art

“Oh, I’m not an artist…”
I don’t accept that (but I don’t tell them I don’t accept that.)
Instead I urge them to just look, see, click. Smartphones are wonderful creative tools that open people’s creative brains. Look, see, click…

I offered two art walks related to my recent Watershed Exhibitions. We explored two parts of the Chelsea Creek watershed and I challenged participants to recognize or create art in any way they could. The art started flowing – it made me smile. By the end one participant started talking about triangles in composition – made me smile again.

It’s nice to see people pushing their limits… I recently taught a film photography course to someone whowanted to try something new

Art is everywhere © Stephanie B.

Art is everywhere
© Stephanie B.

Dr. Ken Robinson suggests children are creative artists but slowly lose their fearless creativity.

Art is everywhere.
Notice it.
Try it…

#1135 Watershed Exhibition at La Fab; Chelsea, Quebec

Edit…
See the CBC article.

Excited, I am!
Come visit brand new works at La Fab in Chelsea, Quebec.

Details:
Vernissage – Wednesday, June 28th, 2017; 5:30 – 8pm.
La Fab; 212 Old Chelsea Rd., Old Chelsea, Quebec.
Show runs until July 23rd.

Large format one of a kind photographs

Watershed – Chelsea Creek flows through Old Chelsea, Quebec.

I’ll be showing my latest Watershed works, currently being framed.

They are captured directly on paper inside one of two large cameras including an 8×10, home-made, 50 pound, plywood camera/tripod. Each photo from these cameras is unique – no negative or fine art digital file exists.

Harry Nowell creates one-of-a-kind photographs.

Home-made plywood 8×10 camera. Photo paper is placed directly into the camera resulting in a one-of-a-kind photo – no printable digital file or negative exists.

I’ll also be presenting a brand new line of affordable, frame-able, colour Watershed Smalls.

The Watershed Story:
Almost 20 years ago my dear old dog, Tigger, and I wondered where the little creek behind our home runs…

Initially, a fun muddy adventure, we kept exploring up and down stream. After a few years I realized the art potential of such a project. In early years I shot predominantly on medium format slide film and produced large prints, limited to a print run of 5 of three different sizes.

In 2012 I discovered a process to place photo paper directly in larger format cameras creating one of-a-kind artworks.

In 2013 I built a plywood 8×10 camera to accommodate the larger direct paper process. With a year or two of experimentation I started producing works I was happy with. One element I love about the one-of-a-kinds is the basic process – no darkroom or digital manipulation process is possible. I get one chance to get it perfect in the camera – read a little about the process. Each photograph is unique – only one is produced.

Recently, I have started exploring with a smaller, colour, digital process. They are small, frame-able and affordable. There is no print limit on the smalls.

Old Chelsea photo project.

A reclaimed farm rests beside the Chelsea Creek watershed. Boulders remain as a reminder of clearing the fields. This is one of our new line of “smalls” available at the show.

Supporters
Ottawa River Keeper will support our visual adventure at La Fab. Why? Watershed is a 16 year visual journey (so far) along the Chelsea Creek 25 km watershed. Chelsea Creek flows (eventually) into the Ottawa River. We’re all connected – there’s just one watershed in the world. A small percentage of your Watershed sales at La Fab is donated to the Ottawa  Riverkeeper.

La Fab
La Fab is the gallery closest to the inspiration for the Watershed work. I started following the Chelsea Creek watershed in 2001 where an unnamed tributary trickles behind our home. I can follow the creek from our home almost to the gallery. I hope to do one artist’s talk creekside.

Hendrick Farm
A long stretch of Chelsea Creek ‘Watershed’ project meanders alongside the Hendrick Farm development in Chelsea. I am grateful for their support!

I’ve teamed up with some masters specializing in their craft:
1. Dave Andrews, master printer prints my colour works – both large and small.
2. Marie-Helene Drolet, master darkroom technician, processes and helps me experiment with my direct-from-camera paper processes.
3.  Mark Kittridge, fine furniture builder builds frames for my Black & White direct-from-camera originals. Like the unique photos they protect, each frame is hand crafted.

Custom, hand-built frames

Custom, hand-built frames

Our last show was very well received.
For best selection, visit the gallery early.

Details:
Vernissage – Wednesday, June 28th, 2017.
La Fab; 212 Old Chelsea Rd., Old Chelsea, Quebec.
Show runs until July 23rd.

4x5 direct from camera photography

Watershed Photography – Capturing Chelsea Creek on large format cameras.

#1134 Upcoming Watershed Events

Follow the Chelsea Creek Watershed with two events this summer. I have explored 20 km of the watershed over the last 16 years. I’ll be sharing some of my experiences at three events:

1. An Adult Forest School evening to explore the Chelsea Creek Watershed and…
2. An Ottawa School of Art photo workshop based on the art of “Watershed.
3. Watershed Art Exhibition – details to come…

Chelsea Creek watershed

Chelsea Creek watershed

1. Adult Forest School Along the Watershed.
Join us the evening of June 15th for a Forest School inspired play date – just for adults.
As a Forest School teacher I’ll lead you on an exploration of a small part of the Chelsea Creek watershed.

Meet at 7pm at Dunlop Picnic Field across from P9 in Gatineau Park.

By starting our adventure at Dunlop we will see three significantly different parts of the watershed. Be prepared for some hiking as we travel up hills and across flat terrain. We will stop to investigate interesting elements of the watershed.

Details:
June 15th; 7pm – 8pm.
Dunlop Picnic Field across from P9 (Meech Lake Rd.) in Gatineau Park.
Cost – Suggested donation $10.
Registration – send me a message – or connect on Facebook – and show up!

Please bring:
• Curiosity and smiles.
• Sturdy, comfortable footwear.
• Lightweight, long sleeve and long pants – ideally a nylon or quick drying variety. Think of gardening clothes. You may come back a little muddier than you started…
• Bug repellent –a citronella based product is effective.
• Water and (nut free) snack.

Chelsea Creek Watershed

Chelsea Creek Watershed

Watershed Photography Adventure and Workshop
Bring your cameras as we will be expanding creativity alongside the Chelsea Creek watershed, a 16 year art project starting in Harry’s backyard. Slowly, “Watershed” has grown into a travelling and expanding exhibition.

Harry Nowell leads this photo/art adventure following in the footsteps of his “Watershed” project following Chelsea Creek through Gatineau Park and Chelsea. On the first evening Harry will briefly discuss his long-term project including inspiration, process, and equipment.

Discussions will include:
• Technical and creative challenges.

We may also discuss:
• Art project development – what it takes to create a body of work.
• Equipment choices and demonstration of large format equipment.
• Opportunities /challenges of traditional, digital, analog and unusual formats.

Practical challenges:
Harry will introduce students to different areas of the Watershed project and guide participants to stretch their artistic practice, whether artistically or technically.

Critique:
Harry will offer critique to the participants on an ongoing basis. Digital cameras will offer the most immediate feedback but other formats are encouraged. Participants may email a small selection of photos for critique after the workshop.

Details:
Friday, Saturday and Sunday, August 11, 12, 13
Cost: $300
Register through Ottawa School of Art – scroll down to “S17DAA7:  Creating Photo Artwork on the Watershed”

Prior to formal teaching Harry worked as a commercial photographer and arts teacher for 20 years. He has explored 20km of the Chelsea Creek watershed over 16 years. His photo project “Watershed” currently captures photos on a 22 kg, home-made, plywood camera.

20174x5Watershed

Large Format Photography – Chelsea Creek Watershed

See you soon!
Another exhibition of Watershed artwork is coming up towards the end of June…

#1132 Watershed and SunStreaks Exhibition at Chrichton St. Gallery

Join us on April 7th to celebrate watersheds everywhere with a vernissage of original photographs captured along the Chelsea Creek watershed. Following the Chelsea Creek watershed for 16 years (and over 20 kilometres) I have seen abandoned cars, dramatic changes and solitary beauty.

The whole Watershed project started near this little bridge… The creek runs behind our home and, in 2001, I wondered “Where does the little creek go?” 20 km later I am still following Chelsea Creek with my cameras…

large format photography

The creek in Chelsea, Quebec that infected me with curiosity for the Watershed project.

Also on exhibit are innovative SunStreaks. Using an old blueprint chemistry I capture the path of the sun directly onto paper mounted inside  a plywood camera.

cyanotype

SunStreak – Meech Lake, Quebec. The sun’s path burns a line across the sky (and through the paper!)

Current work for both projects is captured in two cameras – a commercially manufactured 4×5 camera and a home-made, fully functioning 8×10 plywood camera.

Recent frames are also hand made by fine furniture builder, Mark Kittridge.

hand made large format camera

The 8×10 home made camera with SunStreaks. The camera and tripod weigh 50 pounds.

No negative or digital file is created while capturing the artworks. In both projects the final paper was placed directly in the camera. Through many attempts and mistakes I honed the process to create consistent works. Part of my attraction to the processes comes from the fact that, unlike traditional photography, there is just one finished product. While I could, technically, create two photographs at the scene, each would be unique.

Join us for the Vernissage:
April 7th; 5-8pm.
Crichton St. Gallery
299 Crichton St.,
Ottawa.

Support  Ottawa Riverkeeper  through the show!
A percentage of sales will be donated to the Riverkeeper as well as a donation from the Crichton Street Gallery. You may donate to the Ottawa Riverkeeper and learn about the good work they do at the Vernissage.

The show runs until April 29th.
Update!
Thanks to supporters of “Watershed.” I just sent Ottawa Riverkeeper over $150 as proceeds from sales of Watershed artworks at this show. Your purchases help support the good work the Riverkeeper does.

Thank-you!

#1129 Holiday Print Sale

HoHoHo!

Looking for a last minute gift for someone on your list?
Are they naughty or nice?
I’ve selected sale priced and current prints available for either group.

Rock and Roll

Naughty or Nice?
You choose.
… ZZ Top not for sale

Prints from my days covering music starting at $25 for smaller, unframed prints. There are larger works, too, some framed. Printed by Dave Andrews.

Tanya Tagaaq, John Prine, Blue Rodeo, Herbie Hancock, Allison Kraus, Ben Harper, Kool and the Gang, Blind Boys of Alabama, Annie DiFranco, Sarah Harmer +++…

Music photos

Who do you know?

There are $20 posters, too:

Horse photography

Icelandic Pony

There are also current (and more expensive) original works from Watershed and SunStreaks work…

watershed photography

Watershed: One-of-a-Kind, Direct-from-Camera Originals

And I have a classic for your hockey lover – limited edition framed:

Classic Canadiana

Outdoor Pond Hockey

I’m currently available December 17th in the afternoon and could arrange other times to show some gift ideas. Please email or call to arrange a visit. Harry at HarryNowell dot com

We’re gearing up for some holiday cheer. We celebrate with more events than gifts but always aim to support local businesses.

Happy holidays to all…

#1126 Imperfection – Manufactured or Natural Beauty

The words “perfection” and “beauty” evoke high expectations and standards that many spend lifetimes pursuing…

Manipulated Perfection
Actors, models and news anchors are expected to appear in perfect form but, as this Dove video shows, it is often after much manipulation including make-up. The beauty of the Dove video is that natural beauty occurs everywhere – it’s our expectation of manufactured perfection that should be questioned.

Photography has followed the same path in the last few decades. Initial photo captures are manipulated, massaged, changed, and doctored to take a natural element and transform it into an ideal that aligns with one’s beliefs. Often the end result has little resemblance to the initial element being photographed.

4x5 photograph

Watershed – Chelsea Creek; near Old Chelsea Village – In the capture, above, I juxtaposed the light levels of the silhouetted underside of the bridge, the bright forest and the strip of well-exposed shade directly under the bridge.

Natural Perfection
About five years ago I started exploring with old, low-tech photography in the pursuit of a more authentic approach to capturing the perfection that surrounds us everyday.

I started searching for processes that were simple and pushed my core photo skills rather than my processing and editing skills.

Low Tech Photo Process
I came across a process that allows me to put the final paper of the artwork into the camera resulting in a (photographically) positive final piece. My only tools to capture the beauty before my camera are shutter speed and aperture. In the dark room there is little room for manipulation and processing except for some contrast and minor tinting possibilities.

8x10 field camera

Low-tech, plywood, large format camera

The results are original artworks that record the bare beauty of the subject before me. I need to select the exposures for the most valuable part of the scene – I can only capture what lies before me. There are imperfections but, for me, that adds to the beauty of the piece.

In the black & white capture, above, I  juxtaposed the light levels of the silhouetted underside of the bridge, the bright forest and the small strip of well-exposed shade directly under the far end of the bridge.

I was also clear as this project developed that I wanted the artworks to stand alone – they come straight from the camera. Each capture is unique.

Photos include my personal representation of the watershed I have been following for 15 years.

New Works and Hand Crafted Frames
As I prepare for the upcoming show with Emily Rose Michaud – InterconnectedWatershed – I have chosen to frame the new works with the help of a seasoned cabinetmaker who has been crafting and installing premium furniture and cabinets for 15 years. He has built the frames with the same care that he builds his exquisite furniture. While the frames are all the same and benefit from Mark’s experience, they are all unique pieces that mirror the one-of–a-kind artworks that they protect.

Custom, hand-built frames

Custom, hand-built frames

Vernissage Details
Come to the vernissage as part of Wakefest – Friday, August 19th, 2016 from 6-8pm – Rutherfords; 753 ch Riverside, Wakefield.
The show runs until September 23rd, 2016.

#1125 InterconnectedWatershed

InterconnectedWatershed is the melding of two water-based art projects that are naturally linked. I have teamed up with Emily Rose Michaud to present our bodies of work on the Gatineau River and Chelsea Creek. The show opens August 19th at Rutherfords’ in Wakefield, Quebec as part of Wakefest.

Emily, a interdisciplinary artist who drew international attention for her Roerich Garden Project is exhibiting her layered cyanotype drawings based on flora and topographical maps from around the Gatineau River watershed.

I’m excited to be collaborating on a project connecting our watershed works – Emily is interested in the Gatineau River and I have been working on a project capturing the Chelsea Creek watershed (which flows into the Gatineau River) for 15 years:

film photography artwork

Some previous Watershed work.

I’ll be exhibiting some new, one-of-a-kind works based on a direct process that allows me to capture the artwork directly onto paper within one of two traditional, low-technology cameras – one I built from plywood.

Home-made large format camera.

Home-made large format camera.

What intrigues me about this process is the challenge to get a close to perfect PHOTO. There is no negative or processing once the lens of the box camera is closed. In traditional film or digitally captured processes, the artwork can be processed in the darkroom or computer to alter the end product. In the process I am using there is no manipulation possible once the lens is closed. The only time for adjusting the final outcome of the artwork occurs when the lens is open and exposing the paper – usually four seconds to 25 minutes.

This artwork is created by placing one (and only) sheet of paper directly in the camera. Only one photograph is created - it's one-of-a-kind.

This artwork is created by placing one (and only) sheet of paper directly in the camera. Only one photograph is created – it’s one-of-a-kind.

The process pushes my limits and wrenches my gut. If I am using a 20 minute exposure the light is fading to dark and there is no chance to try again… In this instance I have one chance to get it “exhibition perfect.”

I am now working with a custom, fine furniture maker to create hand-made frames. Just as each art piece is unique, each of my latest frames is hand crafted. They are works of art themselves.

I’ve been traveling some sections of my local watershed regularly and it’s fascinating to see the creek change so dramatically over the years.

The creek crossing, below, changes every year – a slightly new route, someone “fixes” the wooden bridge, erosion (or humans) take down trees.

Captured on paper directly in a large format camera.

Captured on paper directly in a large format camera.

I’ve explored from Fortune Lake almost to highway 105 – 20km. I have 5km to go to get to the Gatineau River.

The diversity along the watershed also fascinates me. Come to the show and see for yourself:

Bistro Rutherford
753A Riverside Dr, Wakefield, Quebec
Vernissage: Friday, August 19th (6-8pm)
Show runs until September 23rd, 2016.

#1124 Laurentians / Tremblant Photo Safari and Adventure

Early mornings and a deliberate, casual pace marked this week’s photo adventure in the Tremblant area with long-time photo student Margaret.

photo adventure

Tremblant photo safari

I’ve been travelling to the region that many associate solely with the mega ski hill and village run by Intrawest. The ski hill is impressive but the surrounding hills, rivers, forests and lakes are what keep me coming back.

Like the slow food movement, I prefer observing and shooting with purpose rather than the speed of a fast trigger finger. Margaret finished the day with a manageable number of quality photos that made editing easier.

Tremblant photo safari

© Margaret A. – Laurentian’s water – learning about flow

We shot throughout the day. Yes, there are two magic hours per days. J David Andrews once told me “It’s always perfect weather to shoot something.” Likewise, there’s always something to shoot, no matter the time of day.

Tremblant region photo workshop

© Margaret A. –  Early morning calmness – a perfect time to observe and learn.

Days flew by. One day we visited a segment of waterfalls and rapids. We arrived at 11am and after what felt like an hour Margaret approached excitedly “It’s five o’clock!” When you’re excited and engaged time vanishes.

Margaret’s photos improved and her confidence grew. We both smiled, a lot! We spent evenings reviewing concepts, ideas and photos. See some of her work… Well done Margaret!

Laurentians photography adventure

© Maragret A. – We explored possibilities when shooting a scene – motion, composition, depth-of-field.