Beholder Images Photography

Glass Ball Dancer at the 4.20 Rally

2011-10-27T12:26:00.000-07:00

Members of the Lemon Bucket Orkestra at the 4.20 Rally

2011-10-26T16:47:00.000-07:00

Sunset at Hillside

2011-10-26T12:18:00.000-07:00

Moving Lights: Hillside 2011

2011-10-25T19:58:00.000-07:00

In the Irvine River

2011-10-25T19:44:00.000-07:00

The Grand River

2011-10-23T21:27:00.000-07:00

In Memory of Jack

2011-10-23T20:38:00.000-07:00

Fall in Elora

2011-10-12T20:02:00.000-07:00

Abigail Lapell and Friends at Toronto's Tranzac Club April 14

2011-04-19T12:43:00.000-07:00

I had the good fortune to catch Abigail Lapell at Toronto's Not My Dog earlier in the year. As soon as she announced the CD release party for her stunning new album Great Survivor, I knew I had to be there.

Click HERE to see the Gallery!

Joining Abigail on stage at Toronto's Tranzac Club on April 14th 2011 were Gabe Levine and Jessica Moore of Charms. Backing up Abigail was Lisa Bozikovic on vocals and piano, Julia Collins on Violin, Willow Rutherford on vocals and accordion, James Van Bolhuis on drums and Matthew Maaskant on bass.

The Cypher - April 13th

2011-04-18T18:32:00.000-07:00

The Cypher is a monthly underground hip-hop event held in Toronto at Kensington Market's Augusta House by the Hip Hop Headz. One of my classmates is their official photographer, and knowing that I have a love for live performance photography invited me to swing by the party. Even though I'm just shy of being a total hip hop philistine, I knew that the beats being laid down were sick and that the young men passing the Mic back and forth were filled with a passion and a pure love for their art form. I had an awesome time and am looking forward to next month's battle!

Click HERE to see the Gallery from The Cypher on April 13th

Belly Dance

2011-04-02T14:48:00.000-07:00

Click HERE to see more photos from this series.

The Beach from the Archives

2011-03-29T11:08:00.000-07:00

Last year, just as spring was turning into summer, my friend and fellow photographer Sabrina went out to enjoy a day in Toronto's beautiful Beach neighborhood. In the hopes that their sunny images will speed along the arrival of the warm weather!

Homespun

2011-03-12T15:24:00.000-08:00

Last week I went to visit my friend Jamie at her hobby farm in Western Ontario.

Not only does she keep sheep, but she also spins their fleece into wool.

I had a lovely time working to capture the motion of her spinning.

Machine Shop from the Archives

2011-03-11T19:15:00.000-08:00

Last semester my photography professor took us to to the Seneca College Machine Shop.

These are some of the images I took that day.

The Canadian Savannah - From the Archives

2011-03-11T11:19:00.000-08:00

In 2009 I spent a day at African Lion Safari near Guelph, here are the photographs from that day

The Decline of Tobacco Country from the Archives

2011-03-10T16:28:00.000-08:00

In the Winter of 2007 I took a drive West of London in tobacco country, and was moved by the desolate and deserted barns and houses that dot the landscape. The last ten years have not been kind to this area, and the decline of the tobacco industry has driven down land prices considerably, forcing many to abandon their homes and rent out the land to others.

Windy Knoll Farm from the Archives

2011-03-10T15:49:00.000-08:00

Back in May of 2006 I spent a day at Windy Knoll Farm, where my friend Kelly grew up. I love photographing horses,and had a fantastic time!

Amanda Ferguson from the Archives

2011-03-10T10:33:00.000-08:00

The first formal shoot I ever did was of the lovely Amanda Ferguson, I was looking through what is left of my archives and found a lot of Raw files that I thought were lost in the great external hard drive disaster of 2008. I thought I'd put them up here, as they are still some of my favorite portraits that I ever did.

Should I Work for Free?

2011-01-28T09:53:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting in my business class this morning, and one of my professors showed us this. When I got to the kidney part, I laughed my ass off. Be aware, there is some strong language! It comes from http://shouldiworkforfree.com/

At The Cameron House

2011-01-16T18:50:00.000-08:00

Click Here see more photographs of Gabrielle Papillon and her friends at Toronto's Cameron House on Facebook

I got together my best girlfriends and headed over to Toronto's Cameron House to see the incredible Gabrielle Papillon perform with some of her friends. It was awesome, and we had a really great time. Click on the link under the photo to see more of the images on Facebook.

Synesthesia

2011-01-02T11:59:00.000-08:00

This is my first attempt at animation from still photography.
It is an animated photography film that creates the sensation of synesthesia, created on the TTC at night.
Hope you like it!

Ambre McLean @ The Free Times Cafe

2010-12-15T18:05:00.000-08:00

I had the good fortune of joining my friend Ambre McLean at Toronto's Free Times Cafe recently. Check out She Explores Toronto for more about Ambre.

Bias and Positivism: The Dilemma of Ethno-Photography

2010-11-29T21:23:00.000-08:00

Within the field of Cultural Anthropology, the sub-discipline of visual anthropology relies on the work of the ethno-photographer’s fieldwork to collect visual data. Though many notable modern photographers can be considered to be ethno-photographers, there are no specific styles or accepted methods in the field. While the history of ethno-photography is rooted in the French museum system of the 19th century, there have been questions about the anthropological value of the images captured in that time period. The history of ethno-photography must be examined from a post-positivist mentality, and the connections to colonization must be recognized in order to rectify any lack of objectivity in the image. To interpret ethno-photographs, the viewer must recognise that they must be interpreted not only with the aesthetic features within the image, but also with the shared collective narrative framework of the photographer and his culture. By examining ethno-photographs, the viewer has the ability to gain knowledge about other cultures, but the bias of the ethno-photographer must be examined as well to properly interpret the data.

Cultural Anthropology is an area of study that aims to “provide a rounded view of the knowledge, customs, and institutions of a people”. (Barfield) The main areas of study include politics, law, social structure, magic, art, religion and technology. In their exploration, a cultural anthropologist can get a sense of what the culture is all about. Due to the scope of its inquiry, there are many different methods of study to compile the data. Actual fieldwork is referred to as Ethnography. This type of study involves living amongst the culture of study and recording data. This data can detail law decisions, religious attitudes, technological use and financial information on a large scale. It can also examine spiritual expressions, political beliefs, artistic pursuits and interpersonal as well as inter cultural relationships within a sub-group of a culture.

Visual Anthropology utilizes photographs, film and new media in the “analysis, communication and interpretation” (Anthropology: The Global Study of Humans, Past & Present) of ethnographic data. Modern visual anthropologists do not necessarily collect the data themselves; many only analyze data that they come across, particularly if they are working in new media. The Visual Anthropologists working in the field collecting their own data have been recently referred to as ethno-filmmakers or ethno-photographers. The term Ethno-photographer is not limited to practicing visual anthropologists in the field. In recent years photographers such as Diane Arbus, Nan Golden and Weegee have been regarded as ethno-photographers in their own right. There is no established style of ethno-photography. Often it resembles snapshot or documentary photography, as it is very spontaneous in nature. Visual Anthropology “has never been completely incorporated into the mainstream of anthropology” (Ruby) and because of that, it exists somewhat on the fringe of the greater cultural anthropology. There is an attitude within the field that photographs, film and new media are useful only as teaching aids. The concept of the late 20th centaury’s “centrality of the mass media” (Ruby) has not been accepted by the anthropological establishment as a factor in cultural identity. This tarnish on the credibility of the field of Visual Anthropology is not new; the field has suffered from skepticism since its inception at the dawn of photography.

In 1839 Louis Daguerre was granted the patent for his photographic process by the French government. He had introduced his Daguerreotype process at a meeting of the French Academy of Sciences in January of that same year. The chemist’s concept immediately captured the imagination of his colleagues, as the scientific applications of the daguerreotype represented a leap in their ability to collect data and verify proof. The Museum d’Historie Naturelle de (The Natural History Museum of) Paris was one of the first institutions to purchase a Daguerreotype camera, and the collection grew extensively as the capture device was used to create the first ethnographic images. Over the course of the 19th century, museums amassed thousands of ethnographic images taken by French photographers.

Ernest Robin, born in Le Havre was an amateur photographer who photographed the indigenous Kanak population of New Caledonia in the late 19th century. Though his images were not taken with scientific intentions, they were donated to and preserved by the Societe Geographie de(Geographic Society of) Paris . The collection resides today in the Bilioteque Nationale de (National Library of) France. Unlike many other ethno-photographers of his day Robin’s work did not centre on images of the physical characteristics of a different race of people, but of images of a different way of life. New Caledonia had only been colonized in 1853 by France, and subsequently construction of the settlement was still underway when Robin was photographing there. He photographed the landscape and the villages, as well as the Kanak people working and at their leisure. His images also include the French colonizers at work alongside the locals. When images like Robin’s were added to Museum catalogues, the curators found themselves now not just in a position to exhibit scenes from primitive cultures, but also to educate the French people about these peoples. Not only did the photographs educate the French public, but by highlighting the other population, the French could assure support for continued colonial action within their own nation, and define their own nationality in comparison with the indigenous people. This early use of images as propaganda is fascinating when the role that positivism played in early ethno-graphic images.

ethno-photographs exhibited in French museums as being scientifically respected images, even if they were not collected in a scientific manner. Modern ethno-photography methods are similar to those of documentary photography in that the photographer is discouraged from interfering with the subject of their images. As positivists, early anthropologists regarded any photograph as truth, because unlike art which was an interpretation of what it represented, photography captured the real.

There has however, always been concern that much of the early ethno-photographs were actually staged. This concept does stand to reason, especially considering the long exposure times required for daguerreotypes and other early capture systems. In late 19th century America, ethno-photographers were employed by the government to photograph settlers carving out lives for themselves in the backcountry, to use for advertisements for further settlement. In addition to photographing the settlers, the ethno-photographers were also contracted to photograph the dwindling Native population whom the settlers were displacing. Many of these ethno-photographs were taken within relocation camps and villages, hardly capturing a traditional Native lifestyle. The images served similar purposes to their early French forbearers, as they created a separation between the manner of portrayal of settlers and natives. The settlers were often portrayed in front of sod or wooden frame homes, showing the hard work the newcomers had done to accomplish their new life. In contrast, many Natives were shown in seated positions, near their tents, or the ramshackle housing set up by the government, which gave the impression of laziness and a lower social standing. Again, ethno-photographs were used to create distinction, and foster national pride at the expense of a colonized native population. The images were easily disseminated to the public both in America and abroad after the discovery of the wet-plate process lead to reproducible images and the new found popularity of post-cards and stereoscopes. Nevertheless, these government sponsored images have withstood the test of time, and are often used by filmmakers for research, and by modern Native Americans looking to reconnect with their past.
This leads to the dilemma of reconciling the scientific validity of images with the limitations of technology and political motivations of the photographer. In interpreting a photograph, a viewer must balance two important frames of reference. The first is Visual Genres; how the photographer used aesthetics to convey the subject of the image. The second is Visual Allegories; how the subject of the image symbolizes collectively shared narrative frameworks. (Willmott) A visual anthropologist or casual viewer of ethno-photography must therefore bear the bias of the ethno-photographer in mind when analyzing the captured data.

Cultural Anthropology seeks to understand the identity of a culture though examination of its ways and means. Though it exists on the outskirts of Anthropological circles, Visual Anthropology has always been an important tool in education, however its value as a stand-alone discipline has been jeopardized by post-positivist scepticism of its ability to show the real. The scientific validity of early ethno-photographs has been called into question as the methods and biases of ethno-photographers in the field are somewhat suspect. Though the images provide valuable insight to the lives of people living in different cultures, it is important for the viewer to be aware of the ethno-photographer’s personal and professional bias, as well as that of the culture they represent.

Works Cited

Ruby, Jay. Visual Anthropology. In Encyclopaedia of Cultural Anthropology, David Levinson and Melvin Ember, editors. New York: Henry Holt and Company vol. 4: 1345 – 1351
Barfield, Thomas. The Dictionary of Anthropology. Cambridge: Mass Blackwell Publishers , 2000. NetLibrary. Web. December 8 2009.
Anthropology: The global study of Humans, Past & Present”. Bellevuecollege. Bellvue College. Dec 3 2009. Web. December 8 2009.
Ethnographers. Photoethnography. Photoethnography. July 31 2005.Web. December 9 2009.
Positivism and Post-Positivism. Socialresearchmethods. Research Methods Knowledge Base. October 20 2006. Web. Dec 4 2009.

Greenburg lighting with Erin

2010-11-28T15:36:00.000-08:00

This week my friends and I were challenged to photograph a model using the lighting techniques of Jill Greenburg, the political and often controversial American Photographer. My friend and muse Erin joined me in the studio, along with a couple of our friends and we played with lighting. The first five images are all just lit with the Greenburg lighting technique, modified for our purposes down to six flashes. (One on a boom! How fun!). The final images includes subtle edits to give it that Greenburg plasticized sheen.

Jenni Lehmann

2010-11-27T00:27:00.000-08:00

I have been doubly blessed to know Jenni Lehmann, for not only is she a fantastic friend and family member, but she is also the best hair stylist going. I'm not the only one who thinks so either. She has a huge roster of clients who would agree with me 100% that Jenni is an artist in her own right.

For my Artist in the Studio series, I visited her at the unique log cabin that houses Lines Hair Design in Elora. Jenni's art is reflected in the confidence and satisfaction of her clients.Her passion and dedication for her craft moves me. Now, if only I could convince her to dye my hair blue...

Phil Irish

2010-11-26T23:54:00.000-08:00

Phil Irish and I met a number of years ago while we were both volunteering at the Elora Centre for the Arts' Minarovich Gallery. In fact, Phil curated my first show and was a source of inspiration and support when I first became serious about my art.

Our lives have developed an odd symmetry of late, as we both attend classes on the York University campus. While I am taking photography at the college level, Phil is working on his Masters of Fine Art at York. We both are also splitting our time between the convenience of Western Toronto and the familiar paths of home in Elora.

When I joined him in his Elora studio to photograph him for my Artist in the Studio series we talked about the changes in our lives. We worked together to create portraits that reflected the abstraction and creation that comes from the life of a transient student.

Reflections of Parkdale

2010-11-26T21:27:00.000-08:00

These are images I photographed of windows in Parkdale. I have pushed these images to produce the high contrast tones. Enjoy!

Will Crum Rocks Out

2010-11-16T11:40:00.000-08:00

Read more about the night I photographed Will Crum at my blog She Explores Toronto.

Check out Will's Myspace for his upcoming shows here in Toronto.

Figure Ground 1

2010-11-10T11:50:00.000-08:00

This photograph, entitled “The Tooth at Night” is my study of Figure and Ground. Instead of focusing on optical illusions, I wanted to explore this problem through contrast of light and dark, positive and negative space and textural elements.

It was shot at the Tooth of Time, a landmark of the village that I grew up in. It is a large limestone rock, with trees growing on top of it, at the crest of a waterfall where the famed Elora Gorge begins. The tooth is a touchstone to the founding family of the town, who felled a large tree from the top of the tooth to stop the root system from destroying the fragile limestone shape. This spirit of protection continues to this day, as the village honors it with care and attention. At night it and the rapids that fall below it are lit by a brilliant spotlight, and looking at it made me want to explore it’s textural qualities.

The bright light at the bottom of the image shines on the silken flow of the waterfall around the tooth which meet the hard lines and texture of the limestone cliffs. The rich and reaching organic trees stretch up into the blackness of the Elora night. The community does not produce enough light pollution to create ambient light in the night sky, so the blackness of the night created a low key and negative space to balance out the high key tones at the bottom of the frame.

@ St. Patrick St. Sound

2010-11-02T10:39:00.000-07:00

I spent a day at St. Patrick St. Sound with Micah Gordon and Pink Pill Music's Andrew Hill, we had a great time, with lots of laughs!

Now exiting your comfort zone...

2010-10-17T00:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I left my comfort zone and did something new. My friend Violet Brown introduced me to her friend Josh, who has a passion for urban exploring. So, when the question of what we should all do Friday afternoon was floated, Josh had a pretty good idea. I changed into moderately appropriate clothing, and we set out. At the end of the St. Clair streetcar line, Josh lead us into an abandoned warehouse in the old Tannery District. It wasn't my usual photo adventure, but I had an amazing time.

Violet Brown

2010-10-16T22:37:00.000-07:00

These are some more of the images from my shoot this week with Violet Brown.

Blue Violet

2010-10-16T20:21:00.000-07:00

I spent a couple hours in the studio with my friend Violet Brown the other day, and together we created some moody blue images.

Reflections of Nuit Blanche 2010

2010-10-05T21:19:00.000-07:00

I bundled up and braved the crowds for Nuit Blanche 2010. I was struck by the reflections on the water at Nathan Phillips Square at Toronto's City Hall. These images are part of my larger "Reflections" series, which I will release bit by bit over the coming year.

The Haunting of Elora Junior

2010-09-28T18:21:00.000-07:00

I created this series of photographs for my 2006 show entitled "The Haunting of Elora Junior" part of the Elora Centre for the Art's Old School Reunion and Hauntings and Illusions show.

Shaw Wedding - Anticipation

2010-09-28T17:46:00.000-07:00

These photos are from the 2008 wedding of Jordan and Bill!

Sushi

2010-09-28T17:12:00.000-07:00

These images are from a 2008 photoshoot of Sushi that I did. Enjoy!

Portraits of Amanda

2010-09-28T15:38:00.000-07:00

Amanda and I work together in the studio a lot, and end up photographing each other a lot. Nick has claimed her for next week, so this might be the last time I photograph her for a while!

Fruits and Veggies from the Archives

2010-08-27T18:55:00.000-07:00

The Apple Harvest - 2006

Cherry Bomb - 2007

Peppers - 2007

Aberfoyle Antique Market

2010-08-27T18:31:00.000-07:00

Last fall, I spent a day at the Aberfoyle Antique Market.

I had a really great time exploring textures and history.

Doll I - 2009

Doll II - 2009

The Keys - 2009

Scattered Pictures - 2009

Punch It Up - 2009

S&P Bobbies - 2009

Full Moon @ Mohawk

2010-08-26T19:07:00.000-07:00

I am a track photographer at Mohawk Raceway, and tonight the most beautiful moon was hanging over the track!

Full Moon at Mohawk

Pet Portraits from the Archives

2010-08-26T16:51:00.000-07:00

Brena - 2005

Metro Kitty - 2005

Stieva - 2005

Zeus - 2005

Art - 2007 Style

2010-08-26T16:41:00.000-07:00

Cuban Lilies 2007

Quinn Lake Vista - 2007

Rousseau Sunset - 2007

That's What She Said

2010-08-26T16:13:00.000-07:00

It was one of those weekends where all the elements fall together perfectly, and the power and beauty of new and old friend collide into a perfect storm of pancakes, games and laughter.

Way after midnight with Erin

2010-08-17T16:50:00.000-07:00

Erin is a Guelph Rollergirl and was all dressed up for a Burlesque Calender shoot she was doing yesterday. When I rolled up to her place somewhere in the neighborhood of 1am, she was still spiffed up, and ready for some more pictures.

Lightning in the Clouds

2010-08-16T20:14:00.000-07:00

The Hunter Becomes the Hunted

2010-08-16T20:08:00.000-07:00

Out for the day with my friend Violet, I snapped a couple images of her before she trained her lens on me!

Vader-O-Lantern

2010-08-14T17:15:00.000-07:00

I took this photograph last Haloween at the home of some dear friends of mine who's four year old daughter had a deep and abiding affection for Darth Vader

Mary Bellydancing

2010-08-14T17:07:00.000-07:00

This photograph is of my friend Mary, who is an outstanding Bellydancer. Mary and I came together at her house last fall to record this image of her dancing.

Photograph Restoration - Papa

2010-08-14T16:48:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things to do is to restore old family photographs.
The one above, is of my grandfather Ginsi Kumagai. Born a Canadian Citizen in Vancouver, British Columbia he was forced along with many other Japanese Canadians to live in a series of camps before being relocated to Ontario after WW2. This photograph was the one attached to his RCMP file, you can see the indent of the official stamp on the photograph, as well as the holes from the staple that once held it to a sheaf of papers.

It is in essence, his prisoner photograph. I often wonder about the photographer who took this image, who they were, why they did this work for the government. Did they bid for the contract, or were they a member of the RCMP as well.

Below, you can see the restored image.

Star Spangled Morning

2010-08-10T19:07:00.000-07:00

These images are a set I did in New York City this past February, examining the nature of early morning light and motion. There are no after-effects added to these shots, they are straight off the sensor!

The Moving Sidewalk Shimmers at the National Gallery

2010-08-09T19:28:00.000-07:00

These are some photographs I took at Washington DC's National Gallery in March. I was studying both the motion and light available in the tunnel. I took these photos while in the esteemed company of Louis Blair!

Welcome to the Photo Blog!

2010-08-07T18:43:00.000-07:00

The Beholder Images Photo Blog is now up and running! Check back often for new and exciting work displayed in this space!

Warmest Wishes!

Sare Kumagai,
Photographer
Beholder Images Photography