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CONTENTS
SEUNG HOON PARK 7 FABRICE SILLY 58

ABBA RICHMAN 19 SEEING IS BELIEVING 74

By Ellen Keith
ESTELLE CHOE 33
MICHELLE WARD 79
CHROMA HIGHLIGHT 42
Cristina Venedict

BACKSTAGE

CHRIS KOVACS Publisher: Chris Kovacs, Floze Press

Editor Online: adorechroma.com

SANDRA DJAK KOVACS Email: [email protected]

Executive Editor Adore Chroma Magazine
1202 West Pender Street
TIM ANDERSON PO Box 17514
Vancouver, BC
Editor at Large V6E 2S8

LESLIE HILTS Adore Chroma online magazine is published bimonthly.

Editor at Large All images are © copyright of their respective artists and may
not be copied or distributed. All rights reserved.

ELLEN KEITH
Contributor ISSN 2292-762X
 Editor’s Notes
Welcome to Adore Chroma, we are excited to bring different angles. The result is an experience where
you our first issue! Chroma is all about colour. the viewer can enter the image from any space on
When you go to paint your walls you generally the print, each window drawing you in to a different
choose a colour that compliments how you want to perspective. Estelle Choe presents vibrant images
feel in a certain room, warm tones for the bedroom that challenge us to think about our relationships
are a natural choice. Or maybe not. I can still remem- with food, stuff and technology. Fabrice Silly cre-
ber the day I came home from work to find that my ates shimmering realities of a world in motion where
husband had painted our washroom walls the deepest lights and buildings gleam. Michelle Ward travels
shade of red. It depends upon the person, just like co- out to the gems of forgotten buildings where broken
lour photography depends upon the photographer. pianos pose with grace and chairs sit empty telling
the camera the colourful stories of the life they once
Our Chroma Highlight features the unique world lived.
of Cristina Venedict’s digital brush and with this
brush she tells us that “I want to encourage people This is our world, in colour and captured by the
to dream.” And she does so, with vivid fairy tale brush of varied inspiration. We hope you enjoy your
like scenes where the viewer is easily drawn in, and time as you go through these pages. They were creat-
never wants to leave. Abba Richman draws our eye ed for you to be inspired, surprised and compelled to
towards the everyday beauty that literally hangs look at your world through a different lens from time
from clotheslines, bikes and windowsills, who knew to time.
there was such a kaleidoscope of colour drying in the
wind. Seung Hoon Park presents us with a pixel and So...Dim the lights, go to your favourite place, sit
puzzle like image that appears whole in the viewing back, relax and enjoy.
of it but is ultimately created through the combina-
tion of many images taken of the same place from Sandra Djak Kovacs

Image by Cristina Venedict

 ON THE COVER

CRISTINA VENEDICT

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 FEATURED
SEUNG HOON PARK

“I interlace film in a similar way to weaving fabric to create

a single image.”

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 TEXTUS Interview with Seung Hoon Park

AC: Please introduce yourself. Where are you all over the world. During my travels I began
from? to take photographs of the various places I had
visited.
SHP: My name is Seung Hoon Park, I am from
Seoul, Korea. AC: Please tell us about your project TEXTUS
and what inspired you to create this body of
AC: How did you become interested in work.
photography?
SHP: In my project TEXTUS, I interlace film
SHP: Before I started photography my back- in a similar way to weaving fabric to create a
ground was in tourism, I was in my twenties at single image. I photograph an object several
the time and was fortunate to be able to travel times by putting 16mm movie films on an 8x10

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camera, I photograph some horizontally and interiors of buildings such as libraries, muse-
others vertically and then weave them into one ums, music halls and old shops.
image.
AC: What or who are your influences?
Currently I’m working on the TEXTUS (Travel
Log) series. This series will be geared towards SHP: Traveling and watching movies are quite
reminding people of their past travels. important to me, and my favourite artists are
Hiroshi Sugimoto, Candida Hofer and David
AC: Where are some of the places you would Hockney, they have been very inspirational.
like to photograph that you haven’t yet had the
chance to? AC: Do you have any projects planned in the
near future?
SHP: I recently became interested in photo-
graphing interiors. I’m planning to shoot the SHP: I’m going to photograph New York for a
month beginning in April, 2014.

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AC: How has your life changed due to your See more work at:
recent success? susanspiritusgallery.com/artist/seung-hoon-park/

SHP: I’m happy to have the attention of a

much larger audience. Nothing much has
changed except for that.

AC: What is your final say?

SHP: Supporters of my works are extremely

important to me. They encourage me to work
hard and I am very thankful for them. ♥

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 FEATURED
ABBA RICHMAN

“There is nothing that hasn’t been photographed before, so I

constantly challenge myself to introduce new visual meaning to
the seemingly trivial and ordinary. ”
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 HANGING OUT Interview with Abba Richman

AC: Please introduce yourself. Where are you AR: I started photographing almost by ac-
from? cident. As a boy I used to collect all sorts of
things from matchbox covers to small cacti.
AR: I was born in the UK and came to Israel One of my forays into collecting were spy
when I was eighteen. I am sixty-five years old cameras and one of my finds was a 16mm Mi-
but feel like I’m only thirty. nolta spy camera. I took some photos with it
and as soon as I saw the images I was hooked
I live in Efrat, Israel, in a small township near on photography for life.
Jerusalem. I teach photography and also work
in my town as a first responder team leader for My first serious camera was a Nikon FTN
Magen David Adom which is Israel’s national which lasted me for nearly thirty years. My
ambulance service. I am married to Liliana, first job was photographing the addition of a
she comes from Italy, we have six children and new floor to my school––I was fifteen at the
sixteen grandchildren. time. My self confidence was boosted by the
very favourable response to the resulting al-
AC: How did you get into photography? bum of prints by the school headmaster. I was
an awful student but I did manage to get an

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‘A’ in art, based on that, and a very extensive constantly challenge myself to introduce new
portfolio I was accepted to study at the Bezalel visual meaning to the seemingly trivial and
Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem in ordinary.
1969. It was there that I studied graphic design
for four years and a fifth graduate year in pho- AC: What fascinates you about ordinary every-
tography day things and why is there an urge to photo-
graph it?
AC: Please tell us about this series Hanging
Out, what inspired you to create it? AR: I am always looking for the beauty and
form in the everyday objects that surround us,
AR: I can answer that easier by stating what I in our homes, in the street, and sometimes right
don’t usually photograph, no flowers, animals, under our noses. I have an addiction to back-
travel scenes, sunsets etc. I try to photograph yards and found hanging laundry to be a fasci-
the seemingly unobtrusive and unseen world. nating subject to photograph. There is always
the intrigue of speculating on who the people
When I go out to photograph, I try and present are behind the clothes. I have an innate curi-
an image of an ordinary scene in a way that no osity for garbage, rubbish heaps, thrown away
one has seen until that moment. There is noth- and discarded things. Who did they belong to?
ing that hasn’t been photographed before, so I Who are the faceless owners? What stories

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could be told about these things? There is con- without showing his work to anybody!
stant movement in these scenes, I often revisit
favourite haunts and am constantly amazed at AC: What is your final say?
how the scenery has changed––they are almost
alive and seem to live a life of their own. AR: Be yourself. If you want real honest criti-
cism don’t show your work to friends or fam-
AC: Can you tell us about a particularly great ily. Avoid Social Media if all you are seeking
experience you had while out taking pictures? are worthless “Likes”. Keep failing and keep
photographing and photograph everything.
AR: Every experience is great. It may sound Don’t get sucked into the bottomless pit of
cheesy but it is true for me. photographic tech talk that permeates every
aspect of photography today––it is not the lens
AC: What are your influences? or the camera that will make good images. Use
what God blessed you with––your eyes, brain
AR: Lenswork magazine, particularly the ed- and heart and then pick up your camera. ♥
itor, Brooks Jenson, Akexey Titarenko who
photographs haunting images of Russian cit- See more at: abba-richman.com
ies, Beth Moon and my hero Gary Stochl (On
City Streets) who photographed for forty years

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 FEATURED
ESTELLE CHOE

“I was inspired to create this body of work when I realized how most
people, including myself, are never satisfied with what they have.”
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 CONCEPTUAL IMAGES Interview with Estelle Choe

AC: Please introduce yourself. Where are you EC: My American Consumerism series is about
from? how America’s economic crisis does not affect
society’s mindset of wanting to spend and buy.
EC: I was born in Los Angeles but moved to I was inspired to create this body of work when
San Francisco, which is where I currently live, I realized how most people, including myself,
to pursue my dreams of being a photographer. are never satisfied with what they have. For
example, we buy ourselves something nice but
AC: How did you get into photography? soon after, we’ll want something better and
newer.
EC: Other than photography being the only
thing I did not get tired of, it all began when AC: What do you enjoy most about the work
I first saw the image Migrant Mother by Dor- you do?
othea Lange. I was surprised at how a single
image could be so powerful. EC: It fuels me! I never get tired of doing it.

AC: Please tell us about this series of images AC: Tell us a bit about your post processing.
and what inspired you to create it?

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EC: I spend many hours in front of the com- and retouchers of Staudinger Franke, an agen-
puter. I usually shoot one part of the image on cy based in Austria. Not only are their projects
location and the other components with win- aesthetically pleasing, but also their techniques
dow light or in studio––the trick is to keep the are greatly supported by their clever concepts.
lighting consistent.
AC: What is your final say?
AC: What feelings do you hope to evoke for
the people who see your images? EC: Have patience and determination! ♥

EC: I hope my images will be a source of hu- See more at: http://estellephoto.4ormat.com
mour as well as a thought trigger. It doesn’t
have to be a life changing realization but when
my viewer ponders about the concept that is
shown in the series, I feel very accomplished.

AC: What are your influences?

EC: I admire the work of the photographers

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 CHROMA HIGHLIGHT
CRISTINA VENEDICT

Born and raised in Botosani, Romania, Cristina Venedict creates portraits that
transcend reality. Cristina entered the world of photography at a time when the
‘real world’ in which she was living could not offer her the freedom she needed.
With a degree in psychology Cristina felt out of place, like that world wasn’t hers.
She soon realized it was time to rediscover herself.
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Photography has become my purpose in life. It looking at them, studying their characteristics
started like a game where the child within me and their reactions to certain things––I enjoy
was running free, like she just awoke from a getting to know their stories. I believe each
dream of living in the real world––a world in human being is unique, beautiful and unpre-
which we lose our ability to dream and to re- dictable.
main children. Photography helped me bring
my inner child back into the light. Each model I work with has their own story.
We meet and start talking about the details
I’ve always been fascinated by people, I like about the session, clothes and make-up.

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I like vintage clothes and natural light. I don’t boredom. I like the moment when I capture the
really like closed in spaces like studios so I model giving the viewer a part of herself––its
photograph outside––the sunlight and wind like I photographed her thoughts and dreams.
contribute perfectly to the scene. I want to en-
courage people to dream and help the viewer My work has sometimes been described as
feel like they are part of that moment. painterly so its no coincidence that painters
were the first ones that influenced me in my ad-
I love taking photographs. I could spend hours olescence. Degas, Picasso, Toulouse-Lautrec
at a session without feeling even a touch of and others were the artists that had made an

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impact on me––I experienced intense feelings creative––the lifestyle, beauty and warmth of
when I saw their art. I also love the work of human beings are an endless source of inspira-
Maggie Taylor whom I discovered while creat- tion for me. ♥
ing images of my own dream world.
To see more work, inquire about prints and to
Throughout high school and university I was find out about upcoming exhibitions please visit
very passionate about fashion. I owned a large Cristina’s website: cristinavenedict.ro
collection of fashion magazines, I tested all
kinds of clothes combinations and I was pretty

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 FEATURED
FABRICE SILLY

“I love photos, but I am also just as fond of paintings. In both artistic fields
all styles conflict and yet complete each other, giving us unique emotions.”
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 TIMELESS Interview with Fabrice Silly

AC: Please introduce yourself. Where are you spending hours in his lab––darkness and the
from? smell of acid are wonderful memories for me.
It was thanks to my father that I discovered
FS: My name is Fabrice Silly. I live near Bor- photography, but nevertheless I did not imme-
deaux in a small village called Margaux––well diately become a fan, I really enjoyed it but I
known to all good wine lovers. I’ve worked only practiced from time to time. Photography
for Universal Music for over twenty years. It’s back then was more of a hobby and for bring-
interesting to me how music and photography ing back images from travels as souvenirs.
have been revolutionized by the rapid progress
of digital technology. As the years passed I was only involved in
photography when travelling. However, when
AC: How did you get into photography? Christmas was nearing I spent a lot of time
in specialized bookstores searching for a nice
FS: I was lucky to have a father whose passion black and white photo album for my dad. One
was photography. I have fond memories of him year a friend recommended The Gardens of Le

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Nôtre by Michael Kenna. I immediately found Shooting time often takes place under difficult
the book amazing. I have never seen that type climatic conditions, alone in the middle of no-
of photography before and I found it to be rev- where, surrounded by the elements; you feel-
olutionary, modern and pure––a masterpiece! ing fully alive, privileged and fragile.

From that moment on, but still unconsciously, I was becoming addicted to photography and
my yearning for photography had come back. I was rapidly taking an interest in different
The more I contemplated images (which orig- styles, searching endlessly for new techniques
inated from long exposure) the more I wanted which offered essential results and emotions.
to create that type of shot myself.
AC: Please tell us about this series Timeless,
While spending time researching the long what inspired you to create it?
exposure technique, photography gradually
turned into a real passion. You must understand FS: I love photos, but I am also just as fond
that creating a long exposure is a pleasure of paintings. In both artistic fields all styles
not to be equaled in any other field, starting conflict and yet complete each other, giving us
from the optical capture and continuing until unique emotions.
finalization of the image in post-production.

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I would have loved to know how to paint but technique I knew––photography.

I believe I’m not gifted enough for it. Feel-
ing frustrated about that, I took an interest in AC: How did you come up with the aesthetic
photographic procedures approaching that of idea for this series? Was it something you came
paintings. When I learned that certain Nikon upon by accident, or was it a vision that you
cameras could handle double exposures my in- already had?
terest was awakened, having seen several shots
taken using this technique and having admired FS: The aesthetics of this series developed
the result I felt much emotion contemplating gradually by researching different post-pro-
their modernity. cessing techniques, colourization, and image
building. I wanted to show an out of focus
Eventually I was able to acquire this type of image if possible, like that of the impression-
camera and I experimented with the technique ist painters, pointillist, or better yet, expres-
of superimposing several shots––I didn’t real- sionists––these artists being the ones I most
ly know what to expect. After much trial and admire. So, I really had to work hard on the
error I ended up obtaining a pleasing result. I post-processing side.
was painting without a brush by using the only

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After having acquired a shooting technique my work, and above all, my opinion constantly
for this type of image (I’m fond of colour, but evolves. It’s not easy to come to conclusions
it had to be half toned and declined in cam- on one’s own work as it’s frequently obstructed
eo shades) I followed this idea to define the by temporary feelings. From a technical and
aesthetic profile of the series, hard to assimi- aesthetic viewpoint I believe I have had suc-
late into a precise time frame, modern and yet cess with a certain number of long exposures.
timeless, hence the title Timeless.
To capture the soul of an image I constant-
When I began creating this series I had no pre- ly look for new procedures (shooting and
cise vision of what the end result would be, post-processing), which will hopefully lead to
but using the overlay technique I knew I could a new series.
create the images I was searching for, so it was
not something I came upon by accident, but by AC: What are your influences?
creative instinct.
FS: Besides Michael Kenna and Josef Hof-
AC: You have created a great body of work lehner I am a fan of Sarah Moon, Lili Roze,
within numerous portfolios. What would you Michael Ackermann and Christopher Thom-
say is your greatest achievement so far? as. In my opinion painting is the art which
is closest to photography, so I appreciate
FS: None yet! I am still attempting to improve many of the works of Flemish painters and

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contemporary expressionists. tell the difference between an artistic image

and a snapshot. Exhibitions created by pa-
AC: What is your final say? parazzi are common while investment in pho-
tography becomes increasingly discouraging.
FS: Nowadays images have never been so Nevertheless, the pleasure of contemplating a
present. Anyone can become a “photographer” lovely picture, an image that strikes the viewer
simply by purchasing a smartphone. New ap- and holds their attention is a real creative ac-
plications are created daily to give a vintage or complishment. Keep in mind that the end result
futuristic look to our “i-photos” for the social must be striking if it is to be remembered by
network, the web, the blogs etc... but among the viewer.
the millions of pictures taken each year, only
some are recognized and remembered, it’s hard Many contemporary artists have offered con-
to stand apart in this jungle! cepts to which the general public cannot ad-
here, making them avoid galleries and exhi-
Unless you have been trained it’s difficult to bitions. The photographer’s ideas are original

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but their realization may be disappointing. It is the concept process behind. ♥

important to put back and emphasize the image
at the very heart of photographic art and leave See more at: fabricesillyphotography.com

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 ADORE NOIR
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Image © Juul de Vries

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 SEEING IS BELIEVING
The Impact of Photography on Collective Memory
By Ellen Keith

I
n the 21st century, thousands of photos are memory. “Technically,” he argues, “traditional
snapped every second, providing us with photography is a medium of memory, from the
a more complete record of our world than moment it is taken via processing to the final
ever before. Social media like Instagram and photograph. It always shows something which
Twitter can tell you what your cousin had for was present but is already past.” Photographic
breakfast, or where Kim Kardashian did her images offer individuals the opportunity to
afternoon workout. It’s information overload. bear witness to events across the globe, and
Yet, each captured image serves as a building lead to a more intimate experience of history.
block for memory. This growing visual archive
is not limited to one’s personal knowledge and The idea of using photography to record
experience; society is cultivating a collective history in the making is almost as old as the
memory bank. technology itself. An early example of this

“The idea of using photography to record history in the

making is almost as old as the technology itself.”

According to French sociologist Maurice is the work of Hermann Biow, a German

Halbwachs, “memory is accomplished not photographer who captured the fire that raged
in one’s own grey matter, but via a shared through Hamburg in 1842. This was a case
consciousness that molds it to the agendas of of being at the right place at the right time.
those invoking it in the present.” Collective Photographers who didn’t have such luck often
memory is like a jigsaw puzzle; each used the medium to recreate and commemorate
piece connects to other events, issues, and history. In the early 19th century, the tableau
personalities. Unlike personal memory, it vivant became popular; people would dress
grows stronger over time, and often leads to in period costumes and re-enact historical
an embellishment of the past. Details may be scenes. Most of the time, these re-enactments
added, omitted, elaborated upon, or falsified in were acknowledged as such, but there were
order to promote an interpretation of history instances in which the line between bearing
that matches contemporary needs. Since its witness and commemoration blurred. In 1847,
invention, photography has played a key role in a series of daguerreotypes was produced in
this process. As Florian Rötzer explains, even Boston, and reputedly showed the first surgery
the act of taking a photo implies the creation of conducted with ether as an anesthetic.
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Modern critics largely regard this series as an as it unfolds.

artistic fake and believe that it actually shows a
subsequent operation. Still, these images went Photos have not only made world events
down in collective memory as a confirmation more accessible, they have also served to
of that milestone. immortalize them. In some cases, our memory

U
of a specific moment in history is inextricably
nlike other forms of visual art, in linked to a particular photograph. Think of
which the artist has a clear, subjective 9/11, and you’ll probably envision the smoking
presence, the author is largely invisible Twin Towers, or perhaps “The Falling Man”
in traditional photojournalism. This has image. Equally, a mention of the Battle of Iwo
contributed to the notion of photographs as Jima may evoke a vision of soldiers raising the
empirical evidence, containing an absolute American flag. In cases like these, a certain
truth. As photographs grew faster and easier image is mass reproduced, and morphs into an
to produce, they became an essential part iconic symbol representative of an entire event.
of print media. The Mexican-American Another aspect of photography’s relationship

“As photographs grew faster and easier to produce, they

became an essential part of print media.”

War spurred a change in the way news was with memory lies in its ability to enlighten
consumed. People began to push for up-to-date us. In the spring of 1945, photos from
information, so newspapers had less time for concentration camp liberations made
the production of lithographs and began to rely international headlines, forcing the rest of
on photography. By the American Civil War, the world to finally accept the atrocious
portraits of military leaders became important, rumours of the Holocaust as truth. This idea is
and even families wanted to have photos of especially relevant today, when the widespread
their sons as keepsakes. However, into the availability of cameras makes it possible to
first half of the 20th century, there was still a shed light on long ignored political and social
lag in reception time, as images could not be realities.

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wired like text. For instance, photos from the
Battle of the Somme in June 1916, did not or over one hundred years, photos have
run in Leslie’s newspaper until late January of played a role in portraying social life.
the following year. That’s a far cry from the Publications like National Geographic
world of digital photography and the internet, pioneered anthropological portraiture, which
which now enables us to visually live an event remains an important means of highlighting
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and preserving the endangered lifestyles of of revolution and martyrdom, and now appears
minority and cultural groups. People have on everything from living-room walls to
also depended on photography as a tool for bumper stickers to t-shirts.

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social reform movements. As Susan Sontag
once remarked, “Photographs cannot create hile photography dominated
a moral position. But they can reinforce one media in the first half of the 20th
––and help build a nascent one.” Early on, century, its role has shifted since
British suffragists used photography as a tool the advent of television. Photographs are still
to raise awareness over the living conditions common supplements for film footage, but
of impoverished women. Along the same events are often relayed on-screen through a
lines, supporters of the American civil rights blend of mediums. In recent decades, more
movement relied on images to depict racial photographers and photojournalists began
injustice, such as the Mississippi lynching of working independently of traditional news
fourteen-year-old Emmett Till in 1955. Photos media, featuring their images in exhibits,

“ In recent decades, more photographers and photojournalists

began working independently of traditional news media, featuring
their images in exhibits, galleries, and books.”

of Till’s mutilated body drew national attention galleries, and books. This gave them more
to the appalling circumstances in the Deep control over the representation and distribution
South. of their work and led to a hybridization of

S
art photography and photojournalism. The
ome images of social conditions have author now plays an increasingly visible
also permanently entrenched themselves role in the photos he or she creates. Even in
in our collective memory. Mary Warner photojournalism, a generally neutral field, it
Marien notes that “Iconic images, such as is now common to contextualize one’s images
Dorothea Lange’s Migrant Mother outlived with accompanying text.
their original circumstances and remain
touchstones in the American culture.” One Of course, one of the biggest leaps in
of the best-known examples of this (which photography and its impact on collective
straddles cultural and political spheres) is the memory occurred with the digital revolution,
famous shot of Che Guevara taken by Alberto which has made it easier to share, store,
Diaz in 1960. The image has become a symbol and interact with photographs. Prior to this,
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the cost and availability of colour film and the lack thereof can be used to pretend
development limited access to photography in something never occurred. Stalin became
the developing world. Greater access to both notorious for this, having people erased from
its production and consumption has led to an official photographs each time he purged his
extension of purpose and use. Warner Marien party. With modern programs like Photoshop at
argues that “Snapshots not only reduced the our fingertips, digital manipulation possibilities
number of professional portrait photographers, are now endless, making the boundary between
they also deepened the association between photography as art and as truth more muddled
informality and photographic truth.” In an than ever.

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age characterised by social media and full-
disclosure, photography is becoming an ever- e live in a society that allows
growing tool in identity and self-expression. virtually anyone with phone and
In turn, collective memory is diversifying internet access to simultaneously
and focusing more and more on sub-cultures become the creator, promoter, and consumer

“With the increasing de-professionalization of photography

and more digital manipulation tools at our disposal, a question
of authenticity comes into play.”

and the individual. of visual media. Even images which seem

purely focused on art or self-expression serve
With the increasing de-professionalization of a further purpose as an imprint of society and a
photography and more digital manipulation historical record. Visuals reinforce our ability
tools at our disposal, a question of authenticity to recall the past, and add meaning to the
comes into play. Airbrushing and digital present. As such, every Instagram photo, just
enhancement are contentious subjects in like every front-page news shot, shapes our
the media, but we need to be equally wary understanding of where we come from, who
of this when approaching photos from an we are, and where we’re headed. ♥
informational or historical perspective. Even
something like image cropping can affect our Ellen Keith is a freelance writer, currently
view of history. Photographic alteration is working on her MFA through the University
nothing new; double exposures and composite of British Columbia. She can be reached at
images have long been used to modify photos. [email protected].
Just as images can act as documental evidence,
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 FEATURED
MICHELLE WARD

“You really need to pack a thoughtful kit when you go out and
explore these spaces, a respirator mask is a must.”
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 FORGOTTEN FARMS Interview with Michelle Ward

AC: Please introduce yourself. Where are you an old rangefinder and this was the camera I
from? used to gain entry into the BAA photography
program at Ryerson University.
MW: My name is Michelle Ward and I live in
Meaford, Ontario, Canada. My husband and AC: Please tell us about your series Forgotten
I moved up here from Toronto in 1998 so we Farms, what inspired you to create it?
could do the things we love which include
snowboarding, cycling, boating, hiking and MW: I can attribute my obsession with these
raising our boys in the country. old properties to both my parents. My mother
is the consummate explorer and when I was
AC: How did you get into photography? growing up she liked nothing more than pack-
ing us into the car (with a picnic lunch) and
MW: My dad gave me my first camera when I heading out to explore backcountry roads. My
was eighteen. It was the camera he purchased dad, on the other hand, loved photography and
to take pictures on his honeymoon with my right after he gave me his camera, we would
mom so the gift was very meaningful. It was go out together and shoot. In those early days

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he taught me so much technically about how to farms that scatter the landscapes of South
capture a great image. My dad and I loved ex- Western Ontario.
ploring old abandoned homes and motels and
this type of location became a regular outing AC: What were some of the places you
for us. Photography created a bond between us travelled to capture these images?
that I treasure to this day.
MW: I travel all over Ontario and it can be
I started Forgotten Farms, initially as a sub- very tricky as my favourite time of year to
conscious response to my dad’s illness, he shoot is in the deep dark of winter. This pres-
has Alzheimer’s and is now in the later stag- ents all sorts of challenges including cold tem-
es of the disease. When we got the diagnosis, peratures, crazy driving conditions and mounds
I didn’t know how to express my feelings. I of snow! These homes already evoke a certain
did what came most naturally and dug deep kind of emotional story and when you add in
into my artistic roots as a means of expres- the desolate cold of winter, the experience real-
sion. We live in a rural location so it seemed ly comes alive for me.
a natural fit to shoot with the available can-
vas. This happens to be numerous abandoned My goal in the next year is a road trip to New

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York to meet up with fellow explorers I have air when you stir them up. You really need to
met online through Instagram and Facebook. pack a thoughtful kit when you go out and ex-
A trip to Ireland is also planned for Spring plore these spaces, a respirator mask is a must.
2015 and I look forward to shooting there I have a very strict set of rules that I follow
again. and I generally don’t waiver from them. These
can be viewed on my website blog if anyone is
AC: What are some of the challenges you face interested in checking them out.
while photographing these abandoned farms?
The biggest lesson that I have learned with this
MW: There are many challenges involved with kind of photography is “go with your gut”. If
this kind of photography. Safety is a huge con- something seems unsafe it likely is unsafe and
cern and a certain amount of risk taking is in- if you get the feeling you shouldn’t be ventur-
volved when photographing in and around any ing somewhere––you probably shouldn’t. It’s
abandoned space. The home and outbuildings a very fine line between wanting to get that
themselves can be physically hazardous, not to shot before the place is gone and having your
mention invisible airborne hazards like mold, moral compass guide you. I walk that line with
lead and asbestos that can be released into the each image I take, and really do my best to

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take a friendly, kind and respectful approach get cooking on the project. I would say we are
when on location. half way through and it will likely go to press
in late May. My image library is massive, so
AC: We understand that you are in the midst of really, the biggest challenge has been a thor-
publishing a book. Can you tell us a bit about ough cull of the many properties I have pho-
this project? tographed. I want to provide the viewer with a
360° snapshot of the farms and outbuildings,
MW: The book is certainly turning into a real making them feel like they are right alongside
labour of love. I started getting quite a lot of me as I explore.
emails, tweets and Facebook messages from
people asking when I would be publishing AC: What are your influences?
something they could buy (beyond a print).
I really didn’t want to put the cart before the I have been a passionate music fan since I was
horse and actively delayed the book for almost about eight. It’s a rare occasion when there
ten months. A good friend of mine is a talented isn’t something playing in the background
designer and when she said she would help me of my studio or in my car on the way to a
put it together I decided that now is the time to shoot. Music creates a sonic canvas for all my

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photography explorations and long editing AC: How do you capture and process your
sessions. Right now I am listening to Bastille, images?
Phoenix, Depeche Mode, Marin Maris, The
Helio Sequence, The Strypes and Two Door MW: I am a classically trained photographer
Cinema Club. A very eclectic mix but each and attended Ryerson University for four
artist really helps guide me into a place where years. I studied there before the birth of digi-
I can dig deep and focus on getting the best tal photography. That being said, I am content
shot/edit that I can. I go through phases and my to be free of my Bronica 2 1/4 & Sinar 4X5
high rotation list is always changing as I con- camera, light meter, polaroid back and endless
tinue to consume music like I did when I was rolls/sheets of film to develop. I honestly don’t
eighteen. Some things never change, even in miss all the chemicals either––digital photog-
mid-life. raphy has really set me free.
I now use a Panasonic G5
with a Panasonic 7-14mm
lens. This kit is by far one
of the best I have ever
had the pleasure to shoot
with. It’s small for tight
spaces but that lens packs
a big punch and the super
wide angle means I can
capture broad strokes and
moments inside the homes
and barns. I use Photo-
shop and Nik Software for
editing, but also have a
ton of fun with Snapseed
when firing up images for
Instagram. I print with an
Epson 2200 printer (old
first generation work-
horse) but a new Epson
4900 is on the way and I
am very excited about its
arrival.

AC: What is your final

say?

MW: I think one of the

biggest challenges with
digital photography is
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slowing the process down a bit. In the past we See more at: forgottenfarms.com
would shoot rolls of film, develop them, make Twitter @newmusicmom
contact sheets, make scratch prints and then Instagram @newmusicmom
final prints would be executed onto fiber or facebook.com/forgottenfarm
RC papers. We must never forget that during
that period of time from shoot to print there
was a very valuable emotional dialogue going
on––between the photographer and the actual-
ized work. This would often take up months of
time, from start to final print. My advice is to
figure out what you can do to slow the process
down a bit and create space for that dialogue
to happen. Production and
consumption are at an all
time high and taking your
time is key towards devel-
oping and establishing your
own personal style.

Photograph from your

heart and let it lead you
towards building a body
of work that is authentical-
ly you. Also, build a good
network online and inter-
act to create relationships
with your viewer and fans.
I have done very well with
social media and it’s like
anything, you get out of it
what you put in. This little
project has grown from the
seedling of an idea to over
10,000 people throughout
all my networks. This is
doable for any artist who is
willing to dive in and learn
all the ins and outs of the
online social media world.
♥

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