Celebrating Photography Month

Note: If you don't live in Ontario and don't have TVO keep reading, you can create your own Photography Month!

Once again, to coincide with Toronto's CONTACT Photography Festival, May is TV Ontario's Photography Month. In addition to hosting a photo contest, a gallery and a blog, TVO is showing documentaries that "celebrate the power, artistry and craft of photography" throughout the month.

Last year, thanks to TVO's Photography Month I was introduced to the great story of Edward Weston and Charis Wilson via two documentaries called Eloquent Nude and Peppers and Nudes: The Photographer Edward Weston. I also caught an inspiring documentary on Annie Liebovitz called Life Through a Lens. All three are repeated this year.

This time 'round I've already been introduced to the work of Shelby Lee Adams (I found some of his photos disturbing, but liked others) and I plan to catch a repeat documentary on Ansel Adams and another called Houses of Hristina. See the full documentary schedule here.

"But wait, I don't live in Ontario and I don't get TVO!"

Do not despair. Is there anything you could do or highlight to create your own Photography Month? Could you find some of the featured documentaries at the library? Maybe you could find a book that teaches some of the technical aspects you've been wanting to tackle or maybe you could simply make a point of spending more time taking photos.

TVO viewer or not, what could you do this month to ""celebrate the power, artistry and craft of photography"?

Ottawa PSA: Pay-What-You-Can at the National Arts Centre

A message for the locals: there will be two Pay-What-You-Can (PWYC) English Theatre performances at the National Arts Centre (NAC) this month. The first is a little short notice tomorrow night, January 4th, but the second is January 12th:

Night - Monday January 4th, 8pm

Mother Courage and Her Children - Tuesday, January 12th, 7:30pm

PWYC nights at the NAC are a great, frugal way to enjoy a night out on the town and quality entertainment. I've gone a few times and although they reserve the right to stop and adjust the play if they need to (I think it's their final dress rehearsal) it's never happened when I was there. Seating is on a first-come-first-serve basis so go early it you want a good spot.

Enjoy!

Prints are in...

... and available for purchase at Bobbi Pin Hair Studio, 177 Armstrong St. in Ottawa (a block and a half from the Parkdale Market).


The scanner and printer did a wonderful job, the colours are vibrant and they look great!

Prints available:

• Giselle (10x10 print on 12x12 paper)
• What She Seeks, Be Free and Soar, Breathe (6x8 prints on 8x10 paper)

ps - For the non-locals, I'm targeting an online shop early in the new year. I'll keep you posted. :)

On the Map!

After a few months in the making I finally hung some of my paintings at my hair salon for display and eventually, sale (I'm not quite set up for the sale part yet, but I'll be working on it during the next few days).

Warning: The quality of the photos sucks, but they'll give you an idea of the setup and how the paintings look on the walls.

bobby pin hair studio

What She Seeks (left) and Dark Side of the Moon (right)

Giselle

(my first face from scratch - this photo will definitely NOT be for sale :)

Be Free and Soar

Mika (top) and Embracing the Light (bottom)

Breathe

(thanks for letting me borrow this one back for display Sis!)

Deciphering

I had a lot of fun putting them up and it's pretty neat to see them hanging in a public place. Her hair studio also happens to be on the Hintonburg Arts Map (lucky #13!). It feels good.

ps - A big thank you to Sis for bringing up the idea of hanging my paintings with our hairdresser; I'm bumping her photos off the walls to make room for my stuff!

I ♥ My Library

October is Canadian Library Month. Being a self-confessed library nerd I thought I'd honour the event by putting in an eleventh hour plug for this amazing FREE service.

I use the library a LOT and probably visit it once a week to pick up, browse or return items. I use it mostly for books and DVDs, but those are really just the tip of the iceberg. The Ottawa Public Library offers family passes to the National Gallery of Canada and the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography, the Museum of Nature, Science & Tech, Civilization... all on loan for a week during which I can use the pass every day. I can even borrow a "Kill-a-Watt" meter to measure power consumption in my home or a pedometer to count my steps to health.

The library also hosts or provides meeting space for stuff like writing groups, the local Jane Austen Society chapter, homework clubs, conversation and friendship circles. And let us not forget the wide-ranging reference and information services for which libraries are known in the first place.

A bonus tidbit for the locals: Did you know that Ottawa still has an original Carnegie Library standing? According to Wikipedia, the Rosemount Branch opened its doors in 1919 and was the last Carnegie grant given in Canada. Lucky us!

In case you haven't noticed, I ♥ my library. I really do. If you haven't visited your local library yet I encourage you to do so either in person, or if it's available, online. You might learn to ♥ it too.

PSA Ottawa: Wallack's Art Supply Warehouse Sale

A Public Service Announcement for those living in Ottawa or the surrounding area: Wallack's Art Supply is opening their warehouse to the public this weekend for a sale including everything from paints to brushes to picture frames. Click on the link below for a full list of items.

What: Wallack's Art Supply Warehouse Sale

When: Saturday, May 23rd (9-5) and Sunday, May 24th (10-5)

Where: 250 City Centre Ave, bay #222

Happy shopping!

Photography Month on TV Ontario

For those who get TV Ontario (one of the few channels we get with the rabbit ears), May is TVO Photography Month. In conjunction with the CONTACT Toronto Photography Festival during the next four weeks, TVO will air documentaries (I counted 18 on the schedule) related to photographers or photography.

Last night kicked it off with Annie Leibovitz: Life Through a Lens. I caught the last hour and was amazed at this woman's creative process and determination. Tonight continues with Fixing the Shadows, the first in a series called Genius of Photography.

If you don't have TVO, the schedule offers good descriptions of each documentary - maybe enough to see if it's worth a trip to the library or the price of a rental.

Happy viewing!