John Oughton

STATEMENT

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I've done photography on and off for a long time. I`m also a writer and a professor at Centennial College, Toronto.  My writing site is at this address.  My father was a scientist, traveller and talented amateur photographer who gave me my first real camera, a 6X6cm Rolleicord.  Eventually I learned to do darkroom work and processed my own black and white film and prints.  I still feel that analog b&W prints have a magic that digital rarely achieves, but I`ve followed the herd and gone digital for the sake of its convenience and low processing costs.

 

My Eye

I don`t claim to be the most technically advanced or knowledgeable picture-snapper.

What I do have, I believe, is an ability to see and capture things that many others ignore.  Most of us go through the visual world with blinkers on, missing many of the unexpected pleasures that line, form, light, shadow and reflection can produce.  If you enjoy these samples, then I`ve succeeded in my aim to make you look at what`s out there afresh, to experience it for a moment through my eyes.

 

I use Photoshop, but selectively.  Often, the only alterations are subtle cropping, exposure and contrast tweaks.  If I do use a filter or effect, it`s generally posterization, solarization or the Find Edges filter.  I`m not interested in whipping up invented images when there is so much visual delight out there just waiting to be found.  However, one advantage digital images have occurs in editing:  sometimes a mediocre shot has a striking effect buried in it that changes in exposure and saturation can reveal.

 

Credits

My work has appeared in three solo exhibitions at Paper Images Gallery, Picton, ON; Corridor Gallery, Story Arts Center,  Toronto; and the Fireside Room Gallery, Centennial College Library. It has been in group shows (including the Rolling Landscape exhibition in a TTC subway car), books (Photographs Dance), magazines and newspapers.  Honours include the Tom Gallo Medal from the Hart House Camera Club, and winning a competition for best "Winter" cover image for Horsepower magazine.

 

 

Something Else?

If you like my style, but are looking for specific image/subject that doesn't appear here -- let me know.  This is just a sampling from thousands of images in my collection.  I have occasionally done weddings,events and portraits. on commission, but don't expect straight commercial work if you want me for that; I go for the candid, unexpected, serendipitous image.

 

Caveat

In the interests of preserving (some) copyright, I`ve only uploaded medium-resolution images here.  All images are Copyright 2015 John Oughton.