Wabi-Sabi? by: Gord Barker

    Have you ever looked at an image that may be slightly imperfect, but it grabs you anyway?   

  The concept of Wabi-Sabi is the act embracing beauty, inclusive of any imperfections.

    The paradox of it, in photography, is that composition in the craft teaches us to crop out that which is imperfect or detrimental, to create work that is good. 

    Sometimes you can't crop it out. Is it reason enough to abandon the shot? Sometimes the strength of the image  resides in it's innate beauty despite its flaws. Sometimes it's the flaws that emphasize the beauty of that which is presented.

     Without the modern SUV parked in the above photo, you would almost think that the picture was taken decades earlier. However the SUV doesn't necessarily detract from the picture simply because it provides a means of dating the photo in a given timeline. In fact, it's inclusion in the frame creates the paradox that helps make the image work.

     I'm not advocating the inclusion of imperfection as an excuse for haphazard, substandard work. I will always be a proponent of shooting with intent. Decide what is important in the frame and use whatever photographic tools are available to emphasize the subject.  Make the photograph be about something!

    But, doing so does not necessarily mean rejecting what might be a mundane or less than stellar subject or scene. Just as "A rising tide lifts all boats." Beautiful light illuminates all subjects, even the most mundane ones.

    

    There is a great deal of creative freedom to be experienced when one foregoes the constant need for  perfection in composition and subject selection. In my opinion, photography's greatest strength as a form of creative expression is its speed and immediacy. The only constant is change. Quite often the spirit or essence of the scene is lost while I'm attempting to portray it using conventional "rules" of composition. Digital photography provides me with far more opportunity than I had in the days of film. I have thousands of frames available to me on  a given SD card compared to the usual maximum of 36 exposures on a roll of film. Modern cameras respond quickly and have amazing potential to capture the decisive moment. 

     My new mantra is "Just get the shot!"  Try to capture what attracted my eye in the first place. The colour, the scene, the juxtaposition of the subject within the frame. I can play around with various visual elements later. Sometimes, in overthinking the shot in the moment of its creation, its very essence is lost. 

    This change in approach marks a change in style which, hopefully, might allow for the creation of more dynamic images. Stay tuned. This could get interesting!

                    ...more later

    

    

    

    

The Cotton Factory By: Gord Barker

      "I see the work of gifted hands that grace this strange and wonderous land."  - Rush, 2112

 

     I can remember my mother once commenting that one of the main drawbacks to rail travel is that, in addition to passenger service, railways also serve industries. As such, quite often one's first impression of a city is it's less than idyllic industrial side. Since that time, when traveling through a city's industrial area I've often wondered if some of the abandoned factories and warehouses could be repurposed for different uses. Enter (quite literally) Hamilton's "The Cotton Factory".

    The Cotton Factory is a collection of creative spaces that is housed in an old, (turn of the last century) cotton mill. It is a collection of art studios, galleries, workshops, music, dance, and photo studios. It is an amazing creative community of artists and craftspeople. I had visited the place about a year ago with my significant other and was determined to write a blog post about it. We went again this year. Both visits were during Hamilton Doors Open.   https://www.doorsopenontario.on.ca/hamilton-1/cotton-factory

    The building itself is a photographer's paradise. It is built in the old style wherein the primary source of light was daylight through large windows. That window light combined with the preservation of its old school architectural detail, makes it a great place to make photographs. (Or create almost anything!)

     I was admiring a display of paintings that featured the juxtaposition of interesting things within the hallways and architectural detail of the building itself. In an alcove that led to a stairway, I came across the scene below; 

    

    There was a  lady with a cup of take out coffee seated on the piano bench. I asked if she was the artist who had created the painting and she said yes. I asked if I could take a picture of her which included the painting. She agreed and I took a few frames . Her name is Najmeh Baghishani and up until recently she was the artist in residence at the Cotton Factory.

https://www.najmehb.com/ We had a nice chat about the juxtaposition of things from one's past as subjects in  contemporary scenes.  I couldn't believe my luck in getting to meet the artist who created the work in the very scene depicted in the painting. After that, "juxtaposition" became the word of the day! 

    As we wandered through the complex we found ourselves in an outbuilding called the Mill Arts Building which houses the Mule Spinner, a venue for live music and recording. 

https://www.themulespinner.ca/

     They were just setting up to do a live video recording session when I managed to get this shot of the guitarist from Brown-Hawkins-Stanley warming up and doing a sound check.

 

    

      My last post to this blog was a bit negative. Fundamentally it was about my leaving a photographic group that I had founded about seven years ago. I was feeling a little lost in regard to my own creative journey.    https://refractivereasoning.blogspot.com/2026/03/wanting-better-bygord-barker.html  

    Perhaps a trip to the Cotton Factory was just what was needed. I wanted a chance to talk with artists who put their creative sensibilities out there. At Doors Open, The Cotton Factory, I met and chatted  with artists and craftspeople from many disciplines. From woodworkers, painters and printmakers to sculptors, weavers, pottery and ceramic makers, musicians,  photographers and videographers. 

    The discussions were erudite and informative regarding whatever field with which they were involved. There was a passion and sense of commitment to their creativity. It really provided me with the motivation I needed to keep on cranking out my own stuff. 

I'm gonna keep on keepin' on!

                                        ...more later