Ryan M. Logan "Web-Log" - Look Now, Look Again.

Kapuskasing

2010-01-08T18:26:00.003-05:00

prints for sale

2009-11-16T19:42:00.007-05:00

I have some 4.5x6 inch prints of "The Beginning of My (Your) Day" that have been lingering around in my room for far too long. They are decent prints, but certainly not of the archival variety (hopefully sometime soon).

Signed and numbered.

2 dollars per print, and 1 dollar for the bent one.

please send your pennies to this address:

80 Edinburgh Rd. N
Guelph, ON
N1H5P9

Godspeed!

2009-11-07T10:41:00.004-05:00

fallacy - (2006)

2009-09-16T21:01:00.014-04:00

half-life

Let's skip fourth, man.

2009-09-08T13:49:00.010-04:00

mode=motion

2009-07-19T21:41:00.006-04:00

John & John (Johns)

2009-05-28T13:33:00.006-04:00

John Willman (left) and John Mcrae (right) spend their Tueday afternoon together chatting in the front of John Mcrae's Trenton house. Oddly enough, John Willman was born in this same house over 70 years ago, although the two first met only in 2002.

Wolf in the city.

2009-04-29T10:38:00.002-04:00

My good friend Mr. Alexander AM was kind enough to let me stay at his place in Toronto's Annex while on my internship at Eye Weekly Magazine. This was taken on a night walk adjacent to railroad tracks and a neighborhood.

This is M. Ward, of Portland Oregon. I had the pleasure to attend a concert of his at The Phoenix Theater while on assignment for Eye.

2009-02-27T18:37:00.006-05:00

the beginning of my (your) day

Hi everyone

2009-02-25T21:43:00.009-05:00

I'm on my break week from school at present. That means i have an abundance of time to play and have fun doing more things that i want to.
I feel like writing in small fragments about things tonight.
I'm quitting blogger soon, in hopes of building an official ryanloganprophotojournalism2.0. website. Actually it will be ryanlogan.net i think.
Look bellow! i've posted a rough copy for you to gawk at. I want to make it by hand, so it looks like an old book. I've going to get some nice paper, hand paint the black patch, and scan it. My friend Erin will do the cursive writing.

Also, i've posted a photo "collage" tentatively titled "i've always had trouble flowing down rivers". It's at the top.

I feel inclined to ramble in this post, which i will, at a later date.

2009-02-02T16:26:00.006-05:00

2009-02-02T16:10:00.001-05:00

2009-02-02T16:02:00.001-05:00

coffee & cigarettes

2009-01-07T13:39:00.007-05:00

Well, it's been quite a time since my last post. I'm still a photographer! I swear! Things have been quite hectic for me, in school, and in other areas. I'll try my best to post more often however.
I am pleased to say that my multimedia piece on Mr.McNair, is complete*. Being my first, i am quite happy with the end results. It was quite the process, which i think i learned a lot from. It will be exciting to start something fresh with my newly acquired multimedia/computer Jockey skills, and, Macbook Pro (!).

But what? Oh, i'm sure something will come about.

A completely random thought: I would very much like to learn how to write like a one Vladimir Nabokov.
If you haven't heard of him before, you ought not forget the name, his works are beautiful.

* minor changes will be made to the current piece, it's complete, but needs a little bit of a touch up. Or who knows, maybe i'll actually add more to it? We'll see.

Arcane: Second Floor

2008-11-11T21:15:00.004-05:00

Mel

2008-11-07T19:19:00.004-05:00

Which will

and we walk these paths but once
nature pt. 1

Duffy of Ladyhawk

2008-11-06T08:54:00.006-05:00

I used to be really into black and white band photography. It really works a lot of the time to capture the mood and oftentimes, the grittiness of the scene. These days, i love colour so much, even in instances ( say winter) where there is very little. I seriously could not see myself shooting black and white in the near future when colour seems so beautiful and interesting right now. I saw the band Ladyhawk play in Kingston last night. The lighting at one particular area of the stage was magnificent. The whole time i kept waiting and hoping that Duffy, the lead singer, and guitar player, would move into the light. Well, he did a few times, and i crept up on stage to shoot.

Voila!

I would like to title this as "rad".

Ted Maczka: The Fish Lake Garlic Man

2008-10-31T14:40:00.001-04:00

This is an other documentary in the making. This time, the subject matter is on the lighter side of life. I've been working on this on and off since early spring. I'm planning to make it into a multimedia project, as i'm hopefully buying a HD video camera off someone at school. Multimedia is so exciting to me! It just cost so much for one of these cameras. I think it will ultimately be worth blowing the little money i have on one of these.
Ted Maczka, or "The Fish Lake Garlic Man" as he is widely known to as by most is awesome. It's a fact. Maczka retired from his job as a tool & die maker in his early 50's, and bought a Hobby farm near the small town of Demorestville located in the heart of Prince Edward County Ontario. This was around the time that Maczka began learning about, and growing garlic. His Hobby became an obsession after becoming convinced of the herbs natural health benefits. From this point on, his goal was to become "the worlds number one garlic man". Over the last 30 years Maczka's farm has been transformed to house various "research & experimental stations", which he uses to study garlic, and to use to find new, and innovative ways to cultivate it. Aside from the experimental side of his farm, he has a plot of land where the majority of his garlic is grown organically. Maczka has traveled around all around North America, attending garlic and agricultural festivals in order to spread "the word". "I promote garlic as a healing and preventative medicine" Maczka can often be heard telling the people he meets, with his thick polish accent.
Many people who know him, just seem to think of him as eccentric, funny, crazy, and weird. I guess he is all of those, and i'm sure he'd agree, but there is so much more to him than what most see. I love spending time with him. He is such an inspirational character to me. He kind of reminds me of an old man version of one of my favorite musicians and philosophers, Adrian Orange.
Maczka believes firmly that life is what you make it, and you should do what you want to, whatever feels right, regardless of what others think. Also, he once told me that the word "impossible" should not exist. "I'm a six-grade drop out, a partial cripple*, lived in a burned out house**, and became the worlds number one garlic man***. Possibility is only limited by our own imagination, and dedication".

Words to live by.

* As a child was put in a Russian slave camp during the Second World War, where he was beat, and consequently broke his leg. Due to poor medical care in the camp his thigh bone fused to his hip, giving him his characteristic limp. It's a wonder he continues to work on his farm daily (9-5) at the age of 83.
** A fire ten years after Maczka bought the farm house left it in such a state, that only three rooms were livable. Maczka persevered, and lived in the burned out house for the next 20 year, despite the absence of electricity, proper plumbing.
*** It could be said that his goal has been a success, appearing in various publications over the years (though i'm the first to do a photo story!), and has become well known through his travels as the unforgettable "Garlic Man"

Earl

2008-10-31T14:36:00.000-04:00

Trapped

2008-10-31T14:35:00.001-04:00

Life with Schizophrenia Pt. 2

2008-10-31T13:53:00.000-04:00

More photos from my "life with schizophrenia" documentary. Lately i've been trying to focus my efforts around John's interaction with people. These are two of the social situations. The first; in the streets asking people for spare change. The second; in his apartment with the company of friends Earl and Lisa. Earl lives just down the hall from John, and came over to drink (free) beer. He does say though that he cares and likes to look out for john. I believe him. Lisa, who i've mentioned in a previous post, came over to visit and to sit down to eat her lunch.

I think i'm beginning to refrain from the idea of posting a lot of words that's explain the my photos. I think from now on, i will do this sparingly, annd only when i feel it necessary. This is to leave the photos with a mysterious air to them. And because i, with projects unfinished like this, i would like to save things for the final project.
However, i must clarify; John is handing earl a twenty dollar bill due to the agreement that earl will clean his apartment, later on in the week ( which hasn't happened yet).

_________________________________________________________

Self-Portraiture and other things.

2008-10-23T20:50:00.007-04:00

Yes, i do take photos which contain things without journalistic merit. In fact, non-journalistic photography is what first sparked my interest in the craft, and captured my imagination. During my second last year of high school, i fell in love, and became obsessed with the life / haunting surrealist photography of the late Franscesca Woodman ( look her up, she was an amazing artist). Her self-portraiture was astonishing. How liberating of an idea! To play games; secretive ones, intimate ones. To create a rectangular (or square) document littered with emotion, feelings, or perhaps lack of. There is meaning to all of mine. To me.

I would like to think others might be drawn in to mine due to curiosity alone. Vague, and unsure. Expressionless. Who creates these? and why? What is he thinking? What is he trying to say, to vocalize?

These days i feel pretty good. I have some good friends, and a girlfriend i love. I feel alright more often than not.

The theme for this series, however is that of loneliness, and isolation. I hated high school, and although i did have friends, i found myself more often than not analysing youth culture, my culture, as a spectator. I never really connected with what most teens thought of as important or "cool", and having alternative interests, and some serious issues with anxiety and depression furthered my disconnect.

I don't know, once i have enough of these, it would be cool to produce some kind of book. If anything just for me, and a few friends. Something really plain. Perhaps without even any text. In fact, why not publish it as "anonymous"? Because really this could represent anyone. I would like to think the mysteriousness of it all would make the layman look past the mundane, plain style, and simply wonder.

This is an excerpt from the series of polaroids that i've been compiling over the last month and a half during spare time, and time i felt should be spared. Most of them were taken in Prince Edward County, and all of them, by myself, with the absence of other people.

untitled

And here these hills of sand and fire

Your skin is something that I stir into my tea.

I love Diane Arbus

2008-10-22T18:25:00.000-04:00

Oh how i love Diane Arbus! I don't know what to say although i like the idea of vague, and strange portraiture. This is Rose- Ann in her living room. She collects things.

gaze

2008-10-20T20:37:00.000-04:00

Spadina Av. Toronto.

A documentary: Life with schizophrenia.

2008-10-20T18:53:00.000-04:00

I first met John McNair, a 56 year old resident of downtown Belleville, about a year ago this past summer. It was in august, about a month before i began my studies in Photojournalism. I saw him impatiently sitting on a downtown bench that he can often be seen on (between pacing an area 10 feet from the bench), pan-handling for change. At that time i knew in order to be a good photographer, being able talking to strangers was important. Being shy, i needed practice. So i decided to talk to him. Since that day we've developed an odd but interesting friendship. I visit him at his apartment every few weeks, to take photos, but just as importantly, to talk, and keep him company. I enjoy his company, and he needs it. Especially these days. Having a friendly person in your life to think of you and visit can mean everything. I have so much compassion for the man.
He is intelligent, and articulate, with an amazing memory of events past (often reciting historical dates, and times with great confidence and accuracy). He attended Queens and Western University before taking a job as a social worker in the Belleville area.
Somewhere down the line ( i'm not sure when, as of now) he developed Schizophrenia, and took a turn for the worse. These days he spends the vast majority of his time alone, in isolation in his apartment, between trips to the beer store (he drinks heavily as an escape), and the nearby streets to pan-handle. Schizophrenia consumes him. Distracting him from basic daily activities such as eating, bathing, and cleaning. When not actively distracted by my voice, he seemingly "zones out" from reality to a fantasy world where he engages with the voices in his head, and becomes oblivious to his surroundings.
You will see in some of the photos below; an esoteric aesthetic. These photos were taken with harsh direct flash, high ISO, and a hand held one second exposure. I feel this chaotic approach really helps bring you into his state of mind while experiencing these delusions. His surroundings are a blur/mess, while his facial expressions ( the only thing i feel important in these situations) remain crisp and clear. Clearly he's not like this at all times, and it would be unfair and inaccurate for me to portray him as so. This is why some of the photos have been taken using a more traditional approach.
I'm still uncertain at this time just how I'll present these photos, though it would be nice to turn in into a multimedia piece. I just need the time, and resources.

As i said, this project in on going. With such a life, there are many aspects still needed to be covered.

Post the First.

2008-10-13T10:22:00.000-04:00

In order to kick of my photo "blog" i see it most fitting to start it off with a post containing various photos (most of which have been taken during the summer season) in which i feel proud of taking, and believe accurately represent(ed) my ever changing photographic vision.
A note to anyone of high importance in the photo(journalism) community who happens to see this blog: I realize many of my photos may appear similar in composition, though i must address, i can, and do shoot in other ways, though at this point, this is what feels "right" to me. Also keep in mind all of these have been shot over the span of a few months, leaving my photographic "wants" relatively the same. These are the ones in which i feel the most exuberance.Double note: Much to my disdain, some of the images in which you'll see, due to the dubious process of making them "internet ready", have experience a subtle colour increase or shift. So if something looks a little off to you, sorry. I'm kind of a Luddite. Anyway, here you go:

Vernon Kidd, a 12-year Shriners veteran and Freemason. Shriners are so damn cool! Vernon told me while sipping a coffee at the Ameliasburg Ont. fall fair that you must be a Freemason before becoming a Shriner. I really would love to take a series of photos of various shriners at their homes, dressed up in full gear.

I had the honour to share the stage ( to take photos, of course) with Vancouverite Joey "shithead" Keithly. His band DOA, played at a small club in Kingston after selling out a pretty decent sized venue in Toronto. DOA was one of the primary influencers of the hardcore punk rock movement which took place in the US, and evidently in Canada during the early to mid 80's.

Punx unite! From the DOA show. Punk rock has such raw energy, and intensity which really transpires well in photos. I love taking photos of this "scene", which is basically non-existent these days. I sometimes wish i was born during it's hay-day in order to properly document/ experience it ( I share the same sentiments about the Twee movement ( Beat Happening, Tiger Trap)). In particular, i would have loved to document every moment of the short lived band "Minor Threat" who's strict moral guidelines i really respect. Ian Mackaye, the singer, is a real personal hero.

This is Tim. I met him one rainy summer afternoon. He had recently purchased a property adjacent to this house, which caught fire in the spring. He had been renovating his place, and took frequent trips across the property of the vacant house in order to reach a dumpster where he got rid of various scraps.
I took a trip to Halifax this August to visit an old friend of mine. I hung out with one of his friends, Nathan Boone, one sweltering hot day. At one point we ended up wandering into an old train yard. This bridge gave some much needed shelter from harsh UV rays.

Mary Kennon, an ex-crack addict and resident of downtown Belleville. The first time i met this friendly giant of a woman (she's about 5'11 and 300 pounds) she gave me a huge hug. Her movements are slow, as is her speech, which kind of adds to the "giant like" character. On this particular night i drove her to a corner store where she bought a 2L bottle of coke to drink. We walked around downtown streets until she grew tired where she told me about running away from home at the age of 14 and hitch-hiking across Canada.

Lisa Griffith, a sufferer of Schizophrenia and bi-polar disorder smokes one of many afternoon cigarettes at her friends downtown Belleville apartment. I met Lisa one day at the apartment of a man who i am currently doing a documentary on (you'll see the photos later). She's a chain smoker. I'm not sure how many cigarettes she smoked in my brief one-hour say, though it must have been about 10. She talked openly about her schizophrenia, and told me about how the band "Aerosmith" talked to her through cameras, which were present everywhere she went.

This was serendipity. I was riding my bike through Trenton Ont. one day, and found myself at this old school. There was a pathway at the west side of the school which was shaded by large trees, until the end where some light came through. Really, the light was amazing i thought, and wished someone would walk around the corner. Well, nobody was around, so i thought of that idea as wishful thinking. I started to ride away from the school down the road, where i crossed paths with a little girl. A few seconds later it registered to me that she was in fact heading in the direction of the school. She turned around the East side. I basically booked it back to my original position and set up just in time for this exposure.

These photos bellow were actually taken during my first year as a photojournalism student at Loyalist.

A photo story documenting an afternoon/evening with my friends band "The Falling Service"