an outdoor workshop with Andrew Godsalve
Are you curious about geology and photography?
This outdoor walking workshop is about the joy of photographing rocks, sand, fossils and other geological formations, led by an artist interested in the science of geology.
While walking the beach at East Bay, participants will engage with earthen textures and histories through the artistic use of the lens. We will learn about shooting landscapes and small pebbles, and we will create photo- abstractions that blur the boundaries between things large and tiny.
I am an artist captivated with the idea of geodiversity – the idea that our geologic earth is a collage of difference. Each land is unique, an ever-changing and non-repeatable fabric of different minerals, animals, plants and theories. I work with the understanding that there is no such thing as a timeless landscape – rather each landscape is time-rich: if fossils can be seen as photographs, then broader terrains can be read as photo albums, whose contents are being continually revised. Every land is a shifting multitude, rife with slices of different pasts, present-times and potential futures embedded within it.
Photo credit: Alicial Hunt
Through my work I seek to ask: What happens when we make landscape photography play by geology’s rules? How do our ideas about space, time and environment change when this question is posed? The past times of Earth are unpredictable, and much can be learned by listening to its layered stories.
WHEN: SATURDAY & SUNDAY, 7 & 8 November 2020 from 10 am – Noon
WHERE: the beach at East Bay; participants will meet at the Partridge Island Beach parking lot adjacent to Ottawa House shortly before 10am.
COST: $25 / person. No charge for children under 12 who are accompanied by an adult.
REGISTRATION: To register, please email [email protected] or call 514-979-3978.
The four main objectives of this workshop are as follows. First, to show how geological photography can be a fascinating journey between shooting landscapes, abstractions and very small things. Second, to encourage participants to approach geological science through an artistic lens, showing how an aesthetic interest can foster a curiosity about the earth processes that brought these features into being. Third, to allow participants to grow their confidence in using a camera in an inclusive environment of mutual learning. Fourth, to show participants an enjoyable and rewarding way of engaging with the natural world, embracing the slowness of geological creation.
The workshop is open to all skill levels of photography, and all levels of familiarity with geological concepts. Learning will happen on a basis of mutual respect and inclusiveness as we share our different techniques, theories and ideas.
Participants will be expected to bring their own cameras to use during the workshop. There are no requirements as to the type of camera to be used, so long as the participant is excited about taking photographs with it. Participants should be prepared to move slowly along a rocky beach for 2 hours. It is advised that participants wear weather-appropriate clothing as well as sturdy footwear appropriate for navigating uneven terrain.
Participants will meet at the Partridge Island Beach Parking lot adjacent to Ottawa House shortly before 10am.
