Growing
up on the Canadian Great Lakes island, in the heart
of the Northern Ontario's Canadian Shield,
impressed upon me an appreciation for the outdoors
and wildlife.
Working as a journalist for 12 years, six as a writer and photographer, I first developed my camera skills by meeting the daily demands of newspapers. But it wasn't until I moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba -- a island of a city surrounded by a golden sea of wheat under a vast, blue Prairie sky -- that my work began to focus on nature photography. Since this time, I’ve begun to range more widely, both geographically and in my subject matter.
To some, my work has a very painterly quality, and the dark tones that dominate most of the photographs are meant to encourage closeness and invite a greater intimacy with the subjects that those viewing them may discover the ethereal beauty that lies within.
Foxtower Photography gets its name from the building constructed by my grandfather Alfred Brandow, who used it to raise foxes in.
The building stands across from the family farm on Manitoulin Island, which prides itself on being the largest freshwater island in the world. And the gravel sideroad that the building stands along has now been named Foxtower Road. To me it represents a hometown landmark -- a touchstone.
Manitoulin Island (Ojibwe for spirit island) has been the home of many great First Nations artists, such as Daphne Odjig, Shirley Cheechoo, Blake and Blair Debassige as well as Leland Bell and their work has had a lasting impact on me. Although the focus of my work has changed since I was a photojournalist, the approach of pairing images with stories to convey greater meaning about the subjects remains. Drawing on the traditional stories of aboriginals and other cultures, my work intends to pass on the lessons to be learned from the natural world.
Despite having a big school courseload this year, much work lies ahead in 2010. Stay tuned. And as they say in photography, we'll see what develops!
Charles McDougall, 2010
Working as a journalist for 12 years, six as a writer and photographer, I first developed my camera skills by meeting the daily demands of newspapers. But it wasn't until I moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba -- a island of a city surrounded by a golden sea of wheat under a vast, blue Prairie sky -- that my work began to focus on nature photography. Since this time, I’ve begun to range more widely, both geographically and in my subject matter.
To some, my work has a very painterly quality, and the dark tones that dominate most of the photographs are meant to encourage closeness and invite a greater intimacy with the subjects that those viewing them may discover the ethereal beauty that lies within.
Foxtower Photography gets its name from the building constructed by my grandfather Alfred Brandow, who used it to raise foxes in.
The building stands across from the family farm on Manitoulin Island, which prides itself on being the largest freshwater island in the world. And the gravel sideroad that the building stands along has now been named Foxtower Road. To me it represents a hometown landmark -- a touchstone.
Manitoulin Island (Ojibwe for spirit island) has been the home of many great First Nations artists, such as Daphne Odjig, Shirley Cheechoo, Blake and Blair Debassige as well as Leland Bell and their work has had a lasting impact on me. Although the focus of my work has changed since I was a photojournalist, the approach of pairing images with stories to convey greater meaning about the subjects remains. Drawing on the traditional stories of aboriginals and other cultures, my work intends to pass on the lessons to be learned from the natural world.
Despite having a big school courseload this year, much work lies ahead in 2010. Stay tuned. And as they say in photography, we'll see what develops!
Charles McDougall, 2010