Comments on: ian willms – fort chipewyan

By: panos skoulidas

panos skoulidas — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 17:25:17 +0000

Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! thumbs up :)

By: john gladdy

john gladdy — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 19:32:59 +0000

…..Also, it seems as all the shots are from the eye level of a person of average height. Might want to consider trying to vary that perspective a bit………WHAT?????

By: mw

mw — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 18:53:00 +0000

I didn’t want to let this one pass without mentioning how much I like it. Incredibly well done, very tasteful documentary photography. Personally, I’d like to see a few more distant shots to better establish the geography, but I suspect those exist. Also, it seems as all the shots are from the eye level of a person of average height. Might want to consider trying to vary that perspective a bit. But those are minor quibbles and they may well be moot given the existence of a much more expansive edit. Is there some recommended reading about the situation depicted in the photos?

By: bob black

bob black — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 14:57:00 +0000

Ian! :))

so proud of you, as I’ve told you 1,000,000 before…was thrilled to see it make the finals, even though this is VERY truncated version of the depth and breath of your on-going series and your trips up North…I’m not found of the order of pictures here at all…but then i’m partial, to the big, fat beautiful long sequence we worked together on while drinking last year..this is such an important story and i’m so happy what you’ve done and how you’ve inspired the rest of the Boreal crew to explore the entire issue of the Tar Sands and communities….its not been done well enough or honestly enough (while the rest of the photo world seems to just bring pack big, geometric pictures of the Tar sands, under the thumb of Burtinsky…but, i’m happy you’ve included some of the most beautiful pics (What Frostfrog said of the Norther Lights/Cemetary pic)…no need for me to talk photo critique here, we do that enough in person…just only this: so proud of you :)))

and the hope is that others will see the big edit and the visual color-edit :)))

sorry missed u friday….needed time alone…see u soon

hugs
b

By: Frostfrog

Frostfrog — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 03:49:57 +0000

Wonderful images, each and every one – and all so familiar even though I have never been to Fort Chipewyab. A quiet, yet powerful, essay, not romanticized or sensationalized but one that gives a feeling of the people and the life they live. The picture of the aurora over the graves just might be the best and most telling Northern Lights picture I have ever seen – balanced so well by the subtleness of images such as the girl in the water. Now, I think this might well have been my first choice.

Although at its base, the subject matter is very familiar to me, I feel that in looking at these pictures I have learned a great deal – both about the topic covered and about photography itself.

By: Imants

Imants — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 23:21:33 +0000

This is quite a subtle and poignant presentation that lacks that final step as it sits in that limbo world of “work in progress” I feel that it would be better served as a completed photographic work, a fully resolved piece presented to the audience that says “look, learn and enjoy”
The ability to complete a project is important to know when to stop and say well I am done here and go onto the next idea, subject, object etc This does not mean that Ian in this instance stops working on the First Nations peoples in Fort Chipewyan and their slow genocide far from it , bring a new aspect a new essay a new chapter to the forefront.

With a few minor tweaks, moving image order, maybe reconsidering an image or two for a image more apt to the essay I see this as completed.
next

By: nancyspadaro

nancyspadaro — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 19:01:43 +0000

this is a great story, and some of the photos are amazing, really like #3 !

By: Patricia Lay-Dorsey

Patricia Lay-Dorsey — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 21:54:53 +0000

Beautiful images telling a chilling tale. Thank you, Ian, for tackling the subject. It is more important than most people realize. Oil and jobs are not worth the cost. You are doing what the best documentary photographers do, and that is giving a face to issues that we read about in the newspapers. May your efforts open eyes and minds. I am not very hopeful that we can stop this environmental and human disaster, but we must try.

By: John P.

John P. — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 21:32:51 +0000

Solid work. Congratulations for the finalist’s place Ian. Great photography with a soul on a difficult issue. Thanks for this.

By: Harry

Harry — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 18:22:21 +0000

Good strong work. People are always going to be shat on by big companies who don’t care. Good to see someone pointing a finger (camera).

By: Carlo

Carlo — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 16:52:10 +0000

This one hits home…don’t know why but it does.
A very sad situation.
#3 is such an amazing shot for me.

By: hernan zenteno

hernan zenteno — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 11:38:49 +0000

Terrific the scarecrow and cemetery photos. Sad to know what is left to the local inhabitants.