Discovering Chris Goodyear

Tang and Terrible Coffee, Chris Goodyear

Chris Goodyear, a freelance photographer based in Ottawa, has an eye for light;  the play of it on the subject she photographs. Her images capture intimate moments in time whether it be portraits or still life. As she puts it: "(She)...values connection, honesty, and what she would describe as “realness.” Her work is sensitive and direct, often personal and intimate. For Chris, it is all about light, feel, presence, and savouring the small, brilliant moments that are all around us if we care to notice them." Applied Arts was intrigued by her recent images; we caught up with Chris to understand her approach when tackling new projects.

What is your creative process?

I'm a photographer who loves to tell stories, and in order to do that, I first like to know as much as possible about the subject and their environment. After that, I will find a quiet spot to lie on the floor with a pencil and a giant piece of paper, maybe some headphones and instrumental music, and start writing down anything and everything that comes to mind about what story I want to tell, without censoring or judging the ideas that come to me. The pencil, paper and physical act of writing are quite important to me.  My thoughts are clearer and more imaginative when I write with a pencil and paper as opposed to any digital device. Often, this process leads me to get a sort of internally projected snapshot of the image I want to make. A vision of it will pop into my mind, then I'll tend to get very stubborn about finding a way to make that into a concrete photograph.

Moonwolf, Chris Goodyear

What is the most difficult piece you worked on? What were the challenges?

The book I just made called 'The Goodyears' was a very demanding project on many levels. It is about coming to terms with the loss of our family cottage and the importance of recognizing the small but significant moments in our lives. I wanted to make a series of photographs that recreated my memories and feelings about being at the cottage - but we no longer have the actual cottage, so I had to figure out another way. I built some mock cottage sets in my basement and used them to make a series of cinematic still-lifes of our remaining cottage artifacts. I decided to shoot this project using 110 film and an old camera from the 1970's, similar to the one I had used as a kid. That meant working with tiny negatives, finding creative ways to trigger my lights, constructing sets, and figuring out how to design my first book all in 8 weeks. One of the biggest challenges was staying true to my own vision for this project, and being very single-minded about working through each hurdle so that I could make the images look as much like my memories as possible.  It was a true joy to make this book. 

Always Irish Spring, Chris Goodyear

How do you stay inspired?

I read a lot about creativity, and ways other artists have found inspiration. A few years ago, I adopted the practice of carrying a notebook and pencil with me wherever I go. I pay close attention to thoughts, impressions, and ideas that occur to me or things I notice while walking in the forest, looking at art, film, reading, and talking to other people. Sources of inspiration are everywhere, a notebook helps to record my impressions in the moment, and lets me review them later to find connections. Reviewing these notes is a way to find the threads of what truly moves me to make more work. 

W. Chrisgoodyear.com | IG. @chrisgoodyearphoto | iN Christine Goodyear

We look forward to seeing more of your work Chris!