Wait for it, wait for it... now!

By Jenny Tang

tang0120@algonquincollege.com

It’s the decisive moment and the split-second judgement that a photographer has to make every time a picture is taken.

“When I get that feeling, I shoot,” said Jackson Couse. “For me, it’s more internal. I’m trying to see the world and when I feel connected, I shoot.”

Remi Theriault “just wanted to do something fun” and get a reaction from people.

Couse and Theriault, graduates from the photography program in 2007 and 2008, respectively, are taking part in the second annual photography event, Festival X. Situated in little and big galleries throughout Ottawa, photographers will get to interpret what the decisive moment means.

But within their own lives, decisive moments came to them in unexpected and subtle ways.

“It’s all like a relationship. I don’t see it as a decisive moment,” said Theriault. It’s more of a series of seemingly insignificant decisions and events strung together.

Like when he decided to start taking pictures of sunsets with his uncle’s camera. He didn’t think much of it, even after graduating university and teacher’s college, until his friend and fellow photographer, Aaron McKenzie Fraser, pushed him to pursue it.

Couse left high school and didn’t have anything to do. But with his persistence, he managed to get a job at a photo shop because it was conveniently located. From there, he just started taking and developing photos.

“What really hooked me at the beginning was the opportunity to relate to the present,” said Couse. “I wanted to create an ongoing history.”

They were taught the technical aspects of photography at Algonquin but it was more about their peers who had impacted and influenced their work.

After graduation, Couse and Theriault needed to figure out how the real world actually worked and faced obstacles standing in their way.

“The internet showed that I had a lot of work to do. A photographer told me once it takes 10 years to make a living out of it,” said Couse. “A lot of photography is dumb. In order to be happy with it, you have to have something special. A reputation takes a long time to build.”

Theriault found himself to be the barrier to his work once he started working.

“I see other photographer’s works and am thinking why I’m even bothering,” he said.

As of now, both Couse and Theriault are working to make themselves known in the industry. Festival X will be an ideal chance to not only show their work but to also create awareness about the art scene in Ottawa.

“It’s nice to have a focal point in the community,” said Couse. “It’s good to have a place for people to come together.”

In the end, it’s not constantly about taking the perfect picture and defining what a decisive moment is. Like Theriault mentioned, he just wanted to have a good time.