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Since the launch of our new Photographer of the Week feature a month ago, we have explored the city through the eyes and camera lenses of four different Forum contributors. To celebrate the hard work and talent of these contributors, we not only highlight their work but delve into their individual artistic backgrounds, break down their aesthetic and consider their inspirations. For this week’s selection, we chose UT member Lenser, known beyond our Forum as Max MacDonald.
Max pays the bills as a graphic designer/art director, and similar to last week’s selection, is employed in Toronto’s television and film industry. When not harnessing his creativity for work purposes, Max is often busy with recreational creative outlets like painting, playing guitar or wandering Toronto with a camera.
With a focus on shooting Toronto's vibrant streetscapes, Max’s photographic inspiration stems from the frenetic pace of growth and change seen in our city over the past few decades. The changing look and feel of Toronto provides Max with an often abrupt clash between his memories from earlier years versus the current state of the city. People going about their everyday lives play an increasingly major role in Max’s photography, highlighting the cosmopolitan flair and richness of urban life, as well as the diversity that makes Toronto a true global city.
You may have noticed that most of Max’s photography (including all works selected for this article), is presented in black and white. While shooting in—or post processing to black and white—is an effective method in creating a timeless image embraced by many photographers, Max’s use and understanding of the method is best explained in his own words; “I tend to post monochrome images because I find it's an interesting distillation. One dispenses with the often distracting aspects of colour, leaving something that's rooted in history; and a reminder—subtle or otherwise—that photography is hardly about presenting reality, rather, it's about painting with light and carefully choosing what should be stressed and what should be omitted.”
Max’s words only begin to uncover his true artistic appreciation of the streetscapes and moments of human interaction that he so brilliantly captures. Max elaborates; “Personal interpretation of fleeting moments involving anonymous individuals, however synthetic or subjective they might be, is what interests me. In the best of instances, those brief exposures bring to light their specific character and our shared humanity.”
Interested in seeing more of Max’s work? Check out his website, linked here, or catch some of his posts in the Forum’s “City Photos & Videos” section.
We will return next week to feature another photographer from our Forum. Think you've got what it takes? Grab a camera or mobile device and get to work, then post your content in the Forum, and you just may find yourself featured in next week’s article!
