Graham Peterson is a multimedia artist working in audio-visual arts, animation, and photography. Drawing on his professional background in the film and animation industries, Graham brings a cinematic approach to his work behind the lens as a street photographer. His work is predominantly captured on 35mm and 120 film, and reinforces the act of mindfulness in capturing moments of humour in the mundane, the narrative around people in their environments, and isolation in public spaces.

1. What one piece of advice would you give street photographers just starting out?

   How about two. Lean into your personal strengths when shooting as this will help you find your own voice. Referencing other photographers is great, but personally I feel people look at our photos wanting to see what we have to say, not how well we might mimic others. The second one is to keep a camera with you. I remember every single shot I’ve missed taking and they haunt me, haha.

2. What are your top two places in Vancouver for shooting and why?

   Because I always have my camera with me, I tend to shoot all over. I like to seek out strange places I haven’t been to before, and I chase the light for my compositions. But, I do like the industrial area of Mount Pleasant. It has character and feels more “honest” than most places in the city. The low buildings make for good lighting as well.

3. Which three street photographers have influenced your work the most?

   • Fan Ho - The interplay of the contrast in lighting combined with some truly honest candid portraits of the people on the streets astounds me. They feel like you are watching a film, and I swear I can see them moving.

   • Henk Van Rensbergen - This one might seem like a stretch for street photography, but his shots of abandoned places are magnificent. They are a master class in finding the humanityand story from nuances in spaces without having subjects in them. I think they remind me to slow down and shoot with intent.

   • Greg Girard - I know, I know, myself and every other street photographer. But, I really love the tone of his shots. Again, they make me feel like I’m in a movie. The candid portrait shots are so intimate they ooze personality. Like a Jack Kerouac novel come to life.

   • Honourable mentions - Robert Frank, and Chloe Sherman

4. Describe your work using up to four keywords.

   • Isolation

   • Longing

   • Relatable

   • Comical

5. Tell us about (up to 5) books, music or other art forms that influence your photography.

   • Interactions of Color by Josef Albers - I’m part way through this one, but the ideas around colour have impacted my work overall as an artist.

   • Jeremy Shaw’s piece “phase shifting index”. This one is a stand out, and it reminds me that the same idea / concept can be done from multiple perspectives.

   • Experimental, ambient, and drone music - In general I’ll be listening to something like this when I go out to shoot. It helps me set a tone and mood to focus on being in the moment.

   • Cinema in general - by trade I’m a director and producer in the animation industry, and I find constant inspiration from film. I love the absurd, and the last few years I’ve been on a kick of Yorgos Lanthimos’s films. Learning to tell a story in motion reinforces storytelling in still images, and vice versa.