vaneramos | Dorset in 1987 and 1993

Dorset, Ontario, July 1987:

In 1987 I did an essay on Dorset, the village near my cottage in Central Ontario, for my photojournalism course at Conestoga College. I developed the film and printed the photos in the dark room at school.

Dorset is one of the hubs of community in Ontario's cottage country. It boasts a one-lane bridge and a general store which was once voted Canada's best country store. Besides being able to buy practically any basic necessity, you can go to Dorset just to see a few friendly faces when you have had your fill of solitude and serenity.

These images provide an interesting opportunity to compare my old Canon AE-1 with the new digital Kodak DX3500. The black-and-white photos, scanned from original 8x10 prints, were manipulated using traditional darkroom techniques; the new colour photos with computer software

Three facts strike me when looking at these images:

As a photojournalism student, I was much more self-confident about taking photos of people. I'm not sure when and why I lost that.

I prefer the images I shot with my Canon AE-1, a 28-mm Canon wide-angle lens, a 55-mm, and a 70-210mm Vivitar zoom. I'm glad I still have that camera, because it will be a long time before I can replace it with digital to my satisfaction.
I recall using those photojournalism assignments as an excuse for voyeurism. I see repressed homoeroticism (those bare arms, mmm!). To me, an evangelical Christian at the time, this purpose was secret, illicit and arousing. I can't remember how I justified it.

Clayton's Grocery & Meat Market, and Clayton's Hardware & Marine, visible in the second last photo, have both closed since 1987. Mr. Clayton has become Dorset's Postmaster. The grocery stands empty. The old hardware, the green-roofed building in the last photo, has become the headquarters for a new drive to create a local heritage museum. The centerpiece is a streamboat under reconstruction at the righthand side of the photo. More photos and information about this project will appear later.