Through Thy Lens

• What inspires you ?

I would say my biggest inspiration is my mom. She is the one who really introduced me to photography and is the one who helped me purchase my first camera (hi mom). My family has an ongoing joke to call her by another Ottawa based photographers name (who I will not mention) because of how long it takes her to snap a family picture or some subject in nature. But, it is that trained eye and knowledge to pick out something interesting in what others may overlook that inspires me the most. Of course I have my favourite vloggers and photographers that I follow on social media and learn techniques from through instructional videos, but it is rather difficult to connect with these individuals as I can’t exactly have a conversation with them. They also have a seemingly endless budget to be used on getting to picturesque locations and getting the newest gear and that is something which is not yet realistic for an amateur like myself.

Things that inspire me are not necessarily the nicest picture of a landscape or of an attractive model. I think the composition and framing of the subject are what inspire me the most. While those aforementioned things may be impressive, they are usually things that are captured by simply having a fancy camera set to auto and clicking the shutter button. It requires almost no effort on the part of the individual behind the camera and all the effort being done by whatever lies on the lens side (yes, the sunset in your beach vacation is putting in more effort than you).

I am a huge proponent of Photoshop and I used to be fixated on doing portrait edits and limiting myself to work with photos of individuals that needed minor touching up but have recently found new inspiration in using Photoshop to “create my own reality”. This exploration into the use of Photoshop allows me to take something that can be seen and shot by anyone and turn it into something that only I could produce as it comes from my imagination. This is not to say that the photos I create are on the level of depicting the supernatural but rather creating something that is plausible but unlikely.

• You recently went on exchange in the Netherlands and had the chance to tour Europe for a bit. Would you mind sharing this experience with my readers ? What was your state of mind as you embarked on this trip ? and how did photography alter the travelling experience ?

Yes, I recently returned from my travels abroad and with that, unfortunately, came an end to my year of adventure. I was able to make it through 32 countries, funded in part, by travel scholarships awarded to me by the university. Travelling to The Netherlands I had a very open mind as to what would be awaiting me upon my arrival. It is very difficult for me to summarize my six-month adventure into a few paragraphs but nonetheless I will try.

The reason for my travels was for an academic exchange but this exchange was revolutionary as it was the first time a student at the University of Ottawa were to go on exchange to the University College of Utrecht (UCU). While an exchange agreement already existed between the University of Utrecht (UU) and the University of Ottawa, none had existed with its college (which they refer to as a sub-specialty college). The main difference I noticed is that UU, a school of roughly 40,000 students and very similar in terms of structure to the University of Ottawa, differed greatly from UCU, a small campus of about 750 students. This school therefore, puts a large emphasis on the teacher-student relationship, something which appears to be lacking in some of the larger classes at U of O. I was very surprised to attend my first day of classes and find out that no class exceeded the size of roughly 25 students (one of my classes only had 11 people). Additionally, the small campus allows for the formation of a community, one where everyone knows everyone and, for the most part, everyone gets along. It helped foster close relationships with others which may have been much harder in a significantly larger student population. I was going in alone, not even sure which of my courses transfered, and yet was not nervous at all. If anything I was more excited to see where I would be living and studying for the next semester.

Another thing U of O put a lot of importance on was culture shock, and how to deal with it. I didn’t find myself having to deal with any such problems upon my arrival or my return to Canada. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that although The Netherlands is perceived as this ultra-liberal and progressive society, their values and beliefs don’t really deviate substantially from those held and expressed by Canadians. Also, since basically everyone in The Netherlands is fluent in English I didn’t have to overcome any language barriers.

My advice to anyone thinking about doing an exchange is to stop thinking about it and just apply. Act quickly though because everyone has a lot of things going on in their life and you may think “oh I can apply later”, or “I can get that form signed next week,” there are actually many, many, many documents, and permissions, and information sessions you have to attend before going on exchange. In my personal experience I started planning and looking into things halfway through my first year and went on exchange second semester of my third year. The biggest tip I can give anyone is to start early, know your deadlines, and commit. This is something easier said than done as even I fluctuated in just picking a location several times but this is really something I cannot stress enough. What helped me is writing down all the important dates and making sure I had everything I needed in order and handed in when it needed to be. This may require effort on the part of administration to answer questions and sign forms so start early. If you don’t take it seriously, nobody else will. I realize how annoying I must have been sending what may have reached up to dozens and dozens of emails to administration and I’ll never forget the look on their faces when I would walk in to get immediate answers to questions they have probably been asked thousands of times. This then brings me to the part where I said “commit”. If you’re going to go on exchange you have to be committed to going. Hold the attitude that wherever you want to go will be your school for that semester and by you not getting your act together and going, that means you will not be a student that semester. There were many times where I wanted to give up and just forget about the whole ordeal but if you take things piece by piece and set small goals it can be done.

I think the most terrifying thing for me was clicking “confirm” on an email that would unregister me at U of O and put me in this state of limbo where I didn’t really belong to any institution.

I have talked a lot about the process and the bureaucracy of getting involved in an exchange but now that it is out of the way, I want to shift gears and talk about my actual time abroad.

For me personally, I have already visited what I call “mainstream Europe” with my family or friends. This includes places like England, France, Belgium, The Netherlands (Amsterdam specifically), Italy, Spain, and Portugal. It was my goal to experience cultures that I had never seen before, even if that meant travelling on my own. This is what led me to visit places like all the Scandinavian countries and Eastern Europe. Something else that was very important to me that a lot of people forget to do is explore the country you are actually on exchange in. In my personal experience, most exchange students will just fly off to any neighbouring country for the weekend. While this may be something you want to do and is your decision, you’ll save a lot of money by simply taking the train or bus around your own host country and I feel you will gain a much greater appreciation for the place you call home and the culture you are immersing yourself in. It is for this reason that I rarely made the trip to Amsterdam which was only 20-30 minutes away by train. Many people see Amsterdam as the reflective culture for the entirety of The Netherlands when in reality this couldn’t be further from the truth. The hustle and bustle of the Dutch metropolis is merely a window into a subculture that exists within the nation and is not really indicative of the rest of the country. Amsterdam is a blend of culture between the Dutch and the massive waives of tourists and immigration it attracts.

So, of course go visit whatever other countries you wish to visit but don’t forget that some of the best experiences you can have are in the country you’re conducting your exchange in.

One of the best experiences I had while abroad was not even travelling, but actually working at the campus bar. It allowed me to meet and interact with my fellow peers in a relaxed environment and socialize and build relationships. Sure, I may have been paid in beer instead of cash, but it opened up a lot of opportunities for me. One of the most memorable experiences which came as a result of this position was being able to bar-tend a prom in another city; something I will never forget.

Lastly, the way photography played a role in all of this. Photography is what allowed me to capture and share instances of my time abroad that I could bring back and share in Canada. It allowed me to save the memories I made from my own perspective. That being said, there were many times that I would leave my camera at home or decide not to capture it and live in the moment. This is another thing I draw from my mom. She is always telling me to “Live in the moment” and that means sometimes not worrying about how you’re going to take a picture and seeing it through a lens but actually being able to live the experience and see it with your own eyes. I’ll never forget the moment when I found myself in the middle of nowhere in Iceland in pitch black darkness and freezing my butt off just to look up at the sky and see the Northern Lights dancing above my head. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before. It took my breath away (and not just because it was below freezing outside and I was in a spring jacket). Instinctively I wanted to reach for my camera but I could hear the words of my mother in the back of my head and just took it in for myself. After the flare of light had disappeared, I took out my camera and prepared for the next burst of colour to streak across the sky.

*My biggest tip for shooting the northern lights is absolutely, without a doubt, 150%, bring a tripod! You are not as stable as you think you are and the cold doesn’t make it easier to stand still. Remember, to also decrease your shutter speed to let in more light in and play around with your camera settings (F stop, ISO, etc). If you plan on using your phone’s camera to capture anything at night, my advice to you is good luck. It is likely all you’ll end up with is a picture of darkness.

HERE ARE GEDALIAH’s TOP 8 TRAVEL TIPS : 

I’ll try and generalize this as much as possible because everyone’s experience will vary depending on where they go on exchange.

• Do save up and anticipate unforeseen expenses while abroad
  • You never know when you’re going to need that extra cash to bail yourself out of a sticky situation (something I found out the hard way). So build a budget and try your best to stick with it.
• Do have an open mind
  • You don’t really know what to expect of where you’re going and even though you may have some preconceived notion, it’s best not to build anything up in your head as it’ll probably just be a letdown if something does not meet your expectations.
• Do put yourself in uncomfortable situations
  • The most fun you can have is when you step out of your comfort zone and try new things. Hey, you might just find something new you didn’t know you liked.
• Do all of your course work
  • After all, you are a student first. Treat your exchange just like you would a normal semester at home. That means getting all your work done with the same amount of effort as you would back home but using that free time to explore. Think about it this way. If you know you will be travelling, you’ll have to work even harder during the week to get things done so that you can enjoy yourself without the stress and pressure of class and deadlines.
• Do learn how to cook
  • Food is expensive, enough said.
• Do trust your judgement
  • What I mean by this is be street smart and be able to identify when you should and shouldn’t get into a certain situation. Don’t assume things are the same as back home. Go out with locals that can teach you how to be safe in a foreign city.
• Do embrace other cultures
  • Part of the reason you’re there in the first place is to gain insight on other cultures. So partake in cultural events and immerse yourself in someone else’s way of life.
• Do make a routine
  • Just like at home you have a routine, while abroad you should also have one that will help you stay organized and on top of what you need to do.

 

• You also happen to have a Youtube Channel on which you share your travels. What motivated you to create this channel and how do you see it evolving ?

Ah yes, the infamous YouTube channel. It started as a way for me to be able to share my experience with family and friends. I always hated being asked “how was your trip?” as if I would reply with anything other than “good”. It’s hard to define such a long period of time with one or two sentences (look at how long it has taken me to just scratch the surface here) and besides, most of the time people are only asking you as a social formality. So, in order to avoid this, I decided to just put it on YouTube and then no one would ask because if they truly cared, they would just look it up or I could respond with “check out my YouTube channel”. I don’t say this to be cynical but instead to be realistic. It also opens up the floor to people asking you more in depth questions where you can have a meaningful conversation about something you experienced. It isn’t as close-ended and people who have a genuine interest in what you share are going to ask the specifics and you will feel more inclined to respond with something interesting. It allows people to actually engage you and I find that it adds positively to your travel experience as opposed to a close-ended question which may ultimately diminish it with a one-word answer. So, that is what motivated me to do it. Unfortunately, when I started out, I found it really hard to stay on top of it and share regularly (especially with terrible internet connection and most videos sitting at around 10GB). Nonetheless, the channel is still there and you can find it by looking up my full name, “Gedaliah (or GG) Farber” and feel free to subscribe (shameless plug). I recently posted a video that highlights my entire exchange and I submitted it for a video contest through the University of Ottawa. 

• What are your other interests in life ?

The little time I have left when not studying or doing photography related things are probably going to the gym, mixology, and spending time with my dog. If you have me on snapchat then you know the only thing I post is pictures and videos of my dog.

The gym is something that is very important to me and I try and go as often as possible but I would be lying if I said I didn’t take the occasional break (i.e. six months on exchange made it hard to be consistently in the gym but I did try and keep up my cardio).

Mixology is something that has developed as a more recent hobby. I’m really into experimenting with unconventional liquors and finding balances in ingredients. My specialty though would have to be the mojito. By far my favourite drink.

 

• What’s next for you Gedaliah? any projects or ideas you would like to share?

Coming up for me is applications to medical school so that is currently consuming most (if not all) of my time. In terms of photography I’m looking into expanding my arsenal and actually getting a drone and maybe even a new camera (depends on my budget). I’m also looking into experimenting with new video editing software and playing around with “cinemagraphs” as a new medium to share my experiences. (If you’re unfamiliar with this medium I highly suggest you check it out).

• What advice would you give my readers ? 

My advice would be to photograph whatever inspires you. Don’t take a picture of something because someone else does. Be inspired by others, don’t copy others. On that note, only make content that you yourself enjoy. Whatever you make should be for you and if other people enjoy it too, good for them. But trying to ascribe to an audience (Instagram, YouTube, etc) will only make you dislike what you put out and it will reflect in your work. Also, as in the wise words of my mother, remember to “live in the moment”. You may be in some of the most astounding places in the world but what good are they if you can only live it through a camera. It’s ok to put it down and just enjoy it for yourself.

If you have any questions at all about getting involved in an exchange, the type of gear or editing programs I use, or just want to hear more about my experiences (because I don’t think I can talk anymore) please feel more than welcome to reach me at:

Email: gfarbs066@uottawa.ca

Facebook: Gedaliah Farber

Instagram: gedaliahfarber

YouTube: GG Farber