The St. John's Character Collection

Stormin Norman is back.

2011-06-25T07:05:00.000-07:00

Another Character has passed on

2010-09-19T06:16:00.000-07:00

This photo is of Roy Humber. taken by a friend of mine and a fan of the Character collection.
Paul McDonald wrote:

Hi Robert
Roy Humber died Saturday, he was in the miller centre with cancer.
He was a great character, well known. He lived next to the AH Lilly building on Bond Street. Choices for Youth bought the house and tore it down.
This is the only picture I have of him in the door way of that house, you can have it for your collection.
Paul

This is Ed

2010-07-20T10:24:00.000-07:00

This is Ed.

I photographed him last summer on a hot sunny day where every one else was wearing shorts, there was Ed in a "too big" blazer and neatly pressed pants. He was wearing a traditional "Salt-n-Pepper" hat always at a jaunty angle.

Ed usually had a slight smirk of a smile like he was about to tell you a joke.

He told me once in a raspy gravely voice: "I don't smoke but I likes me beer"

On a sad note, a friend told me he thought that Ed died this past winter.

Often the greatest characters disappear without any fanfare, not even a whisper.

I am glad I met you Ed.

The Moon Man RIP 2010

2010-02-15T05:12:00.000-08:00

The Moon Man otherwise known to his friends as Bill Sweeney is best known for his passionate rants on the St. John's open line radio shows. I photographed Bill two years ago at the Government house Garden Party. He showed up with a bag of "Official Government House Cutlery" which he had acquired sometime in the past. The then Lt. Governor, Hon. Ed Roberts shook his hand but was uninterested in seeing the contents of his plastic bag. Bill, in his usual manor started to sing and loudly tell all nearby that he had stolen cutlery from Government House.
A couple of police in attendance started ushering the boisterous singer toward the west gate where I was able to take this photograph. Bill called me several times after that to confirm that his portrait was indeed on my wall. T0day St.John's learned that Bill Sweeney died yesterday. I don't know any details but I do know that St. John's has lost another character. God rest Bill. Your portrait will always hang with the other characters of St. John's in my collection.

Steve the Spanish Guitar Player

2009-05-12T12:54:00.000-07:00

Steve is a gifted musician, playing intense Spanish style guitar. He is also a creative professional Busker. Bringing along a battery powered amplifier to help you hear his music and also bringing his dog for you to pet. You can often enjoy Steve's music at the end of George Street where it meets Water Street in downtown St. John's.

Camera: Sony R1, ISO 160, 1/1600 sec @ f4.5

Heidi the Flipper Lady

2009-05-03T11:07:00.000-07:00

I heard an interview on the local CBC Radio morning show with Heidi and her Brother who's family has operated the Taylor's Fish truck in downtown St. John's for the past 30 years.
This is definitely a character of our city that should be in this collection.
I took my daughter and her best friend for a walk along the harbour front to find the "Fish Truck". Wow, what a nice lady Heidi was, she chatted with the girls and I for 20 minutes or so then happily posed for photos and smiled the whole time.
I like flippers once a year, but Cod Fish... I could eat that twice a day!

Camera Sony R1 (again; thanks Lynn) ISO 200 f6.3 1/250 sec.

Meet Joe, the guy from McMurdo's Lane

2009-05-03T10:44:00.000-07:00

I have been waiting for the right time to strike up a conversation with Joe.
He is very quiet and most days he won't evan ask for spare change. Maybe he thinks that I don't look like I have any to spare. Finally I got around to actually asking if he would mind taking his photo... and "Yes, but I want to comb my hair." He genuinely seemed to enjoy the attention and we spent about 20 minutes chatting and shooting. The lighting was soft and pouring in from Water Street so it made the contrast of the wall really jump out.

Camera: Sony R1 (Thanks Lynn) ISO 160, 1/60 sec, f3.5 Photoshop CS4 convert to B&W

Angela the Beautiful Gypsy

2009-04-07T08:28:00.000-07:00

Angela the Beautiful Gypsy, a sprightly Romanian with a gift for music and a longing to travel. Angela graced our fair city over the past winter but alas... the call of further adventure has pulled her away. I photographed her in my studio, in a coffee shop and on the street. The street won.

St. John's will miss you, but the world now gets to enjoy you.

Sony A-350, Zeiss 85mm f1.4 @ 2.0 ISO-100 1/250 second.

Steve Hussey

2009-04-07T08:09:00.000-07:00

Steve is one of those guys that make us all proud to be Newfoundlanders. He is a locally famous musician, and a passionate educator. A fixture at "Fred's Records", Steve is one of the best sources of Newfoundland music information. He knows most of the musicians, producers, promoters and we all rely on Steve to find out the latest music. Keep an eye out for Steve playing in a local pub and drop by "Fred's" for the latest offerings in the music scene.

Don Tucker professional Busker

2009-04-07T07:56:00.000-07:00

Don Tucker is a great musical mainstay of the St. John's busker community. He can usually be found in the doorway of Velma's Place restaurant on Water Street. In all kinds of weather, always making a great folksy accordion soundtrack for the street. Remember to spare him a bit of change and a smile as you pass by.

Jim Whey The Cobbler

2009-03-20T12:11:00.000-07:00

Jim will always do well. He is a genuinely nice and happy person. I think it comes from the fact that he is good at his craft and great with people. He takes our beloved old shoes, skates, goalie pads and whatever needs a leather repair and brings them back to their former glory. A great guy and a great character in downtown St. John's.

2009-03-01T08:36:00.000-08:00

Chess is one of those quiet characters. He is usually found hanging around Tim Horton's drinking coffee with his son and his sister. They may not be terribly well educated but they all work hard. Snow shoveling, painting fences and doing little jobs all around the down town.

I like Chess because he is always chatty and often suggests new ways for me to photograph him doing some new job he is particularly proud of.

Always squinting, (he needs glasses) when he recognizes you it turns to a big grin.

Camera: SONY DSC-R1, ISO 160, 1/1600 s at f/4.0, exp -0.7, no flash, Converted to Mono in Photoshop CS2.

2009-02-28T07:03:00.000-08:00

Robert Rideout is one of those true characters you find in every city around the world. Robert survives by recycling other peoples laziness. He travels the streets of the city from the hottest days of the summer to the coldest nights of the winter. He picks up and recycles beverage containers, bringing them in his shopping cart to the ridiculously out of the way government recycling centres.

I have allot of respect for Robert and others like him who make a living out of our lack of respect for the environment and our laziness.

It is not easy pushing that basket up the hills of St. John's. Maybe someone with a pickup will occasionally offer to help Robert deliver his treasure the 5km to the Green Depot.

"Sony R1, ISO 160, f/3.2, 40/10 sec. on a tripod but his eyes are blurry from blinking.

Thank you Robert.

2009-02-24T08:42:00.000-08:00

Marilyn, always a dramatic dresser with the wildest collection of Go-Go Boots and Animal Print Fur coats.

She is usually seen around downtown St. John's pleasantly striking up small talk with passersby or cursing the deamons of her daydreams. She is a wild and precious person who thankfully receives support and the concerns of us all.

Try to save a little spare change for her, and always save her some dignity. There but for the grace of God goes all of us or our family members.

Camera: SONY DSC-R1, ISO 160, 1/1000 s at f/4.8, exp +0.3, no flash, Converted to Mono in Photoshop CS2.

Photo is #244 of 244 shot of the subject that day.

Photo by Robert Young: http://www.celebrityphotostudio.com/

2009-02-23T16:09:00.000-08:00

Thank God for Characters in our lives.

St. John's is at the end of the world. We are leaning out into the North Atlantic, hugging the wet rocks and praying for 'nice day. People who live here are resilient and out going...Characters.

I love people and love photographing people.

It is my great pleasure to get to know these people and photograph them in my humble way.

Hopefully you feel that I do them justice.

Thank God for Characters in our lives.