Get to Know: Barry Pottle

What advice do you have for early career photographers who are looking to exhibit their work?

Work hard while keeping your goals and objectives in mind as you strive to find your voice, audience and space. Be true to yourself. Don’t be afraid to take chances and jump at opportunities. Be strong in the face of rejection and push forth through negativity; it’s part of the process as you build your practice and career in photography. It will make your work stronger and provide you with the skills and determination to seek out space for your work in galleries, exhibitions, collaborations, projects, publications and importantly, in the public realm. My goal has always been to have my work viewed by others; whether it be by a juror, curator, art collector or in mainstream society. Seek out viewers!

What is your process for capturing wildlife and nature? Do you scout locations first, do you go for walks with your camera and capture what you come across, or do you find a place and stay there for a while, or something else completely?

My process for the most part is just to go out and about exploring—whether it’s in my backyard, in my neighbourhood or on a family outing or on a solitary walk-–I try to capture what I see at that moment. It doesn’t always work out and I find that happenstance can bring the most success when capturing wildlife and nature, which have become an interesting subject matter to me recently. I find my skill set has improved—I have more patience and a heightened sense of observation, which is important for photographing wildlife.
I also tend to scout out locations and subject matter, depending on the subject. For example, I have been photographing a snowy owl (Ookpik) that made Ottawa its home over the last few winters. Here I know the subject matter, its broad territory and its behaviours, which allows me to stay for hours photographing the owl. I’ve also become very interested in capturing insects, birds and other smaller creatures. Capturing this subject started out completely unintentional, but as I gain more experience, I find myself seeking them out. It’s very surprising and keeps my passion and skill alive.

How do you find inspiration/ what inspires you to create? Are there any photographers who inspire you or push you to try new things? 

I didn’t intend on becoming an artist or photographer—it just happened when I acquired my first real camera through Club Z point (a points-based rewards program from Zellers department store). The bug was lit, the passion started to flow, and ideas and creativity emerged from all those years of suppressing artist endeavours due to being shy, feeling awkward and not really having role models or mentors to look up to. I have always been artistically inclined, but I suppressed those inclinations until I picked up the camera. The camera has given me a voice allowing me to take those suppressions and turn them into works of art.
For me, this is where I get my inspiration to explore, to create, to reject and to bring forth ideas and images through art that can challenge the parameters of photography and lead to something new, something that may not have been seen through a lens before, such as my Foodland Security series, the Awareness series and Komatik series. I felt I had to define my style of photography, which focuses on the realities, events, history and culture of Inuit living in Ottawa, so I called it Contemporary Urban Inuit Art Photography. Through this work, I wanted to help build a foundation for Inuit photographers.
Contemporary photographers who inspire me: Katherine Takpannie, Ryan Winters, Holly Andersen, Jennie Williams, Jessica Winters, Eldred Allen and David Kilabuk. Also, the late James R. “Uncle Jim” Andersen Sr. (1919–2011) originally from Makkovik, Nunatsiavut, NL, was a truly inspiring artist. Uncle Jim’s community photos are amazing, and his work has inspired me to capture images and events to the best of my abilities and to be myself!
Collectively these artists’ culture and landscape work inspires me to be relevant and sensitive to our practices and traditions. Incorporating [our practice and traditions] into art is so thrilling and inspiring.

What do you look for in a photograph that makes it a good photograph/ artwork to you? E.g. is it a series of works that tell a story, the lighting and composition, the subject matter etc.

What I look for in a good photograph is an image that will resonate, an image that is clear, of good quality (in focus, high resolution, printed on artistic paper etc.) and conveys a message or a story. Good light and composition are important for a photograph to be successful, and a photograph or artwork that can spark conversation, new audiences and new ways of thinking make a good photograph for me. Mind you, for me, there is something to be said about those blurred and fuzzy pictures we all take and in the end discard. I see opportunities for potential projects in those discarded unidentified photo objects (UPOs).

What would you like to connect with other artists about? How is the best way for other artists to get in touch with you?

How do they keep up with their practice, ideas, concepts, and passion? How do they deal with adversity, sales, exhibitions, rejections, collaborations and/or projects that they are involved in? What “projects in waiting” do they have set aside and want to develop?
Since COVID I have become a home body and don’t travel or connect with others too much these days and connection to my local Inuit community has taken a step back. I would like to reconnect with the community. I am available on social media: Instagram, Facebook or through my website if folks want to get in touch with me.

^{These questions were answered as part of the Portal Member Spotlight on February 1, 2024. Every month, a Portal member is highlighted to help facilitate connection and conversation between Portal members. If you are interested in being spotlighted, or have questions about the process, please contact us at [email protected]}