Backwater Photography Project

Since moving to Peterborough, Ontario 13 years ago, I’ve for some reason always been fascinated by the back alleys in the downtown core. There’s something mysterious about how they’re built and how they show a whole different side of Peterborough that many people may not even be aware of. Most of these alleys are only accessed by discrete tunnels or “holes in the wall” and open up into a whole other world. In spring 2017, I set out to try and capture downtown Peterborough from a different perspective. Over the course of 2 months, I shot close to 150 photos, which I eventually paired down to about 40 for the final series. Below are just a few of the images from that series.

While many of the buildings in downtown Peterborough have gone through multiple restorations and renovations over the years, the backsides of these buildings are relatively untouched. Many of these areas are covered in graffiti, and held together with crumbling bricks, rotten wood and corrugated sheet metal, and in that, I’ve attempted to capture the dilapidated beauty of these nooks and crannies and that they still function as part of local business or provide living accommodations.

All of the images in this project were captured on Ilford HP5 Plus 400 or Ilford FP4 Plus 125 35mm film. Photo zines seem to be the big thing right now. Basically, they’re collections of photos put together in an inexpensive format. I’ve taken images from this project and printed a one off zine which I’m pretty happy with – just wanted to see how it would look in print. If you’re interested in obtaining a copy, let me know and we can work something out. Just use the Contact Page to get a hold of me.