TIFF sixty seconds at a time.

Steve Russell - Staff Photographer

It's my Toronto International Film Festival joke.

It all starts with the publicist saying the same thing, "You have about a minute"

My reply is always the same, "I only need a sixtieth of a second"

 My filmfest was relatively tame, I covered portraits mostly.

And was almost spared the press conference room and the sardine can sized photo pits of the red carpet.

 The portrait sessions almost all work the same way, the paper is allocated 10, 15 or 20 minutes for an interview with a actor or director. The photographer will get a minute or two to shoot the portrait. The reporter will get the bulk of the time for the interview. Most of the interviews happen in the same hotel, ergo, almost the same room.

 The result or the challenge is to try to make the pictures as diverse as possible.

 The strategies for pictures vary and depend on how much time I have between assignments. If you have to do a picture at the beginning of the allotted time it is usually window light. If it is at the end of the interview there is some time to set up a light. And sometimes we have the option to shoot during the interview.

Sarah Polley was my first Toronto International Film Festival portrait. She directed Take this Waltz, I shot her in the hallway of the Sutton Place Hotel. I wish that the reporter would have clued me in that she was pregnant, but, the next couple groups of media teams were waiting so there was no opportunity. The Star had the exclusive on the story.

 

Johnny's "still" Rotten to Neil "not so" Young @ TIFF

Johnny Rotten (John Lydon), the frontman for the late 70s original Punkers, The Sex Pistols. His facial expressions are a photographers bounty. The connection with Neil Young is interesting since Young suggested "its better to burn out, then it is to rust" when he included the reference to Johnny Rotten. (The King is gone, but not forgotten, is this the story of Johnny Rotten).

A little more of The Bieb

Tara Walton, Staff Photographer

I'm often asked if I ever photograph any of the celebrities that roll through Toronto.  Today, 11-year-old Briana Spence and her 8-year-old brother Jacob asked that very question.  I smiled and began to reply, "Well, yesterday I photographed Justin Bie…".  They finished my sentence for me.  I thought their enthusiasm alone deserved a post. 

Here's a few more pictures for Briana and Jacob and all the other Bieber fans.

 

Justin Bieber greets Toronto rapper Drake at the screening of his new movie "Never Say Never".

 

Bieber strikes a pose along the purple carpet.

 

Bieber in 3D.

 

Bieber with the fam.

 

 

A kiss from his great grandmother Estelle Corbeil.

 

 

Exiting the purple carpet.

 

Fans scream as Justin enters the theatre.

 

Bieber makes a desperate attempt to calm fans so the screening can begin.

 

2010 Photo Roundup

Richard Lautens/Staff Photographer

It is so tough looking back at a year's worth of pictures and picking out a dozen or so of my favourites.  For a photographer, images become like children and difficult to choose between them.  I find that many of those that people like are not my favourites. I get swayed by how difficult a picture may be to get or whether or not I liked the subject, even if it got good play in the paper or not.

With the Olympics and G20, some choices are naturals and I notice that I chose too many sports pictures to include which is unusual for me.  I have included below a few that I really like and a few I just couldn't exclude.

Perhaps my favourite of the year.  Actor Will Farrell was in town promoting his new movie, Everything Must Go, on at the Toronto International Film Festival.  I only had 10 minutes or so with him but he was as nice and funny as I had hoped he would be.  It's great when I can shoot someone my kids like.

 

2010 : Vince Talotta

Vince Talotta - Staff Photographer

A Guiness World Record attempt in Support of Windfall was successfully made beating a standing record of 250 brides in one room. A total of 273 brides were present at the Sheration Hotel in Toronto.

A look back at September.

DAVID COOPER - Apartment fire at 200 Wellesley still burning. Woman stands on her balcony several stories above the flames trapped by the smoke in her apartment. The fire was has left everyone in the building homeless.

DAVID COOPER - Apartment fire on the 24th floor at St. James Town 200 Wellesley Street east Friday evening has put close to 1200 people out of their homes. Demetre Papadopoulos and his 14 year old dog Pluto, live on the 11th floor.

STEVE RUSSELL - Energy minister Brad Duguid tours Hydro One control centre in Barrie. The control centre divides the province into four sectors where controlers keep an eye out for problems and run through senarios in case of power shortages or other problems. 

LUCAS OLENIUK - Top NHL draft pick, Taylor Hall, took to the ice in Etobicoke as part of the 2010 NHLPA Rookie Showcase.  The event provided Upper Deck and Panini trading cards with an opportunity to photograph the top prospects for the upcoming season.  Unfortunately, useasonably warm conditions outside and a ventilation problem inside the arena, a fog took over the ice and the shoot had to move to an adjacent rink.

STEVE RUSSELL -  Giuseppe Piterna and his son Mauro have finished packing almost everything in their home. The elderly and quite ill couple (his wife Francesca is in the hospital) fell behind on their mortgage and are were evicted.

RENE JOHNSTON - The Toronto City skyline takes the late summer light from the west as the CityPlace condos rise.

LUCAS OLENIUK - Crews work to dry off the rain soaked rides at the CNE. 

CARLOS OSORIO - Kids paint in Jaylene Kostiuk's all day kindergarten class at James S. Bell Elementary School on the first day of school.

CARLOS OSORIO - Mayor Hazel McCallion announces that she plans to run again in Mississauga. 

STEVE RUSSELL - Anthony Russo, flanked by Kassie Brown in yellow and Robyn Baltzer in grey leap as they rehearse a number for Cirque du Soleil on Queen Street West for the show "Banana Shpeel" which will run until October 10 at the Canon Theatre.

COLIN McCONNELL -  Violinist Adrian Anantawan is reheasing with Toronto Symphony Orchestra.

ANDREW WALLACE - A smoker flings his butt.

COLIN McCONNELL -  Thousands of Muslims gathered at Exhibition Place in Toronto to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, which commemorates the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

RICK MADONIK - Rafi Karim, 3, drinks a juice box as he waits with his family on chairs in the recepiton area of the centre, Access Point on Danforth, a centre which brings together a number of services from health care to youth programs, and greatly serves newcomers to Canada.

DAVID COOPER -  Terence Houle, a Blackfoot artist who plays - with pleasant comic effect - with his ethnic identity and how it fits into the modern world in his new show Givn'R, at the Art Gallery of York University (AGYU). The piece he is standing beside is titled "Trail's End / End Trail's" playing on the noble savage on horseback.

DAVID COOPER - Katie Riley, tosses cake into the air after winning a $35,000 wedding at the Boiler House. Two Brides-to-be, Riley and Hayley-Shea Charuk dove into a 500lb wedding cake to find a key to win a $35,000 wedding at the Boiler House in the Distillery District.

RENE JOHNSTON - Mayoral frontrunner Rob Ford loses his umbrella in the storm.  Rob Ford coached his Don Bosco football team to a win in the rain.

TANNIS TOOHEY - Mayoral Candidate George Smitherman laps up a drink from the water fountain at the newly opened Sugar Beach before he talks to the media.

LUCAS OLENIUK - Aboard the Number 7 Snowbird plane piloted by Marco Rusconi during the Snowbird media flight.  The team toured Ontario's cottage country through sun and rain before returning to Pearson Airport for debriefing. 

DAVID COOPER - The Canadian International Air Show went ahead on the last day of the CNE down at the waterfront. Gray skies and some light rain didn't affect the show. A Westjet 737 aircraft passes in the background as The Canadian Forces Snowbirds finished of the show is spectacular fashion.

LUCAS OLENIUK - Actor Edward Norton photographed at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival.  Norton was promoting his film "Stone".

RICHARD LAUTENS - Well known comedic actor Will Farrell was in town promoting his new movie, "Everything Must Go", on at the Toronto International Film Festival. 

RICHARD LAUTENS - Actor Philip Seymour Hoffman is the director and star of the Movie 'Jack Goes Boating' at the Toronto International Film Festival.

LUCAS OLENIUK - Actress Kalki Koeclin photographed in Toronto at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival.

STEVE RUSSELL - National Film Board, NFB, chair Tom Perlmutter for Atkinson Fellow Kate Taylor's look into the identity and the gatekeepers of Canadian Culture through media

STEVE RUSSELL - Toronto International Film Festival Piers Handling for Atkinson Fellow Kate Taylor's look into the identity and the gatekeepers of Canadian Culture through media.

 

SPORTS

DAVID COOPER - Toronto Argonauts Quarterback Cleo Lemon stretches at practice at University of Toronto, Mississauga campus as they prepare for Labour Day game in Hamilton.

RENE JOHNSTON - Rob Friend of Canadian National soccer team gets pulled down by Santiago Acasiete of the Peru National Team in first half action in a friendly in Toronto.

RENE JOHNSTON - Canadian National soccer team goalie Lars Hirschfeld tries to keep the ball out of the net with help from Kevin McKenna as Jefferson Farfan (17) of the the Peru National Team in second half action in a friendly. Canada lost 2-0.

RENE JOHNSTON - The Toronto Argos Chad Lucas gets hammered and loses the ball from the hit by Hamilton Ti-Cat Dylan Barker at Ivor Wynne in Hamilton on Labour Day in the first half.

RICK MADONIK - Rangers Nelson Cruz breaks his bat as he flies out during MLB action between Texas Rangers and Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.

RICK MADONIK - Vernon Wells fouls off a ball during an at bat during MLB Action between Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays.

RICK MADONIK - Fred Lewis can't come up with the ball as a runner turns on the Kyle Crawford triple during MLB Action between Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays.

CARLOS OSORIO - Toronto Blue Jays Jose Bautista waits in the dugout with his jersey off after defeating the Baltimore Orioles 5-2. Some of the Jays players gave the jersey's they wore in the game to some fans.

TANNIS TOOHEY - Toronto FC's Dwayne de Rosario and Chad Barrett react in their 3-2 loss versus San Jose Earthquakes.

TARA WALTON - Toronto Maple Leafs' Captain Dion Phaneuf rocks Buffalo Sabres' Chris Butler during the first period of action Monday September 27, 2010.

RICHARD LAUTENS - The crowd jeers as Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez throws after catching a foul ball from Adam Lind. In their last home stand of the season, the Toronto Blue Jays beat the New York Yankees 7-5 at the Rogers Centre.

The END(s)

RICK MADONIK - People gave the clothes off their backs at a fundraiser at the Carlu in support of the Canadian Art Foundation. The models were actually part of a performance piece. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Schnabel set to open at the AGO

Rick Madonik, Staff Photographer

Julian Schnabel's shoes and socks at the press conference, and preview, of the AGO exhibit.

American painter/photographer/filmmaker, Julian Schnabel, previewed his upcoming exhibit at the AGO on Thursday. The renowned artist/filmmaker has enjoyed success on a number of fronts for a couple of decades. The AGO exhibit will enlist some 60 hangings and span a number of media from photography to paintings to posters.

For me, what was most interesting, was the man himself. The canvas walking/boat shoes topped by some "less than formal" striped socks and accompanied by checked shorts and plaid shirt, reinforces the 'artist' persona. Usually I find I'm the worst dressed person at such events, but this time I was far outdone by the artist himself.

His artwork is larger than life. Some of the pieces are 40x40 (feet), while others on a mere 8 foot square canvas. Either way, when Schnabel posed in front of some of the pieces, his distinct manner of dress fully captures an essential element of his personality - even when a huge canvas consumes the majority of the frame.

Schnabel poses in front of 'Painting for Malik Joyeux and Bernardo Bertolucci' (2006) (both pieces).

Schnabel poses in front of 'Portrait of Andy Warhol (1982)

A preview for media of Julian Schnabel's newest exhibit at the AGO. His exhibit takes up the fifth floor and has about 60 pieces

Two women are dwarfed by Julian Schnabel's 'Catherine Marie Ange, 1990' piece.

Julian Schnabel, the contemporary artist, at the AGO prior to the opening of his show. His exhibit takes up the fifth floor and has about 60 pieces and tied to the release of his movie Miral, at TIFF.

Hot July, hot pictures!

Some of the best of Toronto Star photo department's best pictures of the Hot month of July!

ANDREW WALLACE - Water spills on people at Ontario Place water park. 

Toronto Star Photo Editor Ken Faught retires.

Steve Russell - Staff Photographer 

At the end of the past week the Ken Faught era of the Toronto Star had ended.

Ken joined the photo staff in 1986 after being discovered in the North West Territories.

In 2004 he hung up his cameras in a blaze of glory by winning the National Newspaper Award in Sports photography to become photo editor. He also had a second picture up for the same award.

Here are some of Ken's pictures that jump to mind.

Ken Faught won the 2004 National Newspaper Award for sports photography with this picture of Austrian rider Raemmi Daemmi who landed between the logs and lay stunned for a few moments during the cross country equestrian event at the Athens Olympics. Horse and rider were all right. 

Faught was nominated in the same category with this picture of Marie-Helene Chisholm who would win this bout against France's Lucie Decosse as she tried to make it back through the repercharge.

Chan Hon Go, principal dancer for the National Ballet of Canada shown on Dec. 11, 2000 in Toronto, started with her husband their own ballet shoe business three years ago. They are distributed across Canada.

Ken risked the camera for this hot frame, Scott and Rea Kerr pass the time playing cribbage waiting for the gas contractor to show up with the right parts for their furnace. They resorted to turning on the oven to heat the house. They had to wait 13 days for the problem to be fixed. 

  

Mike, 38, waits for Street Patrol to make their way to his shack, "I don't like rules, regulations and the political side of being in a hostel. I like to be able to say, hey, this is MY place."

Michael McGourty for story on "why be a priest these days". Taken at the College residence in Rome. 

Raymond Hnatyshyn and his wife Gerta react to a joke from Brian Mulroney as his appointment as Governor General on Parliment Hill in Ottawa.

A man ice fishes in Newfoundland.

A family of ducks get a little help exiting the pool at Roy Thompson Hall.

St. Michael's Choir School students attend the visitation pay their respects to Cardinal Carter. Taken at St. Michael's Cathedral.  

.The Toronto Symphony Orchestra's Music Director Designate, Peter Oundjian, conducts the orchestra in Mozart's Overture to Don Giovanni and Mozart's Symphony No. 35 in D Major. 

 Youth Unlimited prepared a Christmas dinner for homeless/street kids. They set up a giant tent in Grange Park off Beverley south of Dundas complete with tables and chairs and novelty items for the homeless. Food was prepared by Islington United Church and trucked over to the park.

It wasn't always about covering the news, Ken showed his artictic side in the studio.

 Joy Bernard, left, is originally from Nigeria and is facing deportation along with her daughter, Jennifer, 7, at right. If forced to go back, Jennifer will be forced to undergo a female genital mutilation. Practice is common in Nigeria and Joy had the procedure done as a baby.  

Canadians on the ropes, Trevor Stewardson is held over the ropes and went on to lose to Ahmed Ismail from Egypt at the 2004 Athens Olympic games.

Perdita Felicien streaks ahead of the pack on her way to qualifiying in round 1, heat 3 of the 100m hurdles at the Athens Olympic Games. 

 Adam van Koeverden shows off his gold and bronze haul during the 2004 Athens Olympics.

A Slovakian is in deep in the Olympic white water canoe event.

Kids play street hockey on a Toronto Beaches street.

Ken loved to use more than one image to tell the story, Giving testimony during the MFP inquiry, Tom Jacobek answers questions while city lawyer Linda Rothstein gives a disbelieving stare away from the stand.   

Ken Faught's photo illustration for a series of stories on gluttony. 

Finance Minister Greg Sorbara poses for picture but security comes and takes away the "please watch your step" sign.

Fairy Dust. All the Mirvish Theatres were for family Hallowe'en tours, ghoststories and makeup sessions. Makeup artists were on hand at Royal Alexander Theatre making up little princess' like Virginia Matheson. 

Jose Morin, foreground, makes several statements on Canada Day with his hair. Friend Jen Anderson in background.  

Sue Cox, executive director of the Daily Bread Food Bank pose for a picture as volunteers sort donations and pack boxes.

David Kotin, Manager, Special Collections of Toronto Public Library shows off a recently acquired travel diary of Arthur Conan Doyle. The diary chronicles his impressions from the 1914 trip, his second, across Canada. Doyle travelled by rail from Montreal to the Rockies giving talks at several cities. The diary is part of a lot that was acquired from Christies in London, England.

At sunset the catch is brought in.

Lobster traps stacked at Sheaves Cove.   

Medical Officer of Health for Toronto Sheila Basrur and Mayor Mel Lastman address media during the SARS outbreak.

A flock of geese narrowly avoid a dragon boat during the annual festival. 

Scores of ice fishers stayed on frozen Lake Simcoe on Sunday despite the danger that cracks in the ice could leave them stranded. One group even tried to drive a minivan (shown) onto the fragile ice. The front of the van crashed through, forcing the six passengers to scramble out the back door. One man was taken to hospital.  

Other retired Toronto Star Staff Photographer Galleries,

Michael Stuparyk

Ron Bull  

   

 

Toronto Star staff April favourites

Published, unpublished, some of our April favorites in what will become a monthly feature!

DAVID COOPER - Trevor Rogers balances rocks by the boardwalk to the delight and amazement of kids and adults alike. With summer like weather in the 20's today the Beaches looked like a summer weekend with wall to wall people on the beach and on Queen st. East. 

RENE JOHNSTON - Football players line up arm in arm as the casket of teammate and friend Mike McDonald, or Biggie passes into the hearse at his funeral at Westminster United Church in Whitby. The 16-year-old student was stabbed to death at a bus stop near his school.

 BERNARD WEIL - Overshadowed by the CN Tower, John Andrews and Mike Rochford untie netting high up poles that were wrapped up for the winter, at the Docks Golf Driving Range.

RICHARD LAUTENS - Harmeed Kaurhundal, 10, spins a Chakra-a representation of a traditional Sikh weapon. The Khalsa day parade brought thousands of colourfully dressed Sihks to parade from Canadian National Exhibition to Queen's Park. 

RICK MADONIK - Richard Bansu, of Chaminade College School, runs the first leg of the Junior Boys 4 x 100 during the competition as St. Michael's College School played host to the SnowBall Relays track and field event.  

STEVE RUSSELL - Vale INCO continues to dump slag, the molten byproduct of the smelting process. As the Strike between the Brazilian company and Members of USW 6500 entered its ninth month. 

 TARA WALTON - Mohamed Kajouji (right), the father of Nadia, an 18-year-old Carleton University student who became depressed after leaving her Brampton home and later drowned herself in the Rideau River in March 2008.

LUCAS OLENIUK - The cast and crew of "Unnamed Superheroes", a parody of the film "Kick-Ass", shot in Toronto's port area Tuesday afternoon.  The film is a school project for director and York University student Vas Saranga.  Saranga's films can be watched at www.3shadeproductions.com. 

RICK EGLINTON - Graeme Cameron demonstrates the quality of his custom made "Best Made Co." axes from the U.S.

STEVE RUSSELL - Chris Bosh lays on the ground after missing a shot to win the game as the Toronto Raptors lose to the Golden State Warriors 113-112 at the buzzer at the Air Canada Centre.   

TONY BOCK -  Kevin Youkilis out at home in the first inning on the throw from right fielder Travis Snider to catcher John Buck, after J. D. Drew singles on a ground ball to right. 

MICHELLE SHEPHARD - GUANTANAMO BAY - A detainee runs the track inside Camp 4, where "highly compliant" detainees, including Canadian Omar Khadr, are imprisoned. Khadr was 15 when detained in Afghanistan and is charged with five war crimes including murder for the death of Delta Force soldier Christopher Speer. Now 23, his case is the first to go to trial under under the Obama administration this week. 

COLIN McCONNELL - The 60th aniversary  jubilee mass  at  St. Casimir's parish on Roncessvales honoured the death of the Polish president, the First Lady and nearly 100 others in the plane crash in Poland.

 RICK MADONIK -  Lyba Spring, sexual health promoter with Toronto Public Health, in her downtown office, with two puberty felt aids which have interchangeable parts to demonstrate to kids the changes that will occur in their bodies.