Anyone living in the Prairies has experienced that outsider feeling at one point or another—Canada’s great plains are (sadly!) often disregarded in favour of the flashy big cities on either side. But our Furniture Designer of the Year (and Winnipegger) Thom Fougere finds something inspiring about being on the margins. “I find it empowering when searching for something original, an angle on a project,” he explains. “There’s this kind of overlooked beauty about the Prairies, and I think the overlooked is generally what I’m interested in.” Read More HERE
Recently I was assigned to photograph Thom Fougere for Western Living magazine. This wasn’t the first time. Many years ago, Thom was on the radar of the magazine and I photographed him with a few of his favourite things.
But this portrait was to accompany the announcement of his winning Furniture Designer of the Year. Both of us really wanted to figure out a way making this session a bit unique. After some emails flying about between us and the art director, Thom and I talked on the phone and we brainstormed until we hit upon a great idea. We’d photograph him at the quarry where he sources out Tyndall stone, one of the most distinct materials he uses in his work, unique to our region.
Needless to say the space gave us so many interesting opportunities. It was a swelteringly hot day so the space had a real desert vibe. The hard direct sun immediately made me think of one of my photographic inspirations Anton Corbjin As much as I enjoy seeing the published image in colour I offer it here and some of the outtakes in Black and White.
