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No limitsBarbara Cole never knew what she couldn’t do

By Jeff Kent

B eing a self-taught photo artist can

be a blessing and a curse. It

can free your work from staid

convention, but it can also

be mentally and financially

draining. Nothing is a

given; you have to figure

out how to translate your

ideas into images or you’ll fail.

This constant struggle to

reinvent the wheel breaks some

photographers. Others, it inspires.

Barbara Cole, a commercial and fine

art photographer from Toronto, is one of

those who found inspiration. From

her earliest days behind

a camera, Cole

simply made

Imagination is more important than knowledge.”—Albert Einstein, “On Science”

I wasn’t concerned with

warning signs about a

project’s being too huge or

too difficult. I just came up

with ideas and found ways

to execute them.

All images ©Barbara Cole

the images she wanted to make.Unaware that a task was supposed to betoo difficult to achieve, she dove inhead first and found a way, period. Theresult is a body of work that’s bothinnovative and unhindered.

“Because I was almost completelyself-taught, I knew no limitations,” saysCole. “I wasn’t concerned with warningsigns about a project’s being too huge ortoo difficult. I just came up with ideas andfound ways to execute them. Often, Icame up with ideas that were way beyondmy knowledge base, and I would justlearn what I needed to learn to make themhappen. Looking back, I probably wouldnot have done some of those [images] ifI had known what was involved.”

Cole got started in photography atthe Toronto Sun newspaper, where shewent to work as a fashion writer afterdropping out of high school. Sheworked her way up to fashion editor,and was then responsible for providingeverything for her section, includingthe photography. For a while, sheenlisted news staff photographers torun the fashion shoots. Eventually,though, the photojournalism-orientedshooters started to find the fashionshoots redundant. And these weren’tthe kind of images that won awardsfor newspaper photographers. So, acouple of them took Cole into thestudio and showed her the basics.From there, Cole was on her own.

The challenge is understanding

exactly what the client wants.

I have to determine what element

of my work they are picking up

on, whether it’s the lighting, the

color palette, the texture. Once

you get the kernel of the

idea, once you

understand

what they

want, then you

move forward.

She took to the camera like a painter to brushes.

All told, Cole spent a decade withthe Sun, honing her craft and buildingher skills from the platform of fashionphotography. During a sabbatical fromthe paper, she opened a studio of herown, and launched herself into a fineart project for Toronto’s Jane CorkinGallery. Since then, Cole has produceda series of gallery projects and travelingshows, often working on artistic projectsfor several years and simultaneouslydoing a broad selection of advertisingand editorial photography.

The tightrope of art and business“Balancing my gallery work with

my commercial work is like walking atightrope,” says Cole. “If you let onelapse, you fall off and have to start allover again. The artwork pays for itself,but it’s a very long curve. From thetime you start the project to where youcan sell your prints, it’s two or threeyears. So the commercial work keeps

the studio going and keeps me fresh,working with other creative individuals,learning new techniques.”

Cole says her artwork heavilyinfluences her commercial images, but sheconcedes that it’s the commercial workthat forces her to be a more technicallyastute photographer. For instance, she wasprompted into using digital capture bythe demands of a particular commercialjob, which forced her to learn aboutdigital file delivery and on-site imagepresentation. “The commercial workdefinitely keeps me on top of my gamephotographically and digitally,” says Cole.

Whatever lessons she learns fromcommercial projects, Cole in turnapplies to creating art. This circular,symbiotic relationship between fine artand commercial work is self-sustaining.

Cole’s artwork is hers alone, born ofher personal inspiration, conductedthrough her own means, and finally self-edited. “When I’m doing my gallery work,I explore as I go, and I only disappointmyself if it doesn’t work out,” she says.

The commercial projects, on the otherhand, are collaborative. Clients, artdirectors, marketing pros—a wholehost of people whose contributions factorinto the final product. “The challengehere is understanding exactly what theclient wants,” says Cole. “I have todetermine what element of my workthey are picking up on, whether it’s thelighting, the color palette, the texture.Once you get the kernel of the idea,once you understand what they want,then you move forward.”

Cole always runs tests designed tospark more ideas and raise questions.In close cooperation with the art director,she works through the issues presentedby the client. She asks a million questions.She meticulously sets everything up inadvance. She coordinates the details onher end of the project to make sureeveryone is on the same page.

“I guess that’s the beauty and thestress of being an artist on a deadline,”she says. “You’re an artist for someoneelse. You’re bringing your level of taste

30 • www.peimag.com

and experience to the job, but you haveto remember it’s their job. You have todo what they want. Ultimately, it’sabout their idea and their specific need;it’s not about you.”

Taking it digitalCole has worked with Adobe

Photoshop since 1995, when sheapplied it to digitally cleaning up theimages in her “Painted Lady” series.Taken with a Polaroid SX-70, thesebegan as small, instant Polaroid prints.While the dyes were still wet, Colewould manipulate the imagesmanually with a toothpick or a pencilto create an oil-paint feel. To get thereproduction sizes she wanted, she

had to scan the manipulated prints.Photoshop proved invaluable inhelping her to remove dust marks andscratches before outputting the imageson watercolor paper.

Ever since, digital imaging has beenpart of Cole’s workflow, whether it’s fordigital touchups, painterly effects inPhotoshop or digital capture forcommercial jobs. She also depends ondigital technology in displaying workto clients, and her image-loaded laptopalways travels with her.

“It’s critical for me to have mymaterial with me wherever I go,” shesays. “When I’m talking to a client, Ivisually extrapolate. I show them thecreative ways I’ve approached other

projects. The client gains confidence inyou if they can see a picture rather thanjust having you explain something.”

Decades after she first picked up acamera, Cole is still motivated to keeplearning. Each new project, each com-mercial job, inspires her to learn some-thing new. Yet she always remains trueto the idea behind the image. “For me,it isn’t enough to make an image justbecause it’s interesting,” she explains.“There has to be something more.”

This dedication to the concept must bewhat makes Cole such an effectivecommercial photographer and aninventive fine artist. The corollary tothe story: Learn everything you can,except your creative limitations. ❏