Documenting heritage buildings and the stories behind them for future generations.
Growing up I spent summers playing and working on farms in Manitoba and Northern Ontario. Living on farms during that time has certainly left an impression on me that continues to this day. Just looking at old homes, barns, and outbuildings takes me back to my youth and I feel a deep connection to them.
When photographing old buildings I often find myself wondering what it was like living and working in them in the early days. Life was much simpler back then and there is a charm about that time in history that will never be seen again.
All photographs in the Heritage Photo Project are researched at the local archives to include a story behind them. It’s nice to see a photo of an old building however knowing the story behind it makes me feel more connected to it. In one photograph I took of a sheep barn the newspaper story of Ray Carman holding a black sheep that was born in that barn back in 1951 is included along with any print sold. Whatever research has been done on the photo will always be included with it.
Property owners that have a heritage building on it will be contacted directly as information about their buildings comes to my attention. News articles will try to encourage these owners to contact me to have their buildings photographed. There is no fee to have me photograph these buildings and the home owner gets all of the digital files for their own personal use as well.
Some of the images will be made into fine art prints and artwork for sale in various locations throughout the area. 10% of the profit from the sale of these items will go to the charity of the property owners choice.
A detailed property release statement must be agreed upon by the property owner. It will state the donation charity of their choice, image usage rights, and any other photography arrangements they are comfortable with.
Our heritage buildings are disappearing all too soon. In particular, the old barns and outbuildings that have had little to no weather proofing. If you know of anyone who owns a heritage building in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia please get in touch with me. There is no charge for this service.
“I want to confirm that Carsten Arnold is not only a very skilled photographer but also a very professional individual who has been very attentive and respectful of our needs while working on our property. I would definitely recommend that he is allowed to pursue his photography project on your property. You will find that Carsten communicates very well with property owners before and after he does his work.”
“Recording our architectural heritage is important. Carsten Arnold does it with passion and artistry. I wish him much success and hope that he will get all the support he deserves.”
Sylvie Roussel-Janssens