CALGARY – Ara Shimoon is rebuilding his photography portfolio after losing almost a decade of work in what he calls “a catastrophic computer meltdown” nearly a year ago.
He starts each morning the same way.
“It’s double armericano with a savory scone on the regular and he’s always talking to people here,” Carmen Pederson, a barista at the Roasterie Café, said.
Shimoon is using his community as a backdrop for his latest project.
#Sunnyside365 captures a photo for every day of the year, featuring people and places that make Sunnyside home.
“The neighbourhood changes day by day,” Shimoon said. “Right now you can see the leaves and the buds starting to pop up on the trees. So it’s neat to explore that at a street level.”
Sunnyside is home to the well-to-do and struggling artists alike. It’s a strange mix. Infill neighbours historic homes.
“It was a big turning point in the project when I realized that there’s a real human story here based on the sorts of people that come through the neighbourhood,” Shimoon said. “A lot of people love this place, but they can’t afford to stay.”
Each photo includes a story and quotes, describing each subject’s connection to one of Calgary’s oldest communities.
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“It’s great to see people that you know or spots in the community that you walk past all the time that you never take the time to think about. Then you just read his commentary about it, it’s a really special experience,” Pederson said. She follows Shimoon’s daily posts to Instagram and other social media networks.
While Sunnyside itself continues to rebuild following the 2013 flood – and the city battles an economic downturn – Shimoon’s journey reflects promise in the next step.
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