One Photo Every Minute

Name: One Photo Every Minute
Item: Glenbow Museum
Author: Galleries West

December 19, 2016

11:00 AM

M.N. Hutchinson, “June 21, 1999, 09:32," 1999/2016

As the shortest day of the year arrives, visitors to the Glenbow Museum in Calgary can contemplate the longest via a fascinating project by M.N. Hutchinson. The Calgary photographer spent June 21, 1999, the last summer solstice of the 20th century, taking a photo every minute – starting at sunrise at 4:23 a.m. and continuing until sunset at 11:10 p.m. He planned his day almost like a military expedition, carrying two cameras, four lenses and 40 rolls of black-and-white film around his inner city neighbourhood of Bowness. Hutchinson took more than 900 shots.

M.N. Hutchinson, “June 21, 1999, 08:47," 1999/2016

M.N. Hutchinson, “June 21, 1999, 08:53," 1999/2016

M.N. Hutchinson, “June 21, 1999, 08:58" 1999/2016

The 106 images chosen for The Last Longest Day, on view until Feb. 26, are often mundane – lawn ornaments, a leafy bank of shrubbery, the windowless back wall of one of the city’s many stucco bungalows – as might be expected from such a demanding project. But each shot is composed with thought and an eye to tone, form and focus – a remarkable feat of both concentration and endurance. Hutchinson, who has a Master's degree in fine arts from the University of Calgary, only recently went into the darkroom to develop his 17-year-old images. For him, the project proves that after 25 years as a photographer, he sees the world differently. “The potential for beauty doesn’t rely on anything special occurring in front of you,” he says. “It’s something you make.”