U of O alumnus creates Humans Of New York-inspired blog
Photo: Allegra Morgado
Humans of New York (HONY) is an inspiring photoblog that was started by Brandon Stanton in Nov. 2010. The blog has since amassed millions of followers and is widely read by people from all over the world. One of those readers is Univesity of Ottawa alumnus Karl Claude.
Claude enjoyed Stanton’s blog so much that he was inspired to start his own HONY-inspired blog—OttawaPixels. The photojournalism project will be launching in mid-October, using Facebook as its main platform for publishing.
Claude’s blog will culminate photos with short reflective stories as told by citizens of Ottawa to introduce the lives and journeys of individuals within the community. “Even the most benign realities can be fascinating, and I would like to create my own twist to them,” said Claude.
After graduating in 2004 from the U of O with a diploma in public management and governance, Claude got a job working for the government. However, he has always had a passion for the arts, and spends the majority of his free time participating in visual and dramatic arts in the Ottawa area as an actor, comedian, writer, filmmaker and photographer.
Claude will begin the project by releasing photographs of individuals with a short story to compliment the frame. Once the project gains some traction, Claude plans to take a different direction than Stanton’s HONY, and combine mediums of photography and storytelling by editing the subjects narration over a stylized video based on the theme of storylines.
“I always look beyond the photo and I want to create something with that element, looking past just the moment,” he said.
Claude has posted a “pre-launch” teaser photo on the Facebook page, and will be officially launching the blog in the next few weeks. His hope for the project is that the page helps connect the large Ottawa community, and that the gripping and inspiring stories he shares will help followers rediscover how intriguing daily life can be.
For more information and to follow the blogs launch, you can like the OttawaPixels page at https://www.facebook.com/ottawapixels?fref=ts.
—With Files from Allegra Morgado
