"Crafty Culberts" Presents Mary-Lynn Culbert

 Mary-Lynn Culbert (the great-great-granddaughter of John Culbert & Mary Ward) was born 10 August 1959 to parents, Kenneth Arthur Culbert and Helen Needham.

Mary-Lynn Culbert at Saratoga Beach on Vancouver Island during their first snow fall upon returning to Canada in December, 2019. Photo by Mary-Lynn's husband, Paul Ciglen.

Here's Mary-Lynn to tell you about her passion for photography, followed by a presentation of some of her photographs. 

I was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada but my family moved to Toronto just before I turned two years old, so I have no memories of La Belle Province. I grew up in Toronto, met my future husband, and moved to New York City, in 2001. After 14 1/2 years in NYC, we decided to take over a family property in Largo, Florida. After almost five years there, we'd had enough of the heat, humidity, and the rapidly degrading sociopolitical situation in the United States, and decided it was time to return home. We chose Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, as our new home.  

My interest in photography began in childhood. My dad, Kenneth Culbert, was a ferocious chronicler of family events, large and small. My childhood was punctuated by the pop of flash bulbs. One of my favorite family activities was to sit around a table covered with photo albums, listening to my parents tell stories of the people and places captured therein. 

And every summer, I would look forward to a visit from my brother, Campbell Culbert, who spent many years earning his living as a professional photographer.  Dad would bring home a screen and projector from the office, and Cam would give us a slide show of the work he'd been doing all over the world for the past year. Every image had a tale attached to it; some scary, some funny, all of them fascinating.

I was also inspired by my cousin, Terry Culbert, and his behind-the-camera work.  As a journalist, writer, and illustrator, he used the medium of film to bring a news item to life, or to compliment his written words and graphic images. My parents would get so excited, and we'd all gather around the TV whenever "one of Terry's pieces" was on the evening news. His books were proudly displayed and showed off to every visitor.   

I've always associated photographs not just with imagery, but with story telling. Sometimes it's a big, dramatic story that's obvious to anyone passing by. However, a photo can also tell a small, quiet tale about something that may have gone unnoticed.

Something that surprised me about photographs is how they can be utterly mundane and emotionally evocative at the same time. Having lost three family members over the last two years, I've been going through a lot of old albums and boxes of photos; and I've been so often stunned at the depth of emotion a single image can stir.

I've never offered my photos for sale or exhibited them. In fact, this is the first time anyone has ever showed any interest in them (thanks, MJ!). It's always something I've done for myself, simply to document a trip or event. However, after my mom, Helen (Needham) Culbert gave me the gift of a digital camera for my birthday about 10 years ago, it made it much easier to begin to use it as a way to tell my own stories. Having a camera with me makes me much more aware of my environment, and to see things in much more detail. I'm much more aware of light and shadow now, than I ever was; of patterns, movement, and stillness. I can't wait to get out and photograph more of our beautiful new home!   

Click on the any of the following images to enlarge them... 

Black and white study, Metropolitan Museum of Art sculpture garden, New York City, Sept. 9, 2016.

 

DUMBO ("Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass" - the actual name of the neighborhood), Brooklyn, Nov. 25, 2011.

Passing through, Central Park, New York City, Sept. 9, 2016.

Golden creature, Largo, Florida, Oct. 28, 2108.

Mist-covered feather, Discovery Passage, Vancouver Island, Oct., 2020

Driftwood and stones, Discovery Passage, Vancouver Island, Oct., 2020.

Dogwood sunset, Campbell River, British Columbia, August 21, 2020.

Stormy skies and seagulls, Campbell River, BC, Aug. 6, 2020.

Ridges, Campbell River, BC, Jan. 11, 2021.

Eye of the Beast, at Miracle Beach, Vancouver Island, BC, Jan. 3, 2021.

Thanks, Mary-Lynn!

Mary-Lynn Culbert's Family Tree:
Ancestors:
John Culbert & Mary Ward (great-great-grandparents)
Richard Culbert & Jane Eleanor Fairhall (great-grandparents)
Myron Manford Culbert & Effie Pearl Taylor (grandparents)
Kenneth Arthur Culbert & Helen Needham (parents)