Soccer fans' passion reflected in pictures.
Toronto Community News contributing photographer Joseph Michael Howarth will display his Waving Flags: Toronto's World Cup Frenzy photo exhibit at The Rivoli Lounge.
Photo/COURTESY
Joseph Michael Howarth isn't particularly fond of soccer.
"I'm a big sports fan, but not a soccer fan at all," said the St. Clair and Oakwood avenues resident.
As a grade 10 student at St. Michael's College School, he was fascinated by the Italian, Greek and Portuguese pride that would emerge during the World Cup at his school; flags waving at every corner, car horns blaring along St. Clair Avenue.
"The school was suddenly transformed," Howarth said. "I was surrounded by something fantastic I knew nothing about."
As a young photographer in June 2006, Howarth was hunting for a photo project when the memories of World Cup fever came back. "I was challenged by the idea of finding fans from all 32 countries (competing in the World Cup)," he said.
When a Toronto newspaper included a map of where to go in the city to cheer on your favourite country, Howarth thought it would be a piece of cake to find fans to photograph.
He soon found out the map was misleading.
"There's no Togo bar in town, no Ivory Coast (Cote d'Ivoire) bar in town," he said.
So after calling bars, embassies and getting tips by word of mouth, Howarth managed to snap fans from all 32 countries while they watched the matches, travelling as far north to Yonge Street and Steeles Avenue, east to Scarborough, south to St. Clair Avenue and College Street and west to Streetsville.
"The three hardest were Togo, Ivory Coast and Paraguay," he said of finding fans. "I was talking to the high commissioner of Mali and he knew a woman from the Ivory Coast in Toronto and gave me her name. I did all the shooting within two weeks of the tournament."
Howarth, a freelance photographer who shoots for Toronto Community News, said he turned down a paid photo assignment because he had to get shots of Sweden fans, the last team needed to complete his project.
"At the bars it was pretty easy to shoot," Howarth said. "Not a single person objected to a photo. I felt so embraced and welcomed. There's something special about the World Cup."
Four years later, coinciding with the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, Howarth's photos will be on display during his first solo exhibit Waving Flags: Toronto's World Cup Frenzy, June 6 to July 11 at The Rivoli Lounge, 344 Queen St. W., east of Spadina Avenue.
The official opening will take place Thursday, June 10 from 7 to 10 p.m.
All images, from a single Ivory Coast fan watching a game in an apartment to 5,000 South Korean fans packed into the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, were taken during a live television broadcast of a World Cup game, with the exception of the Ivory Coast game where a re-broadcast was used, but the fan was watching it for the first time.
"I needed to be there live during the game," Howarth said. "I wanted the moment of passion during the game. This year there are 13 new teams so I'm going to add to my collection. There aren't too many cities in the world you can do this sort of thing."
Howarth also chose to use the natural light provided so he didn't interfere with those watching the game or the environment itself, he said.
The World Cup will be held June 11 to July 11.
For information regarding Howarth's exhibit visit www.worldcupintoronto.com