Adam Graham Photography

the long decline

2006-06-04T11:07:00.000-03:00

This may be the end of updates to this blog. It has become redundant in the process of redesigning my main website. So, head on over there and have a look. It's not done yet, but my bloggy part of the site is up and running so I probably won't be hanging out over here all that much.

moth

2006-05-22T17:04:00.000-03:00

macrolicious

2006-05-14T21:05:00.000-03:00

Lily of the valley with my lovely new macro lens. Love it.

forsythia

2006-05-07T20:50:00.000-03:00

photo from a recent lunch break

tumble

2006-05-01T20:09:00.000-03:00

stone stem

2006-04-28T11:47:00.000-03:00

I took this on my lunch break yesterday. It takes me about 10 minutes to walk to the cemetery. It doesn't give me a lot of time to shoot, but it's a nice break.

glass

2006-04-26T09:48:00.000-03:00

flowerbox

2006-04-25T15:33:00.000-03:00

overcome

2006-04-21T22:24:00.000-03:00

different setup

2006-04-20T10:18:00.000-03:00

more abandon

2006-04-20T09:56:00.000-03:00

I love seeing nature reclaim space.

abandoned suburb

2006-04-20T09:46:00.000-03:00

I was in Saint John last weekend for Easter. The weather cooperated enough that I had the chance to go do some test shots that will hopefully become the basis for a series some day. There's an area close to where I grew up where the outlines of a neighbourhood were sketched but never filled in. There are roads, underground electrical wires, drainage systems, fire hydrants, etc. but there have never been any houses. Over the years it's been overgrown and things have been stripped away. People try to set fires and teenagers party and smash stuff. I love it. These pictures are tests. I would like to go back with the right equipment in the right lighting to spend some more time there. For now, you'll have to enjoy these.

In other news, I ordered a new lens while in Saint John as well. It's a Canon 50mm f/2.5 macro. I'm excited about it. It may not be exactly what I'm looking for but it was in my current price range and will definitely be better than no macro lens. Now it's just a tortuous wait and trying to figure out the best way to get it to Yarmouth from Saint John.

worm

2006-04-02T11:02:00.000-03:00

crocus

2006-03-28T11:37:00.000-04:00

I spent most of the day in the garden/yard yesterday. I got about 1/10000000th of the work done that needs to be done, but with gardening I find the work as important as the result. I don't think it would feel like spring if my shoulders didn't hurt from raking. I rewarded myself with some picture taking of what is currently blooming.

About a week ago I liberated some incredibly new-looking shelving from a dumpster outside the mall. Turns out that it fits perfectly in our shed. Couldn't fit any better.

I got a delivery notice today for a package. I think I will have my mug in my hands tonight.

Redwood

2006-03-26T18:34:00.000-04:00

"California Redwood sold by Yarmouth Woodworkers"

This place makes me think of the way Yarmouth used to be. I love seeing the old pictures from back when Yarmouth was booming. Shipbuilding, gold mining, a cigar factory, a theatre on Main Street. Yarmouth a beautiful place that needs it's vibrancy restored.

I FINALLY DID IT!

2006-03-26T18:11:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I accomplished a goal that I've had for a long long time. I won a CBC mug (I can hear you gasping in newfound respect). I grew up with CBC Radio. I remember fondly the shows hosted by Peter Gzowski, Vicki Gabereau (okay, not as fondly), Bill Richardson, and Arthur Black. I have an unhealthy admiration for anything Jian Ghomeshi does (how can they be cancelling The National Playlist? Forget sponsorship, this requires a public inquiry.) and have had my vocabulary expanded by listening to Rex Murphy (to the point where I can sometimes even follow his Globe and Mail column). Over the years, I've always been jealous when other people have been awarded the ultimate CBC prize. Yesterday, listening to the Mystery Vocalist Contest on Weekend Mornings I knew I had my chance (In case you've lived a sheltered life to this point and don't listed to CBC, I'll explain the contest. It's a fairly standard name-that-singer contest. They play four short clips together and if you get through and name one of the four correctly you get a prize.). I normally have no idea who the vocalists are. I'm not exactly in the tradional Weekend Mornings demographic. But yesterday morning, glorious morning that it was, when I heard the clips played I knew 3 of the 4. (The contest is once an hour for the three hours that the show runs) No one got any correct the first hour. I called and didn't get through the second hour. Two of my three were correctly guessed. Surprisingly, I got through as first caller the third hour and proudly answered correctly. O, the sweet sweet feeling of accomplishment. I've met a standard set by my beloved CBC and she has bestowed upon me her highest honour. When it arrives I will post a picture.

chinese lantern

2006-03-14T16:12:00.000-04:00

I'm no botanist. Maybe I should be. I love plants enough that I should care enough to be able to name their parts. Maybe if I knew more I would be able to say why these stay on the plant during winter, the shell slowly disintegrating into an intricate cage. I think it would probably heighten my appreciation for the whole process. I'm not sure that I ever will though. For now, I'm content to point at a thing and say, "That's incredible," and to try and photographically communicate the way it reveals itself to me.

snowdrop

2006-03-12T12:49:00.000-04:00

Apparently my predicion about the timing of our first flowers arriving was a bit off. The snow melted off this week and, behold, snowdrops. There are a few crocuses peeking up too. Very exciting stuff.

rock in ice

2006-03-10T12:50:00.000-04:00

frosty morning

2006-03-09T11:30:00.000-04:00

Even though in some parts of the world spring is already springing we're still a while away from blooming flowers. Winter has it's beauty though. The other morning when I was out shooting, everything that was in shadow was covered in lovely frost.

rocks this morning

2006-03-07T21:37:00.000-04:00

I went to the beach this morning and took many pictures. I was there on Sunday too. On Sunday there was fresh snow down and I saw a lot of different animal tracks. Some that I could recognize and some that I couldn't. There was one set of tracks running over the snow just below where the land drops down onto the beach. I didn't recognize the tracks. It struck me as odd how the animal would go over and around the snow covered rocks rather than up in the field. I guess less predation would be one answer. But then I thought that play might be another. I was out there in the fresh snow, taking a walk among the rocks, why wouldn't another animal be playing by the water that morning? The idea of animals playing has been on my mind since then. Animals clearly play. I love watching the cormorants at Reversing Falls in Saint John. They float down through the spinning, churning currents only to fly back upriver to start it all again. Over and over. I wonder what role it serves in their lives. I wonder what role it should serve in mine.

warmth

2006-03-01T21:08:00.000-04:00

It's freezing here today. Has been for the past little while. I really wish I had something like this to cozy up to tonight.

Whenever I think of fire now, I think of fire-painter.com

mini space station

2006-02-28T14:58:00.000-04:00

Mini fallen satellite dish. Please click image to view large for maximum effect.

Happy Birthday! (in fake miniture form)

2006-02-28T14:31:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday Annie and Eric (Beth, Matt, and Charlotte you can all accept this as belated birthday wishes too)!

I've learned something fun today. Via boingboing I came to this tutorial about how to make a photograph look like it was taken of a scale model of the scene rather than the scene itself. My picture above isn't great material for this technique (it works best looking down on objects that are further away) but I thought it was fun anyway. I can picture a miniature version of my doorknob picture hanging inside a model of dining room. There is now a flickr group for this technique if you want to see more examples of it. Some of my favourites are:
Philadelphia 1947

P1130486p

P1130475p

bryce canyon model

2005_1030ModelVillage50018 copy

Tiny spectacle

squeeze

2006-02-28T09:44:00.000-04:00

To see any of these pictures larger, just click on the image.

continuing

2006-02-26T12:31:00.000-04:00

thrown

2006-02-25T18:31:00.000-04:00

I love the way the shoreline changes constantly. Not just the stuff that washes up, but the way the rocks and sand get sculpted by the tides. Some things get covered with rocks pushed up by the waves. Some things get uncovered. I love the sound of rocks getting sucked back as a wave recedes. These rocks that get tossed up always amaze me. They seem so out of place sitting a few vertical feet above the high water line. I need to spend more time at the beach.

Andy Goldsworthy

2006-02-24T15:22:00.000-04:00

This morning I went with Luke to the beach to see about making stone sculptures. Luke was inspired by the work of Andy Goldsworthy. Here and here are a couple of links to see some of his work. His work with natural elements is arrestingly beautiful. The weather was less than great so I didn't get to take as many pictures as I would have liked (I haven't had my new camera long enough to really risk a lot of snow exposure yet) but here are a couple. These are towers that Luke built. My work (a spiral of increasingly larger white stones) was too covered with snow by the time I finished to get even a workable picture. The top photo was taken by Luke.

olympic spirit

2006-02-21T11:01:00.000-04:00

I found these tracks by the bird feeder this morning. I think the birds are getting into the olympic spirit and having some cross country skiing races. I love the olympics. Go Canada Go!

- -

2006-02-17T11:57:00.000-04:00

-

2006-02-17T11:51:00.000-04:00

more and more

2006-02-16T18:19:00.000-04:00

2006-02-16T10:03:00.000-04:00

tulip macros

2006-02-15T11:13:00.000-04:00

Since I don't have a real macro lens yet, I have to make do with flipping my lens around and improvising. I had more luck this morning with figuring out distances and focussing. I think I'll probably be playing with this technique a bit more. I like these results.

tulip 2.0

2006-02-12T21:12:00.000-04:00

This is a different take on the tulip. It is a manipulation from a different base image than the previous post. I think it captures more of what I was seeing, although it still falls a bit short.

tulip

2006-02-12T14:10:00.000-04:00

I should buy my wife flowers more often.

100th post

2006-02-09T19:51:00.000-04:00

Yay! This is my 100th post here. I'm surprised at the number of people who have wandered through here in the last 100 posts (especially when I was on the boingboing main page). Hopefully now that I have my new camera my posting will be a bit steadier. Speaking of my new camera, one of the things that I really like about it is that I can change my ISO whenever I need to. The drawback is that if I forget to check it (as I did with this picture) then I can end up with more pixellation and colour distortion than I want. Practice makes perfect I guess.

braille

2006-02-08T17:31:00.000-04:00

I took this today while my wonderful wife was doing a bit of work at home. She was adding a few notes to a text that had been converted into braille for one of her students.

on the boat

2006-02-08T14:16:00.000-04:00

Good news everyone! I now have my new camera. It's a lovely Canon 20D and it is phenomenal. I am so happy with it. It still hasn't sunk in yet that I actually have it, but the more I use it the more it will. There is so much I have to learn and this is the best tool for me to do it. Can you tell I'm excited about it?

Ah, Saint John, the city that I love. Saint John will always feel like home. I can't wait for a trip when I actually have time to go around and shoot with my new camera. For a much more interesting post dealing with the city you can read Josh's post.

today

2006-02-01T21:33:00.000-04:00

forchu

2006-02-01T21:16:00.000-04:00

one week to go

2006-01-29T21:49:00.000-04:00

In just one week from today I'll have my hands on my Canon 20D. I'm so excited to be making the jump into digital. I've really missed the control over the final product that I had when I was able to develop my own film. Seven short days and it will be in my hands.

Today was an absolutely gorgeous day here. It was sunny and warm and not too windy. I went out to the lighthouse and shot for more than two hours. It was great. I used up an old roll of black and white IR film that I've had sitting in the freezer and a roll of colour. It was a very relaxing day off. My stress level drops to about zero when I'm involved in something creatively. It was nice to forget for a while that I'm heading into my third six-day work week in a row because we're short-staffed. But those six days should fly by knowing that my new camera awaits on the seventh

wild Canada wild

2006-01-27T21:25:00.000-04:00

Dead whales and abandoned sailboats are only a small fraction of what washes up on the beaches around here. I'm always a bit surprised to see things like half-full French salad dressing bottles on my outings. In fact, that day as I walked along I found myself mentally restocking a refrigerator with the things I saw. A lot of it around here though is lobster fishing castoffs: bait bags, lots of rope, wooden crates, pieces of pots, and claw bands like this one.

Speaking of lobster fishing. All schools should try to keep their Google image preferences set to 'SafeSearch ON' if they don't want their students looking for 'lobster fishing' and ending up looking at pictures that would be better suited to Sex Ed than Social Studies.

kitty kitty

2006-01-19T09:03:00.000-04:00

People tend to laugh when they see our cat. Even the vet said, "Boy, he's a big one," when she saw him. Yes, he's massive. Surprisingly, he's not really obese, just really really big. He does his fair share of eating and sleeping but every now and then he gets it in his little furry brain to launch his bulk up into the air. And now, my lovely wife, as objective proof that her favourite furry friend isn't as slothful as everyone thinks, has caught some of his antics with her camera. Behold, the amazing jumping cat. (you can see much better jumping cat pictures here)

down and up

2006-01-15T11:09:00.000-04:00

I've been pretty under the weather for the past couple of weeks so you'll have to excuse my absence.

On a lighter note, Josh has stumbled across the best blonde joke ever. Blonde jokes usually aren't my cup of tea but if my big brother recommends it, you know it has to be palatable.

box

2006-01-05T20:01:00.000-04:00

horse head

2006-01-04T21:38:00.000-04:00

paper cup

2006-01-03T17:16:00.000-04:00

swan

2006-01-02T11:35:00.000-04:00

If you're interested in someone who really knows origami, check out Joseph Wu. There's also a cool piece about him in an old issue of CBC Radio 3's online magazine. Go to their new website and follow the Magazine Archive link at the bottom. I believe it is in Volume 1 Issue 7.

Happy New Year!

2006-01-01T21:36:00.000-04:00

I bought myself a very interesting daily tear away calendar the other day for 50% off. It's theme is origami. Every day you get to try folding a new object with the previous day's paper. They get more difficult as the year (and hopefully my skill level) progresses. This sailboat is today's object.

I had a great New Year's Eve last night. Food, games, fireworks, champagne, kisses, and conversation lasting until 3 in the morning. How could you ask for anything more?

kitchen

2005-12-24T12:39:00.000-04:00

Merry Christmas Eve

2005-12-24T12:21:00.000-04:00

This is a lovely handmade Christmas card that we received from some lovely friends. Merry Christmas Eve!

flutter

2005-12-15T20:28:00.000-04:00

A lot of times when I'm shooting it feels like the first number of shots are kind of like photographic doodling. It takes me a while to get used to seeing photographically when I haven't done it for a while. A big part of the reason why I am excited about the prospect of digital is the ability to get into that mode more often. I find that shooting film gives a sort of gravity to the photographic process that I can't wait to shed (probably because of the expense of it). My love for creating beautiful images will keep me from just snapping at anything but I do think I'll feel a certain freedom once I get my camera (although I'm sure any creative bonds that I have now are of my own making).

grasses

2005-12-14T21:50:00.000-04:00

I crawled around my backyard this morning in the freezing cold to grab some shots. For some reason my shooting opportunities in winter always seem to fall on the coldest days.

more frozen leaves

2005-12-14T21:35:00.000-04:00

This is the effect that I really like with the frozen leaves. This is with the sheet of frozen leaves popped out of the cookie sheet and propped up against the window. I tried using distilled water this year to see about getting less bubbles in the ice.

Frozen Leaves

2005-12-14T21:12:00.000-04:00

This is my third year that I've played with autumn leaves like this. Every year I try slightly different methods to see what I get. I think I picked up the idea from one of the critique sites that I visit. It doesn't take a whole lot of preparation. I just gather some leaves, spread them on cookie sheets, fill the cookie sheet with water, carefully place the cookie sheets in the freezer and let them sit overnight. The next day, or the next time I have the chance, I just pop them out of the freezer and shoot away. These are leaves from our gorgeous Japanese Cherry tree.

Commentary from a camera

2005-12-13T20:40:00.000-04:00

It's been quite a while since I read, 'The photo commentary of an expensive camera in the hands of an amateur.' (from McSweeneys) For some reason it came back to mind today. Here are a few of my favourite lines (but you really should read the whole thing):

'Your background experience involves taking pictures of high-school girls in bikinis in the deep end of the country-club swimming pool with an underwater disposable camera.'

'You can always use an ultrahard-contrast paper when you develop the picture to bring about your desired artistic affect, but I know you're going to end up taking me to Wal-Mart to get this printed out on butcher paper.'

' I don't want to sound condescending, but I think if you unrolled a spool of unused film, the sun would expose a better picture.'

I think this is an hilarious way to address the camera/photographer connection. If I had a dollar for every time someone, after looking at some of my pictures, said, 'You must have a really nice camera,' I might have enough money to buy one of these (in all truth I probably would be closer to that camera if I had a dollar for every time I've heard someone exaggerate by saying 'if I had a dollar for every time . . .'). It is kind of a weird situation. Does having nicer gear make you a better photographer? I think the beauty of some pinhole or toy camera photography shows that the answer is a resounding no. But being able to get the results that you want does sometimes necessitate nicer gear. Increased control seems to be the big issue in moving to more expensive equipment. The bottom line is, if someone is showing you pictures that you like, discuss the pictures and not the camera.

DIY macro lens

2005-12-11T17:46:00.000-04:00

Today on boing boing I found one of the coolest do-it-yourself projects that I've ever seen. It is essentially turning an empty Pringles can into a bellows, which turns a standard 50mm lens into a macro lens, letting you get super close to things. Just have a look at how close he is able to focus on a match. It's a fairly simple project with all kinds of potential. You should check it out. Link (via boing boing)

I once messed around with some camera equipment and turned my SLR into a pinhole camera. It was loads of fun. I didn't really get any great shots from it but if I can scan one I'll post it here. Maybe I should get out and try some more. Link to instructions.

Speaking of boing boing, there's a new show on CBC called 'Freestyle'. This has taken the place of 'The Roundup' which replaced 'Richardson's Roundup' in the afternoon timeslot. Essentially what they do is play some music and in between songs talk about cool stuff that has been highlighted on boing boing. I'm not sure about the rules about this kind of stuff, but I find it interesting that day after day (I've only heard a couple of shows and they both have included things gleaned from boing boing) they get a lot of their ideas from a website that they never credit.

'I've found Narnia!'

2005-12-11T17:18:00.000-04:00

Friday night we had a huge storm. It snowed and snowed and snowed. The wind plastered the wet snow to everything. There was even thunder and lightening while it was snowing. Apocalyptic. We, of course, being stubborn decided to go to the cinema because we had already purchased our tickets. Our new winter tires easily handled the slush as we swerved to avoid fallen trees and dangling power lines. And so we arrived at the brand new theatre to watch 'The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.' (I think a quick note about the new theatre is in order here. The previous theatre had 3 screens. If a good movie happened to somehow find it's way here it was always shown on one of the small screens. By small, I mean that you could probably put more people in an average living room. In fact it the typical living room is a lot more comfortable because it lacks the broken and torn seats, the sticky floor, and fuzzy sound. So you can see how going to a film in a new theatre with big comfy seats, nice big screens, and good sound can appear to be worth braving the dangerous roads.) For those who haven't seen the movie yet or read the books (and you really should) Narnia is a magical world which has been ruled for 100 years by the white witch. With her reign comes eternal winter. When Lucy first goes through the wardrobe into Narnia, she goes from the warm British climate into the snowy woods of Narnia. We had just had a couple of glimpses of Narnia when a kid a couple of rows down from us decided to go get a refill on his popcorn (Geographic note: the exits are placed in front of most of the seating in the theatre we were in.). He headed for the nearest exit and opened the door, flooding the theatre with light. Snow started blowing in. He kind of froze and then looked back, not sure what to do (everyone at this point was looking at him). I'm not sure what motivated his decision but rather than cut his losses to embarassedly head for the door to the lobby he, in a t-shirt, went out through the door he had opened. I'd really like to think that his suspension of disbelief was so great that when confronted with the sudden unexpected snowy world that presented itself he thought that he'd found the entrance to Narnia and couldn't help but go through to see what adventure he might have.

traces

2005-11-24T20:40:00.000-04:00

This is a part of how the Sara Gamp left her mark on the beach as she was pulled up onto land. I like to imagine this process a struggle. I find it hard to believe that a sailboat would be willingly dragged off the beach and across a field. From the broken driftwood and scraped off paint it looks like she put up a bit of a fight. But the ropes and machines, gas rather than wind power, and, I'm sure, shouts and groans prevailed. Hopefully it was someone who wants to put her back in the water again.

Sara Gamp update

2005-11-22T21:03:00.000-04:00

I went back a couple of days ago to take more pictures of the Sara Gamp but she is no longer there on the beach. I'm not sure who took her or where they took her but she is definitely gone. Whoever did it pulled her up overland. I didn't have the time before darkness completely came on to follow the trail very far off the beach. I'm sure they did not have an easy time of it. This picture is of a piece of driftwood that broke as the Sara Gamp was being pulled up. Where there's a will there's a way I guess.

Overton done over

2005-11-22T20:39:00.000-04:00

I went back again to shoot the same spot in Overton to try and get the end result closer to the visualization I have for a picture there. This is a step toward it but still not there. I think I've figured another part out and next time I go shoot I may be able to get what I want. Visually I think it works better at low tide. Maybe something between this and high tide would be just right.

I bought myself a HUGE photoshop book over the weekend. I've wrapped it up in blueprints scavenged from the space station and it awaits Christmas morning. 'To: Adam Fr: Adam, I hope you get as much joy from this as I would.'

Overton

2005-11-12T21:39:00.000-04:00

This is a picture I took a few weeks ago. This is in Overton. Just about one of the best things to do around here is to sit in a garage, listen to taped segments from Air America, eat apples and cheese, while looking 'Over-town' across the water. At least that's been my experience. Overton is the best place for blizzards, being a jut of land between the ocean and the harbour. The wind whips across piling drifts over the door, the driveway, the road, just about anything. It is not quite time for blizzards but there was a bit of snow on the car when I got up this morning. Brrr.

Location of Sara Gamp

2005-11-07T20:59:00.000-04:00

Thanks to google for the satellite image. This is the approximate location of the Sara Gamp. Click here if you want to go to google's page in order to be able to zoom in and out.

Sara Heinrichs

2005-11-07T12:49:00.000-04:00

I took this for my photographer friend Sara Heinrichs who is currently having a print drive to try to raise enough cash to pay medical bills without having to give up her photography.

Sara Gamp

2005-11-07T12:46:00.000-04:00

Sara Gamp, main damage

2005-11-07T12:44:00.000-04:00

This really is the majority of the damage that was done. It is almost like the sea decided to set it safely on land.

Sara Gamp

2005-11-07T12:42:00.000-04:00

Paint that scraped off on the rocks as the water pushed the boat in.

Sara Gamp

2005-11-07T12:41:00.000-04:00

Sara Gamp

2005-11-07T12:40:00.000-04:00

Sara Gamp

2005-11-07T12:39:00.000-04:00

Sara Gamp

2005-11-07T12:38:00.000-04:00

Sara Gamp

2005-11-07T12:36:00.000-04:00

Sara Gamp

2005-11-07T12:23:00.000-04:00

Vincent Gillings was rescued off his 33-foot sailboat, the Sara Gamp, after Hurricane Wilma. For more information about the rescue, including video footage, follow this link. On Friday I heard about the boat washing about a ten minute drive from here. I went Friday night to look and then again on Sunday morning to take pictures. It's amazing to me that the boat ended up back here (he had sailed from Liverpool). There was very minimal damage, as you can see from some of the pictures.

painting

2005-11-01T21:44:00.000-04:00

Another shot from the Thanksgiving wedding I shot. I think they did a very nice job with the place markers.

I've been working all day on getting our dining room painted. I had to sand the walls this morning and then clean up all the dust (wipe down walls, sweep, vacuum, vacuum again, wipe walls with tack cloth). Then I started in this afternoon on priming the walls. The plaster just drank the first coat of primer like it was water. Coat number two went on much faster (especially because I had help by that time) and covered much better. I have some mixed feelings about us doing the walls. We've scraped off many wallpaper layers to get it down to the bare plaster. It's like erasing all the time that someone put into putting the layers on. A family ran its course here. Children grew up, moved out, brought their own children to visit. I in no way want to undo that but in some ways it feels like that's what we're trying to do. Now with the wallpaper off, we've reached the beginning and we'll try to patch things up and start again. The nice part is that the white of the primer seems so clean, so full of potential. I feel like we should start a mural in one corner and then just add to it as time goes on, slowly filling in the white as time colours our lives. It would always provide good dinnertime conversation if we had guests over.

different wedding details

2005-10-30T20:18:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure right now what to write so it is probably best if I write very little. This is a dress detail from a wedding that I shot on Thanksgiving weekend.

carving

2005-10-28T21:50:00.000-03:00

This is my creation for the mall jack-o-lantern contest. I've heard other stores are bullying all their customers into voting for theirs but I prefer a more laissez-faire approach. The design is, of course, based on the adorable rabbits in 'Wallace and Gromit: the Curse of the Were-Rabbit'. I love carving pumpkins. There's something about the combination of the simplicity of the tools and the low expectations that makes it fun. As long as you are more creative than two circles for eyes and a menacing mouth you can feel like Pumpkin Van Gogh.

bubbles

2005-10-23T21:45:00.000-03:00

This is Matthew and Annie at their reception. This is probably the last picture from the reception that I'll post here. You can see more, including guests in costume, at my site. My pictures from the wedding that I shot over Thanksgiving should be arriving soon so I'll probably be posting some of those this week.

I got out shooting today. It was a very windy day so I'm not sure how sharp any of them will be even with my stabilization measures. It's funny because taking sometimes makes me a bit melancholic. I feel absolutely wonderful while I'm doing it but afterwards I'm more introverted. I think it is probably because when I'm making pictures I feel caught up in the potential of the world. My own potential expands and mixes with the beauty of everything around me. And then I have to come back, today because of my beautiful light dissolving into rain, to the rest of my life and it all seems so trivial in the face of what I had just been doing. Paying the phone bill is not nearly as ecstatic as trying to figure out how to best capture the being of the pounding surf. I'm also always reminded of the things that I've let creep in the way of making pictures. But no vows or pledges today to become super-shooter. To clear out the things that get in the way. Only to try and bring my goal into focus. I need to figure out where I want to be and how to get there. Any suggestions?

learning to dance

2005-10-16T13:02:00.000-03:00

more details

2005-10-13T21:05:00.000-03:00

table decoration

2005-10-12T08:55:00.000-03:00

What I enjoy most about shooting events is shooting the details (as if you didn't already know that). It's the details that get the most attention in the time leading up to the event and probably the least attention during. For instance, when we got married, we manually embossed a letter 'g' on all the napkins for the reception. I made sure to get a shot of that because it took us quite a bit of time and they were just going to be thrown out after wiping somebody's mouth. Also, decorations generally don't move and aren't cranky about getting their picture taken.

Hands

2005-10-10T22:20:00.000-03:00

Wedding Reception

2005-10-10T21:59:00.000-03:00

I had the honour of shooting a wedding reception for two very close friends recently. My wife describes it on her blog. I'll probably post some pictures here and if you want to see more I'm going to incorporate a page for their pics into my website within the next week or so. I had a blast doing it and I'm pretty pleased with the results. I just got back today from Thanksgiving weekend in New Brunswick. The weekend included shooting a wedding for a couple of other friends. So I wait with bated breath for the verdict on those pictures.

That time of the year again

2005-10-07T13:34:00.000-03:00

I grew up where the trees explode with colour every autumn. It's like they decide to celebrate the coming change into winter. Where I'm living now it's sort of just a slow withering. There are a few nice signs of change, the chestnuts dropping from the trees, but they're far more subtle, no vibrant display. No party to welcome winter with its innocent snow.

Critique Sites

2005-10-06T20:43:00.000-03:00

One of the best ways that I've found to try and improve my photography has been to participate in photo critique sites. I really enjoy seeing on a daily basis the creativity that flows from photographers around the world. It inspires me to get out and shoot more. It also gets me thinking about what elements are common to the pictures that I like and what elements I would like to incorporate into my pictures. It's interesting to see the varied reaction to different shots, particularly the ones of mine that I upload. I've learned very very much from these sites and even though I'm more often a lurker, just soaking up the wisdom of others, it's a neat community to be involved in. The sites aren't without their flaws. Anything with a rating system inspires competition and hurt feelings. Nasty comments are often flung at people who critique without portfolios to back up their comments. People get kicked off. People voluntarily remove themselves. People come back with a better attitude after some time off. So, here's a quick rundown of the ones that I like.

Photosig - this is a very expansive site. Very well organized and judiciously moderated. The site with the most fighting but probably the most love there too. And, I once won a very nice Photosig mug.

Photocritique.net - The first site like this that I frequented. Not as nice to navigate but if you participate there is much feedback to be had. Lots of learning from there.

Usefilm.com - I don't check this site as often but when I'm there I'm often surprised by the quality of the images presented. Note to self, visit this site more often.

There of course are many many more, but these are the three that I go to the most. Then there is always Flickr, which is more of a community but you can get critiques if you seek them out.

Cutest blogger ever

2005-09-27T19:37:00.000-03:00

My beautiful wife has made the leap into blogdom. She, who once derided bloggers as self-absorbed, has taken the plunge. She, of course, writes much better than I do and is also much cuter. You can find her at frenchyfinds.blogspot.com.

It just doesn't end

2005-09-26T10:04:00.000-03:00

So, after receiving the shipping number to send the 10 rolls of film back to the company, I received a package of another 10. I'm not sure when this is going to end. Hopefully sometime soon.

And so the story continues

2005-09-22T20:52:00.000-03:00

My story about my film order continued today when I got an e-mail back from the company saying that if I wanted to keep the extra film I would have to pay for it (at a discounted rate because it was their mistake). I would prefer to tell them that since it was their mistake I will be keeping the film at no extra charge. But since they have my credit card number held hostage, I think I will comply and send the extra film back (at their expense of course). As I said in my e-mail to the alarmingly nice sales rep who is now my contact there, I hope to have my digital camera before the original 20 rolls are gone anyway.

Look into my eyes

2005-09-19T22:47:00.000-03:00

These are pictures of my retinas (right on the right, left on the left) that I got from my recent trip to the eye doc. Pretty fascinating stuff if you ask me. Pretty healthy on the whole. A bit of a problem in my right eye that might turn into something later on. Just one more reason to add to my long list of why I should exercise often and eat healthy foods. Green leafy vegetables and sunglasses for all.

Happier Now

2005-09-19T13:36:00.000-03:00

My film order woes have been almost resolved. I had called and got no response until I received a full brick of 20 rolls the day after I sent my e-mail. No note of explanation accompanied this bounty, just a reprint of the original order. The date shipped tells me that it was sent after my original telephone call. Just to recap, that means that I went from having received only 10 of the 20 rolls I paid for to having received 30 rolls for the price of 20. Then, the day after my tally had reached 30 I got an e-mail from the sales department saying that they were going to check the availablity and should be sending me the rest of my order on Monday (today). I promptly e-mailed back and said that the issue had been dealt with but that if they wanted to keep sending me free film they could. I haven't received a reply yet today but I wonder if I'm going to end up with even more film. I'll keep you posted.

Not all that happy

2005-09-15T21:15:00.000-03:00

So, I'm not all that happy with this picture. But, I think I know a couple of things I can fix next time I shoot. Learning is good. Let me know what you think.

The title of that post is also my state of mind regarding a recent film purchase. I ordered 20 rolls of Fuji Reala and only received 10. Humph. One phone message left and one e-mail sent and this makes the fourth day that I haven't heard back from the company. Pretty soon it will be a phone call that will not end until I get to speak to someone who will take care of it.

CSS Zen Garden

2005-08-30T15:58:00.000-03:00

My feet are barely wet with web design (my most recent web incarnation here). I know next to nothing but I'm looking at a redesign for my web presence. I had been considering a flash site for a while but I think I've just been converted to css by CSS Zen Garden. This site proves that the possibilities are endless. Now, just to get going on learning and getting that site(s) built.

Out of Season

2005-08-25T10:33:00.000-03:00

I know that this is completely out of season. You can tell how cold it was because of how the ocean was freezing over the rocks as the tide had gone out. Being by the ocean when it is that cold is amazing. There is a completely different feel to it. It seems somehow even more powerful and awe-inspiring. I think in the summer the comparable time would be to go on a moonlit night. We went and had a bonfire last weekend when the moon was full (or close to it). Watching the water in the dim light gives the feel of something moving the water rather than the water moving itself (if that makes any sense). The ocean becomes a thing of mystery and dark secret. I guess it always is, but these times push it to the front of my mind.

Today in Orangeville

2005-08-24T11:09:00.000-03:00

I realize you aren't supposed to show anything but your best. These, of course, aren't, but I find this little mix interesting anyway. This is a sampling of what I ended up with because of my mistake. Mistakes can be fun.

Allow me to illustrate

2005-08-23T12:39:00.000-03:00

what happens when you shoot colour film through an orange filter.

This is a shot of the churn. Apparently they used to take tourists here. I'm not sure why they stopped. Maybe its unpredictability. Maybe it used to be even more majestic, sending spray impossibly high. Yarmouth's own old faithful. Whatever the cause, there is rarely anyone around when I go.

Interesting Mistake

2005-08-23T11:44:00.000-03:00

My plan the day I took this was to play by the coast taking some low contrast b&w shots. Kind of in the vein of vir3x.com. So I happily threw my orange filter on and snapped away. I had a fantastic afternoon staring at the sky and the sea, tasting the salt on my lips. The irises were in bloom, holding their own against the wind. Just about a perfect afternoon. I even got back before it started to rain. But, shortly after I dropped off the film for developing I realized that something wasn't quite right. The canister hadn't looked the way it should. Then I realized that rather than b&w I had colour film in my camera all afternoon, shooting through an orange filter. I'm having a really hard time with trying to get a good scan out of these apocalyptic orange prints and convert them to the black and white I want. Another compounding problem is that the lab workers are all trained to try and get pictures to look 'normal'. They've messed a whole lot with the prints to try to do that. Maybe I'll post a couple of the orange prints just so you can see what I mean.

From the archives

2005-08-21T12:14:00.000-03:00

I've been digging through my albums to find some older pictures to share. I find it really interesting to go back over my pictures to see how my way of seeing has changed. I'm always thinking how I could have done something differently. I don't have many shots yet where I'm completely satisfied with the result. I wonder if I ever will. Hopefully some day my proficiency will catch up with my seeing.

I find this shot really interesting in my ever continuing fascination with our interaction with nature. I wonder about the place of the steeple in the contemporary protestant church (which this subject is). It seems to be one of the few things left over from the time when church construction meant something. I think it's skies like this that make the steeple functional. Pull the eye up. Pull the I out.

3D Madness

2005-08-17T15:29:00.000-03:00

Instructions: As you look at this picture cross your eyes until the two images overlap into a third image between the first two (I find it easiest if you focus on lining up the bamboo in the middle of the table). Once you get it lined up the picture will become magically three dimensional.

There was an issue of a photography magazine (I don't remember right off which one) that was dedicated to 3D pictures and even included a set of those funky two colour glasses. After I read it I tried my hand at a few. They're much easier to do with proper equipment and technique but this one seems to work reasonably well.

If you're a flickr-fan you can check out the stereophotography group for more 3D fun.

Ah, philosophy jokes

2005-08-17T10:14:00.000-03:00

This Dilbert has to be one of the best philosophy jokes ever. The second best one probably shouldn't be repeated here.

Manipulation

2005-08-16T10:07:00.000-03:00

This photo an experiment for me. I don't usually overly manipulate my photos after I scan them in. It's usually just a matter of my tweaking colour, density, and sharpness. To be clear, this isn't a moral stand. It comes more from my a) lack of a good digital file to begin to work with and b) lack of skills using the powerful tool that is Photoshop. The debate over the validity of digital photography and photographic manipulation doesn't seem to be as strong as it was. In the very act of making a photograph, digital or film, you are making changes. You make decisions about subject, composition, exposure in order to create an image. I think there are two questions that are at the root of the manipulation debate. What makes a photograph a photograph? And, what is art? Photography has such a wide range of uses that it makes setting rules down about its use problematic. Sometimes the question of photographic manipulation is answered by saying that there is a certain line (wherever that may be) that gets crossed where the manipulation changes it from a photograph into an attempt at art. This answer is generally insulting to photographer and also shows a lack of respect for the reaches of art. It also elevates a lot of bad manipulation into the realm of art simply because of the fact that the photograph is manipulated. I have no real answer to these questions, and I'm not sure that I ever will. It's a hard job to linguistically nail down categories for such a fluid and expansive medium.

All this talk of manipulation and the fluidity of medium gets me thinking about Russell Maier, Fire-painter.