Jay's Blog

Of Canoes and Casinos

2012-01-24T15:19:00.002-06:00

If asked what would make an ideal monument in the middle of a state-of-the-art casino and entertainment complex I'm quite sure most would immediately think of the same thing...

Canoes.

Many canoes.

Bright, colorful, arranged in a big fireball of boating just begging to be portage'd across Las Vegas. And so we have such a thing at The Aria.

Only in Vegas does this make sense.

The Aria

2012-01-23T22:19:00.003-06:00

Wow. This place has become stagnant. Too little time to create. Just back from a whirlwind three days in Vegas (8-10 days Vegas Time) and still trying to get my bearings. One of the sites I was looking forward to seeing was the new City Center, located in the heart of the strip between Bellagio and the Monte Carlo. It is an absolute marvel of modern architecture and a complete playground for a photographer. I have many abstract views that I need to sort through but wanted to do at least one.

This is the Aria Resort & Casino. Great place, lots of fun with excellent food, shops, beverage establishments and so forth. Slick, cool, and ultra-modern.

The Best Camera...

2011-12-17T15:24:00.001-06:00

...is the one you have with you.

That being an iPhone.

This was a striking alleyway entrance to a bar that immediately caught my eye. The shapes and texture were all really cool. Carrying around an $X,XXX DSLR camera and lens all the time? Not practical. But a cel phone with a decent (all things considered) camera certainly takes a better picture than nothing at all.

Captured and processed in camera using a couple of apps.

Vancouver

2011-12-08T22:42:00.001-06:00

Quick trip out to Vancouver this week. Quick but busy. During short time there had little time to shoot. It was a letdown fairly early as I realized during my early flight that I should have opted for a window seat. The sunrise kissing the peaks of the Rocky Mountains below was beautiful. Alas, all I could do was lean over my sleeping neighbour as much as I dared to illustrate the point...

Was muttering "sonuva" for a good period of time after that. Return did have me in a window seat, but day's end and the light nowhere near as interesting. Still had to take advantage of the position, though...

Other random shots in town, starting with a beautifully lit courtyard at the hotel. Love touching down at Christmas time. Very comforting to have the lights and decorations around.

Unfortunately, Vancouver = Rain this time of year (at least while we were there, was apparently sunny the days prior and forecasted following). Wet was of course a familiar theme...

That was a tricky one as I cuddled The Best Cappuccino in Vancouver in one hand. Puddle would have mixed with tears of pain had I dropped that.

On a brighter note, this big blank wall at the airport. All graphic and such is sure to catch my eye.

Such a great city, despite the rain.

The Bag

2011-12-08T10:01:00.001-06:00

So this is how it happens. A piece of luggage falls off a tram at the airport in Vancouver. One of the workers kindly moves it off the road to the side.

And then several others, including another luggage tram as I write this - simply walk past it with looks of mild curiosity. Sorry, fellow passenger, no bag for you tonight.

Photo from iPhone - hence the poor quality.

PS. Somebody did eventually pick it up.

Urban Christmas

2011-12-06T10:39:00.001-06:00

Not all warm and fuzzy, but looks cool. Hope Santa doesn't smash through the glass.

Drive By

2011-12-06T10:34:00.001-06:00

In beautiful Vancouver. Always great to look out and see the mountains and the sky. Even if while stuck in traffic. Taken with my trusty iPhone.

Aeroporto

2011-11-30T18:53:00.001-06:00

File under "It's About Freaking Time" (coincidentally also about me getting back to making photos and posting them). Winnipeg is now host to the newest international airport in Canada: the James Armstrong Richardson International Airport. The old airport is now dark and hopefully soon a pile of rubble. I've only known the old shack, and with the travel I've done over the years I became increasingly desperate for a facelift.

The new building went live the beginning of this month but I only had my first flight out 3-weeks into it. New, shiny, light, airy. Of course some shots were in order, yet strangely they became dark and relatively foreboding. Really about the geometry. Shiny pictures are on their website.

Looking down the length of the departures terminal. Blessedly empty this mid-morning. Light streams in from all around.

And for those coming home, a nice open area bathed in natural light courtesy of the skylights above.

Windows abound, from the check-in terminals...

...to the gateways themselves. It's really cool having an open view while heading to your flight.

Kudos to the good folks who put this whole thing together. It will take getting used to but long overdue.

Back at the Rink

2011-11-11T09:04:00.001-06:00

Nothing says Remembrance Day like...

...a ringette tournament. Cold arena is my home for the day. Photo courtesy of my iPhone.

Bailout

2011-11-05T15:04:00.000-05:00

Had a productive trip to The Dump today. On a whim brought my camera hoping to see something of interest. There are a series of haybails along a ridgeline adjacent to the road. This was framed with a low horizon to emphasize the sky, and the haybail balanced against the sun poking through the late-fall clouds. By necessity this was shot as an HDR image because of the extreme contrast. Conversion to black and white served to emphasize the graphic nature of the single bail on the low horizon, and the texture of the clouds.

As I shot this I was also kicking myself that I didn't have my 10-stop ND filter with me. Would make a striking image with those clouds transformed into streaks of motion across the sky. Maybe next time.

Frosty

2011-10-30T13:30:00.000-05:00

Winters coming. No doubt about that. Sun's coming up later, going down earlier. Temperature falling. And the frost is out. Glanced through the window this morning to see our glass deck panels opaque and glittering with the sun backlighting the whole deal. The shadow from the adjacent deck rail created an interesting graphic element. So out I go, in socks, to grab a quick frame.

Creepy

2011-10-13T08:59:00.001-05:00

Spider + iPhone + Hipstamatik = Creepy.

Seeing this guy outside my hotel window I felt compelled to make a quick grab. Happy Halloween.

Pile 'o Leaves

2011-10-08T18:00:00.001-05:00

Quick grab from iPhone of a scene that caught my eye. Just like the framing of it, with the precise lines of the brick and metal offsetting the clutter of the gathered leaves. Processed using Nik Software's Snapseed app on my iPad.

Blue is Nice

2011-09-22T20:07:00.000-05:00

I'm on a printing kick right now and have been focusing on our trip to France last year. As I write this a crisp print of this image is rolling off on a 17x22" sheet of luxurious photo paper. I captured this during our trip into amazing Nice last June. It wasn't long after leaving the airport that I assigned blue as the color of this beautiful city. And stopping at a light alongside the boardwalk I looked out onto this scene and quickly framed and snapped from the taxi. For whatever reason I think of Pete Turner when I look at this. Not because of the specific color, but rather the vibrance of it along with the fairly minimal composition. Immediately became one of my favorites.

And as I finish writing this my print is complete. Gotta love the digital darkroom.

Kingston

2011-09-18T11:42:00.004-05:00

Had a short trip this week and found myself in unexpectedly-cool Kingston, Ontario. Unfortunately not much time to enjoy the area but would like to go back some day. Did happen to grab a few frames along the way, with my day starting by looking out my decidedly grungy hotel window facing the 401. That highway never sleeps. With morning light baking down thought there was something interesting in focusing on the window grime and liked the result.

Was an enjoyable drive from Mississauga to Kingston, and after arriving we headed off for lunch and found ourselves at the Tir nan Og pub. Great lunch, and the interior had an immense amount of character, texture, and amazing window light to boot. My colleagues are now used to the sound of a shutter slap so I don't worry too much about hauling out the camera in the middle of lunch.

Later in the day we had to head out on Refreshment Duty. While heading back to the car for whatever reason this roofline caught my eye. Aim, crop, shoot, check, and on our way.

Next morning as I'm preparing to leave the street below caught my eye. I liked the look of it, the lone vehicle in front of the restaurant, the reflection of the neon sign on the truck's hood, and the spear of dawn illuminating the building.

Arrived early back at Pearson with hopes to grab a different flight. No luck but gave me some more lounge time to catch up. A Faceless Traveller was on the phone by the window and thought it made an interesting frame. Snap, snap. Done.

And, finally, Pearson's Terminal 1 ceiling while waiting at my gate to board. I liked the shapes and the light. Flight was on time, actually landed a bit early, and the weekend was again upon me.

The Exchange

2011-09-03T11:21:00.003-05:00

Went out for lunch in The Exchange District. Nice patio, nice weather, and a good view of a brick building. Initially I though it curious that it was adorned with signage composed of boxing mantra.

That is until I saw a group of folks walking by putting on the gloves and heading off for what I'm guessing was going to be a pretty harsh workout. Expecting them to head back I waited and, sure enough, after a while they returned. Each of which with decidedly less spring in their step than on the way out.

While I was biding my time I also shot the adjacent building for the contrasting color, hard shadow, and rich texture.

Missed Opportunity

2011-08-31T22:48:00.004-05:00

While biking through a local gravel pit slash marsh a few weeks ago I came across this rocky outcropping. At the time the water was still high and fully surrounded the rocks. It immediately struck me as a good opportunity to capture that S-curve leading out to the reeds. With a long exposure the water would become a silky, milky blanket.

Damn perfect summer weather did away with that idea!

Headed out this evening to scratch this one off my list and arrived to see... mud. Muck. Yech. My stones were still there, of course, but now losing their strength in the composition. Made due with what I had and shot a few frames to line things up.

The final black and white is still mildly interesting. Had to employ some heavy burning to the area surrounding the rocks so they jump out. But frustrating to picture how much better it would have been would I have gotten on my horse earlier. Lesson: don't plan to come back for a shot. Get it while you can.

Around the Block

2011-08-27T00:12:00.003-05:00

Took a stroll this evening around the block with the D700 over my shoulder just in case. A few grabs below...

Memories

2011-08-17T23:01:00.002-05:00

Playing around with HDR while following a tutorial. Needed some fodder (ie. a series of bracketed images with a full range of brightness captured) and found myself browsing images from Kelowna, BC from a couple years back. Great trip, great town, great scenery, great wine. Few nice shots to show for it that haven't seen the light of day. Add 'em to the pile.

Here's my "lesson material" of sunset over Lake Okanagan.

Here Comes the Sun

2011-08-11T23:15:00.003-05:00

It's amazing what you find when you least expect it. Turns out there is a substantial sunflower field not 5 minutes from my house. Bit of a playground, but still waiting for the right weather.

Walls

2011-08-11T22:50:00.003-05:00

It dawned on me recently that I've done squat on my blog since vacation. Which stands to reason as I've been woefully unproductive with my camera. A rut, slump, funk, who knows. Whatever the reason I haven't been as active as I should be. Time to pull myself out.

And so I find myself heading into a favorite wine store that is wonderfully designed in a style Italian. Stopped myself, grabbed the D700 (which I purposefully took just in case) and got to the business of exposing.

I know it's just a wall. And a door that's blended into it. And a hinge. But the color was rich, as was the texture. Whatever floats your boat.

A glance above and I see the windows. Another keeper, with the added benefit of contrasting cool/warm colors and stronger graphic elements.

So what if it's just a wall.

Fini

2011-07-14T15:13:00.003-05:00

Here we are on our last full day at Clear Lake. And it appears the serious shooting is at an end. I caught what is likely my last dusk trip last night with the expectation of lousy weather tonight. And what is definitely my last dawn shoot this morning as I can't imagine getting up early tomorrow with a long'ish drive home to consider.

So barring other surprises these shall be my bookends on this year's summer vacay.

Abstract Thought

2011-07-14T15:07:00.003-05:00

This will seem somewhat out of place against the other posts as of late. A couple of abstract images that I quite like from here around the park. Nothing but shape and color that drew my eye.

The first is a wall and post from outside our restaurant. Fortunately dinner had not yet been served so wasn't too problematic to quickly run outside, shoot, and return to my beverage.

Secondly, one of the bridge stanchions that I noticed one day while walking to the pier. My original inclination was for it to be a fine art black and white style, but this color film emulation changed my perspective.

I'm going to need to keep my eyes open for other subjects and colors to add and make a series.

WTF?!!

2011-07-13T11:17:00.004-05:00

While at the marsh with the kids the other day one of them stumbled across this horrific thing...

It was almost like a leech with legs. Fast, too. Either a mutation akin to Godzilla, or signs of life from another planet. Absolutely freaky and nasty.

More From the Marsh

2011-07-13T11:13:00.003-05:00

Took another stroll through Ominnik Marsh yesterday morning, this time all the way around. Quite an interesting place that evokes a certain mood. Would love to see it with a low hanging mist in the early morning.

That said some more hard black and whites offer their own atmosphere.

Dusk

2011-07-13T11:06:00.002-05:00

Despite the great weather these past couple of weeks my output hasn't been as prolific as in past years. Part of that stems from the almost complete absence of clouds in the mornings and evenings. Part of the landscape lightshow involves how the sky explodes with the rising/falling sun, and with nothing to bounce off of things get pretty meh.

That said, I did manage to get a trio of more atmospheric keepers where conditions were good. Along with the usual quizzical looks and the odd question from passers by.

Cowboy Up!

2011-07-13T11:03:00.003-05:00

Horses.

Not much of a fan, but I can understand the appeal. Pretty magnificent beasts. And so we find ourselves at the local ranch where the 'fam embarks on a brief trail ride.

Me. Not so much. So I shoot.

Tennis, anyone?

2011-07-13T11:00:00.002-05:00

A big part of the melange of local activities is the tennis court. Always fun to watch balls shoot over the fences with just mere swipes of the racket. My daughter loves it, though. Just abstracts but they still tell a story.

Run, Forest!

2011-07-13T10:51:00.003-05:00

There is a beautiful path that runs the perimeter of the lake. Great for walking, running, and shooting. Took a bit of a different turn with these one morning. Starting with this backlit Whatever Flower. Don't know what it is, but it really popped with that sun streaming in from behind. Unfortunately I couldn't get the well-defined diffraction star in the background.

Just off the path was this fallen tree surrounded by dappled light. Thought it was a nice contrast against the lush green of the forest floor. Originally envisioned black and white but couldn't make it work so in color it stays.

A little bit up is the remnants of an old stone path, now fallen into disuse. The nature of the scene demanded a high-dynamic range series.

The path back down to the path...

...and back out along the lake. This last one was always intended as black and white.

Dawn

2011-07-07T13:57:00.007-05:00

There seems to be a trend emerging here. Checking back on my Clear Lake posts from last year I realized it took me until our 5th day in to get up at the Crack of Ridiculous to capture the rising sun (see Good Morning, the first of which happened to be my winning shot for the 2010 Riding Mountain National Park photo contest). And so it was yesterday that my eyes popped open at around 4:45am and I set out to the shore.

The morning was shaping up to be beautful, photographically speaking. The mosquitoes, however, were the stuff of nightmares. Steeling my resolve I set forth as I had an idea in my head from the previous day. Vantage point: rocky stairs down to the beach. Reality didn't quite fit the vision, but I still find the end result interesting (if not a bit brooding).

While shooting this I noticed what proved to be a more interesting perspective looking across the shoreline from the steps. It didn't hurt that the clouds had thinned and the dawn sun set the sky ablaze. With the help of a neutral density grad off-kilter to hold back the sky and a 3-stop ND filter to slow down the exposure (note the smooth water and streaky clouds) this is what popped up on my display after about a minute.

In the words of Po from Kung-Fu Panda (which we enjoyed this week at what I believe is the only log-cabin theater on the continent)... "Skadoosh!". With only a bit of refinement in post what you see above is pretty much straight out of camera. Mosquitoes be damned, this is a killer sunrise.

And with that in the can, and a smile on my face, I hustled over to the pier to try and capture that light from a new perspective. Unfortunately it was changing quickly, and by the time I made it to my next locale, and navigated a mess of seagull "waste", it was gone.

That's not to say the final shot of the morning wasn't cool, though.

After about an hour and untold mosquitoe nibbles it was time to go back to bed. Mission accomplished.

Printing a Retraction

2011-07-05T14:26:00.002-05:00

Earlier this week I posted my first bridge shot of the trip. Wasn't entirely happy with it and set out to correct a couple of wrongs last night. I didn't like the composition with the horizon above the bridge - needed a lower perspective. Also wasn't pleased with the fidelity of the file as it was underexposed (and with an almost 10-minute combined exposure I wasn't game to take another crack at it with the rapidly falling light).

This is closer to what I had in mind and is a much better file to boot. I do believe this will be part of my Riding Mountain 2011 Photo Contest submissions.

Harsh Marsh

2011-07-05T14:19:00.004-05:00

Change of approach. Away from the water and into the marsh. Ominnik Marsh, that is, at Clear Lake. It's a somewhat claustrophic pathway through high grass that is oddly comforting. And distinctly at odds with how I treated it in these photographs. I knew I wanted an intense black and white conversion, with an IR treatment as my goal. Hence these surreal beauties that render almost-black skies and glowing grass.

July 4th at the White House

2011-07-05T14:15:00.004-05:00

The White House is an institution here. And while our friends south of the border celebrate July 4th, we celebrate the truly spectacular:

Clear Lake Peeps

2011-07-05T14:09:00.004-05:00

A wander around the town offered a few souls who caught my interest. No underlying story here, just some people enjoying some R&R.

Getting ready to sail with practiced hands...

Capturing amazing light with brush and paint. I have to say, this dude has it a lot tougher than I do. Photography is an art of exclusion, and you're capturing what's already there. Painters have to create from nothing. Impressive.

And closing the day with a classic lake scene. I refuse to covertly photograph kids, but in this case the boy is completely in silhouette (by design) and can't be identified. He's really every kid here.

Back to the Lake

2011-07-03T11:48:00.003-05:00

It's early July and that means Clear Lake, the annual family sojourn/vacay. And the usual arrangement of landscape shots to make. Last year I was fortunate enough to win the Riding Mountain National Park photo contest. Maybe I can make it a two-peat!

These are a start, but a ways to go.

Canada D'Eh

2011-07-03T11:44:00.003-05:00

Happy Birthday Canada. Enjoyed Canada Day celebrations on our first day in Clear Lake. Saw a range of emotions, from the young and enthusiastic...

...to the "been there, done that"...

The Spear

2011-07-03T11:03:00.005-05:00

Better late than never. Finally getting around to posting some images taken at Cape Spear - the Edge of Canada - while in St. John's last month. The fog never lifted so I had to change my expectations and approach. Nevertheless, the atmosphere was very cool and interesting.

So here goes...

The Rock

2011-06-07T13:37:00.016-05:00

I landed for the first time in St. John's, Newfoundland this week. The edge of the world. At least our Canadian world. Go for a swim off the right coast and next stop... Europe. I came armed with both camera gear and delusions of grandeur, thinking that I would be able capture some spectacular shots off the likes of Cape Spear and other notable locations in the area.

And so I, Intrepid Explorer, head out not long after 4AM towards the easternmost point of North America in the hopes of recording the first kiss of light on the continent. I made it less than halfway before realizing it was probably a bad idea. While the incessant fog wasn't bad in the basin that is downtown it quickly closed in with elevation. When it closed around me with my headlights shining back with nothing but my iPad's map to guide the way I turned around.

Being early, quiet, and interesting back downtown I felt obligated to make my early rise somewhat worthwhile. Between the fog, the dull light, the wet pavement, and the absence of life there was great atmosphere to be had. After all that here are some picks from the morning. Only three of 'em left and I'm still holding on to the dream.

Rolling Thunder

2011-06-02T16:29:00.001-05:00

A thick blanket of heavy cloud sweeps over the sky. No immediately available foreground interest, but really wanted to capture that texture.

The Hand of God

2011-05-29T12:20:00.002-05:00

An excrutiatingly early flight from Seattle to Vancouver offered at least this payoff. A beautiful display of light following departure. I chose a window seat precisely for this opportunity.

The Hand of God, a photo by Jay Mitch on Flickr.

Back to Bellevue

2011-05-29T11:43:00.010-05:00

Found myself once again in Beautiful Bellevue, Washington this week. Love that place. Had a bit of a chance to go out and shoot. Despite all the color that city has to offer these ones ended up all in black and white.

The sky merging into one of the many steel-and-glass facades downtown caught my eye. Took a few shots and this one offered the best continuity of the clouds into their reflection.

Skies, a photo by Jay Mitch on Flickr.

In contrast to all the modern buildings is this, with a much more "gothic" style that creates a repeating pattern that is somewhat mesmerizing when shot off-axis.

Gothic, a photo by Jay Mitch on Flickr.

And finally this "nuclear" tree, that seems to have had its shadow etched into the concrete by the setting sun.

Burned Tree, a photo by Jay Mitch on Flickr.

Bridge Over Troubled Waters

2011-05-04T22:22:00.004-05:00

Sunset Bridge, a photo by Jay Mitch on Flickr.

This was captured at the Perimeter Highway, with the Red River cresting and flood waters moving extremely fast towards the north. It didn't turn out as I was hoping as there were few clouds in the sky, but I like the color nevertheless. A 10-stop ND filter slowed the exposure down to 51 seconds, resulting in silky smooth waters and some movement in the clouds.

I tried another approach last month, at that point opting for a black and white rendition. It offers a very different feel, but you can still get a feel for the water's momentum.

Flood Rising, a photo by Jay Mitch on Flickr.

I took another shot at this site last year. Much different composition - the original plan was something like above, but these crazy clouds caught my attention. It was only afterwards that I noticed the figure-like shape at the bottom of the clouds.

Angel in the Sky, a photo by Jay Mitch on Flickr.

Horizon

2011-05-02T23:12:00.003-05:00

Returning home from a trip and couldn't help but stopping to capture the setting sun against the horizon, lighting the rails of the track with a train (well distant) at the horizon.

Horizon, a photo by Jay Mitch on Flickr.

Historic

2011-04-30T13:45:00.005-05:00

I'm here in sunny Toronto to witness history. Biggest UFC event ever. First UFC event in Ontario. First Jake Shields loss after 15 fights (Georges St-Pierre all the way!). What may be Randy "The Natural" Couture's last outing. Going to be amazing.

Also interesting to see how broad the UFC fan base appears to be. What is out of place in this picture?

Bastion

2011-04-29T21:50:00.002-05:00

Bastion, a photo by Jay Mitch on Flickr.

Was a little bored this evening. And it was really windy. So on a whim I grabbed my rig including the Lee Big Stopper 10-stop ND filter and headed over to the local gravel pits. Was interested in capturing that cloud movement. Unfortunately my angles were limited as I was trying to avoid the houses that are nestled along the perimeter. This lone tree poking out of the water provided sufficient foreground interest. With the help of a 2-stop Lee ND grad to hold the sky I ended up with a 6+ minute exposure. The tree stump was sufficiently solid to stay still throughout, providing an anchor against the movement of the sky and the (otherwise choppy) pond.

Too bad I had those bushes to the right poking in.

Spring at the Rink

2011-04-22T00:09:00.002-05:00

Continuing on the spring theme. This community "ice" rink is now a shadow of its former self.

Spring at the Rink, a photo by Jay Mitch on Flickr.

Spring Rains

2011-04-22T00:03:00.004-05:00

Went out last night to shoot, not really knowing what. Sky started to look threatening and the clouds became interesting. Wasn't equipped to deal with the rain so took a quick snap and headed home. Turned out it barely drizzled.

Spring Rains, a photo by Jay Mitch on Flickr.

World Traveller Part Deux

2011-04-13T22:15:00.001-05:00

We also visited China that same week.

World Traveller

2011-04-13T17:59:00.004-05:00

I recently returned from an exhausting family vacation to far flung locales. We made our way through African villages, gazed upon the slopes of Everest, and visited ancient ruins and holy lands.

These places were vibrant and rich with texture and sights and sounds. Not to mention great food. Add some awesome light and put a camera in my hand and you get a series of pictures full of exotic atmosphere.

Fortunately we only had to go to Disney's Animal Kingdom in Florida for the experience. ;-)

Cigars for Little Girls

2011-04-11T21:32:00.002-05:00

The clutter against a stone wall and antique signs made me stop. The girl's bike underneath the King Edward Cigars sign made me shoot. I found the contextual contrast amusing between them. That they are the same color is an added bonus. There's other contrasts here as well: square vs. round; young vs. old; big vs. small, modern vs. antique. I find this a fun photograph.

Cigars for Little Girls, a photo by Jay Mitch on Flickr.

133

2011-04-08T17:00:00.004-05:00

Killing time at Gate 133 waiting to go home. Light across the sign looked interesting. As did the bewildered looks of fellow passengers looking at the ceiling wondering what was so interesting.

133, a photo by Jay Mitch on Flickr.

Headshot

2011-04-06T17:50:00.010-05:00

This image struck me this afternoon as I looked across the office to see a colleague on the phone with a customer. Well away from their cubicle. Staring out the window. Had me wondering if he was enjoying the sights or considering jumping.

Headshot, a photo by Jay Mitch on Flickr.

Gendarmes

2011-04-01T17:20:00.003-05:00

Gendarmes, a photo by Jay Mitch on Flickr.

This is somewhat of a test as I just realized I can link photos directly from Flickr to my blog. Although I don't know how that would work for multiple images.

I captured this image while on vacation in Paris with my wife last year. The French Gendarmes were keeping a close watch on protest activities surrounding the Arc de Triomphe. Normally I wouldn't point a camera (or anything else for that matter) at law enforcement, but the moment was there and they were clearly distracted.

Glow

2011-03-18T21:00:00.004-05:00

I guess it's a good thing that I keep stumbling across images in my Library that I like but have forgotten about. And make good candidates for a strong black and white treatment. Such is the case below.

This was captured last November while in Vancouver. View from downtown about a block from the amazing Olympic torch (posted here). Sun was falling and the clouds were glowing. More so when rendered with strong intent. Courtesy of Silver Efex Pro 2 with two conversions applied and masked together, one for sky and another for mountains and below.

Solo Act

2011-03-15T22:29:00.003-05:00

Silver Efex Pro 2 has me searching for B&W candidates again. This one from a weekend at the lake last summer - with all this snow it seems like a lifetime ago.

That single, stark tree being lit up by the falling sun is what caught my eye. Although this black and white rendition is a lot darker than the original color image.

Rest Stop

2011-03-13T22:23:00.003-05:00

Have a busy few weeks ahead so will probably be taking a break from here. And with that a "rest stop" seems reasonably appropriate as a theme. Sitting waiting for (yet another) flight at the airport, seeing if I could find something to shoot without having to move.

No message or story or commentary here. Just graphic elements.

Artsy

2011-03-13T22:16:00.002-05:00

Perusing some images and came across this from the lake last summer. Had meant to do something with it but it fill into the pile. Had always intended for this type of treatment as it suits the atmosphere of the shot. Just a pale, cool, low hanging mist.

Quite a departure from the modern urban jungle posts that precede it.

The Renaissance

2011-03-13T22:09:00.003-05:00

From one group of towers to another. Previous post had the twisters from Mississauga. Below is the incredible quintet of architecture in downtown Detroit known as GM Renaissance Center. It consists of a central tower surrounded by four smaller siblings. My hotel was directly across from it on the Windsor side. Would have been very cool to see the grounds up close. Amazing, futuristic looking structure so I went with that feeling on this two images.

The first is from my hotel window, with the reflection of the morning sun cast into the water and snaking its way towards me.

The second is a straight on shot from the boardwalk, with an icy cool monochrome to set off the Jetsons-like design of the towers.

Twisted

2011-03-08T22:01:00.004-06:00

During a previous trip to Toronto (well, Mississauga... but it sounds better saying "Toronto") I drove past these really cool condos being constructed near Square One mall.

Kicking myself that I didn't have my camera with me (fat lot of good it was doing me back at the hotel) I made a mental note to come back and play. Had some time this evening to do just that. With all those lines and curves there are plenty of options but I knew I wanted to grab some abstract details.

Dr. Seuss, anyone?

ADDENDUM: The good folks at Design.org picked up this series of photos on their blog.

Irony?

2011-03-08T21:22:00.003-06:00

I don't know if "Irony" is the right title for this post. "Then and Now" maybe? Regardless, I took this off-the-cuff shot today whilst waiting for my flight. I thought it humorous to see this guy so absorbed in his PDA, with his laptop open beside him, amidst a bank of unoccupied payphones.

A Dash of Color

2011-03-06T23:04:00.003-06:00

After a few black & whites in a row figured it was time to roll with some color again.

First up, a view out my window from an unreasonably early Monday flight. One good thing about it I guess. Last glimpse of home for a few days...

...with travel taking me back to Toronto and area. Stop and start traffic on the 401, with me as a passenger, gave me the opportunity to grab these backlit bullrushes along the highway. More interesting than the taillights in front of me, that's for sure.

Later in the day has me arriving in Windsor with a hotel located along a nice boardwalk across from downtown Detroit, and a rapidly setting sun. Nice place to have a seat and relax.

Publish Post

Heavy

2011-03-06T22:45:00.006-06:00

Reviewing images from travel last week. A couple of them popped out at me. Both dark. Both a little odd. Both very heavy in their black and white treatments.

The first, strangely enough, is a hallway facing a bank of windows in my hotel. Walking past and the early evening sun hammering in against the wall struck me. Stood there for a minute then turned around to grab my camera from my room. Extremely high contrast - here's where knowing a thing or two about how cameras think comes in handy. ;-) All I wanted were the highlights and set up my shot accordingly, knowing this was going to be the end result.

Just columns of light. That's all I wanted.

A couple days later. New room. New view. This time overlooking the Detroit River from Caesar's Hotel in Windsor, Ontario. Morning light bounced off of the spectacular GM Renaissance Place (more to come of that) into the water, while on the near shore broken ice was making its way downstream.

Light, dark. Frozen, thawed. Warm, cold. All contrasts, with a conversion to match.

Propellers

2011-03-05T14:27:00.004-06:00

Travelling in Ontario this week and found myself driving the 401 West towards Windsor. Halfway'ish there these windmill farms starting appearing. With the light starting to drop I thought they could make an interesting image. Took a bit to find the right group - these are arranged to illustrate depth and scale, with a bit of movement at the edges of the blades.

Crack Cocaine

2011-02-25T00:30:00.002-06:00

Silver Efex Pro 2 is my addiction this evening:

Taken on a very blustery day in Cannes last June. Stomach was churning just looking at those guys out there.

Mmmmm... Silver...

2011-02-24T17:53:00.004-06:00

Big day. Nik Software just released their second generation of Silver Efex Pro. This plug-in for Photoshop, Lightroom, and Aperture is widely regarded as the best in the biz for high-end black and white conversions. And for good reason. It looks simply amazing. Tonnes of control and the ability to simulate traditional black and white film stock.

I needed to do something to test the new engine so jumped into my (way long overdue for completing) France catalogue. This scene from the amazing palace in Versailles was the first thing I saw and thought it would be a good candidate for conversion.

To wit:

After a neutral raw conversion this took a hit of Nik Dfine to clean it up, Nik Sharpener Pro to give 'er edge, and then Silver Efex Pro 2 for the final conversion. New to the engine is greater control for individual tones. What's really cool is the edge generator to simulate raw film edges. Looks very cool.

This will be printing out tonight on Epson Exhibition Fiber which rules for black and white images. Thanks Nik!

Book 'em, Dano

2011-02-23T23:37:00.004-06:00

I've written previously (here) about being inspired by the work of Dan "Dano" Steinhardt. Dano happens to be the Professional Imaging Products Manager at Epson, a company I am deeply grateful for as they allow me to make stunning prints in my home with the Epson Stylus Pro 3880. He's also an amazing shooter with a great eye for turning the ordinary into something special. I think of his work a lot when I'm wandering around looking for something of interest. His style is very graphic and vibrant.

Dan recently launched his (long overdue) website that is definitely worth a look:

www.dansteinhardt.com

Thanks, Dano.

The Abattoir

2011-02-20T17:31:00.004-06:00

Last game of the regular season today found us out of town at a rural rink. To the dungeons or the change rooms?

And if that wasn't creepy enough, the showers sealed the deal. Harsh.

Out the Window

2011-02-19T12:16:00.002-06:00

Packing up to leave yesterday morning and checked outside my hotel room window. I bordered on a golf course and this scene caught my eye from nine floors up. Managed as best I could given the dirty window and odd angle, but I really liked the texture of the ice and new how it would look as a high contrast black and white.

Killing Time

2011-02-17T21:46:00.003-06:00

Decided to go for a wander around the hotel this evening to see if there was anything interesting to shoot. Came up with some abstracts all in the interest of killing time.

Can't blame a guy for trying!

Passing the Time at Pearson

2011-02-16T21:12:00.003-06:00

Waiting around for a flight (again) at Pearson Airport (again) and felt the itch. Couple of oddities for the day.

Flights of fancy, perhaps?

Found Objects

2011-02-13T15:54:00.003-06:00

Drove past this remnant today from somebody's car, perched in a snowbank. Had to grab my camera and come back to capture it. I just found it comical how it was sitting there, placed as either a beacon or a reminder to whoever lost it to pick the damn thing up.

Reminded me of the stop sign from this post last July.

Again With the Rink Shots...

2011-02-08T23:26:00.006-06:00

Compiled some more additions to my "At the Rink" series during my last few game and practice outings. The collection is building and I should be able to cull 30 or so into a book by season's end.

Still Life?

2011-02-01T19:41:00.002-06:00

I think I'll stick with urban and natural landscapes. Not particularly drawn to still life, but I appreciate what it takes to do it well. That said I couldn't help but notice these interesting lines playing on our wall at sunset. Thank you, blinds. Find interesting light and stick something in front of it.

Shooting Spree in Downtown Toronto Part Deux

2011-01-29T10:35:00.006-06:00

While in the self-proclaimed Center of the Universe I turned my "gun" to some other scenes that caught my eye. No shortage of things to photograph in such a concentrated area. Towering skyscrapers set against an evening sky, all steel and glass.

The stunning "arch"-itecture of BC Place, like a big rib cage...

Passing by what may have been someone's "home"...

This tree growing in the middle of the concrete jungle caught my eye. Immediately adjacent to Starbucks no less.

Flyer bags, soon to cracked open and hawked to passers by. Kindof like Vegas, but much different - uhm - content.

A gothic alcove inside Union Station...

...just down from a less-than-gothic pair of payphones.

And some local animalia as well. It is a zoo down there, afterall.

Shooting Spree in Downtown Toronto

2011-01-29T10:21:00.006-06:00

I was in downtown Toronto this week and went out to shoot a bunch of people. They didn't know what hit them as they were standing around minding their own business. I shot people who had just gotten their morning juice...

...and those who were simply passing the time at work.

I went after people simply making their way home at the end of the day.

Heading to Union Station to shoot some more I worried I'd be taken out by security.

Fortunately I made it without any issues from The Law. Downtown Toronto is definitely a dangerous place.

Still At the Rink

2011-01-23T11:44:00.003-06:00

A busy weekend with games both yesterday and today. Along with some additions to my expanding At the Rink series.

Another Trip in the Books

2011-01-22T11:16:00.003-06:00

Back from a short run to Toronto. On last day without pulling out my camera I felt compelled to grab at least something. These early morning shadows streaming into the hotel lobby on my way out caught my eye. Challenge was trying to position myself to catch that diffraction star without burning a hole through my head. Couldn't quite get it but I still managed a pretty graphic result.

End of day, off to the airport. Usual ritual of sitting, waiting, looking with camera at the ready. Feeling like I have a gun in my hand as everybody seems to wonder what I'm doing; just trying catch a moment, folks, I'm not staking the airport for an assault. Saw this guy passing the time and needed some inconspicuous maneuvering to try and frame his profile in the "notch".

Liftoff. I'm sitting in one of those odd exit row seats where I'm in the middle with someone on my right but nothing on the left. So where a seat should be I see the guy's feet from the row behind. Advantage is that I can jostle around and shoot through the windows. A little while after takeoff I get a hard jolt of sun streaming through. Look up from my movie (The American, good but slooooowwww) and see these fantastic colors through the scarred and frosted window. Another crack at getting that diffraction star for a graphic, sparse presentation. Hopefully I don't hear from Nike's legal team.

Taking advantage of that waning light I jam my lens against the window and frame another abstract. This view of the world has unfortunately become a bit too common over the past while as I rack up the travel points.

Off to the WAG

2011-01-15T17:44:00.002-06:00

The Winnipeg Art Gallery is a unique piece of architecture. This granite monolith was created in 1912 and is a tight wedge at the corner of Portage and Memorial. It's a wild looking building, particularly from above. I've never taken the opportunity to explore it with my camera, but just happened to be equipped today as it played host to my daughter's birthday. Here's a quick from-the-hip perspective, but it's a stunning construction that really deserves more time.

On the Job

2011-01-15T16:36:00.002-06:00

Been slow on the photo front lately. And my schedule on a recent trip to Toronto didn't help matters. While waiting for my return flight, camera in hand looking for opportunities, I took a stab with the image below. The texture and the contrast between the neon jacket and the otherwise monotone environment appeal to me.

At the Rink 2011

2011-01-02T22:58:00.001-06:00

Another addition to my ongoing At the Rink series...

Winter Chill

2011-01-02T22:15:00.005-06:00

First post of the new year. Two-thousand and eleven - hard to believe it's here already. As sure as death and taxes the weather in these parts dips well below T-shirt and shorts temperatures around the end of December. Which isn't great for a fair weather photographer such as myself. Something I need to change, but for the time being this is a start.

The upside of shooting during the winter months is that the sun gets low and the light starts to rule pretty early in the afternoon. On our way home from the arena I noticed some nice backlight and color contrast opportunities, all available at the very civilized hour of 4:15PM. I wish I was of the same mental fortitude as landscape savants such as David Noton but, alas, I am not.

From here I had a quick 2-minute drive back home to warm up. Sorry, David.

At the Rink III

2010-12-18T15:31:00.002-06:00

Another in my "At the Rink" series...

Sometimes Harsh is Nice

2010-12-18T14:27:00.004-06:00

Nice, France, that is. I still have a pile of images that deserve attention from our trip through France this past summer. This shot happened to catch my eye as I was looking for photo the other day and figured I would throw it up here.

This photo was taken in one of the street markets in beautiful Nice. My wife and I would go to that city again in a heartbeat. What I like about this one is both the graphic element created by the hard shadows of midday light (cast from an awning above), and the contrast of the payphone (with ubiquitous graffiti) against the aging building facade.

Color is not bad, either. Makes for a beautiful print.

A Bit Nippy

2010-12-14T17:48:00.003-06:00

Left Ottawa today after a brief trip. 'Twas a bit nippy there with some lousy weather this morning that fortunately cleared up. Still looked somewhat desolate as I was waiting to board my plane so quickly framed up and rattled off a 9-shot bracket in hopes of creating a menacing-looking HDR. Too bad my haste left me with not enough headroom on my camera and so I wasn't able to capture all the highlights. But a quick run through Nik's HDR Efex Pro produced this and I still like the overall look, even though it's a bit gritty.

The sun now looks pretty nuclear. Too bad it wasn't sharing its heat with us.

Back at the Rink

2010-12-06T21:00:00.004-06:00

Fellow photog Scott Campbell suggested on my previous post that I should turn my black and white rink shots into a series. Helluva plan. So I had that in the back of my mind at this weekend's game. Here are some more to add to the collection.

Day at the Rink

2010-11-30T21:29:00.001-06:00

How Canuck-ian is this?

Hey Buddy, You Gotta Light?

2010-11-29T20:56:00.006-06:00

While in Vancouver last weekend I had the good fortune to be staying kitty-corner to the Olympic torch. Long since extinguished it still looked really cool, a medley of steel and icy glass. I didn't have much opportunity to shoot that trip but hauled arse my only available morning when I saw the color of dawn creeping in. Snow had fallen that night to help bring back the feeling of what was, in my humble yet correct opinion, the greatest winter games of my generation.

And so here we have the Vancouver Olympic Torch, 2010:

But... Wait a minute? Where did them flames come from? Given I'm not a photojournalist I'm comfortable with "enhancing" the mood whenever necessary. And thanks to my good friend and awesome photographer Scott Campbell I had access to ready-made flames that I could inject into my shot. His image of the torch (taken during the Olympics while he worked as a skiing official, documented on his blog here) was actually published. His contribution of fire helped complete my shot. That and some mad Photoshop skillz.

And if you have ever wondered what that puppy looks like up close, it's a thing of beauty.

Back From Vancouver

2010-11-21T21:03:00.004-06:00

Such a great town. Weather was only so-so, but so much going on down there. Had the good fortune to be staying at the waterfront. A bit of snow came down, and tipped the trees in Stanley Park.

Was able to walk around a bit to see what's what. To get some fresh air, but also to burn off some of the ever present caffeine of the west coast.

It's not enough that they simply serve the lattes here - they decorate them as well:

And being by the water, I stumbled across this thing.

More to come of the permanently extinguished winter Olympic torch. Great memories.

Nap Time

2010-11-15T22:45:00.003-06:00

Eau Clair Market is also a nice place to grab a quick siesta.

Eau Clair

2010-11-15T22:39:00.006-06:00

Some random scenes around Eau Clair Market in downtown Calgary. An interesting place where urban blends in with "eau" naturale.

In the Air Again

2010-11-15T22:13:00.003-06:00

Off again. This time to Calgary. On a weekend. Not thrilled, but the view out the window was nice.

Sitting Around

2010-11-08T21:21:00.004-06:00

Farming some more from my recent trip to Montreal. This time some casual street. Folks just sitting around. Relaxing. Waiting for something.

I've grown to really like guerilla street photography. Capturing brief and unprepared moments in time.

At the Arena

2010-11-07T21:48:00.002-06:00

Couple quickies from the arena during the weekend. One a contrast in color, the other a somewhat nostalgic black and white.

A Dash of Color

2010-10-30T13:24:00.002-05:00

Change of pace following the B&W set from Montreal...

I Have Mono

2010-10-30T13:05:00.005-05:00

Enjoyed my time in Montreal this week, and fortunately during time between conference sessions I was able to get out and shoot. This series deserved a monochrome treatment. From the street to the sky...

Another Brick in the Wall

2010-10-25T15:53:00.004-05:00

Adjacent to our hotel is a funky indoor mall: the Centre de Commerce Mondial. And inside that, incredibly, rests a piece of the Berlin Wall. It is one of many sections that have been distributed around the world (found there is a list of sites here). It's really quite amazing to see and touch such a significant piece of human history, etched by decades of pain and suffering.

There are some more uplifting sights in the mall as well.

Look Up!

2010-10-25T07:36:00.003-05:00

Thanks to a noisy pidgeon up above that caught my attention.

Grit In the Alleys of Montreal

2010-10-25T07:32:00.006-05:00

Great light, great texture to be found in an alley adjacent to the hotel.

Different vibe, but I love the sole overhead lamp above this alley door...

Graphic Images From Montreal

2010-10-25T07:23:00.005-05:00

In beautiful Montreal this week for a conference, and with some open time went for my usual wander. Went all graphic stylin' with lines galore this time around.

A Taste of Halifax: The Street

2010-10-16T10:48:00.009-05:00

There is an overwhelming volume of things to shoot in downtown Halifax. Went for wander to see what I could, well, see. Hard light right outside my hotel first caught my eye...

Hard light. Hard lines. A view from above later in the morning proved fruitful, turning a plain 'ol stop sign into a strong graphic element...

Doors and graffiti, for whatever reason, continue to interest me. Found an alcove along Barrington that offered both...

From graffiti to what appears to be a commissioned mural. Low, warm light was trucking down this street. Got the camera up just in time to catch this old guy making the hard ascent up the hill. Fortuitous as I had seen him earlier and wanted to capture him somehow.

Colorful. Seems to be a good descriptor of the city and the people here. So I guess the following from a local street merchant is somewhat relevant...

Finally, another trip up towards the Citadel. Actually got there after closing, but the hill top and rising moon seemed interesting. And the approach was lit from the setting sun bouncing off an opposing office tower. Convenient.