What The Hey Day...

Beach Cocktail

When you work for yourself, there's no one to make you tow the line. No one to breath down your neck to be productive. The only person to have that job is... yourself. Bummer. 

 Lost Count

I'll admit it. I'm the worst for avoiding work mode some days. And the other days then become stressful because you try to catch up. All on your own. And then ultimately you forget to inject your day with doing the very thing that inspires all that work in the first place. Sigh.... So yesterday I gave myself a "What the Hey" Day. An exercise in going with the flow. To inject some choice joy into my work.

Shell Game

Yesterday I made a choice to force myself to pick up my camera. To photograph the first thing that delighted me in the very next room. Then I mentioned it on Twitter and Facebook... and others feeling the same thing, responded. Then I went out on a limb and asked said strangers to join me doing the same in their own homes. 

And to post said photos of found objects.
Said strangers become new friends.
Said found objects became inspiration and creativity.

I believe I will now stop saying "said"...

Getting through the self-employed day = deliberately choosing to have fun honing your craft.
Start small.
Gain momentum.
Make friends.

I'd say my "What The Hey" Day was good for the soul. And for the camera.

I think a "What The Hey" week might be in order...

Who wants to join me?

Use What You Have, Create Some Magic...

"Snow Girl III"

It's been a loooong winter here in Ontario. Snow, snow, and more snow. After a while it's all you can do to keep from throwing your shovel at the next snow plow and start seeing tropical mirages everywhere you go, while chanting, "Yes, we have no bananas..." in a singsong-y voice. Or am I the only one?

"Snow Girl I" B&W portrait...

So this was bringing me down, and that's not acceptable, I needed to keep busy AND use my camera. It never pays to let your skills laze about the house while you shovel for the eightieth time. Luckily, the EPPC group I participate in on Facebook had a portrait challenge going and I realized that right outside my door I had the perfect backdrop, natural light, and built in reflector to get some practice shooting out in the evil white stuff. Turns out that "stuff" became my camera's best friend, light was reflected off the snow onto my model, colour popped, and shapes stood out enough... I've had so much fun working on these portraits, the light really was so nice to work with (overcast but bright) and I even found a nice POV from our deck in the backyard. Insert a fit of the giggles (we ARE a bit shack-wacky after all) and it was a good day for winter photography.

"Snow Girl II"

Kept things simple in post processing later... bumped the whites a tad with the curves action to keep things clean, unsharp mask kept definition where ever there was shadow or dark tones, some saturation where all the white light washed out colours... and highlighted some snow that was blowing but disappeared in all the bright white with a brush tool in a swirl selection at a low opacity... 

This was a simple session, but because I chose to utilize what I had at my disposal (read: one pretty volunteer and TONS of snow) I was able to get some portraits that reminded me how much fun I can have during this loooong winter with the camera.

But seriously, if spring could just tell me what it would take to coax it closer in a big way... I'd do it. I'm that desperate.

Thanks for the ramble! Have a good one!

Art In Creation....

"A Coming Together"

Two separate falls rushing towards the same creek bed below.

St.Catherine's, Ontario, Canada

Am reading Freeman Patterson's latest book "Embracing Creation" this week... if you are not familiar with the legendary photography that is Freeman Patterson's collection, then I strongly suggest you check it out. Today's image reflects perfectly the influence Patterson has had on my own photography over the years. When I wanted to express how these two waterfalls felt like two old friends who finally found their way to the same sweeping ledge and could rush together with glee, I instantly tried to "think like Freeman".

Not that I'm trying to be him. I do have my own specific style that I work in, regardless of whether it's nature or architecture or whatever, but his approach and his style were both very influential to me when I first started photography, and as usual his latest book is full of philosophies and explanations that create more questions than answers when I hold them up to everything I think I know about making images that feel like art. And I love it. In a time when I see so many photographers trying to outdo each other with the latest trend, the latest "look", and completely controlled and manipulated subject matter, super dramatic, always containing some element of digital "wow", he challenges the photographer to find those moments in nature all around you that hint at something fleeting, beautiful, and delightful in and of itself.... with nothing more than your ability to compose around it, to do justice to the quality of light it's resting in, and to use your gear and vision to communicate why it caught your attention, or what it was waiting to reveal in the lens. And for that to be enough.

Again, for me, its that treasure hunt feeling. What will thrill me today? What will nature prompt me to create today? If you look with expectation, creation reveals it's artistic nature... through real colour, real texture, real shadow, real light, natural patterns, wild spaces, and those that inhabit them...

The image above was taken near Ball's Falls Conservation Park. You can't see it, but the actual ledge went in a big arc, so the waterfalls are almost across from each other in this shot, with a great deal of space between the two (the bigger falls almost in the background the arc was so wide). I was kneeling on a dry part of the same lip, shooting over and down. I get dizzy just thinking of it! (Feel free to click on the image for enlarged viewing.)

Everyone is different, but I love looking for art in nature, and after reading 'Embracing Creation" I think I have the motivation for better photographs this year that will not only show off the art in creation, but the art residing within me as well.

Who's up for releasing their inner artist? 

I see that hand... thank you...

More Imagination Please...

Out of the Blue

If you haven't been to my Facebook page recently, you might wonder why I'm posting satellite images from space...

Where Two Worlds Meet

Cool images right? The roiling frozen ocean in the first one. A distant deserted valley colliding with a body of water in the image directly above. Dry and hilly terrain flanking two distinct roads in the photo below.

Paths Divided

Wow, Christine... when did you have time to fly to the space station? 

Those of you who have been on my Facebook page in the last 24 hours know exactly what you're looking at... the rest of you aren't sure but you're pretty certain that in between my last blog post and today's that I did NOT take up space travel. You can click on each image to see it enhanced. What you see is an abstract study of frost on a window and this photographer got excited about it. When was the last time my imagination soared? How about yours?

Whatever you see in those images right now is why this is so fun and so rewarding by the way. Three minutes ago you were contemplating how to start your day, or how spend your next break at work, or if you really want to fold another basket of laundry, and within the first minute of perusing the blog you suddenly had your imagination engaged... and as imagination is usually apt to do, you were transported with very little coaxing.

I've been asked before about the point of abstract art by folks who "just don't get it". To which I always answer with another question: Well, what's the point of imagination?" The answer I get ranges from 'it let's you explore life unhindered, free of stress, open to magical possibilities' to 'it's what lets the giant box the refrigerator came in turn into the invisible plane you fly as a superhero!'... 

Both answers are correct. And that's Abstract art too. For the viewer, it can be whatever you want it to be. Or you can use your imagination to gage what the artist's intent was... and you might get it right, or you might not care if you do at all... what matters is if it stopped you even for a moment and made you mull the possibilities over, got your imagination going, musing, or transported you elsewhere. And do you walk away slightly altered... ?

And for the creatives, for the artists, abstract is the chance to take what you love about compositions, and the power of shapes, lines, and colours, or the lack thereof, not to mention the medium itself, and infuse it with whatever strikes your fancy. It can romp, it can be expressive, it can be purely aesthetic, a puzzle to be solved,  or it can have important concepts needing to be conveyed. 

Or it can just be some everyday winter frost on a window pane photographed out of context. Personally I say let the 5 year old superhero out, and wreak havoc. Your art will thank you every time.

And all our 5 year old selves chant, "MORE IMAGINATION PLEASE!!!"

And We're Off....

In The Prime of Autumn...

I was marching boldly into January, I really was. Happily working on a new project, setting a new routine, feeling industrious! Till I hit a snag. 

I strongly dislike how fickle technology can be. One minute you're happily working on files, posting in communities on line, and then whammo! The google-verse tells you you don't exist... again. Needless to say, I had a fit. Of the conniption variety. A big hairy conniption type fit if you must know. This happened about a month ago as well! (the inter-web problem, not the fit...) Luckily the house is empty with everyone gone back to school and work, cause it wasn't pretty. All I wanted to do was blog for you all this morning! Simple right?

So what did I do to calm down, and patiently wait for things to be resolved AGAIN, so that I even felt like completing this small task today and not throw my computer out into the ice encrusted snow bank outside my door? And then rain giant anvils down on it.... While lighting it on fire....?

One of my own personal types of therapy is to dig out old photo files. Yes, I keep them all, if not on my hard drive, then in my back up drive and on disk. But I digress, since I know all of you must do the same, as time consuming as it can be. I pull up older files, and the treasure hunt begins! And I start to focus on something that pulls me in, and the stress fades.

I don't know about you, but when I cull images from rambles, trips, and shoots, I go for the obvious winners first. And I work hard at making them terrific. Often I know which ones they are, cause I was excited just to take them in the first place. Then I go back and cull again, looking longer and harder, making sure I didn't miss anything that has potential, cause if I have the time, I include those too if they meet my personal standards in some way. But time, new techniques learned, and insights that come with that passing of time itself always mean that later down the road (sometimes years later) I can open a photo file and see possibilities that I skimmed over...

Today's photo is exactly that. For whatever the reason, I saw it with new eyes today. So I spent a bit of time with it, straightened some perspectives, pulled up detail that had drawn me to the university building to begin with, made sure to keep the integrity of the flaming autumn colours framing the century old building.... and by the time I was done, I could think clearly again, ready to resolve my on-line issues... and even post on the blog after all.

Do you use your photography as therapy? Looking at my finished image transports me to the ramble I took that day, exploring the city, totally in my element, relaxed while I discovered new historic sights with the Nikon. And I feel better.

And so I'm off! I'm ready to take on the rest of the week now! It'll be great! But if you happen across a computer laying in a twisted pile inside a snowbank with the remains of a dozen 2x4's and the tire tracks of a large SUV that's backed over the same spot for the last hour, walk away and pretend you didn't see a thing.

Thanks. :)

Making The Jump... Here Comes 2014

Scaling Tiffany Falls

This will be my final post till 2014. And today's images (which you can view full screen if you click on one), taken at Hamilton's Tiffany Falls, just got me thinking about whether I'm ready for the new challenges ahead. And the new adventures that always wind up in your lap when you least expect them.

The Descent Begins

Not knowing what lies ahead for another new year, makes me realize I should accept now that everything continues to be a learning experience. And that lessons I learned this year should not be forgotten. They're the foundation for how I approach the next challenge, the next failure, the next part of the journey God chooses to take me on.That's the difference between placing value on your past, or wallowing in it.

Smooth Ride Down

 So, ready to make the jump to 2014? I am! Let's see where it takes us! 
And not to race ahead too much, I'm ready for Christmas to arrive next week. To gather with a ton of family and friends, to eat some serious food until the thought makes me sick, to shower my kids and hubby with tokens of how much I cherish them through the year, around the tree, carols on the stereo, never leaving our pj's until absolutely necessary!

Successful Arrival

So, to all my friends, my wonderful clients, my family, and talented photogs... I wish you the very best of the season, and may blessing and adventure find you in 2014!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Makin' Plans

Leaving Cottrells Cove...

Newfoundland, Canada

With some of my free time last week, I worked on this image from my first trip to Newfoundland. It was in the "possibilities" folder. Meaning I had some significant work to do on it before I'd be happy posting it anywhere but the vantage point was interesting to me, and I loved the golden shoreline against the blue. It had definite possibilities.

Then I got to thinking about other possibilities I now have time for. 2014 is steadily approaching, and I'm thinking about travel again. Do I go back to the east coast? Do I head out west? I have a road trip stuck in my head now that revolves around the Muskoka area and the ol' Nikon in summer or fall... so many possibilities abound. All require money of course, and some planning but what I want to include in whatever trip I may take this year will be the opportunity to meet up with some of my photography buddies... you're all such wonderful people, I need to start meeting more of you!

Anyway... that's what this photo got me thinking about... traveling and visiting, and coming back home with great memories and photographs to share. 
Does it get any better than that?

Don't Need A Do Over: The Benefit of Moving On.

In a Land Far Away... Central Newfoundland

Ever make a really hard choice, then realize after you do, that it was the most fantastic thing you've done for yourself in a long time?
And it wasn't a matter of being a quitter, or a failure, or a lazy good-for-nothing. But more like the blinders came off, and for the first time you could see all the chaos, all the unwanted clutter and stress, and how it all really wasn't a good fit from the start?

I've decided to, (brace yourselves), move on from the business of photography. This does not mean I'm stepping away from photography itself, because I love working with a camera, I love exploring, I love producing prints... it means I am no longer going to exhaust myself trying to maintain it as a business. You'll notice I didn't say I was "giving up"... because if my 5 years of determined struggling is any indication, I do not fall into the "quitter" category! Rather, I am aiming for something better, for me personally. Something stripped down, creatively productive, and less intense. 

And it feels right. I'm no longer fighting insomnia. I have time to be a wife again. I have time to invest in others. I'm exercising. It's time to invest in the other parts of me that the insanity of a business blocked me from. And I was trying all the things experts said would succeed, believe me. But sometimes it's just not meant to be. When I look back, even in the last year, I spent too much time thinking I had to be the next Jasmine Star/David DuChemin/Ansel Adams combined. It was what everyone around me was doing, and it was what well meaning fans and friends assumed I could easily pull off just cause I can take a good photo. I tried, and tried, and tried some more! Instead I was resenting the camera, which before brought me joy, and I was avoiding clients, ironic since I'm truly a "people person." And the more I thought about it, the more I realized, "I don't need a do-over! What I need is to move on." 

I've been spending the last while quietly phasing it all out, down to where it's just myself, my images, and a few online communities where I can simply grow as an artist, including getting back to blogging. Will I still do the odd shoot for friends?... if they ask. Will I be opposed to selling the odd print? Never... it'd be a thrill. I still have a few clients to finish the odd project for, I'm not bailing on them either. And I will continue to ramble, gosh darn it! It's just not going to be the giant desperate shadow following me around, threatening to overpower me if I don't look productive, feel competitive, or try to beat the trends before they happen. I'm going to do photography for me.

What will you see on the blog?... real life. Big images and simple snap shots. I do have a personal project or two under wraps. And we'll see what happens. With the pressure off, the joy has returned, new experiences await, and I'm free to expand into new territory that was once just a day dream... that's the benefit of moving on.

I'm done with do-overs. Let's move forward.

Would love to hear your stories of when the decision to move forward was the right one and how you felt... let's get some replies up here!

Have a good one gang, and thanks for the ramble...

Photographs of Christmas Past

So, I thought my blog was gone forever! Did you know that? I did. A little while ago I terminated my original website as I was figuring out what direction I'm personally going in with my photography. Needless to say, I couldn't find my blog when that happened.
When I realized all it took was going into blogger and switching back to the blogger hosted domain, I gave myself a smack upside the ol' noggin and promptly adjusted the blog to be my main online presence for the moment along with flickr and Facebook.

To celebrate my recovery of my own blog (I know, you're all shaking your heads right now) I thought I'd post something cheery and Christmas-like! 
Click on the first image to view them at full size! Enjoy!

To all my readers and friends, no matter what you celebrate at this time of the year, I wish you love, and joy, and peace!

It's good to be back!

It's Been Too Long

"Opening Night"

I know you're shocked. Or maybe not. No sunset shot today, no towering architecture, no flowers, no historical ships. This is my image for today, and it's been too long since I've explored the streets of downtown Hamilton with the Nikon. It's been too long since I've had something so different to share with you all. I kind of did a little jig when this image demanded my attention!

Joined our local Hamilton Flickr Group last weekend for a photowalk. And I'm glad, very glad, I did. Not only did I get a chance to connect with a fabulous group of people for a few hours, wandering the streets, being inspired by the different things that would stand out to different people, but I was reminded that it's still fun to hunt for those "photographic gems" that are available to us if we care to look hard enough.

Several telephone and hydro poles were sporting this particular poster... for a rave or music event... and the eyes would follow you no matter where you stood. They really got my attention, and the graphic face emerging from the shadows screamed to be photographed. In my experiment to see how far the eyes would follow me, I wandered past the pole, then looked back in the lens... I realized if I got my exposure right, I'd get the "open" sign in the dark window of the dance studio behind it. Take what you will from it, paper vs neon, the solitary vs the city bustle, blue vs red (ha). Is it the most stunning image I've ever produced. Nope. But it was so much fun to take, and I can't wait to print it up. And that's the point.

If it's been too long since that was you having fun, being excited, creating something you can't wait to share, causing you to give an unrestrained giggle of accomplishment, then maybe its time to revisit something you once had time for. Doesn't have to be photography, and it doesn't have to be complicated. Just has to bring you joy. 

Thanks to the HFG for the great night, for John who got us into the local fire hall with our cameras last minute (and to all the firemen out there, stay safe and thank you for all your hard work at all hours of the day and night)... 

..... and thanks for the Ramble here on the blog, gang! Have a good one!

When You've Got The Blues

"Quiet Dusk"

Dusk. Things quiet down. Bird song is amplified. Music carries from the distant pier. The water barely moves. We walk the trail by the local marina and here and there a couple sits on benches overlooking the restful scenery, letting the calm do the talking. I let it call to my camera on this particular night.

Why haven't I used this wonderful low light more often?

We see in colour, we see in black & white, but I have struggled with seeing in 'blues' I'll confess. There are only subtle, gradual changes from highlight to shadow. From one tone to another to distinguish shape and line. If anything, the blues of dusk cause me to really pay attention to the light, where it plays, where it disappears, what and how it illuminates and not as much on good composition to also carry a story.

When you've got the blues that come with dusk's final light, you are forced to sacrifice blatant contrast for more subtle details, in order to preserve mood and perception. And in processing, you have personal considerations galore. Do I remain true to the colour cast? Do I only accentuate the light skimming over the objects in the foreground? Across the water?

I decide it's not necessary to see every bold detail on the boats, we know they are there and that's enough for the image. I decide I love how the light grew intense near the sun's connection to the horizon and keep that intensity. I keep the composition consistent with the lily pads mimicking the clouds above.

When all is said and done, how lovely and quiet the evening was comes rushing back to me. You'll all see something different, which is just as wonderful. It's what I love about the arts period.

Have a great week, and thanks for this ramble in the dusk.

Imagination Set Sail

"Evenings Companions"

Another image from the Tall Ships that visited Hamilton last long weekend. Grown ups and children alike were excited to see these beauties. If you click on the photograph to enlarge, you will notice all the flags fluttering in the background from the other ships waiting for visitors as well. Some of the festival personnel were decked out in 1812 era gear, demonstrating musket firings and drills, and two of the ships touring the harbor fired "canons" at each other, shaking the pier.

I don't care who you are, but at that point your imagination reminds you of other fantastic vessels you've encountered over time. Maybe from childhood. Maybe from current films. The eerie but trusty Black Pearl from the movies, the glorious danger of Captain Hook's ship from J.M Barrie's "Peter Pan", the Hispaniola which emerges from "Treasure Island" and the delightful mind of Robert Louis Stevenson.

I don't know if this image is my favorite from that evening... but it's the one that causes my imagination to ramble through all the things we love about these fantastical vessels. So I thought I'd share.

Have a great day, explore your own local festivals, and heck, take the camera.... but whatever you do, take your imagination.

Thanks for the ramble! 

Tall Ships and Opportunities Abound

"Sorlandet in Sunset"

One of our long weekends just past, the family and I wandered down to the waterfront to enjoy the Tall Ships event happening in the Hamilton Harbor. The weather was a perfect summer temp, so the entire Pier and beyond was swarming with people there to enjoy the festival. The tall ships don't dock here every year, so the crowds were thick. As were the number of cameras visible. You knew the local photo communities were about to be flooded with sea faring vessels photographed at dock.

Limited access was the order of the day... many ships roped off for special sailings and tours, others simply docked near food and displays... and throngs of people. It quickly occurred to me that there were only so many places and views and vantage points to be had. And that all weekend hundreds of other photographers would use them all as well. But I didn't let that deter me from getting my own photographs of these carefully restored and historical beauties. And sure, I could have returned with dozens of others in the early morning hours in the dawn, to try to get something different and unpopulated but I was also enjoying some added family time.

I guess I'm posting all this to say that I no longer valiantly try to get "the" shot when I'm out on a ramble... one that no one can compare another to... I think over the last little while I've figured out that I'm always happy documenting what my own eye and camera actually see, or interpret, around me. If I'm experiencing something similar to someone else shooting nearby, so be it. Another photographer I know showed up, saw how limited it all was and decided it wasn't worth it. But why not? Why not enjoy what you see? What speaks to you personally is just that, personal. And if it's personal, you would hope there would also be something unique about it anyway.

So many are obsessed with the "it" shot that no one else can get. But the world isn't exactly getting any bigger. Just the opposite. You are going to ramble and explore and get the same scenes or subjects someone else might have had at some point. Does that mean you pack the Nikon away and pick a new career or hobby? For me that day, it meant noticing the way the sun shot beams through the Norwegian Sorlandet's rigging across from where I happened to pause with my daughter. I took a minute to drink in how pretty it was. It meant if I waited in that exact spot, I could compose for a nearby ship to sail into the frame as well, under a golden sky. Getting the image was a creative and personal experience. And after some slight editing, I can say that this photograph is completely unique to me personally, which is the most rewarding feeling to come away with anyway.

In a world overflowing daily with more and more photographers trying to outdo one another, fabulous images will abound on a more personal level. Don't let anything rob you of that.

Thanks for the prodigal ramble, gang! It's been a while I know. 

Have a good one.

Trains From Above

Haven't blogged lately due to workload. Thought it was time to rectify that. Took these photos one lazy evening by the bay front here in Hamilton. Sometimes it's restful to show up with your camera somewhere with no definite expectations and your only goal to photograph whatever suits your fancy... no agenda, no limitations, no pressure to even show them later if you choose not to. Just an exercise in letting your circumstances propel you a bit as an artist. Please click on an image to view in it's best quality.

When WAS the last time I let something simple like the train yards make me feel like I was 10 years old? Excited to watch as the trains exchanged tracks, exchanged cars, and ambled towards the bridge I was watching from? It was so much fun that I even used the fun way to view them... with a tilt/shift effect... causing them to look slightly more miniature. Thinking of tracking down someone who can actually get me into the yard for a day, photograph how it really ticks... now that would be an exciting photo story to dig into!

Happy Earth Day!

"Nesting"

A late post for today, but I finally had time to work on some photographs of our local mama Swan. She's laid one egg, and is watching over it and tending to it carefully everyday. In much the same way we should be tending to and watching over the only world we have. Appropriate for Earth Day, don't you think?
I did everything in my power to ensure she still felt safe with my presence nearby... so the trusty telephoto zoom came in handy. I hope you enjoy. I'll return often, no idea when the tiny cygnet will hatch!

"Nesting II"

"Details in Nature"

"Mama and the Egg"

Happy Rambling on this special day, gang! Get out there and enjoy nature today, and perhaps say a prayer of thanks for all we have.

It's Not Always About Location

"Springing of the Year" 

Magnolia

Royal Botanical Gardens, Arboretum, 2012

I'll never stop photographing the area around my home. Yes, partially because I don't have the type of coin right now to go to more exotic locations. And partially because I'm still technically a stay at home mom. But also because no matter how many times I think I've exhausted a local park, or city block for interesting or beautiful photo ops, I always find treasure after treasure on every return trip to a local location. Today's image was taken at a local garden/trail 20 minutes from my home, one I explore on a regular basis. This magnificent tree was only spotted on my 100th visit, or so it felt!

It's daunting to be a part of the photographic community. The web is flooded with images from Patagonia to Iceland. Exotic scenery. Sights you can't ever hope to see when you step out your front door, for most of us anyway. Well who's to say that the fine folks in Iceland ever get to see the scenes or subjects you're about to post! Perhaps you're exotic to them?

Keep photographing. Don't let the globe trotters get you down. You see things around you that no one else can. And you probably know those locales like the back of your hand, a huge advantage to be honest, with constant access to it. Those other countries and communities will be even more fun, and easier to photograph when you DO get there one day.

What's your favorite local scene to photograph? Would love to hear about it, and why it fascinates you! If you send me your favorite photo of it, I'll include it on the blog with your comments.
Thanks for the ramble gang! Have a good one!

Don't Miss It

"Double Six With the Guys"

I pull out my gear and the family groans collectively. They know they'll become instant subjects and let's face it, none of us wants to be the focus of the camera. We want to visit, laugh, eat, play, and eat some more without becoming the next big photo essay. But what can I do? Everyone eventually appreciates that we have a record of each celebration or holiday later on, they contain our memories better than we do sometimes, and sometimes contain people we don't ever want to let go of either.

There is a way to do this, get the pictures you want, even get ones you LOVE, all without ticking off your closest relatives and friends. But you have to play a part. Step into a roll, so to speak.

You have to go into wedding photographer mode. You know what I mean... the fly on the wall approach. This mode means you grab your camera, and simply bide your time, float about the edges of groups or rooms, till folks forget that you are taking pictures of them at all. I can even do this with a flash, off camera, set down somewhere close to the action, and trigger it remotely when needed, all without blinding people and causing a riot. Personally, I don't run well from angry mobs with a camera in one hand and an appetizer in the other...

Today's shot is my favorite from Easter dinner last weekend. The family was playing Dominoes, and so immersed in the game that I could sneak around and wait with camera at the ready. I got a few posed pics, then let my son, my brother, and my uncle forget about me. I like to keep a wide angle zoom on the camera which gives me instant flexibility concerning how close I am to a scene or how much room I have to move around, and still get everything in the frame. The flash was tucked off to the side on a small table, remotely triggered. And, to keep people from feeling like targets, I made sure to aim the camera at the action itself for the most part. I didn't want to miss it.

I wound up with a great story telling shot, in some great light, involving people I love deeply. Even without faces, you've got three generations sitting at a table (as confirmed by the differences in the hands), their posturing suggesting each move is being considered carefully, and the low angle and perspective placing you in the middle of the game. A frozen moment. One that embodies how great and relaxing the weekend was.

Got family events you need to capture? Dig into your inner wedding photographer/fly on the wall mindset and don't miss it. Don't miss the moments that count.

Traveling Back

"Ready To Go Out"

I have neglected the blog as of late, so I thought I'd post a new image today from a previous visit to Newfoundland. I don't yet get to travel often as a photographer, but I absolutely love it. So on days where I can't get rid of the ache to explore and have to stick close to home, I pull out my travel files and explore the memories via images I have yet to work on!

Today's image was taken somewhere on our way to Ocean View National Park and Leading Tickles. There was activity happening on the docks, so I only had a few seconds to get the sky skimming past these vessels lined up in the cove, ready to head out for the morning... I loved the boat in the middle ground with the flag waving proudly.

So now I've shared my itch to travel back... and to be sure I'll be arranging another trip, a longer trip, to magical Newfoundland. But for now, this will have to do while I get back to work! And hey, if you have one place you'd recommend to this rambling photographer, what would it be? I'd love to hear your suggestions!

Have a great day gang!  Thanks for the Ramble!

Three Cheers For Inspiring Women!

Happy International Women's Day! Just a quick post today to share how all you ladies out there inspire me. Some of you because you're photographers, some because you're amazing moms, some because you are bravely battling illness, some because you've become incredible friends and mentors. I applaud all of you today! So the following is a list of blogs and websites that I highly recommend, all owned by amazing women! When you have a moment be sure to check them out!

Anne Mckinnell

The Pioneer Woman

This Journey

Jennifer Gilbert Photography

Commit To Fit

Esther Out Loud

Jasmine Star Photography

My Whimsical Little World

Canadian Women Photographers Network

This is just a handful of sites I visit regularly, and find inspiration from... what are your favorites?

Have a great weekend folks! Next week... images from Hamilton's own annual Spring Tide @Gage Park, it's on now until March 17th. If you need a shot of spring, keep your eyes peeled here at the blog.
Happy Rambling!