Grand Bend

This weekend my family, my girlfriend, and I, went up to Grand Bend for a bit of a break. We went to the sand hill in Port Franks, the beach in Grand Bend, and spent a lot of time at my cottage in the woods outside of Grand Bend. It was an absolute blast, and there were a lot of great photographic opportunities. The est of those being the sand hill. It was a challenge to say the least. To compose as fast as you can see, and have to make the photo entirely on your anticipation of the moment. Certainly a time when a fast shutter speed comes in handy.
Archipelago Photography: islands of thought and image, connected with a name

Creepy

These are felt masks made by a colleague of my sisters. They are also really creepy. But more importantly, visually interesting. And that's why they are here.
Archipe...You know, what, I'm sure you get the idea.

Aspirations

I saw this poster the other day. It's so great! I really respect the kind of entrepreneurship and aspiration it takes to put yourself out there like that. This Dog Walker In Training has my vote.
Archipelago Photography: islands of thought and image, connected with a name.

The Flower Situation

I have a love/hate relationship with flower photos. I love them, because they are often beautiful and they sell like gold. I hate them because they are too easy and lovable. Flower photography is even easier than sunset photography, and even less cliche. But why? It takes very little skill to create an aesthetically pleasing flower photo, and often composition is overlooked by the average consumer. So flower photos sell. Fast. With little work. Causing photographers who are profit-driven or are novice, to lean towards marketing flower photos.
So I personally would rather sell more artistic photos, but if you put an incredibly artistic photo next to a mediocre flower photo, a lot of people would lean towards the flowers.
I'm not trying to say that all flower photos have bad composition or are made easily. Certainly not. I am trying to say though, that some are. One of my favourite parts of photography is taking an ugly or overlooked subject and showing it's true beauty. Flowers are already beautiful. Showing the beauty in an overlooked subject is saying something. Showing something beautiful, looking beautiful, says very little.
Archipelago Photography: insulae de cogitum lumenque, maritus cum nomen

Katie-Did

This weekend my sister, Katie, graduated from Sheridan College, so me and the family headed down to Oakville for the day, to see the gallery and the final "grad" show. IT wasn't the official graduation, it was a "Tulip Ceremony". The most exciting part, my sister won not only an award of materials, but the big award for her entire textiles program! I for one, am very proud of her. These photos are one that I made that day. The first is one of her business cards nestled in with her scarves (her gallery product) and the second is a photo made of images that are left on a silk screen.
Archipelago Photography: islands of thought and image, connected with a name.

Inspiration

Some inspiration is just plain better than others. Stronger, more specific, more unique; some inspiration is worth waiting forever for. It's the kind of inspiration that doesn't hit you like a flash; it's more like you just realize that you always knew it. it takes hold and points and composes and whispers in your ear what it's supposed to look like and then before you even realize it's there, the photograph has been created. Such was the case with the second photograph, Hug a Tree. I love this photo, it just works so well, and describes two different ideas (the Free Hugs movement, and the old saying "When you're lost, hug a tree"). the first is not the same per se, but still turned out different, but better, than I had originally conceived. I call it Jigsaw (because it describes both the wood wall and the puzzle).
Archipelago Photography: islands of thought and image, connected with a name.

City Streets

One of the big things I've noticed recently, is how much of a city person I am. I mean, my family does a lot of camping, and I'm pretty outdoorsy, but I've lived my entire life inside a large metropolitan area. And talking with some friends who live in more rural areas, I realize that living where I do has given me a pretty specific view of the province I live in. I only really see the completely habituated, busy-city kinda stuff, and the wild, totally untamed areas; never anything in between. So my photos today are of the city. The first, in Ottawa, and the second downtown London.
Archipelago Photography: insulae de cogitum lumenque, maritus cum nomen.