A client engaged me to photograph an urban park/trail design and construction project they did for a community in the northern Greater Toronto Area.
A highlight of the project is the metal sculpture at the trail head. It’s a skeleton of a boat, invoking the maritime heritage of the town. Continue reading →
I was engaged by a client that had done a redesign at a radio station – all of the office areas, public spaces and broadcast studios.
If you have ever been in a radio broadcast studio, these are not large spaces. The lighting is typically not great because it doesn’t need to be. This can present a challenge to photograph. Continue reading →
A client engaged me to do an interesting outdoor project. It was a large infrastructure project that entailed the design and building of a new bridge as well as the re-routing of a creek bed.
My client is known for being good environmental stewards and does a lot of work related to environmental cleanup. In this particular case, the project was being submitted by the city for design awards. Continue reading →
I was engaged by a builder of custom homes to shoot some of their projects. The details in these homes were spectacular.
In one home, the range hood would move up, or down at the touch of a button. A very cool feature to be sure. I wanted to figure out a way to capture the movement of the range hood to highlight the feature for the client. Continue reading →
In honour of International Women’s Day, a short list of some wonderful female photographers for inspiration (in no particular order).
Mr. Nadella,
As a ‘creative’, I have long known the false beliefs perpetuated by some that “Apple is for creatives” and “Windows is for accountants” is just so much falderal. The two platforms do, essentially, the same things, just in different ways.
That said, the release of the first Windows-based Nokia smartphones a few years ago incorporating the PureView sensor technology was intriguing. So much so that when the 1020 was announced, I made plans to get one. The idea of the large sensor, and ‘lossless zoom’, combined with the ability to capture in RAW mode was very appealing to this photographer. I am not a ‘photography snob’ and as such recognise that very compelling imagery can be made with any type of camera. Continue reading →
Donald Weber wrote an essay in March 2015 on the state of photojournalism today. Weber is a World Press Photo juror and a member of VII Agency. Despite the problems World Press Photo has had in recent years, it remains a very prestigious competition.
In the essay, Weber lamented the death of photojournalism as he knew it and as he learned it. And he is correct. Continue reading →
Some will say that a picture should need no caption, that it should stand on its own. It is true, in some cases, that a photograph can stand on its own and need no caption, or description. In many, I would suggest most, instances; however, some complementary text can be very important. Our own personal experiences play a large part in how we perceive visual imagery. A photo of Birkenau has a very different meaning to someone who is Jewish than to a Christian or an Atheist. A different meaning still to those who are older vs. those who are younger. We are informed by our own history. I understand the particular areas of Toronto I shoot in. I know the neighbourhoods and some of the people. Others who know the areas have a similar understanding of the pictures as I do because they have that history. What’s that old saying about walking a mile in someone’s shoes? We do not all see the same things, nor should we. What is appreciated by one person may not be by another. And there is nothing wrong with that. Continue reading →
We seem, as a species, to have a nearly pathological obsession with making comparisons. For some reason, we seem unable to evaluate something on its own merits. The extent to which we seem to do it today is disturbing and it is disrespectful to the parties being compared. Continue reading →
Professional is not a word that should be used in connection with photography. No one should be called, or call themselves, a ‘professional photographer’. Continue reading →
The discussion of editing has been left till now because it is, to me, of lesser importance than the rest. But it is also logically what follows what has come before it. Only after we have been out taking pictures do we begin the work of editing. It is for that reason, as well, that the next section on telling stories through a body of work comes after this one. It is only after we have culled and edited that we can begin to curate the finished photos into a coherent story, ready to show to others. Continue reading →
The night is a very interesting time for photography in general and street photography in particular. Certainly the lighting is different. But more importantly, the people are different. It is a very different person who is out at night from the day. Even if it is the same person, they are different. The night is personal time. People who you might see during the day are more likely to be more relaxed at night. There is also a sector of the community that you probably will only see after the sun goes down. Continue reading →
The old saying is true. Opinions are like [insert specific anatomical reference], everybody has one. Witness the number of opinion columnists employed by newspapers and the number of pundits who appear regularly on other media outlets to expound at length about this, that, and any other thing. Like most any other endeavour, there are good and bad providers of opinion. What separates the two? Continue reading →
It is not just the fading romance of something that is about to disappear that he gives us, but rather a new statement now framed within his photograph that transcends the evocative beauty of the gardens themselves.
Jacqueline Kennedy, speaking about Eugène Atget Continue reading →
Photography, perhaps more than any other endeavour is replete with the equivalent of ‘get rich quick’ schemes. There are any number of software companies and individual photographers hawking ‘one click fix’ solutions. From snapshot to amazing shot-type books and tutorials. Action sets that will set your heart a flutter at the ease with which a couple mouse clicks will make your photo a masterpiece. Continue reading →
Every picture tells a story don’t it…
Rod Stewart
In that classic song, which you are unlikely to hear much today given it’s racist lyrics, the protagonist is painting a picture with words and telling his story through song.
In street portraiture, your subject is telling their story through your picture with their words. Continue reading →
The camera is a shield. Even though you see everything through the viewfinder, you’re putting something between you and what’s happening.
John Hoagland
Being able to capture candid photos of people is key to successful street photography. As was discussed in the prologue and will be covered more in another essay, not all street images have to be candid but candids are a staple of the art form.
The decisive moment is several things. It is the name of a book containing the photos of Henri Cartier-Bresson. It is the phrase Bresson came up with to describe his approach to his photography. It is the mantra that many have used to talk about street photography in the years since Bresson. Continue reading →
What gear is essential for street photography? A camera.
You can stop here if you wish. Part II will be posted next week.
Caveat if you read on – sarcasm and exaggeration are used to add humour and emphasise points. Continue reading →
This man is a roving and impassioned daguerreotype that preserves the least traces, and on which are reproduced, with their changing reflections, the course of things, the movement of the city, the multiple physiognomy of the public spirit, the confessions, antipathies, and admirations of the crowd.
Victor Fournel, on the idea of the flâneur Continue reading →
