The Wall. Well, A Wall

Took this in the Downtown Eastside this summer. If you ever drive, walk, or take the bus down Main st you will recognize this building. I tried to balance it out and make it even. No matter what I did some part of it looked a little out of kilter. I realized that must be because that is the way it was supposed to be. I guess sometimes I just try too hard to "balance" things. It also didn't look quite right until I made it black and white. 

 The 50mm shot at 1/400th sec at f5.6

Make Me A Canoe Mom

This is a Silver Birch. When ever I see one it reminds me of the little toy canoes my Mom would sometimes make me when I was a boy. I am pretty sure she made them from the bark of a Paper (also called Canoe) Birch but it looks quite similar. They were so neat.

By Design

Here is a pre digital photo. I took it on 120 roll film and was pretty pleased with what I got. It was a nice slide. I didn't have a scanner at the time so I took it in to have it professionally scanned. I then proceeded to forget that for almost a year. Oops. anyhow I went in and got it but when I looked at it on the computer it was awful. The flowers were a couple of yellow blobs. I thought that was it so I put it away until quite a while later I got my own scanner that was film capable. It's not a professional grade scanner but I thought I'd give it a try myself. The flowers looked a lot better. I just couldn't seem to get the colour on the fence right. It kept coming out way too blue. The wood was unpainted and grey. Hmmm grey I thought. So, I layered it made the top layer b & W, masked the flowers so the bottom (colour) layer showed, et voila!

 I shot this with the Hasselblad using the 150mm lens on. exposure not recorded.

Minimalism At The Maximum

Standing on some stairs waiting in a line I saw this window. I felt like if I could get to the window I would be able to reach out and touch the clouds. I am not going to reveal the location of the photo as I don't know if the people who run PNE Prize Home draw might not like it and tell me to take it down.

Would you be surprised if I said I used the 50mm? Well I did and the settings were, 1/100th sec at f16  iso 100

Into Her Eyes

Well with the snow and all I wanted to get a close up of Jennifer's eyes while she was bundled up and the snow falling about her face. Of course the snow stopped. We tried a couple outside and some inside with the flash. The ones with the flash showed off Jenn's eyes the nicest so I went with that one. I guess if the snow comes back we'll have to try something similar. 

 Shot with the 50mm at 1/80th sec f2.5 iso 100  I used the flash wireless and held it above her face up close with the Lumiquest III softbox on the flash.

Colour In The Cold

Here is another photo from the roller coaster the other day. It was a grey day and these lights, even though they were off, provided a splash of colour. I spent a fair amount of time debating on whether or not I wanted to use them in any pictures. At first I kept thinking they look like cheap plastic and wondered if I really would want pictures of that. As I took photos of the structure, the rails and nuts and bolts etc I seemed to start including the lights more and more. They still looked like cheap plastic but I liked the cheap plastic more and more. When I took this picture I think I realized why.  

I took this using the beercan set to 180mm  1/50sec f4 iso 200. 

How About, A Long View

That was inevitable. I took beercan to work with an eye to getting some close in shots of the snowcapped mountains. Yes of course it got cloudy. I went out anyhow and checked out the roller coaster again. It was interesting looking at the structure with a different perspective. There was a shot of a seagull in the woodwork I took yesterday that I really liked but was just a little too far away. I came back kind of hoping he was stuck frozen to the wood and still there (No I didn't and no he wasn't). There were crows however and this little fellow worked just fine. I'll post a few more from the roller coaster. It is quite an interesting subject. I bet a person, if they were allowed, could spend an entire day in there with a camera.
 

 I took this with the beercan (70-210) at 210mm 1/320th sec f4 iso 200

Look Wide

There's looking up, there's looking down. Here I looked wide. I had been trying to get photo's of parts of the roller coaster at neat different angles. I have a few I will show over the next little bit. I liked what I was getting with the 50 and the 100 (tomorrow I am going back with the beercan I think). Just for a moment I lowered the camera and took everything in and went "hm". I got out the 17 and came up with this. 

 Shot with the 17mm 1/500th sec f8  iso 100

200

200 posts. I think that is worthy of a mention. So I thought I should try do something a little bit special. One idea that kept coming up was my favourite things to photograph. So I thought and thought and thought.... Okay no I could think of 2 right off the bat. Here they are. 

Nostalgia

I  posted this on facebook some time ago. It was from my day out with Dar in Fort Langley. We spent some time in a 50's themed restaurant photographing items inside. We went in for coffee with of course an eye in mind for photos. It was nice to get off our feet and relax but the camera fever stayed on strong and we both got lots of great photo's. I didn't post earlier because I didn't want to cross post but I like this one well enough I wanted to bring it over here. 

 50mm 1/60th sec f1.7 iso 100

Here He Is Who Wasn't In The Picture Before But Is Now

Graham. From the previous post for "Good For Grapes". If you have been following this you will have seen Graham before. This was an interesting evening of photography. They were playing in a coffee shop called the "Wired Monk" and had a good crowd. Their music is original and quite good. I enjoyed myself. If you would like to hear a sample of their music go give a listen to "My Bass" . A good way to pass 5 minutes and 47 seconds.

 With the 50mm  1/80th sec f1.7 iso 400

Sure Is Nice

having such a willing and cooperative model. This afternoon I told Jenn I really wanted to try some shots using window light only. Of course her answer was "Okay Daddy" (I really like the Daddy part).  My friend Dar has had a lot of success using this kind of light and I really like it. So we took a few shots and here is what I ended up with. I admit I did some adjusting in Photoshop Elements but I tend to do that and like what I get. 

I shot this particular photo using the 50mm 1/30th sec f1.7 iso 200. I did set the camera on a tripod for this shot. I also used a feature that flips the mirror up, waits 2 seconds for any vibration to settle then trips the shutter. I don't usually have the patience to do all that. However, portraits in low natural light like this I think having to take time to set up and think about the shot more can really pay off. It also helps to have a model old enough to have an attention span that can last the 2 second wait. 

Vampyre!

We took this shot the same night as "Forbidding Beauty". While we were working on the photo I wanted just for the heck of it I asked Jenn to snarl for a couple shots. I had some spare time after so I added some fangs. Then I made her a little pasty because that is what the undead are, right?

 So I used which lens? The 50mm, you're so right! 1/125th sec at f5. You notice the higher shutter speed? That was to make sure the background was darkened. 

It's At Hand

When you are photographing someone every moment can count. I usually try to focus on the eyes. When I first saw this photograph of Nicola I was quite taken by it which is pretty awesome considering it was taken by me. (That line just came to me as I was typing it). We were sitting in a crowded coffee shop (Yes Starbucks) and I was going click, clickclickclick, click with the camera. Just for a moment she found it too funny and had to look away.... I could have put the camera down but pressed the shutter and caught this moment. 

 

Nicola's moment of mirth was captured with the 50mm(of course) 1/40th sec f2 iso 200

A Valuable Lesson

Here is one from a little series one night when Jenn was all dolled up. We put a white panel behind her and shot a flash through it and then a flash low shooting up to her and a flash high shooting down toward her both through umbrellas. Created I think a lovely even light on her. 

 This was with the 24-85mm at 55mm 1/60th sec f9 iso 100

What's this about a valuable lesson?

Go on...

A Seasonal Dilemna

When is it all going to end?????  I need the warmth, the sunshine, the barbecues, the carefree afternoons! I need.....  I need..... 

What? 

It isn't winter yet?

Oh. 

Carry on.

Good For Grapes

Not about wine. This is a name of a folk group some of our friends are in. We went to see them at a local coffee shop. We quite enjoyed their music and I had fun trying to get photos in a confined little space with lots of fans there. In this picture from left to right are Robert, Daniel, Alexa, and Sean. Graham was there but not pictured because he didn't happen to be in this picture. He has been in other pictures though and he will be in more.

Used the 50mm  1/40th sec f1.7 iso 400

Hmmmm Let Me Think

I Have always liked this picture. I didn't post it before because I wasn't sure what I wanted to say about it. I still don't really other than I like it. I guess that's reason enough. I took this on Okanagan lake in the autumn a few years ago. 

I used the 24-85mm at 60mm  1/500 f8 iso 200

And On.....

This is the 11x14 of Nick that we have hanging on the wall now. I like doing photo's like this. I should do more. 

That was a hint. 

 Taken with the 50mm  1/60th sec at f4 iso 100

Remembering

November 11th Remembrance Day. I didn't take today's photograph. It was taken before anyone I know was a twinkle in anyone's eye. It is a portrait of my Grandfather as a young man in uniform when he fought in the First World War. He didn't die in that war. He went on to live a long and happy life. He was a major force in his childrens and then their childrens lives. I think he lived a lot of the standards that most of us live by. None of us are politicians (maybe a good thing) or brain surgeons, or super heroes but a pretty good group all in all. He didn't talk much about the war but once in a while he told a story or two.  He told me once the German airplanes really were painted in those wonderful colour schemes you see in pictures. On one occasion and his crew saw one flying by so they decided to shoot at him. The plane came back and strafed them luckily missing everyone but close enough they never tried it again. I have a photo of him and the Vickers gun crew he was with.

This blog is about photography though. I have talked about digital manipulation before and of course will again. This is an aspect I feel is so important and worthy. I was quite taken with this picture of my Grandfather but after 70 or so years of being looked at, handled packed away framed, unframed, taped, untaped, and what have you it is in pretty rough shape. My Mom let me take it home and scan it. I did return the original and am not sure where it is now but this is what it looked like. 

It definitely needed some help.

And The Light Goes On....

Here is the photograph of Nick I took to hang on the wall as an 11X14. I took this one sometime after the Photo of Jenn. I ended up doing it a little different but the look was about the same. I showed another one from this shoot earlier and was talking about the struggle to get a nice photo. This was the photo I chose. He was showing a little defiance in this photo (I believe I caught him here just as he was reaching his limit with me) and when I saw it I knew it was the one I wanted. It's been since replaced with a more recent one. I will put it up tomorrow.

 Of course being film I didn't record the exposure but would have likely been 1/60th at f8 with the old Yashica 12 TLR.

Remember What I Said About That Light?

Maybe for the next couple days I will show some portrait stuff. We have an 11x14 print of each of the kids on the wall in the living room at home. For several years we had one of Jennifer that I previously blogged here. That one was professionally Printed from the negative and is beautiful. It was also kind of getting outdated as you likely know from photo's of Jennifer lately. So I got out the the backdrop and flashes and attempted to do something using basically the same light. This is the one we have hanging now.

 I used the 50mm at 1/100th sec f4.5 iso 100

The Rough With The Delicate

This was at Van Dusen Garden a couple years ago. I think I have talked about this day before. Cathe, Nick, and I all went there. Nick was getting bored with Cathe and I wandering with cameras taking photo's of what ever we could find. I happened to have my film camera with me so I gave Nick the digital and started taking photo's with the film camera. I am glad I did as it helped keep Nick happy and gave me the opportunity to get some great black and white shots in film. 

 No exposure Info

She Was Framed

Here is a shot taken a few years ago on one of our woodsy walks. I think the trees framing Cathe and her relaxed pose tell us the story perfectly. I like this photograph a lot. Cathe likes it too so I was allowed to post it.

 This is a film scan so I don't have exposure information recorded.

Seasonally Appropriate

Here is another one from a trip to the Okanagan in October of a few years ago. I love it up there at this time of year. 

 This was with the 17mm  1/125th sec f5 iso was 200

Sailing, Sailing...

Years and years ago, (more than 10) I went on a little cruise on a sailing ship. It consisted of beer, swimming, bloody mary's, games, beer, food, bloody mary's, and occasionally pretending to sail the boat. Oh and the games were of course drinking games. I managed to take a lot of photo's and some were in focus. 

This is the S.V. Flying Cloud. * "Built for the French Navy in 1935, Oisseau des Isles (Bird of the Islands) served as a cadet training ship. She is 208 feet long, 32 feet wide and her draft boasts 16 feet.  She weighed in at 400 tons (before charter guests and rum!).

During World War II, she was based in Tahiti and posed as a decoy, spying for the Allied Forces.  After the war, she was used to transport cargo along the Baja coast.  In 1968, she joined the Windjammer fleet."

She has since been retired dockside in Port Au Spain, Trinidad. Last word I can find is about attempts to return her to the British Virgin Islands and sink her as a wreck dive site. 
* From BVI Yacht Guide, see the link. 

Mom's Place

This was kind of a symbolic picture of life at the cabin at the lake. This spot is in the wood shed where people would sit to get out of the sun, or rain. Mom was living there when I took this hence the title. I used an old Mamiya C33 TLR I had at the time. It was a small area so I had the tripod up against the opposite wall on a tripod. I had to stand on a chair as the viewfinder is on top so I had to look down into the camera to make sure it was in focus. 
This was one of the few pictures I ever gave as a gift. I had it framed for Mom one Christmas. I have it back now. 

Exposure not recorded.

Forbidding Beauty

First, I apologize if the eyes bother you. I know they disturb some people. Jenn and I had planned to do a Hallowe'en photo with some red contacts she bought. We didn't get to do it on Hallowe'en but decided to take some photo's last night. My original plan was to have her lit from almost straight above for an ominous effect. Then in the computer I would work on the eyes like I did with Funky. We were trying different angles for the light and as soon as I saw this one in camera I knew we had something. So, here again is something not quite what I was looking for but I think even better. This is so much fun! 

Shot with the 50mm 1/125sec f5 iso 100. We used a black background. The flash was wireless shot through a Lumiquest III softbox above and in front of her. (Peter) Nick held the flash on a stand that we used as a pole. Works great! Thanks Nick.

Oh I Was Scared

With Hallowe'en having been here a couple days ago I thought I would show this photo I took a few years ago of Jennifer in her costume. I happened to have a little studio in the basement going at the time so I was all set. It was meant to be a fun picture but I think it has a melancholy feel to it as well. 

This is before I had digital so I used my old Yashica 12 TLR (Twin Lens Reflex). It was a mid range camera in it's day but with the big 6x6 negative you could get real nice enlargements from it.

Nerds Rock! (The Colour Version)

Perhaps I could have put this up at the same time as "Nerds Rock!" (b&w). However I believe even though they were taken within a couple minutes of each other they convey different energy and each stand on their own. In the previous version the mood was calmer and more thoughtful. Black and white seemed to suit it nicely. Just by asking Nicola to move a few feet and probably me cracking a dumb joke we made something more playful. This photograph worked better in colour. It helped liven up an already happy photo I think. There were more and as I said before I liked them all, these were the two I wanted to show.When you are taking photo's, you check and you think you got "the one" take some more, you may get another one, or two.

 Taken with the 50mm 1/640th sec f1.7 iso 100