A Second Session working with Flowers in Ice

Digital original

One of the burning questions about the flowers frozen in ice is what causes the bubbled; some of the attempts at freezing just end up clouds of white...fortunately the above block of ice surrounding a yellow flower showed enough of the subject to be usable.

Digital original, 3 frame stitch

I was just beginning to work on the above composition when the block of ice (a fairly large one, with 5 flowers encased in it) cracked and fractured...not enough to fall apart, but certainly a big enough crack to show in the resulting image. In some ways, this process reminds me of working with river - you can see the general flow, but when it comes to making images, nothing is predictable.

Digital original, 5 frame stitch

While working on it, I wasn't sure if the 5 frame stitch would work with this group of flowers; moving the camera for each composition in the stitch leads to some change in the camera's point of view, which can make the stitch challenging to assemble. Fortunately, it didn't present any issue at all, and yielded one of my favorite images of this subject to date.

This image was included in the 2010 exhibition `Frozen Light` which was displayed at ViewPoint Gallery, in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

A Studio Session with L_

Digital infrared original

I have worked with L_ a for almost a decade, and still manage to make images of her that fill me with delight - there’s such an energy that comes from her, and it is always a delight when that comes across in an image.

Digital infrared original

I've always found the studio challenging to work in; it is essentially an empty room waiting for light and a subject. As such, the easiest, and most obvious approach for me is to work with portraiture - the empty room permits (and essentially requires) all the attention to be focused on the model, and reinforces the connection between the photographer and subject.

Digital infrared original

Though we did some experimentation with more body-oriented compositions, it was always the portraits that really worked, so in the end, for all that we tried to push the session in other directions, it was ultimately a great portrait session with a lovely model.

A New Direction Begins!

Digital original

Late last year, ViewPoint Gallery moved to a new space; as part of the renovations, a new concrete floor was poured. After it was set, the gallery members held a celebratory get together in the new space. The next day, I arrived at the gallery to an interesting sight - over the evening, a carnation had fallen against a single-pane window, and been frozen within a sheet of ice (from the condensation due to the new concrete floor).

The image of that flower frozen in ice has stuck with me since then, and finally, almost 4 months later, I have decided to see if I can recreate the results, using Tupperware and a freezer.

Digital original

My first attempt at freezing flowers in ice went reasonably well - one of the three blocks of ice was completely clouded white - for some reason it was just a dull cloud of air bubbles...but the other two held flowers magically suspended in a surreal world of bubbles and light.

Digital original

In some ways this session created more questions that it answered; why did one of the three attempts fail, and was there a way to prevent it. How could I make the images work better (some of those I thought would be really strong just didn't translate into good photographs), and how could I generally push the technique further. I am intrigued, and will continue to work through these questions, in hope of gaining some control over the process.

A Chilling Experiment

A couple of months ago, ViewPoint Gallery moved from their original location to a street level address downtown (1272 Barrington Street); as part of the relocation, the landlord provided us with a new concrete floor. Once the floor had been finished, the gallery members had a little evening party to celebrate the new location. The next day, I dropped by the gallery, and noticed a carnation frozen in condensation that had run down the single-pane windows (new concrete gives off lots of water!).

Digital original

For a while, that image, of a flower encased in a block of ice was stuck in my head, and in an effort to both exorcise it, and to see where the idea would lead, I threw a flower into some water-filled Tupperware, and put it into my freezer. The next morning, a surprise greeted me when I popped the ice block out of the containers.

Digital original

Almost every side of the ice block presented something interesting to photography; from one side, the ice was a mass of bubbled, with only a hint of colour from the flower within, while on other sides the flower itself emerged from the bubbles as if it was surfacing within a sea of white. I set up some studio lights, and put the ice block within a light tent to even the lighting out, and began to photograph the flower within the ice.

Digital original

In the end, the experience of working with the flower in ice has left me hungry for more. There were some technical issues which I need to overcome, and I wonder what other flowers will do in the same environment (can you call a block of ice an environment), but overall for a first stab a totally new direction, I am pleased with the results.

A Frozen Afternoon Field Trip

Digital original

During a Photo 101 field trip with some students, I came across a fascinating space - a sheet of ice with partially frozen leaves in it; some were emerging from the surface (like the above image) while others were completely encased in ice.

Digital original

I have been thinking of ice and plants lately, not specifically of leaves, but the sight of this plain of ice really drive home how rich the potential of ice and plants were.

Digital original

I really like the simplicity of this image; I seldom photograph outdoors in the winter, so when I do, it is always a pleasant surprise when things work out as pleasing as this.

Miranda & Nicole Model Together

Digital original

Winter is always a challenge for me, given that working with models outdoors ins't much of an option. Fortunately, on this afternoon both Miranda and Nicole were available, and happy to pose together. I set up the white sheets, and set to work after the models arrived.

I love the repetition of the lines in this image, both models were a delight to work with.

Digital original

Though I have been working digitally now for more than 5 years, I still find colour challenging; with the above image however, the almost monochromatic quality of the subject (basically pale skin and white) created a chance to make an image in colour that worked quite well.

Digital infrared original

The last set of images that we made were of the two women standing; the natural light in my main room is perfect for working with models against the wall beside it, and with Miranda facing the wall, and Nicole leaning back on it, there were some wonderful lines and mirroring that occurred.

A First Session with A_

Digital original

A friend of Nicole's (who in turn is a friend of Miranda's), N_ approached me about making some indoor Nudes for her boyfriend; she didn't want to be recognizable however, so the entire session was coloured by that request.

Digital infrared original

With such a specific request (photos for a partner) I felt quite challenged; usually I just see where a session goes on its own, but with N_, I specifically made images that focused upon her natural body language, stance and poise. Essentially the goal was to make an image of her that her boyfriend would instantly recognize, even without her face.

Digital infrared original

Towards the end of the session, I felt I'd made a good many images that would suit N_'s needs, so I asked if we could do some more abstract/bodyscape images - the strongest of which is above.

Mia's First Indoor Session

Digital; infrared original

Mia contacted me about modeling by e-mail, and in short order, plans were made; though she lives on the west coast, her family is still in Halifax, and she visits from time to time. As it was snowy and cold outside, we began our first session indoors, working with the brilliant afternoon light that flooded into my apartment from the snow field outside my window!

Digital; infrared original

Almost the entire session focused on bodyscape images; as we had never worked together before, Mia was uncertain about how she felt about being identifiable, so the work during this session was kept anonymous, focused on line, shape and form, more than individuality.

Digital; infrared original

As the afternoon moved on, the sun moved lower and lower in the sky, until it fell directly upon the wall of my apartment; after working for much of the session with diffused light, we finished off with a set of photographs of Mia working directly in the evening sun.

New Year's Day at Peggy's Cove

Digital original

This was made during what has become an annual event - a New Year’s Day visit to Peggy’s Cove, to great the light of the New Year. While I continually find landscape images challenging, I do fine it easier when I focus on the language I use with the Nude - light, shape and form, with composition pulling it all together.

Digital original

I could wander all day, photographing the ice pools that form on the rocks at Peggy`s Cove...except of course that I`d have a frozen brick of a camera after a couple of hours.

Digital original

The great thing about photographing this time of year is how low and angular the light is; I love the yellow-gold highlights on the ice, where the afternoon sun is just hitting the edges of the ice.

A New Year's Day Morning with Monique

Digital original

Monique was visiting Halifax for the holidays, and asked if I'd be interested in a short session on New Year's day. Never one to pass up the chance to photograph, Is set everything up, and early in the morning of the first day of the New Year, Monique arrived, and we proceeded to make a series of images on my couch covered with the white sheets.

Digital original

Almost every image from this series was portrait focused, but the above, with such an interesting placement of Moniques hand, really stood out from the rest. There is no denying my preference for working outdoors, but when I can produce images like these, I can't deny the appeal of working in such a simple, minimalistic setting.