L_ at the Coast (Polly Cove, Nova Scotia)

Digital original

I have a near terminal aversion to working with direct sunlight, but as this session started later in the afternoon, and the sky seemed to promise some respite, L_ and I set out for the coast regardless of the sunshine. Luck was with us, as by the time we reached the coast, the sky was almost toally cloud covered, though the very first set of images, above, had the tail end of the sunlight.

Digital infrared original

When I'd asked Liz what she wanted to do for her first session, she replied "I'd love to create some images laying over/inbetween big rocks, small pools of water etc" - so she got her wish. We worked with this rock for some time, exploring the possibilities in regards to posing. The side of the rock Liz worked on was never a question, as by this time, the evening sun was starting to break through the low clouds and fog, giving some directional light to provide some definition to Liz's figure.

Digital infrared original, 2 frame exposure blend, 3 frame stitch

The last images of the session played off a small water pool; I made two sets of photographs, one close, with ultra wide lenses, and the other above, using a long lens to compress the perspective, and use the pool to provide a partial reflection of L_'s pose.

A Replica Fort (Louisburg, Cape Breton)

Digital original, two frame stitch

The last time I visited Louisbourg was in 2002 when I was still working with film. The first image of this trip points out the difference the new digital world can make; using my 17mm tilt-shift, I made two exposures, one with the lens shifted all the way left, and another all the way right - then in post I put the two frames together, effectively producing an image with about a 10mm angle of view. With film, this would have been impossible (even ignoring the fact it is in colour, and I only worked in B&W the last time I was here).

Digital original

This image has almost the same point of view as the above photograph, but made with a 400mm lens, it has more than 40 times more magnification, focusing on the distant spire and crenulations, as opposed to the moat in front of me.

Digital original

Walking through the Governor's Apartments and the King's Bastion Barracks, I enjoyed working with the natual light, coming through the relatively small windows. The rich directional light was great to work with - the only thing that would have made it better would have been a model (in period clothing of course) to set into the scene.

An Evening on the Island (Charlettown, Prince Edward Island)

Digital original

After a day of teaching, a friend and I walked around Charlottetown , photographing in the quiet light of the early evening. As I often do, I alternated between working with my widest and longest lenses - the above photograph of the back of the legislature being made with my 400mm lens.

Digital original, 3 frame exposure blend, 2 frame stitch

One of the last images of the walk around town was this celebration of these stairs. I really like the simple, clean facade of the building, but the flowing steps coming down from the main door present a great contrast to work with photographically.

Digital original

After driving north from Charlottetown, a friend and I waited on the north shore of PEI for the sunset; fortune shone on us, and the moon rose shortly before, providing a great contrast in the sky as it darkened with the end of the day.

The Confederation Bridge (Bayfield, New Brunswick)

Digital infrared original, two frame stitch

On a drive to teach a workshop in Charlettown, PEI, I stopped off on the New Brunswick side to photograph the Confederation Bridge. I initially was disappointed, as the earlier dramatic sky had clouded over, but the infrared camera still rendered it as a brilliant contrast to the heavy concrete and stone of the bridge below.

A Morning Waterfront Field Trip (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

Digital infrared original

The first images this morning were of the new Emera Headquarters on the waterfront; the morning light was beautiful, reflecting off the windows facing the sunrise.

Digital original

As I walked along the waterfront, working with a student, I was drawn to the contrast between the new galvanized steel, and the older granite of the pier behind.

Digital original

The final set of images were by far the most engaging of the field trip; a casual glance below a pier showed a world of brilliant green, and minutes later I was jammed in between two posts, working with the 17mm lens, and making some of the most surreal photographs of such a familiar space.

The Public Gardens (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

Digital original

It's been a little over a decade since I first explored the combination of macro and flowers as a subject; in many ways, i can say I've "been there and done that", but the simple joy of making a clean, simple macro photograph of a flower seldom fails to please.

Digital original

One of the most pleasureable elements of working with a 150mm macro lens is how beautifully it issolates subjects from their surroundings.

Digital original

Sometimes the hardest thing to photograph is one thing in exclusion; in this case, the hosta presented a rich subject to explore, but the challenge of how to frame, and what to include and exclude made it frustrating at the same time. In the end, I went for a balance between "the big picture" and an abstract detail.

2013 ModSquad Group Shoot (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

Digital original, two frame exposure blend

At the end of the first day of the 2013 Modsquad, Andy Brown put on a private performance for attendees to photograph; one of the attendees had brought an 8"x10" Deardorff, which gave me an idea for an alternative way to make an image of Andy. Working with a Phase IQ180 camera borrowed from the folks at B3K Digital, I made two images, one exposed for Andy playing, and the other for the image on the Deardorff's ground glass...and the final result was exactly what I hoped.

A Lens-Focused Field Trip (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

Digital original

Of the five fundamental photographic questions, "What lens do I use?" is one of the most straight-forward to answer, but by the same measure, it is also one that many photographers do no make consciously. For most, I suspect the lens that is used is more related to what is on their camera at the time, as opposed to what would best  suit the desired image.

This field trip focused on that question.

Digital original

Since I first started seriously working with wide lenses in 1997, which have grown to be my default lens in most situations (the only notable exception is portraiture, where long lenses are the obvious choice). Thus, on this field trip, I tried to focus exclusively on long lenses, working with the 400mm lens almost exclusively.

Digital infrared original

The end of the field trip saw us at the town clock, at the base of citadel hill; after spending the rest of the field trip working with colour and long lenses, I reverted to my favourite modus operendi - super-wide lenses and my infrared camera.

A Waterfront Field Trip (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

Digital original

The primary focus of this field trip was the question of composition; with each subject, I was asking for four different way to create a successful composition.

Digital original

The most engaging subject of the field trip was a patch of mud we found at the edge of a parking lot; tire tracks swept through it and provided a great element to use compositionally.

Digital original

I suspect I have held field trips along the Halifax Waterfront more than twenty times, and I still find new images to make, often of the things that I have photographed a dozen times before.

A Winter Field Trip (Dartmouth, Nova Scotia)

Digital original

I am often surprised by the beauty found in the simple moments, such as the sun reflecting in the water behind a wharf. The green polypropolyne rope just made the scene all the richer!