A Spring Session with Ingrid (South Shore, Nova Scotia)

I selected this location because I knew that the piles of rocks would give Ingrid something to pose with, while the afternoon light would still provide enough contrast to separate her from the surroundings.

Digital infrared original, three frame stitch.

Shooting towards the sun isn't always easy, but with careful shading of the lens with my hat (the 17mm lens is too wide for a lens hood), I prevented lens flare, and managed to make an image with both Ingrid and the surrounding trees back lit.

Digital infrared original, three frame stitch.

For this image, to get the dramatic angle of view from the base of the rock to the sky I stitched together three frames made with the 17mm TS/E lens, shifting it fully up and down to get the widest angle possible (equal to 8.5mm from the top of the frame to the bottom).

Printing Large Prints (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

The last photographs to be printed for the Evolving Beauty: Miranda exhibition are the large (23"x31") hero images. This is a pile of the proofs (and one of the large prints) on the worktable as I worked on the prints.

A Modsquad Group Shoot (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

At the close of the first night of the 2014 Modsquad, the attendees and presenters were provided the opportunity to photograph a pair of aerialists performing; where most went for fast shutter speeds, trying to freeze the motions, I used a tripod, and took advantage of the lower light levels to explore motion in all its glory.

Digital original

Even though this image isn't actual of the "performance" (the aerialist is prepping the silks for her next performance), I really like the motion and mystery of this photograph.

Digital original

The final portion of the performance was spent with performers using rings; a little harder to work with than the silks, but what worked really worked.

A Fieldtrip to York Redoubt (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

Digital original

The line of rifled muzzle loaded (RML) guns at York Redoubt are impressive, but this lone cannon, set against the winter-bare hill behind paints a lonelier picture.

Digital original

All that is left of the original martello tower at York Redoubt is the foundations, which only hint at how the original structure would have looked.

Digital infrared original

A Field Trip in Fort George (the Citadel)

My first photographic love was the military fortifications around Halifax, and it is always a pleasure to return to it, even in the cold of winter.

Digital original

Much of this visit to Fort George was spent working my longest lens (the Sigma 120-400mm) as I didn't have a chance to really spend the time I'd prefer to compose; all the same the reults are really pleasing, with winter being hinted at from time to time, without being the centre of the images.

Digital original

The alcoves along the main entrance to the fort have long facinated me - the simple grace of their finish in granite, and the soft shadows contrasting the hard edges never fail to please.

Printing for the Miranda Show Begins (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

With the opening for Evolving Beauty: Miranda exhibition a little over two months away, I have begun printing the images for the show - this being the first one I finished.

A Frozen River (Papermill River, Nova Scotia)

One of the joys of winter light is it is always low, providing beautiful back lighting to this ice.

Digital original

I love the contrast between the frozen water, and the rapidly moving river beside it.

Digital original, two frame stitch

As the afternoon passed, the direct sunlight eventually left the river, putting it into softer, dimmer light; with a neutral density filter on the lens I was able to get a 30 second exposure.

Digital original

New Year's Day 2014 (Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia)

As I have done for years, I began this year with a lunch at Peggy's Cove, and then headed out to photograph the first light of the New Year.

Digital original

As I was walking around Peggy's Cove, this composition, with the water seeping out between the rocks, and freezin caught my eye.

Digital Original, 2 frame stitch

Without a doubt, my favorite aspect of winter to photograph is ice; both because of how it changes things within it (like the Frozen Light project), and because of how lovely its surface is.

Digital original

Nuart Review Feature (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

A selection of my fine art Nudes have been featured in the Winter 2013 issue of NuartReview. The selection includes a broad range of my work, the oldest image being a self portrait from 1991, and the newest an image made with Ingrid last year (twenty-one years of work!).If you click on my name on the cover, you’ll go right to the feature on my work (beginning on page 256).

http://www.nuartrevue.com/

Fort George Details (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

I have always loved these alcoves, drawn to the contrast between the soft shadows on the curve, and the hard edge of the wall. Using a tilf-shift lens, I have the camera even with the top of the alcove, and have dropped the lens, to exagerate the perspective of the floor.

Digital original

Even through they are almost 150 years old, the 7" RML guns at the Citadel are in amazing shape, and provide a beautiful subject to work with.

Digital original

This whole session was flavoured by the long lens I was using (a Sigma 120-400mm); I am not completely sold on lenses this long, as I find it harder to relate to the subject from the distances it forces upon the process. All the same, images like this, abstracting the side of the RML into repeating shapes, couldn't be realized with another lens.