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Impressions of Haiti

March 7th, 2010

 

I recently returned from 4 weeks in Haiti where I was involved in humanitarian relief. The situation there, though not as acute as the first days after the earthquake, is still desperate. The situation on the ground is overwhelming. Yet with so much going against them the people are starting to rise to the challenge of rebuilding a nation from the ruins.

 

The current challenge is to get people under shelter as the rainy season is starting. We were able to distribute thousands of waterproof tarps, but there are many many thousands of families that still only have bedsheets tents to keep the rain out. In the area where I was working somewhere between 50%-75% of buildings were either destroyed or unsafe. The people are so traumatized that they will not even sleep in the buildings that are still sound. And now larger and larger camps are springing up in the surrounding areas as people flee the city core.

 

All that means that there is so much more to do. Seven weeks after the earthquake little of the destruction has been cleared. There are still many bodies entombed in these wrecks.

 

Here are a few shots where I tried to capture some of the destruction that has hit this land.

 

 

 

 

 

Maritime Fine Art Prints

January 25th, 2010

Hi,

I am starting to produce fine art prints of Maritime scenes. I will have them on sale very soon. There is something rugged and enduring in the people of this area.  Despite many hardships we endure.   Our prosperity has not been measured by our pocket books but by our character. Visitors from abroad encounter friendliness and friendships which bring them back time and time again.

 

I have been experimenting with different techniques to capture some of that beauty and sense of history.  When we see an image that strikes a cord with us it is because it has intersected with own story and invoked memories and longings.   If these samples speak to you I would love to hear your story.

 

BoatInMarsh

 

oldtruck

Head Shots for Hub City Theater

January 15th, 2010

This crew puts in a lot of work to prepare a play. Rehearsals, sets, etc….. They do it for the love of the theater. They are putting on a play at the Empress next week. It is called the Madwoman of Chaillot.

My contribution to their efforts was to do a marathon head shot session for the cast and crew. I think we were about 25. Pretty tired. Posting this at 3 am. Enjoy

My Beloved

January 7th, 2010

There is nothing so dangerous as to photograph your own wife. But being the brave soul I am I went ahead. My dear Rennie just sparkles in this shot. For you who know her, she has the most bubbly personality. Always ready to throw a party for friends. I am pleased that I was able to catch some of the fire.

 

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A portrait of the soul

January 1st, 2010

 

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I have a saying that I put on my business card, “Capturing who you are not just what you look like”. Photography is much more that a photocopy of a person’s image. To capture a portrait of a person, you must see into their soul and try to bring out that beauty.

 

In this case I was working with a young lady who came from China to do biblical studies. After getting to know her, I cannot imagine her without her Bible and prayer. So, we took some of the usual poses, then moved on to something a little different.

 

Prayer is very personal so I did not know if she would feel awkward to pose in this way. But, it came about very naturally. In fact I think she may have really been praying.

 

I wanted the lighting to be subdued and peaceful rather than sombre. Contemplative rather than gothic. A ray of light was directed to the Bible because it is her source of light and life. I added a heavy texture to the background to indicate that while life may come from God’s Word, it has to be lived out in the grittiness of this world.

 

The Chinese characters are from her favorite verse, “Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble of calamity, or are persecuted, or are hungry or cold or in danger or threatened with death? ….. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can’t, and life can’t. The angels can’t and the demons can’t. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can’t keep God’s love away.” (Rom 8:35 ff )

Graduate Photography Composites

December 3rd, 2009

Taking photographs is just one part of the services that I offer. You can add some flavor to your image collection by doing composites. In this case, two photographs grouped around a common theme of a musical instrument. I shot the saxophone separately then used it as a background, slightly fadded. Add text for the person’s name and voila.

 

There is almost no end of what you can do using these techniques. You are limited only by your imagination.

 

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Graduate photo session with character

November 25th, 2009

Had a great shoot with a young lady who will be graduating this year. She wanted something besides the normal toga session. Got a bunch of her ideas and came up with this. Even took a bit of extra time to do some experimentation.
Enjoy

 

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More baby portraits

October 28th, 2009

Here are a few shots from another Baby’s First Year session. She is a real cutie but spent most of the time sleeping. The real chalenge was that she slept with a pronounced frown. Still got some great shots. While the little one was fussing we managed to get some nice shots of big sister.

 

HannahT-99 copy

 

HannahT-28 copy

 

HannahT-160 galery

Precious Memories preserved

October 14th, 2009

The first session for a Baby’s First Year package is a longer one.  I leave time for feedings and just walking around.  I try to keep the energy level down so that the baby does not sense it is any different than hanging around with the family at home.

I also like to include the parent’s hands in some photos.  It shows the relationship between the two generations.  The parents gently cradling their infant, supporting and nurturing.   I like a portrait that has many unspoken stories.  It will invoke different memories and emotions from those who look at it.  Your story may not be the one I see, but they will all be part of the universal truth of  how we love and cherish those who are entrusted to us.

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Here are a couple of more of the images from the same session.

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Baby’s First Year Club Launched

September 22nd, 2009

Babies are the most precious thing that you will ever have in your life.  I treasure the photos I have of our kids when they were wee ones.  Wish I had more.  There comes a time when they are gone and those photos will be worth their weight in gold.

I have just started a club for photographing your baby’s first year.  You get four sessions during the first year, an 8×10 of your favorite at each session and a plaque with the four favorites mounted at the end of the year.  No doubt about it, baby’s change a lot in the first year.    Hopefully the club pricing will encourage people to make sure they have that first year recorded.

Here are a couple from a first shoot in the year of sessions.  Love to see them sleep.  Not a care in the world.  Something to strive for.  Larger copies in baby gallery.  Starting to redo it.

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