Phu Quoc rocks!
I am writing this post on my last day in Vietnam. We left the island of Phu Quoc today via a short flight yesterday. Now for a bit of time in Saigon(Ho Chi Minh City) before our flights back home this evening.
Phu Quoc is a place we wanted to visit before, as many places, it became over-developed. They say it’s what Phuket would of been if not had not been over-developed. Phu Quoc is an island that is home to a fair number of resorts but they are mostly of the quante, family owned variety. It has a population of about 80,000. The island produces the world’s best fish sauce and is also known for it’s black pepper. There are several fishing villages so there is seafood everywhere!
One thing that I had noticed myself doing with my photography this trip, I was abusing the “rule of thirds”. I had shot way too many boat pictures and after doing some reviews of the images, I noticed the pattern. Bottom right third seemed to be my preference for some reason. Maybe because most of the boats were heading from right to left? I dunno. What I do know is that it was getting boring. However, I do like this above image. The lighting was incredible that evening.
Mekong Experience
I know that this image was posted earlier on Facebook but I’m proud of it and wanted to make sure others got a chance to see it whom are not a Facebook contact of mine. Plus, this morning I finally have some time to write an blog post of the happenings in Vietnam.
So, today we are on the island of Phu Quoc. We had arrived yesterday in the afternoon after a one hour flight from Saigon(Ho Chi Minh City).
First let me tell you about the Mekong Delta. It’s a HUGE area approximately 39,000 square kilometres (15,000 sq mi). It’s where the Mekong empties into the South China Sea. There are many islands in which the Vietnamese carved water ways into the muddy islands to have easy boat access. It’s really amazing to see all the waterways. They spider all over!
We had did a two day and one night home stay tour of the region. Transportation included buses, motor boats, sampan boats(small row boats), and even some cycling on a big Vietnamese cruiser bike. The participants only included my wife, Trish, and a Austrian girl, named Romana. We had piggy-backed occasionally on a larger tour but essentially, it was just us three and our guide, Wang, who spoke great English. The small group made the tour extra special.
The home stay was great too. The four of us; Trish, Romana, Wang, and myself, stayed one night with a local family on Hoa Ninh island. The island’s population is about 40,000 but it didn’t seem that populated. The island is filled with water routes that are accessed by motor or sometimes, sampan only. The family at the home stay also taught us how to cook a Vietnamese dinner which we ate. It was DEE-LISH! I am sure when we arrived back home that we will be making home made spring rolls and noodle dishes for the next three months.
During the second day, we did our guided tour via boat to access different parts of the island to visit a factories. They included rice paper, fish sauce, sea salt, and two coconut candy factories. It was amazing to see everything hand made. No machines or robots and only whole ingredients, no additives or preservatives. A few images below are samples of what we saw.
Anyway, I wish that I had time to type on but I must go now. Hope to catch up with you soon with images from Phu Quoc.
An Update
Breaking wave.
An update of sorts here. Over the last several days, we have travelled from Hanoi to Huey to Hoi An and now Nha Trang. I had actually enjoyed Hanoi for it’s craziness and vibe. Huey was ok. Great to see the Citadel but no atmosphere. Hoi An was cool with the old architecture and predictable flooding but was too afraid to bring out the dSLR in the heavy rains. I did get some shots from protection of a Cafe though. Last night, after a 9 1/2 hr. train ride, we arrived in Nha Trang at 11pm.
Nha Trang is resort town on a large sandy beach. However, it’s low season so it’s not terribly busy. The weather was good until the night we arrived. Apparently, we bring the rains with us where ever we go. Nha Trang, it’s more expensive than other parts of Vietnam yet still affordable by Western Standards.
I thank Nha Trang for one thing. It’s where I got a capture that deserves to be printed and mounted on a wall in my home. Yup. It’s the image above. Sometimes, you look and look and look but nothing strikes you. This one was different. I brought my camera to the beach in case that I had regretted NOT to bring it. For that reason, I have been used to carrying my dSLR every where I go. The possibility of regret haunts me if I don’t take it. Anyways, brought the “gun” and got me a keeper. I have a few ideas to tweak it in Photoshop when at home. When it’s 100%, I’ll send it off to Artistic Canvas Photo to be printed up on a big ol’ canvas.
This image does make me proud. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do. Trust me, it’s rare that I am satisfied with my images… at least worthwhile for print.
Connections
Hanging out in Hanoi.
So far my travels in Vietnam have included Hanoi, Cat Ba, and Hue. Today, we just arrived in Hoi An after two busses and about 4 1/2 hrs of travel time from Hue. Along most of the trip, the second bus was honking his rather loud horn. It’s what they do here. When passing vehicles, there is always honking involve. Trouble is… there is always passing involved. The horn may as well of been hooked up to a intermittent switch such as windshield wipers are. Oh well. At least I was not spending 21 hours on a sleeping bus such as my new friend, Fernan, was doing to get to Laos.
Each place has it’s merits but so far, I think Cat Ba is the place that I’ve had the most fun. It’s the place that I would choose to return to someday. I did put the camera to use on occasion but I was having too much fun “being part of the story” rather than “telling the story”. I was being the tourist with my camera not the artist. When I get home to review the images, I may have some regrets about that. However, I did collect some great memories.
The story of this trip to date is about the connections that we have made with other travellers(back packers). I suppose it’s a natural thing to happen since English language and travel is our common denominators. We tend to gravitate towards each other for that reason. We end up swapping travel tales and travel advice.
Now, I know it may be politically incorrect to say this but I think we travellers trust advice from other travellers, rather than the locals. The locals are usually “on the take” with high pressure sales techniques, at least in the touristic areas. So, getting non-biased advice on places to stay or places to eat… I trust the traveller who has been in the area a while. That is another catalyst that draws other travellers together. Trust.
Don’t get me wrong, I DO want to make connections with local people but it’s proven very difficult with the language barrier. However, I did meet one waiter on the tourist side Hue that wasn’t “on the take”. It was refreshing. We had a pleasant conversation after we ate the dinner he served us. Loung was a university student studying English. He told us that the food was cheaper where the locals lived. Of course, he was right. We went for a long walk around the local’s side of town after visiting the citadel. It was a relief to be able to walk without somebody trying to sell me silk paintings or motorbike ride. There is never any English on the local’s side of any town so hand gestures and smiles are used to communicate.
Anyways, we have made connections with many other travellers. There are too many to type about. It’s been kinda like being part of a community at times with the main community hall being a Hostel or bar in the back packer part of town. Hostels are always lively and have a great vibe.We swap stories and experiences over beer or dinner. On occasion, we would choose to travel a leg of a journey together. Chatting to somebody on a boat, bus, or train always makes the journey shorter. Sometimes travellers are heading in the same direction and will re-connect in the following city.
Hearing stories from people from other parts of the world are always interesting. When hearing their stories and backgrounds, there seems to be a common theme. Travellers seem to have a “live for the moment” attitude more so than the regular 9-5 people who worry about how much pension that they have built up. Trust me, I am one of those people. Luckily, my occupation allows me a lot of time off to take a journey on occasion.
On a final note, I have known some people who think about travelling abroad for a period of time but are afraid to because they don’t have a companion to share the experience. I suggest to them: Go anyways! You will meet tons of people along your journey. You may end up travelling with several other people. Meeting people while traveling seems so much easier than at home where the rat race rules our lives. It’s kinda sad really. We rarely make new connections at home but abroad they seem to fall into your lap. Anyways, for those people who have considered traveling… don’t be afraid to go alone. Just GO! You will connect with many people and create many memories.
What’s in the bag.
Well, here we are one day till departure for Vietnam. I have everything pretty much packed. This time I have managed to get my necessary items into two carry-on bags… no checked baggage! The red pack is a MEC Pangea 40 for my clothes, toiletries, and lap top with a few other electronic related items. I am not taking much in the way of clothes but they are squeezed into a compression sack to save room. Everything fits with a bit of extra room.
The orange pack is a Lowepro Photo Sport Sling AW 100. It’s a sling pack with side access to the camera body. There’s enough room for two lenses and a few other accessories. I was drawn to this camera bag because of it’s “sling” access and because it doesn’t look like a camera bag. I also like the fact that I can tote it around without worrying about rain too much. If the rain does get heavy, there is a rain cover for it. The Photo Sport is also very comfortable to wear. It’s a one strap backpack but as there is not a ton of weight in it, it’s very easy to carry.
We have one dSLR and one rugged/waterproof compact camera for the beach and snorkelling. Both camera’s shoot video in HD so that will be handy as I have been requested to bring back more video by my brother in-law. Carrying a compact camera is also handy for the times that I don’t want to lug around the dSLR. So, I think we have are camera needs met.
This time I will NOT leave behind my Polaroid Pogo printer. It’s a great little portable printer that can print directly from the camera. It’s about the size of an iPhone. It’s not always about taking image. Sometimes, it’s about leaving an image.
Camera Gear List
- Nikon D7000
- Nikon AW100
- 50mm 1.4
- 18-200mm
- small tripod
- various ND filters by SinghRay
- SB-800 Speedlight
- Polaroid Pogo-compact printer
Anyways, I will be posting images and blogging as much as I can. Of course, it will all depend on internet access.
It’s not about sex!
Ok, here is an update and mainly a little rant. First of all, I have neglected this blog as I have been working(my day job) a lot during the last 6 months. Sorry about that but gotta pay the bills somehow. Anyways, I am done my day job for a while which frees up time for me to get behind the camera as well as the keyboard. So, expect to hear from me more often for the next few months. BTW. The photo was taken in Lopburi, Thailand in 2008.
The biggest news of my life right now is my trip to Vietnam quickly approaching. Of course, since booking of the airline tickets a few months ago… the topic of vacation and Vietnam come up on occasion with co-workers and others. I must admit that I am getting a little miffed at the fact that many non-photographers ASSUME that I am going there for the young girls! Many times I have told somebody that I am going to Vietnam and their reply is usually something along the lines of “why?”. Or, other gutter minded people make comment about the young girls there. Even my Doctor had said, “Why, is it easy to meet girls there?”. As if I were going there for one reason and one reason only! I am a happily married man to a wonderful woman who met me when I was broke. So, I don’t have to worry about her loving my wallet. She loves ME!
Still some others ask “why” as in “Why don’t you go to an all-inclusive in Mexico or gamble in Las Vegas?” I am getting a little sick of that reaction as well. Soon my reply will be, “If I have to explain, you wouldn’t understand.” I guess my idea of a vacation is different from most others. I am looking for a little adventure. I am looking to see things I would not see in an all-inclusive or Las Vegas. For instance, seeing a town over run with Macaque monkies in Lopburi, Thailand is not something that I could see in the “other” type of vacation. Maybe vacation is the wrong word to describe my time away from my home. Maybe I should call it something like ”adventure-ation” or “va-venture”. What I am looking for new stimulus for my eyes and soul NOT my private parts!
On the job that I had just finished, I did met a few people who did GET IT. One guy had been to Thailand several times both as a single and as a married man. Mik and I had great conversations about travel NOT about the sex tourism and girls. We talked about crazy shit we saw. Also, Mik had also gotten a tattoo done by Big in Ko Phangan. We talked about his experience with the tattoo and places and people. Our minds did not equate Thailand or any other Asian country for that fact, to sex tourism. I don’t deny it doesn’t exist but that is not why I go to these countries.
Also, a little info on the photo above. It was shot in Lopburi, Thailand. We wanted to visit there to see the Monkey Temple. It’s a temple that is over-run with Macaque monkies. Actually, the whole town was infested with monkies. It’s crazy shit like that I don’t see in Las Vegas or some jail, er I mean, all-inclusive. Anyways, the rain had started so Trish(my wife) and I took cover in a bar. Don’t get me wrong, the girls here are pretty but the REASON that I took the photo is because where I am from we only have one maybe two people on a scooter… NOT FOUR!
The reason I desire to go to these types of places is, not in any particular order:
- Meet people
- See different scenery
- Curiosity
- History
- Live adventurously
- See crazy shit
Anyways, we leave for Vietnam in four days. There is still packing and errands to do. Hopefully, I can get a “What gear I am taking” post up for your amusement before we leave.
Things I DON’T get.
First of all, I apologize for not having the image not being a good representation of what I am typing about. I am currently out of town and most of my images are on HD’s at home.
The other day I had talked about some things that I “get” in reference to how we photographers should study other art forms to improve our photography. For example, a knowledge of design would immensely help our images. I tried to relate how athletes cross-train to improve their game and how artists can do the same. I try to expose myself to other forms of art to get inspiration and a better understand how to express my own voice.
HOWEVER… there are some art forms or genre’s that I just “don’t get”. I like to think that I have an open mind to different things but some things just do not tickle my fancy. Perhaps, I am not as sophisticated an art consumer as I wished to be. Anyways, here are a few things that I “don’t get”.
- Opera
First of all, I guess it would help that I spoke Italian or whatever language Opera singer’s sing in. That would definitely help me. I understand Opera’s move people emotionally with a story of tragedy. I “get that” but not in the way the message is sent. I would rather see a movie that tells the same story than a soprano belting out super high pitched notes in which I don’t understand. Don’t get me wrong, I totally appreciate the singer’s ability but there is a point where sometimes it just hurts my ears. I find baritone much easier on my ear drums.
- Abstract Expressionism
I don’t get this at all. Jackson Pollack literally throws paint on a canvas. The result looks like a paint mess to me. I just don’t see anything for my brain to connect with. To me, it’s just a mess of paint -plain and simple. I have seen better pictures painted my elephants in Thailand. Perhaps, if Jackson had painted a little more “literal”, I may get it. However, he didn’t so I don’t get it. Unless, it’s just decoration. Maybe the colours go well with the couch? Regardless, I don’t “get” what Jackson was expressing.
- Modern Dance
I think ballet could be included in this “performance art”. I am very amazed by the dancer’s athletic abilities and their body control but… I don’t get what they are trying to say. Maybe they are not trying to say anything? Maybe they are showcasing their body strength, flexibility, and control. Maybe, I need a more literal interpretation. I don’t know. What I do know is that I appreciate the creativity of the modern dancers. Modern dance was developed by breaking traditional dance rules. That part is what I have a huge appreciation for. As for viewing… it doesn’t usually keep me engaged.
Conclusion
By all means, I do not intend to dis-respect the artist and fans of these art forms. It’s just that sometimes, I just don’t get it. What I am trying to say is that just because I “don’t get” a form of expression doesn’t mean that I don’t appreciate the skill, talent, or creativity that was put into the art form. Maybe I need to be more educated. Maybe I am just not culturally sophisticated enough to “get” some of these things and I need to go to finishing school.
Maybe, it’s just a matter of taste. Many people love eating salmon but I only like it as sushi. How did I know that I don’t like cooked salmon? I’ve tried it many times. That’s how I figure out what I like… and what I don’t like.
Anyways, I’ll be seeing some of you at ART in Port Townsend. I am sure we will be discussing many things such as this.
Things I “get”.
I had wanted to blog about something else but this post ended up in going in another direction as I babbled on. So, we’ll just call this Part 1 or 2.
I think we all pretty much consider photography to be an art form. We can use photographic images to convey emotion wether it be sadness, happiness or even shock. In most cases, this is what we try to achieve. Some times, we use photography to make a decoration for a naked wall. By that I mean, it may not convey much emotion but perhaps the colours work well with the rest of the decor. The point is we try to visually communicate some sort of message.
So, if I can get us to agree that photography is an art form, which I am sure most would agree. We should study other art forms as Sabrina Henry has suggested. I think we can benefit by studying other art that is NOT photography. I mean, go to an art gallery, see a live play, ect. I think by opening our mind and “expanding our horizons”, it will reflect in our photography. Viewing other art forms can spark inspiration, and perhaps, influence our creative process. I “get” that.
It’s kinda like a hockey player who cross trains. He may even take figure skating lessons, or in some cases for the “tough guys”, take boxing lessons. He does it to round off his game and be a complete player in all aspects of his craft. A competitive player will do what it takes to gain an edge and be the best that he can be.
An example of such a practice was Lynn Swann, an NFL Hall of Famer. During his playing career, he took dance lessons including ballet. He did so to better improve his balance and body control. I remember watching Swann as a kid. He was the most graceful Receiver that I have ever seen, probably in part to ballet. So, I think by studying other art can accentuate our photography and creative process.
So, what I suggest is to see a live play or live band. Visit an art gallery or three. Listen to music that you have never heard before. Maybe experiment with other art forms? Sculpt with clay or plasticine? Sketch or doodle? Paint water colour? Let’s get our focus off of photography and absorb something a little different. It may bring us back to our craft with fresh set of eyes. Get it?
One last note, I will be seeing some of you in Port Townsend for the Artist Round Table. PT is a great place to see and hear all kinds of art forms. I look forward to seeing you there as we get a chance to meet face to face and explore the works of local PT artists. BTW. I hope to have Part 2 up before then.
Extreme Perspectives
Hey guys and gals, I have been too lax on the blogging but recently I have been in the spirit again. Was in quite a funk for the last few months but my mojo is back! Too busy working to make many images but I have been still actively involved in the scene… pardon the pun.
Once again, another great Craft & Vision ebook is released. This newest release is called Extreme Perspective by mountaineering photographer, Alexandre Buisse. You can get to know Alexandre at his site www.alexandrebuisse.org. I have a special place in my heart for mountaineering photographers since I am an “arm chair mountaineer”. I am more of a hiker than a climber but I do have some understanding of what it takes to climb a peak. Alexandre gives us an inside look of what it’s like to be the climber AND the photographer. The challenges of being the climber and photographer are discussed in great detail.
The first chapter covers gear and technique. Gear choice, bag choice, ect –all good info for the mountaineer or hiker who may decide to take along a camera to capture some stunning scenery in remote places.
Alexandre also talks about the importance of the story in the image. He gives us examples of stories and moods that can be expressed with a camera while climbing a mountain. He doesn’t stop there. Composition is also discussed in detail. Of course, Alexandre’s images used to demonstrate what he is explaining are nothing short of stunning.
There is also wise advice for the “role” of the photographer while on an expidition. Alexandre describes responsibilities of the photographer as a climber. Some real good advice in here. Alexandre reiterates the bottom line is safety. Also, the reader will get a better appreciation of the mountaineers whom climb mountains with extra weight(camera), take time to take shots, while keeping himself/herself and others safe. It’s quite an undertaking, in which the reader gains huge respect for the people who dare be the climber AND photographer.
You won’t find better value than Craft & Vision for this 34 page ebook. For the first four days only, if you use the promotional code EXTREME4 when you checkout, you can have the PDF version of Extreme Perspectives for only $4 OR use the code EXTREME20 to get 20% off when you buy 5 or more PDF ebooks from the Craft & Vision collection. These codes expire at 11:59pm PST May 15, 2011.
Click here to visit Craft And Vision.
Time for a Logo?
Lately, I have been thinking of designing a logo for my photography. Now, I know that the logo should represent a niche of my photography. I have struggled with my “brand” of photography. I enjoy shooting many subjects so I don’t want to niche myself into a corner. Other photographers have said that it’s OK to be a generalist. I am finding comfort in that. Especially since, I do not have any aspirations of taking my photography to a level of “full time vocation”. If I did, I would definitely niche myself somewhat into pet or family portraits. I am wondering a little off track here so I’ll get to the point about logos.
I don’t need a niche symbol. I mean, since I am not niching myself into a market of pet photography, I don’t need a dog as part of the logo. I just need a logo to suggest “photography” to the viewer. A logo needs to be simple. My favourite logo of all time is the Nike swish. It’s simple, uncomplicated, easy to draw, and easily recognizable. The logo should visually tell the viewer of what you do. The logo should also be timeless so it’s style does not go out of fashion. The logo should not look like any other. These are the things I want for my logo.
I appreciate any input for the above designs. The basic design is one that goes back to my high school days. I was a big fan of Frank Frazetta and modeled my “logo style sig” after his style. This modern version does not look anything like a Frazzetta sig but I kept the same from high school. The original looked more like Japanese writing but the same idea. As with the old and the new one, you can make out my initials of my name. As an added bonus of this modern version, the logo hints of a simple line drawing of a camera. I can always use this logo in a fancier form such as adding drop shadows or make it glassy but the form will remain the same.
Which is your favourite? Am I missing something? Any other advice for logo design? Is there anything you would tweak on the above logos?
BTW. It’s Super Bowl Sunday! Go Packers!
The Winner is…..
Hey folks, I had intended to do this post on Monday but I had a family emergency to deal with. Don’t worry, it’s all good now. Anyways, last night I went to random.org and generated a random number from 1 of 11 participants for the My Havana giveaway. Without further ado, drum roll, please… The lucky winner is #2, otherwise known as Jay Taylor or Sirfishalot. I had taken a look at Jay’s SmugMug site. I must say that I was quite impressed with his landscape images. Perhaps, one day… we could see those in a book? Anyways, congrats, Jay. I will contact you through your website for shipping details.
First Book, My Havana.
Hello folks! Today is the day that I have been waiting for some time now. It’s the day that I release my first book on Blurb called, “My Havana… a motley view”. Click on the above image to see the book at Blurb. It’s mainly a photo book from the images I got during my eight day trip to Havana, Cuba with a few words thrown in. The book contains a mixed array of images with no common theme… it’s more of a motley. I’m very proud of myself for actually finishing a project. It all started with a post called, “Begin” by David DuChemin on his blog. That post put the fire under my bum to not only begin a project… but to see it through to the finished end.
To celebrate the release of My Havana to the public, I will be giving away a copy. To be eligible for the draw, one easy thing is required. Leave a comment at the bottom. Maybe tell us about a place that is on your bucket list that you would like to visit. That’s it. I will make a random draw on a name in about a week or so. Though Tweets or RT’s on Twitter about this giveaway is not required to get in on the draw, they are very much appreciated. I am always grateful your support.
Thank you.
Chris Plante
1.1.11
Hey guys and gals. The above image was shot with my iPhone during a walk the other day. The frozen pond in our urban forest was very nice. I’ve been doing a fair amount of walking lately and love having my iPhone ready for a picture along the way. Anyways, here we are again with another year gone by. I know, I know… we blinked again. Time seems to speed up exponentially as we get older.
I have read and seen some great blog posts regarding “reflection” of the year gone past. This isn’t one of them. I don’t have too much to say about “reflection” as I haven’t thought too much about it. I am just pondering a few things now as I type this. Honestly, I did have a few material goals for this year only because I have been offered a shoot for an NGO next summer. That being said, I want to blow away the client with my images so I may need to upgrade my body and a lens or two. I don’t know of any NGO/Humanitarian photographers that does NOT use a full frame camera. So, I have to make a serious decision on what items that I would need to take. But, forget about that for now.
I did take a few minutes to go back to my last years post of “reflection” to see where I was at. I learned that time certainly does change your priorities. Except for one thing, I need to lose some body fat this year as I did last year. Though in 2010, I had managed to reach a few material goals to augment my photography. Though did not clock the meter, I did shoot a fair amount… at least, compared to last year. I should still shoot more, in my opinion. By the way, I do consider iPhone photography to count and it has pushed my image count up for sure.
As for this years goals, I have a loose plan. However, it’s tough to decide what you can accomplish in a year. I have many things that I want to accomplish in my life time but one year goes by pretty quick. It’s kinda tough to decide exactly WHAT we can do in one year. So, here goes a few things off the top of my mind.
- NAPP membership: It’s something I had wanted to pick up a subscription for last year but never did. There is always this year.
- Produce 3 Blurb books – It may be called cheating but I have one almost ready for publication.
- Write a self published ebook – not sure what subject to tackle yet. Gonna need to get InDesign for that.
- Use my notebook religiously
- Shoot lots.
So, ya, that’s about all I can think of right now that is reachable. I mean, there are other things on my mind too, such as leading a photowalk and taking a workshop. For now, I will keep it simple and will write down ideas and goals in my notebook as they come up to remind me.
Finally, I wish you all a great 2011. May we all have a healthy, creative, and prosperous 2011.
Capitalism in Cuba
Here is another story and highlight from my trip to Cuba. This story of irony should last my life time in the memory bank. It is already filed under “Irony”. Anyways, here we go.
One adversity that we faced in staying at our Casa was the room. The room was on the street side. It had no glass windows, just shutters. Therefore, the room was very noisy from the action on the street. It wasn’t a large street but in Cuba people are always hanging out playing music, listening to music, hanging out, or a delivery truck would roll through with no exhaust system. The streets are vibrant at any time of day. School day, work day… it didn’t matter.
One fault we made is the fact we forgot ear plugs. We usually travel with them just in case we end up in a noisy room. This time we never had any to bring. Usually, I bring a hand full from my “day job” to keep on hand. However, I have not worked in a while therefore; could not stock up on ear plugs again. Luckily, we found one pair each upon searching through our packs. Reluctantly, we had to re-use the same pair if we wanted any sleep. It’s not recommended practice for health reasons but we had no choice. It was that or no sleep… and I get very grumpy without my sleep.
This particular night I could not find my ear plugs. Trish had put them somewhere without me knowing. So, I just dealt with the noise. After lying in bed awake from noise at midnight, I decided to open the shutter to see what all the noise was about. To my surprise, part of the problem was three neighbourhood kids playing a board game on the street! They had no table, just a plank upon which one boy and two girls laid on their knees as they sat in a circle. I figured, if you can’t beat them. Join them!
So, I go down to the street to see what they are playing. To my surprise, they were playing a Spanish version of Monopoly! Was that allowed in Cuba? I mean, the game IS Capitalism in which Communism is the exact opposite to. Isn’t what Castro and his Revolution was about?… crushing Capitalism in Cuba? The IRONY of it blew me away. I HAD to play a game Monopoly in Cuba.
I asked the boy, Luise, the son of the Casa owners, if I may play. Ok, I didn’t really ask. It was more of a gesture as the kids spoke as much English as I did Spanish… very little. Anyways, the kids agree and they grab another chair for me to sit down with them. The balance of the table was a little off now with my knees being higher but we managed. Luise cleared the board and started dealing out money for a new game with it’s newest participant.
We then started to play. Luise was the banker and a good one at that. He was super fast at counting and he did very well at explaining to me what was happening. All the cards were in Spanish but with the numbers on the cards and some pointing we understood each other perfectly. I thought maybe, like my nephew would, Luise would try to “pull the wool over my eyes” since he had an opportunity to but he didn’t. He played absolutely fair and straight. Every move that was made was explained to me by pointing and gestures.
To make a long story a little shorter, we ended up playing Monopoly till 2am. That is when Luise had cleaned us all out! I had a great laugh thinking about how a tourist from a, mostly Capitalist country got his butt whooped in a Capitalist game of Monopoly in the worlds most stringent Communist countries. Now THAT is ironic. You couldn’t wipe the grin off my face. What a blast of a time! This Capitalist may have lost all of his money to the little Communist but at least by the end of the night I could count to ten in Spanish. I will cherish that moment forever. 
BTW. I took these images of the kids on the following night that I played with them. Yes, once again late at night they were playing. I don’t think a “bedtime” exists in Cuba. The lighting was very low and would have preferred to have faster shutter speeds but once again, I don’t like going too high an ISO because of noise factor. As Ray Ketcham says, the story is more important than the technicals. This is is the case here. I decided to do some shooting regardless of low light conditions. Thanks for the advice, Ray.
Vamos a Cuba
Sorry for the lame pic. It’s all I could come up with.
Well friends, I will be en-route to Cuba tonight. For the camera gear heads and photographers out there, I am going to let you all know how I will be travelling on this trip. First of all, my wife and I are not really the “all inclusive” type of people. When we travel, the main point for use is to experience a different country. It’s not about the free booze, bikinis, and sandy beaches for us. That’s a different type of trip; though, we will have a day or two on the beach in Cuba. Trish, my wife, is “solar powered”. We need to charge up her battery to get her through the winter. I like to travel for the photography. My wife likes to travel for vacation. Sometimes, it’s a struggle to balance both motives but we generally work it out. I just have to leave my camera at the room at times.
We like to stay in Guest Houses, which in North American terms, is basically a B&B. Sometimes they resemble more of a motel but are always family owned. When in Thailand, we learned that staying in a guest house was a more intimate experience with the locals. We had stayed in a hotel a few times but found it a very stale and clinical visit. Guest homes have friendlier service because they are working for themselves not “the man”, so to speak. Also, guest homes are very reasonable in price and provide us with mobility as apposed to being chained to the week of all-inclusive. If we feel that we don’t like the place or have explored the area enough, we just pack up and move on to the next area.
As for the gear, it is going to be different than Thailand. I have a Think Tank Street Walker Pro, which I was thinking of using. It’s great for moving gear but not so much to shoot out of. This trip, I will be taking my new Think Tank Retrospect 30. It holds quite a bit of gear, is well designed, and it looks more like a “murse” than a camera bag. Not that I am a “murse” type of guy but it’s better than advertising what is inside it. Plus, it’s a great bag to shoot out of. It’s not really made for travelling but I did’nt want to take two bags. The TT Retro 30 will be my carry on. Unfortunately, I will have a check in bag because the Retro does not meet the “personal article” requirements for Air Canada. I was hoping that I could have two carry-ons but Air Canada only allows one carry-on and one personal article. Oh well, guess that means that I check in my larger MEC Pangea Travel Pack which will allow more souvenirs to come back with me. One thing about shooting digital, it requires extra volume and weight for the computer, batteries chargers, cables, and AC adaptors.
I also decided to use DropBox as part of a back up solution. It’s an online storage back up system that’s really easy to use. If you don’t need massive storage space, they have a free 2GB account to start off with. The last thing that I want is to capture some amazing images then have them lost because of hard drive failure, theft, or damage. If my something bad does happen, my files are safe back home on my desktop.
The Basic Gear List
Camera Bodies
- Nikon D200
- Canon G9 (borrowed from a friend)
Lenses
- Nikkor 18-200mm F3.5-5.6
- Nikkor 50mm 1.4 G
- Sigma 10-20mm F4-5.6 (borrowed from same friend)
Accessories
- SB-800 Speedlight
- Travel Tripod
- Compact Tripod
- 4GB and 8GB CF cards
- 4-4GB SD cards
- Singh Ray Filters -One -3 stop ND, one -2 stop Soft Gradient, one -2 stop Hard Gradient.
Computer stuff
- Acer Net Book
- Lacie 650GB portable HD Darn Netbook doesn’t recognize it. Guess we go with 2 x 8GB Flash sticks.
- Certified Data card reader
Photography… it’s more than just taking pictures.
Recently, I had coffee with Sabrina Henry. We meet up once in a while to talk about photography and such. She has made me realize that photography is much more than just taking photographs. You may start out taking pictures on your own but if you get hooked, as I and many others have, you delve further into photography. You initiate more learning on the subject. You read books, take a class, read blogs… all that stuff. All for the sake of improving your craft. You just want to take prettier pictures, right? Anyways, here are a few things that I had not expected to find from taking photography seriously.
Community
Eventually, we get involved with a community of photographers. As Martha Stewart would say, “It’s a good thing”. Belonging to the photography community is essential if we are to succeed in improving our craft and expression through the camera. If we just sat in a room without books, blogs, forums, or camera clubs we would not improve… at least not at a rate as we could otherwise. We need to see the work of others, not just our own. Studying other photographers is a smart thing to do. They can provide inspiration and ideas for our own images. The community will also offer us encouragement. A community can critique each others work for the sake of improvement. Bouncing ideas off of each other will not leave lumps on our heads but leave it filled with ideas. Ideas that may change and morph but ideas that may have not been there in the first place. Sabrina sent me a Freeman Patterson quote which sums it up perfectly, “whenever you see a lone tree, it makes you wonder what happened….because they grow in community.”
Friendship
When belonging to a community, eventually, you will connect with people in that community. Making personal connections leads to friendships. It’s always nice to meet new friends with a common interest, isn’t it? That is what draws friends together, a commonality. Through our friendships, we can again get encouragement on a more personal level. That for me, at least, provides some confidence in my photography. Friends provide each other with moral support. Once again, we can collaborate, share ideas, and sometimes equipment. Sometimes, friendships could grow into business partnerships. Maybe, you could get some photography work as a second shooter for a wedding. Belonging to acommunity means we end up in a network of other like minded people. Sometimes, we meet others and find a connection. We help each other. That’s what friends do.
Two people whom I love spending time with and have learned so much from are friends that I met through the photographic community. See how this works? If I’m lucky enough to make money(to support the habit) at photography, it will probably have something to do with Sabrina and Ray. There will probably be a few others along the way too. They may not be directly involved but… in some way, they will have helped. Thanks guys. Photography has enriched my life. I am getting more than photographs from this thing called “photography”. Now I am starting to understand why they call it a “journey”.
Give them what they want?
Finn Slough, shot in the summer time.
Reading Matthew Connors blog on “Solitude and Sharing”, he asked some good questions. Should we share most everything? or, should we just share tightly edited images and limit what we show? For me, I tend to tightly edit. I really want to share but I don’t want to show people an image that I don’t like. Perhaps, it is technically incorrect and plain ugly. I want to show what I THINK is my best. What if I turned it around? I need to gather images for a portfolio. Images that show what I like to shoot… which is many subjects, probably too many. Anyways, WHAT IF… I had people vote on which of my loosely edited images were to end up in the portfolio? Would that be a good idea? Would it show my best work in the eyes of the crowd? Would they end up being the same picks as I would? From a marketing point of view, I would be finding out what the market wants to see. However, from an “artist” point of view I may not be expressing myself honestly.
How I practice.
Perhaps, I am normal for a photographer but I don’t think most people walk through life the same as I do. My eyes are constantly looking for a “shot”. It’s some sort of obsession. I can not walk a block with out looking for a “shot”. Nope, can’t do it. My eyes are constantly scanning for elements that make a good photograph. As well, I look for a capture that would speak to the viewer.
My eyes are always looking for interesting lines. If I see a subject that interests me, I look for lines that may draw the viewers eye to the subject. This may involve moving around to get a different point of view in order to make a line work. I will always remember Robin Williams character, John Keating, scene in Dead Poets Society when he stands on his desk and says, ” I stand upon my desk to remind myself that we must constantly look at things in a different way.”
I even think about where the focus would be and depth of field of the capture if I had a camera in hand. I think about all the elements that make up a good photograph. Lately, I am am not just looking for the traditional rules of photography or typical design elements. Lately, I am looking for a story in a capture, something that speaks to the viewer. Until now, if I did find a great image… all I could do was remind myself of it. I could not actually pull a camera out of my pocket and shoot what I saw.
Now, I know many photographers carry a camera at all times. People like Zack Arias have thousands of images on their iPhone. They use their pocket camera for practice. As Darwin Wigget suggests, artists carry around a sketch book to practice on a whim. Photographers are now using a pocket camera or iPhone for the same purposes… to practice.
Walking around WITOUT having a camera in my pocket was starting to drive me crazy. My mind is always in search of an image but had no device to capture one. I considered getting a good little pocket camera such as the Canon S95. The little guy has an apeture ring and shoots RAW files. However, I didn’t want to carry a bunch of devices around all the time. So, recently I got got the new iPhone 4. It is many devices built into one. I love the little muli-purpose device and now I am never without an image capturing device.
So, I have created a new iPhone set on my Flickr account. Any of my spontaneous images will be sent their directly by the iPhone. It’s so cool that I can take a picture and send it up to a website with the same device. A re-design is on the horizon for this site. I want there to be a spot dedicated for the iPhone shots. Stay tuned!
Chasing Reflections
When I first downloaded Eli Reinholdtsen’s new eBook, honestly, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I figured, what could one possibly write about reflections? How hard could it be? Just walk up to a chrome bumper on a sunny day and shoot it, right? Maybe, a cliche’ shot of your dog’s reflection from a side view mirror of your car? I just didn’t see how a photograph of a reflection could be written about. Maybe, it could be tweeted about but not a 72 page eBook!
I had decided that there must be something to Chasing Reflections as I don’t think Craft and Vision would release mediocre publications. After reading Chasing Reflections, my respect for Eli’s work shot ten fold. My first mistake is that I did not truly “look” at the image. I merely glanced at an image so I did not “get it” and thought it to be boring. Chasing Reflections will help you understand her work and art in general.
Eli goes on in great detail about her process. Her muse is the “reflection”. They fascinate her and her images will fascinate you, when you really look at them. Don’t just glance at them, really study them. You will find many things going on in them. You could revisit the images time and time again and see something new.
After explaining the “process” of how she crafts an image. Eli goes on to explaining the techniques used to express her vision. Things such as choosing a focus point, choosing an angle, posters and people, playing with mirrors, when there is not enough light; they all paint a story and have a “decisive moment” element to them. And here I figured there was nothing to shooting a reflection… boy, was I wrong.
Do yourself a favour and pick up Chasing Reflections from Craft and Vision. It’s only $4 for the download when using the checkout code, REFLECT4. Chasing Reflection, really opened my eyes to the type of creativity we can do with our camera and a reflection. Thanks for the great book, Eli and Craft and Vision.
Quick update.
Ooops! I got really busy making a living at my day job. That’s my excuse for the limited blogging and photographic activities. On the bright side, I have a new ‘out of town’ job with two weeks ON and two weeks OFF. I have my two weeks off starting Wednesday. I am really stoked about coming back home to see my friends and family.
This time off will also allow me to get my camera out for an orgy of photographica! Next week, my wife and I have a three night stay in Whistler booked. Originally, it was supposed to be a predominately a mountain biking trip. Unfortunately, Trish cracked her shoulder bone the other day while mountain biking so biking is off the list for Whistler. That means more time behind the lens. I really look forward to shooting some of BC’s most amazing scenery.
Reflect 2009 then act on 2010
Yup, it’s that time of year again. Christmas is over and now the beginning of a new year. Once the climax of Christmas has worn off, we get a chance to reflect on our year. We think about what goals that we set out to hit and the ones we missed. Did we lose the extra weight we had promised to last year? Did we make a career move? Did we take take a workshop, course, or on-line learning subscription?
It not matter too much if we achieved our goals that we set last year, as long as we made some sort of progress toward our goals. For us non-vocational photographers sometimes our vocation takes time away from our hobby, as it did this year for me. Some times life just gets in the way of our passion.
As I reflect on 2009, my photographic shooting life has been slow. I had not shot as many photo’s as I should have or could have. On the other hand, I made an effort to connect with other photogs through social media. Also, I went on a few photo walks with others and had a fun time while creating some decent images. Connecting with other photographers, as I am finding out, is important. We can learn, network, share, and inspire each other. We photo-holics need this.
In 2010, I want to keep the goals simple and well within reach. I am not on some sort of fast track program to full-time vocational photographer. This is not my goal. Therefore, I can take my sweet time and enjoy the process. As long as I make progress, improve on technical skill, get some art on my walls, and have a good time with my creative outlet… that is all that matters.
Action Goals
Gear Goals
Learning Goals
Happy New Year, All!
Shoot like hell in 2010!
Fight the “Gear Gremlins!”
Recently David DuChemin created a fury of comments about NOT getting into debt for buying gear. I agree with him 100% not just for your photography business but for your personal finances as well. Sure, use your credit card to make a purchase as long as you can pay the balance off immediately. The benefits are purchase protection and travel miles/bonus dollars.
As photographers, part of the draw we have toward the craft is “fancy-dancy-newest-technology”. At least it is for me. I admit liking the gadgets and new technology. However, I refrain myself from have the newest gadget for the sake of financial responsibility. I know going into debt for gadgets that make me little or no money is not financially responsible.
Will the new pro-body camera make us better photographers? No, I don’t think so. If I drove a Ferrari, it wouldn’t make me a better driver? In fact, it would probably make me a worse driver. Anyways, there are tons of arguments on David’s blog on “why” to stay debt free. Most of his readers understand them. Including myself.
What I suggest is have a look at people who DON’T use pro-body cameras! I have stumbled upon a “pro photographer” who still uses Polaroid. He created great images with his cheap old camera. I just wish that I book marked his site to share with you. My bad. Anyways, I took a look at Flickr to see who else out there is using old gear, including a Kodak Brownie, which I personally own thanks to Grandma. She left it for me years before she died. The camera is the image above.
A photographer who still uses his Brownie is here. There are others who use older gear, some for the sake of using old technology and some who are satisfied with what their current gear does. I believe many night photographers still use slide film. Troy Paiva finally moved to digital in 2005. He is now using a Canon 20D.
I challenge myself to stay with the gear I have. I am resisting the “Gear Gremlin”. Maybe I will use LESS gear or OLDER gear than I already have. Maybe I should get some film for my Olympus OM-10. Confining yourself will force you to “think outside the box”. It’s a challenge… but without challenge there can not be growth as an artist. That goes for anything really.
Finally, FYI the above image was created on my kitchen counter. I guess I do have a studio after all, my kitchen studio. A science fair white display board thing that I had found at Staples for $15 that is used as a back drop. The Brownie sits on two pieces of white printer paper. A SB800 flash on a portable light stand worth about $60. The flash was bounced off a 32″ collapsible reflector that cost about $30. A cheaper piece of white board could of had the same effect. My Nikon D200 is two years old with no plans for an upgrade to a D700… well, unless I win the lottery.
Pretty and Gritty
Last Saturday evening, Simon Beaumont organized a little photowalk for a few of us that had participated in the World Wide Photowalk. Though there were no big lights and pocket wizards this time. That’s ok because I had a good time regardless.
A smaller group of photographers was more intimate and social. There was Simon, Bryan, Sabrina, and my wife, who was there to tag along. Ironically, we were all Nikon shooters which was kinda cool because there was four speedlights that could be utilized using the Nikon CLS system. At one point we all dug out our speedlights to use. One of us fired a shot from our camera then all the flashes fired too! A happy accident.
We skirted our way down the gritty part of town then over to Crab Park. It is amazing how much of a contrast two city blocks is. One part very “gritty” then a block or two over, it’s very “pretty”.
We hope to continue doing this image capture/social gatherings in the future. It was a lot of fun.
The Best Dog in the World!
Last week, my wife and I lost our dog to cancer at the age of 12.5 years. Emily was the “Best dog in the world”. She was one of my favourite photography model as she worked for free, not to mention, very photogenic. I “blog my dog” because I want people to know how much we loved her. We miss her dearly.
We got Emily as a nine week old pup. I “picked it” as I would always say to my wife, Trish, or anybody else who witnessed her good behavior. She was a cheap purchase of $75 but she had high maintenance costs; anti-allergic food, vet bills, hotel sur-charges, ect. She was worth it though.
Well Behaved
She would never jump on people.
She would never jump out of the car unlessed given permission.
She would never enter through a doorway first. People were first.
She never bit or nipped anybody even when teased or hasselled.
She never did her “business” inside.
She didn’t chase our cat, Little Wigs… ok, maybe a little but she didn’t harm Little Wigs. Personally, I think it was a game between them. They seemed to enjoy their little “Mexican stand-offs”.
She was a food beggar so we trained her to stay outside the kitchen while we cooked. She was a “long distance beggar dog”.
Her issues and idiosyncracies
She didn’t like computer or electronic beeps and such. She would get nervous and hide when hearing such sounds.
She was a left handed dog. She always returned a ball to the person on the left. It didn’t matter if two people switched positions, she would still return the ball to the person on the left.
She didn’t like me taking a bath. I guess she thinks she might be next though we haven’t bathed her in years, the groomer did that once a year for us.
Her tricks
The basics of course: Sit, stay, come. She was trained for both verbal and visual commands for all of her tricks.
She would run from across a field when told verbally or visually to “come”.
Shake a paw. A friend who met her for the first time bent down, extended his hand for a shake and said, “Hi, I’m Ian. How do you do?” Emily shook his hand to his suprise.
Though she wasn’t the kind of dog you would expect to “sit pretty”… she could and did.
She could roll over. In her later years, I suppose rolling over was too much of a hassle for her so she turned it into a “turn around”. That was fine.
Fetching
Emily loved to fetch things. She was OCD about it whether the item was a tennis ball, stick, or frisbee. She returned items in a very timely matter and at your feet.
She had a special need for sticks. Hearing the snap of a broken stick would perk her ears right up! She wanted to fetch it. Sometimes, she would what we called, “Pulp mill”. That meant she chewed the stick apart. Also, sometimes she could amuse herself with a stick. During her walks, sometimes she would drop a stick in the creek then watch the stick float away down stream. Then she would quickly run down stream to catch it! Emily would repeat this game with herself many times.
Emily wanted to fetch “at all costs!” When on a hike we had to tell people that were throwing a stick for her to take care in not throwing a stick over a cliff and such. Emily would certainly leap to where the stick was with reckless disregard.
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