THY NAME IS CORONAVIRUS
With half of my wife’s extended family still in China, this years celebration held at Noble Seafood Restaurant was a bit of a quieter affair. My mother-in-law made it safely back from Shanghai a couple of weeks ago but her siblings are currently stuck waiting for the coronavirus epidemic to get sorted out so they can get flights back to Toronto and Sweden.
The vibe at Noble was a few degrees less than the typical new year’s meal. It wasn’t quite as busy or frantic as it might have been. Even a week ago (pre WHO emergency declaration) there were those that figured a celebration at home was a safer choice.
Still, it was decently busy and we united to put on a good show of overconsumption. Good times were had; crab, lobster, fish and abalone with a dash of pig and chicken were on the menu (12 courses in all). Believe me, no one went home hungry. Red envelopes were shared. Next year, we hope that we will all be together and Corona can go back to being the name of an imported Mexican beer. Until then, enjoy the pics and stay safe.
SHOT WITH FUJI X-PR02, XF35MM F/1.4
BEAUTIFUL UGLY BEACH
Beautiful ugly beach. That pretty much sums it up.
These are images from my recent visit in Mount Saint Hillaire, Quebec visiting with Patrick Laroque. After we took pictures of anything and everything in my hotel room that might be interesting, we ventured off to a nearby beach where Pat launches his kayak.
The task was to get close. Pat provided his Fuji XF60 F2.4 lens, a lens I’ve not used before. The light was not very cooperative and to be frank, I couldn’t really get comfortable with the focal length or the subject matter. The beach was also fairly rocky and as I was wearing my Birkenstock’s I was fearful that I’d loose my balance and find my ankle facing a new and unattractive angle (something I’ve regrettably done before).
Yet I’m rather pleased with these images. They are quite unlike anything I’ve done before. I can’t say whether I feel compelled to run out and buy this lens, but it was a lesson well learned. Something about when life gives you lemons I think.
SHOT WITH FUJI X-PRO2
ROOM
I have a day job. Lately my day job is getting a little less stressful as I’m learning to delegate and take a step back from the work that’s consumed much of the last four decades of my life.
When I picked up photography in the early teens I had no idea how rewarding it would be. But it’s also a shit load of commitment and hard work; at times more than I have the bandwidth for. And as pros and amateurs know, there are times when there’s not much left in the creative tank.
Enter Patrick Laroque. Pat is my Duracell recharging pack, my photography guru and safety net all in one package. A two day session with Pat is like taking my photographic skills off of life support and putting a 600V electrical signal through my body and brain. The man sees things that mere mortals don’t see.
The images below are from our last session towards the end of August. Since Pat was going through a dose of renovation hell and neither of us wanted to deal with Montreal traffic, we took to taking images in my hotel room at the Manoir Rouville-Campbell. What can I say, with Pat’s magic touch even his shoes are interesting.
SHOT WITH FUJI X-PRO2
KANSAS CITY, MORE THAN JUST BBQ
Business or pleasure. The line sometimes blur for us when we’re in a city that’s known for its good food.
Flying in from Toronto where it’s been one of the coldest, wettest and miserable springs on record, we landed in Kansas City to 90ºF temperatures. It was feeling pretty tropical.
But what I noticed most on the first days was the quality of the light. It was like being in Portugal or Barcelona all over again. Man do I miss the sun living in grey Toronto.
My photo time was limited to the 10 minute walk to the convention centre and back to our hotel. The days would be spent working, but at night Alice and I ventured to several good to very good barbecue joints.
In Kansas City everyone you meet has an opinion on where the best barbecue is. We only had four nights but alas, after two substantial barbecue meals we were brisket and pork ribbed out (clearly, we are in the minor leagues of bbq).
Our stay was just too short to really get a handle on the food scene. But I can say the architecture and the vibe in the city was terrific. A visit to Knuckleheads capped off the five days watching my childhood favourite Burton Cummings.
I know they’ve got all kinds of violent crime issues in Kansas City but from a photography perspective, it’s a place I would gladly go back to. Free public transportation in the city, clean streets and stunning and well maintained old buildings. And of course there’s the barbecue.
SHOT WITH FUJI X100F
BABY ELLIOTT
It seems fitting that the first post on this new Squarespace website is dedicated to Elliott, my grand-nephew. There’s not much you can say about a new born. They’re cute and cuddly, and they need a whole boat load of time, energy, patience and love.
For sure Elliott chose the right parents for all of those needs. And I can confirm that Elliott has a very good set of lungs as well. Welcome to the world my dear boy.
SHOT WITH X-PRO2
THANKSGIVING 2018
I'm writing this on November 11th, Remembrance Day here in Canada. Today marks the 100th anniversary of the ending of the first world war. Commonly referred to as the war to end all wars.
It seems appropriate to finally be getting around to posting a few Thanksgiving images from last months trip to Port Cunnington, Ontario just outside of Algonquin Park. Today should also be called Thanksgiving. Here's a thought, let's call every day Thanksgiving and hope we keep everyone in the moment and maybe prevent all the crazy world leaders from starting WWIII.
Over dim sum this morning we took a moment (a minute actually) to stand up and honour those that fought and made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. For the first time in my life the thought that we've learned nothing from the last 100 years seemed too real.
So today I'll give thanks again and again and again. And I will remember again and again and again.
SHOT WITH X-PRO2
IAN MACDONALD WORKSHOP
A big thank you to Ian MacDonald - @ianmacdonaldphotography - for a wonderful 2-1/2 days in mid August. The recent workshop was held in downtown Toronto, beside myself there were 10 other willing photographers.
Always a great experience learning from a new instructor and Ian was a willing and gracious host with lots of terrific tips.
SHOT WITH X100F AND X-PRO2
