Recent Portraits

On a recent photo shoot of a restaurant I was asked to take a quick portrait of the restaurant owners - a husband and wife who came to Canada from Vietnam.  David, featured here, left Vietnam under terrible circumstances - the bullets were flying as he and this family hurried into the boats.  Now, he and his wife are successful business people living in Edmonton.

This was a quickly improvised portrait taken with the Canon 5DII, Canon 85 f1.2 lens and a a single Canon 580EX speedlight off camera with an umbrella modifier triggered by Pocketwizard transmitter and receiver.  Took about 45 seconds to set up for this shot.

Phoenix Botanical Gardens

We'll let this be the sign-off photo of the Arizona series of blog postings - at least for now as we hope to return later this year.  The new growth on the Saguaro looks like organ stops, don't you think?

Phoenix Botanical Gardens

I had this misconception that Arizona was a dry, dusty burning-hot place.  It is those things but I was amazed at how lush it can be too.  This photo was taken in the Botanical Gardens but it could just as easily be taken out in the desert as bright flowers abound.

Phoenix Botanical Gardens

Sometimes a little burst of light is just the ticket.  I really liked the shape of this giant Saguaro - it looks sort of human like I think - and the sun peaking through really adds to the photo.

Phoenix Botanical Gardens

The butterfly house at the Phoenix Botanical Gardens is home to many varieties of butterflies.  I like the butterfly-and-it's-shadow composition of this photo taken with the venerable Canon G11.

Phoenix Botanical Gardens

I really like the symmetry of this photograph - looks like an arrangement from a florist but in fact it's a globe-formed cactus crown.

Phoenix Botanical Gardens

The Saguaro Cactus is pretty great; so simple in form and they look spectacular against the bright Arizona sky.

Phoenix Botanical Gardens

There's more that just plant material on display at the Phoenix Botanical Gardens; this photo was take in the butterfly pavilion.

Phoenix Botanical Gardens

The flowers on a cactus are almost universally weird - at least to the eye of a Canadian prairie boy like me.

Phoenix Botanical Gardens

I could never remember the names of all the cactii exhibited at the Phoenix Botanical Garden but I can tell you this photo was taken with the Canon G11...

Phoenix Botanical Gardens

These rather charming Cacti are called 'Mexican Fence Posts'...rather obvious why.

Hipstamatic in the Desert

This is kind of a Hipstamatic self portrait - that's my shadow aon the wall behind this cactus.  Photo taken at the Phoenix Botantical Garden.

Sedona, Arizona

When we were ready to leave on our trip to Arizona there was debate over whether to take my tri-pod.  I decided to leave it at home along with my tilt/shift lenses....I sured missed having them along - particularly for shots like this where I would have been able to get much better depth of field with a TS lens  In the end I purchased a trip-pod to leave in Arizona so next time the TS lenses will make the trip.

Sedona, Arizona

When the sun is low or even set getting the exposure correct in a single shot is very hard to do.  This is two exposures merged into one photo; sort of a hand done high dynamic range photo.  The trick is to get the result to look natural; how's I do?

Arizona - The Apache Trail

I wanted this photo to have a 1940's feel to it so I rendered it in a dark-ish sepia tone in Adobe Lightroom.  This is a very simple, traditionally composed photo; classic rule-of-thirds composition horizontally and vertically with one central focal point.  I wasn't sure this photo was even worth taking but I rather like the final result.

Arizona - The Apache Trail

I don't recall if the sign said 'No Shooting' or 'Shooting Allowed' but in any case somebody has been firing away at this Saguaro.

Phoenix Botanical Gardens

Every photographer needs an assistant who can inspire them, support them, find gigs for them and provide a little kick in the pants now and again.  Here's my number 1 go to gal Terri; my wife of 7 years today.  Looking sharp as a cactus thorn in the Arizona desert!  Lots of love to you Terri!

Arizona - The Apache Trail

The Apache Trail is a 120 mile loop east of Phoenix.  Lots of varied terrain to see.  Part of the drive is gravel and it's a bit of a white knuckler.  Most folks drive appropriately - the only impatient goof we saw a long the way was driving a Ford F-350 with tandem rear axle; and Alberta plates.  Yeesh.

Phoenix Botanical Gardens

Sedona, Arizona

Here's a late afternoon photo taken near Sedona.

Canon 5DII with Canon 17-40 lens set to 35mm.  F/10, 1/80 sec.  Handheld; Singh Ray LB polarizing filter.

Hipstamatic in the Desert

The Saguaro Cactus is prolific in Arizona - and protected by state law.  The can grow to a very old age; some are 150 years old.  This photo taken with the iPhone Hipstamatic app.

Arizona - Taliesin

This walkway runs parrallel to the main studio at Taliesin.  Operable windows allow for cross ventilation in the studio - when originally constructed there was no air conditioning; perhaps there is now but I saw no evidence of it anywhere.

Arizona - Taliesin

There's a couple of significant aspects to this photo.  One is to highlight the affinity that Frank Lloyd Wright had for all things oriental and the other is to feature one of the unique building blocks used extensively at Taliesin.  Form work was constructed wherever a retaining wall or foundation was required and then large rocks were placed in the forms . Concrete - mixed with locally available sand and gravel - was then added.  The result was the type of rough concrete seen either side of this photo.

Arizona - Taliesin

As you make your way around Taliesen you come across little sanctuarys like this where there is shade, water and a bit of breeze.  The water at Taliesen was hard to get at - some wondered if they ever would find water.  Ponds and pools around the property serve to cool but also store water in the event of fire.

Arizona - Taliesin

Here's another photo of the famed Taliesin West; this view features the main drafting studio.  The day we visited only a few students remained as the school year was over.

Arizona - Taliesin

You would have to look long and hard to find someone in the world living off the avails of architecture who does not know about American Architect Frank Lloyd Wright.  In 1937, just 15 miles from Scottsdale in the Arizona desert he founded Taliesin West - transplanting the name from his original Taliesin in Wisconsin.  It was a challenging location to say the least; miles from civilization, no apparent water (in the end there was but it was very hard to get at), no power, searing heat, coyotes and other critters prowling about....some life.

But with perseverance, hardworking apprentices and a little luck the masters plan came into being.  Today Taliesin West is an accredited school of architecture.  This is the view of the primary buildings from the 'ships prow' as Frank called it; in the opposite direction is a grand view of metro-Phoenix and mountains beyond.  Frank Lloyd Wright buildings have a fully resolved feeling to them; every detail is thought out and perfectly executed.  He believed that no building should be 'on' a site rather it should be of the site; the site being all the better for the building and vice verso.  Taliesin West is sculpted around the various humps and bumps of the hillside and is very low to the ground; the result being that tall people might find it a little claustrophobic - Frank was as small man and tended to prefer low ceilings and door ways.

A Strange Little Photo

Here's another shot taken with the Lensbaby Composer.  Funny how this lens sits in my camera bag for weeks at a time but every time I do pull it out I realize how much fun it is to use - and what cool images it can create.  These are tea pots lined up and ready for action in a Vietnamese restaurant.

A Strange Little Photo

I took this photo while on assignment in a restaurant recently; the Lensbaby Composer Selective Focus lens produced this result.

Springtime in Alberta

Here's a final photo from my field trip to countryside north of Edmonton.  I am quite partial to abstract art and abstract photography in particular and when you can find it in nature it further underscores the value of abstract art.  Here, the unexplainable colours and stratification of the ice on a spring pond create a magical scene.

One of the best aspects of this part of rural Alberta is the ease of access and lack of fences with 'no trespassing' signs attached.   There's a ton of stuff to photograph in this region and every day will be different.  I think some summer thunderstorm photos would be great addition to my portfolio and this would be a great locale to capture them.  Stand by!

Springtime in Alberta

There's been a ton of snow around these parts this past winter; the farmers' should be pleased with that and the fact that it has melted slowly so as to fill up the watering holes and keep the water table high.  Now if they get some dry weather to plant and lots of sun shine through the summer they should be set.  Here's hoping at least.  This photo isn't of a lake; rather it's a good deal of water ponding in this low area of a field.

Canon 5DII with Canon 24 TSE lens.  ISO 100, f/16 at 1/25 sec.  Singh Ray LB Colour Combo polarizer and Singh Ray 2 Stop hard edge grad filter over the sky.

Springtime in Alberta

When my wife saw this photo she asked what could create the shadow in the foreground.  It's not a shadow of course - on close examination it is revealed to be standing water.  The dark earth below and the blue sky above causes the water to look black.

Springtime in Alberta

Some folks might categorize a shot like this as  having  'low hanging fruit' characteristics in that it employs classic rule-of-thirds composition with a can't miss 'S' curve to lead the eye through the scene.  And they'd be right with that observation but sometimes there's just no point in fighting it...if the shot is there just take it...so say I at least.