March 30, 2010

Frozen Light Exhibition (Halifax, Nova Scotia)


Frozen Light, an exhibition of 25 of my images of flowers frozen in ice, will open on Thursday evening, April 1, between 6 and 9pm. The exhibition is at ViewPoint Gallery, 1272 Barrington Street, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and runs from March 30th to May 2, 2010. The exhibition is open from Tuesday to Sunday, from noon to 5pm, and by appointment.

March 28, 2010

A Dead Tulip (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

Digital original, 5 frame focus blend
I didn't plan to make the above image - the tulips has been bought some days before, and just happened to get...dry. Walking past however, I saw how rich and detailed the dried petals were, and just had to photograph it. Initially, I thought deep depth of field would be preferable, then as I worked, I moved towards less and less in focus. In the end, I selected a bit of both, with the two front petals richly detailed, and the flower in the background soft and delicate.

A Nude & a Skull (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

Digital original, 2 frame focus blend
The first time I worked with skulls and a model was with Victoria in 1999, during the making of the Alberta Portfolio. At the time, I wasn't sure about how the two somewhat unrelated subjects would work together, but in retrospect, both the similarities in shape and form between the body and bones, and the symbolic elements the skulls add work surprisingly well.
Digital infrared original
For this session with Stephanie, I had the loan of a ram's skull, which had the added bonus of hand-holds via the horns. We worked with the lovely natural light on the long wall in my living room, and used a free standing reflector to control the contrast, when needed.
Digital infrared original, 2 frame stitch
All in all, the session was great; Stephanie really enjoyed working with the skull, and the images we made were really pleasing. Though we started the session working in colour, I quickly shifted to working with the infrared camera, enjoying the more luminous, abstracted quality it gave the body.

March 26, 2010

A Drive down the South Shore (South Shore, Nova Scotia)

Digital original
I don't often just head out with a camera, but that was just the plan for this afternoon. A meandering drive down the South Shore of Nova Scotia saw me stopping at several rivers, and photographing the rushing spring water. In the above image, it is hard to sell, but almost the entire width of the river is in the image, as the water recedes across a man-made dam to the top left corner.
Digital original, 2 image exposure blend
The best images of the day were made at Sable River, on the way home. An old water mill is y the side of the road, and while the wheel is no-longer spilling, it sill made for a picturesque scene, especially when I took the time to clamber through the scrubby forest and find a low vantage point.

March 19, 2010

A Moment (Blue Rocks, Nova Scotia)

Digital original
On a drab March afternoon, driving through Blue Rocks, I saw this perfect moment of simple beauty.

March 07, 2010

Infrared at the Coast (Polly's Cove, Nova Scotia)

Digital infrared original
This would have been a perfect day to work with a model, but as none was available, I headed to the coast all the same, to see what images could be made. I am not usually enraged by landscape, but given that the glacial barrens are my favorite place in Nova Scotia, it is easier to work with landscape here than anywhere else.
Digital original
The fact that the day turned out to be so lovely, with a bright blue sky and light, fast moving clouds made the afternoon perfect for working with infrared - the blue sky turned deep black, which in turn set off the wispy clouds (many of which are actually con-trails from planes heading to Europe). I would have preferred to be working with a model on such a day, but the above images make the most of the resources that were present at the time!