A Graveyard Field Trip (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

Digital infrared

One of my first exposures to infrared photography was in the 1980's, in a book of Edgar Allan Poe poetry, which was illustrated with infrared photographs of graveyards. During this one-on-one field trip, the student was enthusiastic about walking through an old buying ground, so who was I to argue.

Digital infrared

One thing that always pleases me is how open the shadows are in infrared, when working on bright, sunny days; that, combined with the magic of how foliage is rendered, explains much of what I find so enthralling about infrared photography.

Digital infrared

I really enjoy the haphazard angle of the older tombstones, in such an ordered, planned environment.

A Night Photography Field Trip (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

Digital original , 2 frame stitch

I grew up sailing past this building, the empty husk of an old power plant; seeing it rejuvenated and renewed, as the head of Emera (formerly Nova Scotia Power) is a real pleasure. Most people photograph it in the morning, when the sun and morning sky reflect off the glass, but I quite like it at dusk, when it is back-lit against the fading evening sky.

Digital original

My last image of this field trip, focused on night photography, was of Pier 21, took full advantage of the strong reflection of the street lights on the side of the old rail car. The 90 second exposure rendered the couple of people who walked through the image invisible.

Digital original

A Waterfront Field Trip (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

Digital original

While talking with a student about the importance of being open to "light" as a subject, I happened to see the reflections from the water's surface on this side of tall ship; initially I thought the image would just be of the hull and reflection, but when I saw the sail in the net above, I knew it would be the perfect way to complete the composition.

Digital original

Walking back from the waterfront to my car, I caught a glimpse of this beautiful wall; the blue light was perfectly positioned to overlay the meeting of the horizontal and vertcal beams, and the simplicity of the setting was just lovely to work with , compositionally.

A Waterfront Walk (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

Digital original, two frame stitch

This evening was spent walking along the Halifax waterfront, waiting for the sun to set (at which point a Night Photography field trip would commence. As I walked out Purdy's wharf, I was greeted by a lovely evening sky, stretching out across the harbour.

Digital original, four frame exposure blend

The evening sky was a perfect backdrop for an image of the Purdy's Wharf office complex; as the sun was setting behind it, a careful exposure blend was necessary to capture all the detail in the sky, and in the building itself.

Digital original, 4 frame stitch

The last images of the day were actually made after sunset, when the sky was turning a rich deep bue. My 17mm lens wasn't wide enough to capture the dramatic vista above me, so I had to stitch the final image together from four separate exposures (giving an angle of view closer to 12mm or so).

L_ at the Coast (Polly Cove, Nova Scotia)

Digital original

I have a near terminal aversion to working with direct sunlight, but as this session started later in the afternoon, and the sky seemed to promise some respite, L_ and I set out for the coast regardless of the sunshine. Luck was with us, as by the time we reached the coast, the sky was almost toally cloud covered, though the very first set of images, above, had the tail end of the sunlight.

Digital infrared original

When I'd asked Liz what she wanted to do for her first session, she replied "I'd love to create some images laying over/inbetween big rocks, small pools of water etc" - so she got her wish. We worked with this rock for some time, exploring the possibilities in regards to posing. The side of the rock Liz worked on was never a question, as by this time, the evening sun was starting to break through the low clouds and fog, giving some directional light to provide some definition to Liz's figure.

Digital infrared original, 2 frame exposure blend, 3 frame stitch

The last images of the session played off a small water pool; I made two sets of photographs, one close, with ultra wide lenses, and the other above, using a long lens to compress the perspective, and use the pool to provide a partial reflection of L_'s pose.