Snapture

No Traction

Mon, 16 Feb 2009 00:54 -0500

This is what happens when it turns from hot to cold too quickly.

It's treacherous around every bend in the road. Salt leads to corrosion, and sand is dirty. Maybe best to just stay at home until it melts. :-(

Focus

Thu, 15 Jan 2009 02:00 -0500

## Motivational Thoughts for a Photographer ##

Auto-focus fails,
in a difficult scenario,
and so the photog,
should become impresario.

Let me explain.

When many subjects interact,
especially when they're stacked,
it tends to distract,
and there's no white-and-black.

When things are uncertain,
it sticks with what's nearest,
but in the Big Picture,
that may not be the clearest.

Or the dearest.

Picking a single focus point,
and leaving the others neglected,
discourages good composition,
but gets the results expected.

Yet still...

When it gets hazy or dark,
and the contrast is less stark,
A.F. won't find the mark,
Perpetually hunting, on a lark.

There's only one solution.

Flip the switch,
turn the ring,
compose your shot,
let the shutter sing.

See what you need,
work for what you want,
believe you can do it,
as insecurities daunt.

Focus manually,
when things are rough,
when auto-focus,
just isn't enough.

It's not that hard,
if you practise a bit;
in no time,
you'll get good at it.

You must see clearly,
and concentrate hard,
but reliable images
will be your reward.

Timing is key;
follow-focus when there's action,
It'll eventually become,
involuntary reaction.

You'll need to adapt quickly,
to changing situations,
and learn to react well,
for good image-creation.

And...

When it comes time to get "macro" close,
hold focus on your object, and move your whole self in sync.
Patience and stability are key for a good image,
or you'll lose your shot as quick as you can blink.

You are the camera. The image is yours.

Make your choice.

Keep your focus.

Haunted House

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 22:29 -0500

A scene from last year's University of Ottawa charity Haunted House. Buah-hah-hah!

Pilate

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 12:19 -0500

Pilate (a.k.a. [Pilot Speed](http://www.maplemusic.com/artists/pil/default.asp)) opened for Mute Math September 6th last year at Capital Music Hall.

Mute Math was alright, but I actually mainly went to see Pilate! Which made it especially sad to hear lead singer Todd Clark (pictured) say "thanks for your kind applause, because I know you're all just here to see Mute Math."

They both put on a great show!

I Miss Soccer!

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 00:50 -0500

Confirmation that I haven't updated my blog in too long: I don't even remember what teams are portrayed. They were battling for the 2007 OCSL Ottawa Cup in the championship round, I know that much.

First Official Wedding!

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 14:46 -0500

Congratulations to Iman and Andaleeb!

It was a nice small backyard wedding in July. Great way to cut my teeth!

Special thanks to Flash Gordon. Your help was invaluable, Adam! "Tech crew!"

(Strobist info: SB-24 shoot-through camera left, Flash Gordon (SB-24 bare on a monopod) held behind bride, in the shade of a house during late afternoon.)

Shelter

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 11:22 -0500

... And now back to our regularly-scheduled programme of long-overdue queued posts.

Photographer Harrassment

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:40 -0500

These Rideau Street McDonald's security guards were kind enough to physically assault me and attempt to seize/damage my camera on a public sidewalk for taking this photo of them last weekend. They then (illegally!) detained me by physical force until the police arrived and, clearly irritated by this waste of their time, told everyone to go on their merry way. But, in violation of the photographer-friendly Charter of Rights and Freedoms, before they let me go, the officer insisted that I delete this photo. (I later used recovery software to retrieve it from the memory card.)

Okay, so perhaps I was instigating a bit, in an effort to stand my ground. I had previously been ridiculously harrassed and then ejected from McDonald's for taking [a benign photo of willing subjects](http://www.ryandavies.ca/pics/2008-06-20-davebachelor/IMG_4476.JPG) while waiting in line for food that I didn't want to eat anyway. Apparently, since my camera was bigger than the people behind me in line, who were also blatantly taking photos of each other at the time, I was identified as a threat to somebody's safety or privacy. (Wouldn't a concealed or unassuming camera be more of a threat to someone's privacy than an ostentatious SLR and flash? So why the discrimination?) The security guards escorted me out, telling me in a condescending tone that I could now take as many photos as I wanted. So I took this photo of them. They clearly didn't appreciate that, as it resulted in the turn of events described above.

Dave, I'm very sorry that my righteous attitude interfered with your bachelor party. But hey, every good bachelor party needs a bit of police involvement, no?

Ever-stubborn about this increasingly-relevant issue, I'll end this post with a couple of links:

"Don't cede your right to photograph in public. Don't propagate the terrorist photographer story. Remind [people] that prohibiting photography was something we used to ridicule about the USSR. Eventually sanity will be restored, but it may take a while."
- [Bruce Schneier for The Guardian (U.K.)](http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jun/05/news.terrorism)

Finally, [this great page at AmbientLight.ca](http://ambientlight.ca/laws.php) nicely sums up the *Ontario* laws applicable to photography.

Haddaway

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 09:11 -0500

... And again.

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 12:04 -0500

Fast forward to October, the grand opening of the [MenEssentials Boutique](http://www.menessentials.ca).

(Those are some pretty rad lights, eh, if I may say so myself.)

This photo was also published in the same promo newsletter, in cropped form. I wish I would have done something about the glare off the fixtures on the back wall, but live 'n learn.