I’m very excited today to finally have my new website finished and loaded. Along with my new website is my brand new blog. Yay!

All photography all the time. That’s the theme of these ramblings.

I thought I would start my first post with my favourite image. This image was shot in the backcountry behind Cypress Ski Hill in North Vancouver. The snow at the time was hip deep and pristine. I definitely worked hard hiking up onto the ridge to shoot this little stand of trees.

I have been told by many that it looks like a model constructed in miniature. I think this is why I enjoy it so much. The idea that nature can resemble something fabricated and vice versa, that whole idea intrigues me.

You’ll notice that the snow in most of my images is actually gray not white. I choose to intentionally underexpose my snow shots to create a different feel to the images. I find the texture and lines become more pronounced and I like the trees to be black and shadowy. What can I say, I’m drawn to the dark side.

While I usually shoot digital (with my beloved 5D) I have lately fallen in love with the humble Holga. Yes, I know I’ve come late to the whole Holga revolution (I always have been behind the trends) but it’s such an interesting camera.
I’m always telling my students that the creative is more important than the technology for the evolution of their photography.

I see so many people caught up in the gear and the latest and greatest products on the market but sometimes I feel that having all that camera equipment can actually stifle creativity. That’s why the whole Holga concept is so great.

Holga’s are not technical in the least. After all there are only two settings and no chance for a lens change. In order to shoot something compelling you have to think ‘outside the box’. It’s creativity in the purest form. You have no idea what you’re really capturing and you have to work the angles and lighting or risk not capturing anything. It’s a grand experiment!

So tonight I’m going to head out with my humble Holga and see what images reveal themselves. Shooting at night with the Holga will be a challenge but that’s the whole point. It’s fun to push the boundaries and see what happens. After all, some masterpieces started out as mistakes.

I’ll post the experiment as it develops along with many other photography related things. Cheers!

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