Today’s image is a couple of years old, taken at low tide on the bank of the Thames in London, England. I’m posting it in anticipation of my next trip to England in July of 2013. I’m already debating how many (and which) cameras to take 🙂 I know the answer to “how many” won’t be one!
One more image from this past weekend’s shoot with Jennifer. As I think I’ve mentioned before, my strong preference for portraits is close-up: I am captivated by the human landscape of the face. I have to force myself to at least some of the time take a few steps back and attempt a portrait that is as much about the background as it is the subject. Guildwood Park in Toronto has a lot of great backgrounds to use, and as soon as I saw this sculpture, I knew that it would be perfect for a non-close-up image.
(Mamiya 645 Pro TL, 80mm f2.8 lens, Tri-X @ E.I. 800, developed in Diafine 3+3. negative scanned, and post-processed using Nik Silver Efex Pro 2)
Today’s image stars model Jennifer, who has graced the pages of this blog before. Jennifer reminded me when we did this shoot this past weekend that it had been roughly a year since we started collaborating, and together I think we’ve created some good work. Jennifer brings so much to a shoot in terms of energy and personality that collaboration is the correct way of describing a shoot. Her  spirit shows in every image, and she deserves the credit for that. Today’s image is a good example: a lot of the Steampunk photography I see comes across as rather serious, but with her playful expressions Jennifer was able to turn it upside down, and bring some fun into the photographs!!
(Mamiya 645 Pro TL, 80mm f2.8 lens, Tri-X @ E.I. 800, developed in Diafine 3+3, negative scan, post processed using Nik Efex.)
Today’s image is another one from the High Park shoot with Dani, as she does a dancer’s stretch in High Park. Dancing (speaking as someone who is all too aware of his woeful ability or lack thereof in this area) is a discipline which requires tremendous focus and self-awareness. Also, I see a lot of dance photography where the dancer seems unaware of the camera, and I think the two are related: Â the dancer is not directly connecting with the camera or viewer, as she is consumed by the demands of her art. I really like this image because Dani is making a direct connection with the viewer, while practicing her art.
(Mamiya 645 Pro TL, 80mm f2.8 lens, Tri-X @ E.I. 800, developed in Diafine 3+3)
While on a shoot with a model this past weekend I took this image, while the model was arranging her hair. I love all the lovely lines in High Park in Toronto!
Dani is a dancer and for the concept in this photo shoot we combined the idea of dance poses with the outdoor setting of High Park.
I don’t think I’ve posted a portrait shot completely from the back before, but this one works for me; the subject Tiffany is a very creative person, and as such was able to integrate herself easily into the formal style of this section of High Park in Toronto.
Crystal is someone who seemingly can always find a reason to smile, and smile big! She is always radiating positive vibes. In this portrait, I asked for a slight, subtle smile, but even in her slight smile, I sense the big smile still beaming through:-)
(Mamiya 645 Pro TL, 80mm f2.8 lens, Tri-X film @ E.I. 800, developed in Diafine 3+3)
Today’s image is a hand-tinted print of Ren from the steampunk shoot; I’ll be giving this print to her later today. You might be thinking that the bicycle was tinted orange to make it surrealistic, but actually the bike is this colour in real life; it is chained more or less permanently as a piece of art in a back alley on the U of T campus in downtown Toronto
Today’s image is another one from the “Dangerous and Domestic” shoot with the very talented Mallory, using the original prop that she suggested to skewer the cliche in the subject matter. 🙂 One of my favourite kind of concepts is taking a standard idea (in this case, sexy woman on motorbike) and twisting it, taking a poke at the underlying assumptions and stereotypes.
(Mamiya 645 Pro TL, 80mm f2.8 lens, Tri-x at box speed, HC-110 Dilution B for 7.5 minutes.
Negative scanned, and some post processing done with Nik Efex.)
My Third Eye 