I'm on fire!

Well, not quite...although I do have a few new holes in my jacket thanks to some sparks.

Yes, last night was our annual tree burning party - that annual festival where we watch our long-beloved holiday traditions and memories (oh! the turkey that has now made it's way to my thighs. Oh! the dysfunctional gatherings. Oh! the childhood tantrums of toys and dreams not found amidst the wrapping clad carnage under the tree.) burning up in a fireball of dazzling proportions. A time to reflect on the year that was and drink enough beer to not care about the year ahead.

At least this year it was cold enough to chill our beverages of choice upon immediate contact with the arctic air. Global warming my ass!

But, this year's annual "terrify the neighbours" extravaganza came with a new twist - a perfect opportunity for me to try capturing low light situations, as well as the mesmerizing glow of half a tree ablaze.

Yes, it was freezing (I think around -40 with the windchill). Yes, flying embers were a clear and present danger - especially with N's obvious predisposition for pyromania! But I persevered and got off a few good shots. (Shot at ISO 6400, 24-104 lens, F4 with da Mark 2. Some post in lightroom.) Thanks to all who came out and braved the cold to make this another memorable night!

Fun with Mark

A break from performing with my dance group, Virage Dance Co., allowed me a new opportunity to try my hand at some dance photography last week. The low light of the venue also gave me an opportunity to really push the limits of ISO on my new 5D MarkII.



These were shot over two quick-moving dances (one foxtrot, one salsa) and a few 'party shots' at 5000 ISO. Most have only minor processing - some cropping, noise reduction, and a some fill light in Lightroom (with a few additions of fun preset styles for my own enjoyment!)

Although I would have liked to try different angles and a faster lens, I'm pretty happy with my first attempt at live dance photography. It certainly helped to know the routines inside and out. I'll have to cop out of gigs more often, so I can practice with my camera instead!

Inspired Darkness

One of my favourite bands is Crooked Still from Boston. They have the most beautiful, haunting "new-grass" songs with surprisingly dark lyrics. So when I got the chance to portray the emotions of a song through photography for an assignment, I knew exactly what I had to do. Here's a series based on the song "Low Down and Dirty" by Crooked Still (lyrics available here, song preview available through ITunes.)

A HUGE thank you to Sheena for risking major frostbite to lie in the snow and look awesome for my shoot!

Nordic Ski Tour

The air is cool and crisp, the powder is fresh, and there's no where I'd rather be than out on the trail! So, why not turn my lens on one of my winter hobbies?
With the idea of capturing a photo essay on a cross-country ski tour, Nick and I set out to Falcon Lake to see what we could find...surprisingly, there are reasons to love winter!

Baby Sister's First Christmas

The holidays meant another major assignment, this time for Creative Imaging. I wanted to capture my sister's first Christmas in her new house and all the mixed emotions (happy, excited, proud; lonely, stressed, sad) that can bring. I like how the toned prints highlight that juxtaposition (they were displayed in two rows, blue above and sepia below, with the title in between). Finally, I wanted to find a way to let the viewer know that this story is told through a big sister's somewhat biased point of view - hence, the title shot. Thanks to J for her patience!

Happy New Year!

It's been awhile!
I hope the holidays were good to you...they meant lots of rest, family time, and playing with new camera gear for me!
I welcomed the latest edition to my family-the Canon 5D Mark II that is! Plus, a new lens and flash, courtesy of N.
Here's a quick sampling of my fav shots over the holidays, enjoy. :)