Sunday, March 29, 2009

'Tis the season


Ah, the season of warmer temps and beautiful sunsets. And...floods. My thoughts go out to all the folks sandbagging this week. Although the riverwalk was clearly submerged (as evident by the "floating" lampstand...which is still illuminated. Can anyone spot the danger?!) I managed to find an interesting angle for sunset downtown this weekend.

Despite the many, many pre-existing shots of our infamous bridge, I thought I try some HDR for a different look.

I can't wait for even warmer temps to try out all my new photog skills on a canoe trip or two.

Saturday, March 7, 2009

It's in the genes...




dang! I come from some pretty goodlooking people. Guess that explains alot!

Yes, I may be really, really, ridiculously good looking (same with my folks) or perhaps...who knows...maybe all these hours spent perfecting headshots are starting to pay off. Could it be that there is a method to the madness that is Craig's Art Director from Hell?

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Movie Reviews

1. Bladerunner:
I chose to watch/review this movie mostly for it's cinematography & use of formal elements to create mood, but upon watching the special features, I was blown away by the influence photographic techniques had on it's creation. Essentially, Bladerunner was to movies what Jerry Uelsmann was to still photography!
Many of the shots featured parts of the scene burned out and replaced with hand-painted renderings to help create that futuristic appearance. The aerials of the city were actually two-dimensional cut-outs of building silhouettes, created through a process quite similar to old photographic processes (they etched the silhouettes onto metal, then used a chemical to dissolve any un-etched areas. Once the etching template was created, it was easy to mass reproduce the building shapes). For the actual filming, they would blow smoke between these two-dimensional cutouts to create depth (atmospheric haze: a structural element from CI class!)
Furthermore, many scenes featured multiple exposures to create a desired effect.
Although this movie isn't necessarily my favourite genre or storyline, I quite appreciated all the time and effort it would take to make this film in the pre-computer, analogue days. I was facinated by the processes the used. Finally, I also appreciated the use of lighting, back lighting, and colour/tone to create the distinct mood prevalent throughout the film.

2. City of God
I enjoyed how photography "saved the day", in a way, for the narrator/protagonist in this film - in the end, it elevents him from 'slum hood' to a succesful photographer living in the big city. Although we get a hint of the importance of photography early on in the film, it's not until the very end that we see it's impact, a fact that I think parallels the idea that a photo is only a snapshot of an instant, only a moment in time, and that there is so much more to the story than that single frame can show. I also enjoyed that many questions/issues surrounding photography are also subtly explored - copyright (when his images are taken from the developing room & printed without his knowledge); interpretation (he thinks he's 'dead' when the images are printed, but in actuallity, the subjects are happy about it); representation; photographer bias (choosing to leave out the images of the crooked cops), etc.

3. The Last Emperor
I chose this movie film because some initial research indicated that it has some of the best cinematography in modern film, which earned it the 1987 Academy Award in this category (as well as 8 other wins). This film used colour to create mood, particularly through the use of complimentary colours. Texture, pattern, line and form were also prevalent in the cinematography, mirroring these qualities, which are prevalent in the historic architecture and art of China's Forbidden City (the setting for much of the film). This film is beautiful to look at, but very long and a bit slow paced! However, with a photographic eye, I can begin to understand how much thought went into each and every shot in the film.

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Africa Pics


So I didn't get a chance to update y'all during my trip to Swaziland as often as I had hoped. Blame it on the 14 hour+ days that we spent working in over 38 degree C heat!
To make it up to you, I spent the last day in a marathon editing session to get my best shots ready and posted for your enjoyment!

Some background for context:
Riverwood Church adopted a small "carepoint" (kind of like a community centre) called Enaleni in Swaziland, Africa last year. Enaleni cares for the local community - providing two meals a day to children in this area hard hit by the AIDS epidemic. Our group of 20 was the first from our church to visit this important place, and I wanted to document our love for the people there and the many projects we were able to complete during our short visit. Enaleni: we miss you already!