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A Certain Aesthetic

2012-01-19T21:29:00.000-08:00

I noticed a certain theme tonight in many of my photographs - I am quite drawn to symmetry and the images of looking at the road ahead or the path forward. Images like these really speak to me both aesthetically, as well as symbolically in the sense that Anita and I are constantly looking towards the next adventure up ahead.

Back and Jetlagged

2012-01-16T22:45:00.000-08:00

So we got in last night at 2am after a 3 week adventure in Taiwan and Hong Kong, where I had the opportunity to go on an evening photo walk with a group of amazing street photographers. Unfortunately, after having seen some of the mind-blowing results they got from that evening, I'm now dreading seeing my film once I get it developed, cause I know they'll be complete shite in comparison.

Anyways, I bought a couple of portable LED lamps on the cheap from somewhere in Sham Sui Bo in Hong Kong, and wanted to test them out. I rarely do self portraits cause I hate how vain they make me feel. But Anita isn't a willing model at the best of times, and she's jet lagged like a mofo, so you get two shots of me instead.

Set up: overhead soft lamp, dimmed. LED with barn doors to camera left. Second LED behind subject, elevated and to camera right. Shot with a Nikon D300 and Voigtlander 58mm f/1.4 Nokton lens.

Stay tuned for some vacay photos soon.

A Year in Photos - see you in 'Oh-Twelve'

2011-12-25T12:53:00.000-08:00

I leave for Vancouver en route to Taipei in a few hours, and knowing that we'll be busy gorging ourselves on random fried and skewered mystery meats for the next 3 weeks, I thought I'd send out a year end closing note to you all a few days early. Wishing you all the best through this holiday season, and remember to spend some time thinking of those who are less fortunate than us.

And as a wrap up for the year, here's a mosaic of some of the stuff I photographed over the past 12 months.

Previous annual mosaics: 2010 | 2009

See you in 'Oh-Twelve'.

_the Galactic Empire of the art store universe_

2011-12-18T10:06:00.000-08:00

I've been spending a great deal of time at Michael's (the arts and crafts store) lately. While I know they're the Galactic Empire of the art store universe, I can't justify paying 2x the prices at local art stores for supplies I will only use to make some crap art. So there we were again, 50% off couponing at Michael's, when I picked up a set of 12 tubes of watercolours for $3.66. I haven't played with watercolours in almost 10 years, and my clear lack of understanding of how to use them is evident in the piece below. But while it was a lesson in frustration last night, I did also enjoy the whole learning process.

I particularly like the subtle use of colour in her skin and lips, but do wish I could erase or at least lighten the dark blue shadows immediately next to her face.

_lost in a fog of photographic indifference_

2011-12-10T10:57:00.000-08:00

Saturday morning. Check. Snow. Check. Sipping from the well of endless and unrelenting mediocrity. Check and check. I've been lost in a fog of photographic indifference and creative apathy for the past few weeks, unsure of how to escape, and unclear of what I want when I escape. So when we land in Taipei in a couple of weeks, I am going to strap my camera firmly to my face, and photograph the shit out of everything in sight... there's no better cure for a flatlining inspiration funk than exotic food, loud sounds and glimmering lights of a 7 million strong metropolitan area 6000 miles away.

In the meantime, we'll continue to muddle through the onset of winter (thankfully punctuated by the occasional fleeting scene of beauty despite the bleak cold and darkness)...

Taken off the front step of our house with the D300 and Voigtlander 58mm f/1.4. A couple of berries cling stubbornly to otherwise bare branches of the foliage.

Smoke Break

2011-12-02T21:05:00.000-08:00

Quick sketch done at home, while watching the intermission of the Oilers game. Don't smoke, it's gross.

Charcoal Pencil, blending stump.

Moleskine Sketches

2011-11-27T21:46:00.000-08:00

I've been on a bit of a sketching kick lately, which is timely, considering I've hit the runner's equivalent of 'The Wall' for photographic adventure.

2H pencil and Pigma Micron ink pens.

Procrastinatory Sketches

2011-11-23T19:39:00.000-08:00

It's one of those rare evenings where I actually have something important I should be doing. So naturally, I'm scanning a bunch of sketches I did the last couple of days and posting them to the internet instead of doing said important thing. I can't help it... me and procrastination are like Lindsay Lohan and jail. I. NEED. HELP.

Get Nerdy/ Get Dirty

2011-11-20T09:35:00.000-08:00

Okay cameraphiles, time to get dirty - it's time for some CAMERA PORN! For non-camera enthusiasts, it's about to get really nerdy.

I got my latest camera this week, a Rolleiflex 2.8E TLR equipped with the legendary Carl Zeiss Planar lens. And while I've now got hundreds of rolls of film yearning to be exposed by this rugged twin lensed brute, it's far too fracking cold to heading outside for a photo walk. So instead, I present you with an alphabet soup of camera on camera on camera action... a TTV orgy, if you will. Told you it was going to get dirty/ nerdy.

First: TTV of a TLR, shot through the WLF of an SLR with a dSLR. Say WHAT?! In layman's terms, this threesome is a through-the-viewfinder shot of my Rolleiflex twin lens reflex camera taken through the waist-level-viewfinder of my Kiev 88CM single lens reflex camera, with my Nikon D300 digital single lens reflex camera. And for you Big Gaping Aperture festishists (Marc and Dean!), all three cameras involved in this 3 way are f/2.8 lenses (2 are 80mm, 1 is 17-55mm).

Second: TTV of an SLR and TLR, through the WLF of an SLR with a dSLR. Layman's terms, as above, but it's now more of a menage-a-quatre, as I added in a Nikon FG SLR into the mix of sexy, sexy camera action. Again for the fetishists, that's now 3x f/2.8 lenses playing with an obscene f/1.2 50mm.

As promised in the preface, "I present you with an alphabet soup..."

In case you're wondering, I actually had taken the sexy alphabet soup photo a long time ago, and never figured out how I could make use of it until today.

Fabricland Self Amusement

2011-11-14T22:25:00.000-08:00

Anita's new hobby apparently is 'sewing', and that meant an obligatory trip to Fabricland this past weekend. And while she was scrounging through the remnants discount bin, I was forced to entertain myself by choosing between taking photos of random abstract textures inside the store or stabbing myself in the eye with a stitch ripper. I think I made the right choice. Didn't have a real camera with me, so these were all taken with the iPhone and Shake-it app.

G's November Nerdfest

2011-11-13T21:41:00.000-08:00

I'm having a bit of a nerdfest/ lovefest with my Moleskine sketchbook... I don't even really like Star Wars, but I've been sketching things from them like a possessed fanboy. The first sketch was copied from a photo I saw somewhere on tumblr. And the one of C-3P0 was done in ink, and then spiced up with gold glitter glue. So not only is it super dorky, it also sparkles in the light. Click to see it large. Sorry for the lack of photography lately. We shall resume regularly scheduled photogeekery soon.

Sort of Audrey

2011-11-06T08:56:00.000-08:00

A sketch of Audrey Hepburn that looks not much like Audrey Hepburn. There's nothing quite as confidence crushing as when you fail at a simple sketch... but I will say that I love using these Pigma Micron ink pens to sketch. You can't fix mistakes in ink, so you just learn to roll with them.

DOMO!!

2011-11-05T09:42:00.000-07:00

I got my iPhone 4S yesterday, and my first impulse was to test out a simulated super8 cam app I got. This video is absolutely WTF retarded, but I kind of like it. Especially the end when you hear Anita say in Chinese, "Whaaa?? You'll scratch your phone!"

The Future is Analog pt. 3

2011-10-29T09:33:00.000-07:00

As a contrast to my previous image of Vania in her living room, I also shot a 35mm version using a Nikon FG on Lomography Redscale 100 film. This one is 12 overlapping frames. I like the amber tones here... what a contrast to the cool blue temperature of the tungsten balanced film of that one. Again, click to view the large version.

The Future is Analog pt. 2

2011-10-26T22:04:00.000-07:00

This is the first of the many adventures I hope to go on with the film Vania's uncle donated to us. And I couldn't be happier with the results - this set was shot with the Kiev 88CM on Fuji NLP 160 tungsten balanced film that expired in 1992. The cooler tones are due to the tungsten balance shot in natural light. I actually quite like the slightly cool colour temperature here, as that adds to the urban condo living look I was going for. Click to view large on black.

The Future is Analog

2011-10-24T22:28:00.000-07:00

This post is really just for photo nerds and film diehards... Vania's uncle donated to us his stockpile of expired film this weekend (3 FULL milk crates). Total tally - 626 assorted rolls of 35mm, 110, 120, and 220 roll film, some APS canisters, and 3 bulk rolls (100ft) of slide film. If this wasn't all expired stuff, this would easily top the $2000 range. While some of it was pretty generic Fuji Superia and Kodak Gold type colour print film, there were also an interesting assortment of stuff I haven't encountered much of.

The interesting Kodak stuff:
Kodak Vericolor, Hi Speed Infrared, 'Recording Film', Pantomic X (ISO 32!!), Pro400MC, Tri-X Pan 400, Technical Pan, Plus X Pan 125, and Kodacolor VR 1000.

And the Fuji:
Pre-Velvia Fujichrome (50, 100, 400, and 1600), Fujicolor 1600 Super HG, Neopan SS, NPH 400

I was also quite fascinated by the large variety of different film canisters on display. Some of the old Ilford canisters had shiny brushed metal tops. Very cool. See for yourself.

The Moleskine Files

2011-10-23T21:12:00.000-07:00

Another sketch in the Moleskine... I'm loving this little sketchbook. So much so, that I went back to pick up another one of the Peanuts 60th Anniversary editions (still 50% off at Indigo!).

005 and 01 Pigma Micron Ink Pens.

Nutella Chocolatey Explosion

2011-10-21T23:43:00.000-07:00

I found a recipe for Nutella Cake in a mug that I wanted to surprise Anita with when she got home from Edmonton this afternoon. I followed the instructions faithfully (mix ingredients in a big mug, then microwave for 1 - 3 mins depending on wattage), but apparently a cake mixture can superheat after only 2 minutes in a microwave. The result was not unlike one of those baking soda and vinegar paper mâché volcano science fair experiments from grade 4 - messy.

Nutella Mug Cake

Ingredients

4 tablespoons self rising flour
4 tablespoons sugar
1 egg
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
3 tablespoons Nutella
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil

Method

Combine all ingredients in a large coffee mug.
Whisk well with a fork until smooth.
Microwave on high for 1 1/2 – 3 minutes. (Time depends on microwave wattage)
Top with whipped cream and a little chocolate sauce if desired.

The end result wasn't pretty, but it did taste yummy. My suggestion - microwave for 30 second intervals, check in between rounds so as to avoid the volcanic eruption.

The Long Sleep

2011-10-17T20:16:00.000-07:00

The latest chapter in The Dead Bird Diaries series finds this poor pigeon having a nap of the permanent variety outside of my building at work.

G's first Moleskine Notebook

2011-10-16T22:32:00.000-07:00

I met a Canadian artist last year travelling in Croatia who was espousing the qualities of Moleskine notebooks and sketchbooks. And I'd been wanting one for myself ever since. But given the price, and my lack of talent, I figured it would be a waste of money... except the Charlie Brown special edition plain notebooks were on for 50% off last week at Chapters, so I had no choice but to snap one up. Here are the first of what I hope to be many shitty sketches I will populate it with.

2B Pencil.

005 and 01 Pigma Micron Ink Pens.

Portrait Session at Fish Creek Park

2011-10-10T23:02:00.000-07:00

First you make us a fantastic turkey dinner on Saturday night, and then you willingly sit for me for a portrait session at Fish Creek Park yesterday. Seriously, Mike and Amy, you guys rock! Thanks for being such great sports. (Click to view large, worth it!)

His Steve-ness, 1955 - 2011

2011-10-08T17:05:00.000-07:00

I wanted to take this photo a couple days ago, but didn't have an apple (the fruit) handy until today. Most of us can safely say that the life work of Steve Jobs has had some impact on our lives.

For Anita and I, that's two 2 iPhones, an iPod Classic, 2 iPod Nanos, an iMac, a MacBook Pro, and a MacBook Air. And we just bought my parents an iPad 2. Not to mention that the first computer I ever played with was an Apple IIe back when I was in Grade 4. R.I.P Mr. Jobs.

Roadkill Cafe

2011-10-01T12:35:00.000-07:00

I have this inexplicable fascination with animal carcasses... I've previously posted a series of images entitled the Dead Bird Diaries, whose subject matter should be fairly self explanatory. And now I present you with an image entitled Roadkill Cafe. The image was a bit graphic in colour so I picked one where the focus was NOT on the rabbit, and then converted to monochrome.

Celebration!

2011-09-28T22:59:00.000-07:00

My mother-in-law asked Anita why I bought myself a new camera this week. Was I celebrating something, she inquired? Not that I need an excuse to buy cameras, but I guess could go with 'I'm celebrating my demotion.' I'm not the boss of anyone anymore, ha-lle-effin-lujah!

Instant Gratification - the Instax Mini and Instax 210!

2011-09-26T21:51:00.000-07:00

I've been really digging instant photos lately, shooting Polaroids (type 600, not that ridiculous Impossible Project stuff) and Instax Mini pack film willy nilly. And so after a bit of humming and hawing, I broke down and bought the Fuji Instax 210 Camera. I've lost track of exactly how many cameras I own, but I think this is number 26 or 27. I'm about 10 cameras over my hypocrisy limit for criticizing Anita's shoe collection.

A note to anyone actually considering buying this camera and film in Canada, The Camera Store in Calgary carries the camera for a hair under a hundred bucks, and then Black's is surprisingly the cheapest source of pack film at 25 bucks for a twin pack. That works out to about $1.25/ shot, which is only slightly more expensive than shooting medium format roll film and having it developed at a lab (process only, no prints). Having done that math, I now feel more at ease about shooting this widely available Instax 210 film with wanton disregard. Instant film is Carpe Diem-ing gratification... and the images have this visual aesthetic that digital cameras will never achieve, so you can take your 'that's obsolete technology' argument and shove it.

The initial results I've gotten so far are typical of integral film cameras - slightly soft, sort of muted colours, and just plain AWESOME. Top two shots are from the Instax 210 Wide, bottom two are from the Diana F+ with a Instax Mini back.

Scenes from Portugal

2011-09-19T20:47:00.000-07:00

More photos from our last trip abroad - I present you with a set of black and white Holga shots I took while in Portugal this past May. It's looking like our plans to go hit up Chile and Easter Island this year are fading (much sadness), so I guess I'll have to continue mining my current collection of shots for inspiration... click to view the large versions on flickr.

More Portugal photos here.

Amateur Strobist Session

2011-09-18T00:04:00.000-07:00

Despite her usual reluctance to pose for my photos, Anita patronized me this evening by not refusing to sit for a portrait session. And so we messed around with a single light setup for a few portraits (and by 'light setup', I actually mean I turned on a floor lamp as the sole light source - it doesn't get more amateur than that). The results aren't terribly inspiring, but she was getting impatient after a few minutes of this posing, and so I only got a few shots to work with.

Life Drawing at Sandy Hill

2011-09-16T15:13:00.000-07:00

I was in Ottawa this past week for work, and took the opportunity to hit up the local weekly life drawing scene at the Sandy Hill Community Center. Having only previously done this at Harcourt House in Edmonton, I wanted to see how other cities ran their sessions. I was impressed by the large turnout here (I'd guess in the 45 - 50 people range), and also by the relative low cost (only $4 bucks for the drop-in session). There were no tables, only chairs and a couple couches, so you either had to bring your own easel and sit in the back ring, or else, prop up your sketchbook on your lap. This wasn't nearly as inconvenient as I thought it would be, and made for a very good use of the limited space to house everyone. The pose lengths included 5x 90sec. gestures, a 20 min, and then 3x 30 min. poses, with breaks in between long poses for the models.

If you're interested and live or happen to be in the Ottawa area on Wednesday nights, check them out. Friendly folks, great atmosphere, and the chance to get inspired by the amazing talents of the various artists there.

Examples below - Pentel Pocket Brush, Chalk Pastels. 3x 30min poses, and 1x 90sec gesture.

And lastly, for a quick look back to all my 'life drawing related posts, click here.

Dear Tim Cook

2011-09-07T21:20:00.000-07:00

Today is the 1111th day since I got my iPhone 3G (that translates to me getting it back on August 22, 2008). Patience is not a trait one would normally describe me with, yet here I am, still in my monogamous relationship with my slow as all shit 2nd gen iPhone. I've been using this antiquated single tasking phone long past 1) its prime, and 2) my hardware upgrade eligibility timeframe (18 months ago), despite the fact its circuits and solder are so old, it's essentially useless at anything other than making phone calls (like anyone actually does that anymore). All that, despite the ample availability of two full generations of hardware I could've upgraded to. Partly out of sheer stubbornness against subscribing to the 'product obsolescence lifecycle' bullshit pushed on us by manufacturers (my last PC ran Windows ME for 7 years before I went Apple - SEVEN YEARS and WINDOWS ME!!), and partly out of spite that I ended up in a line 3 people too long from getting an iPhone 4 on the day it came (and sold) out, I've been punishing myself this past year and a half with long loading times for everything from checking email to writing a note, to even opening the effing calculator.

I relay the above to you not in an attempt to show you how stupid or stubborn or persistent or tenacious I can be when it comes to NOT doing something most would have expected to be a no brainer, but rather to express this: WHEN IN THE EFF ARE YOU GOING TO ANNOUNCE AND RELEASE THE NEXT iPHONE, TIM??!! I refuse to the be sucker that buys the iPhone 4, only to have it obsoleted in a couple days/ weeks/ months by some new sexy beast of a smartphone that will flush your toilet and butter your toast at the same time.

WHEN, TIM, WHEN?!!

Roadtrip to Drumheller

2011-08-23T21:24:00.000-07:00

We took a road trip out to Drumheller a couple weekends ago to check out the badlands, and also to hit up the Royal Tyrrell Museum. The photos are mostly self explanatory, so I'll save you the effort of reading some boring write up...

These sights are an increasing rarity.

Horsethief Canyon at sunset.

Coins + Fish = BAD?!

Seen inside the museum. Kinda gross, but I couldn't stop looking.

Anita shadowboxing an Albertasaurus.

The immature child in me finds this photo amusing... mostly because this is as close as you get in real life to seeing a T-Rex prepare to chow down on some unsuspecting passerby.

Who doesn't like a bit of sunflower action...

Hiking Old Goat Glacier

2011-08-21T22:45:00.000-07:00

Third weekend in a row that we drove that crater filled gravel road beyond the Canmore Nordic Centre to get to the Smith-Dorrien for a hike. We chose a shorter trek this weekend, opting for a small 650m elevation gain hike in to see the Old Goat Glacier. As you approach, the glacier looks pretty pathetic from afar, but when you get right up to it, you realize it's far more impressive than you first thought (it extends much further than you can see, as much of it is currently buried under the loose rock).

Obviously, this photo has been heavily edited. I like how it looks like Anita and I were here in 1973, and not just yesterday.

Twelve South Book Book Laptop Case

2011-08-16T20:20:00.000-07:00

I ordered a case for my MacBook Air, and it was due to arrive tomorrow. So when UPS showed up with this package one day early, I was giddy like a schoolgirl who just received her case for her Macbook Air one day early. The actual case is designed to look like an old leatherbound book from an era long gone, and is cleverly named BookBook. If you wants one for yourself, go here.

Scrambling Ha Ling Peak

2011-08-14T22:27:00.000-07:00

Two scrambles in two weekends. Now that's more like it. Although Ha Ling can hardly be called a scramble, as it's really just a steep-ish hike. But that's not to take anything away from Anita. I'm proud of her for pulling this one out, considering she has the hiking skills of an 87 year old. I mean that in the nicest, most endearing way of course. As nice as calling your wife an 87 yr old can be, that is. Despite her relative lack of mountain prowess (more like NONE AT ALL), we managed to summit in under 2 hrs. And surprisingly, there were many other groups on the trail that turned around before the summit because of the perceived scary factor. So yay Anita! And yay to the taster's selection on the menu at the Grizzly Paw Brew Pub! Perfect way to finish a perfect day.

Unintentionally Humorous

2011-08-13T22:43:00.000-07:00

Tytus spotted this not far from where we work. I love unintentionally humorous signs. Especially ironic ones. What's ironic about this? It's above a door to the Global Village English language school. Yup, pure unintentional awesome.

Move

2011-08-10T22:57:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows even the faintest thing about Anita and I would know that we are travel-holics. We yearn for the immediacy of culture shock, the raw emotional highs of touching down at airports half a world away, the sound of foreign languages in regular conversation, the smells of fresh (but not necessarily clean by our standards) fish and produce markets, the forced mental arithmetic of converting prices before deciding to buy kitschy souvenirs, and the frustrating yet exhilarating feeling of getting lost in a maze of cobbled streets that seem to follow no logical city plan. And so, as I sit here transferring files from our old iMac to the new Macbook Air, I find myself waxing nostalgic as I comb through old travel photos of the 25 countries and 70+ cities we've been to in the past 3 years. I feel that stirring to go somewhere exotic again. And it really doesn't help that I just saw this incredibly beautiful video entitled 'MOVE' that captures the visual essence of why I love to travel...

MOVE from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

Sigh... November and Chile, you can't come soon enough.

And as a quick bonus, here are a couple pictures I never bothered to post from our time in Budapest last year. I love bridges, and this iconic Széchenyi Chain Bridge is right up at the top of my list of favourite ones. Click to view large versions.

Scrambling up the Big Sister

2011-08-07T09:29:00.000-07:00

A combination of bad timing, plenty of poor spring and summer weather, and a general lack of motivation to do anything remotely resembling exercise had kept me from a real scramble in the mountains thus far this year... but we more than made up for it yesterday, making a long but awesome trek up the Big Sister yesterday. I now feel ready to conquer a couple more peaks this season. The Big Sister was relentlessly steep from beginning to end, with lots of fun technical scrambling on all fours once you emerged from the tree line. Highly recommend if you're into scrambling and haven't done this one.

You really need to see this one large (click on it).

Windshield Flyer Dudes

2011-08-05T18:40:00.000-07:00

To the dudes peppering my car on a daily basis with flyers on the windshield - I make a conscious effort to memorize your company and will actively boycott your goods or services, eff you very much.

Sincerely,
-Annoyed parking lot patrons.

Passing By...

2011-08-01T22:27:00.000-07:00

I've been neglecting this blog in favour of my Tumblr, mostly because I can't be bothered to come up with any words of reading value to you. The past few weeks have been exactly like this photo, a complete blur. I'm finding it difficult to keep track of what day it is, and am slightly shocked to see that it is now August. What the heck did I do during the first 7 months of this year?!

And in the latest episode of 'I've lost my mind and sense of fiscal responsibility,' I'm going to gets me the new fully tricked out MacBook Air tomorrow. Cha-ching.

The Macro Life - Backyard Bokeh Dreams

2011-07-25T22:08:00.000-07:00

I dusted off the Kiev88 (aka the Hasselbladski), some macro diopters, loaded a roll of Fuji Velvia 100, and went for a photo adventure in my backyard last week. The plan was originally to photograph a peony that I recently discovered living in the shade under our deck. But those shots turned out kind of blah... However, all was not lost, as I used the other half of the roll to capture these soft and dreamy images of small flowers blooming on a bush along my fence. I tried my hardest to get some shots that were sharp, but with a macro diopter and 80mm lens combo shot wide open at f/2.8, the depth of field was razor thin. The slight breeze didn't help either. Excuses aside, let's get to the photos.

Sandeep weds Akashdeep

2011-07-24T22:38:00.000-07:00

Our dear friend and colleague, Susan, got married this weekend, and we were lucky enough to be invited to the beautiful traditional ceremony. Although the weather was wet and dreary, that was no match for the vibrant colours on display. If you ever get invited to a Sikh wedding, I would highly suggest you make an effort to attend, as it is such an interesting experience! And as per usual, Susan was absolutely jaw dropping in both the dress she wore to the ceremony, as well as the evening reception.

About a year ago after shooting my second wedding of the summer, I decided that wedding photography wasn't for me. Of course, when I was watching the photographers at Susan's ceremony, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy that I wasn't able to roam around freely and shoot some photos of the event. Perhaps I need to flip-flop on my decision to retire from the wedding gig business. Anyways, here are some shots that I did manage to snap off while trying to NOT get in the way of the actual photographers' and guests.

Congrats Sandeep and Akashdeep (aka Susan and Steve)! Wishing you two all the best in a long and happy marriage!

Lifestyles of the Hip and the Famous

2011-07-17T17:16:00.000-07:00

So a couple buddies of mine have re-emerged from a multi-year creative hiatus, and launched a new webcomic celebrating Hipsters (a label which I don't even truly understand given its contrary natures of "valuing independent thinking and rejecting mainstream culture" blended with what essentially boils down to a fashion sense that requires you to "dress like an urban outfitters posterboy (or girl... or androgynous looking boy/girl... with an ironic mullet)."

Anyways, philosophical debate on the scope of the term 'hipsters' aside, I did want to point you to their new comic, Inglorious Hipsters. The strip is only a couple weeks into what I hope will be a long run, so the best is still yet to come. But the art style, writing, and creative direction are distinctly Jeremy and Gregg - who I guess you could very well call hipsters themselves (except they lack ironic haircuts because, frankly, they're both of the receding hairline variety). Maybe they can get ironic brush cuts?

So of course, what better way to promote their hipster work, than to say Go read their strip and their bios! And since I recently read that 'shooting with analog cameras' can be a distinguishing feature of hipsters, I wanted to join in the fun with a series of photos of these two artists I shot with a Nikon FG film SLR (oooh hip!).

Gregg

Jeremy

'Roid Week 2011

2011-07-13T21:58:00.000-07:00

Apparently it's currently Polaroid Week 2011. Which is coincidental in that I had no idea there was such a thing, but yet had snapped off a few Type 600 polaroids through my SX-70 in the past few weeks for fun. I do plan to post larger versions of some of these individual shots of these in the near future, but for now, a mosaic for your viewing pleasure. Click the image to view it large on black.

SX-70, Type 600 film, ND gel taped over lens to adjust speed.

From top (left to right):
1) Kicking back at home on the couch in my blue stripey socks
2) Sean and Vania giving us the 'What's up'
3) An unhealthy dose of chicken, fries, cheese curds and gravy from the Big Cheese Poutinerie
4) 3 members of The Workhorse Dojo (local Calgary band) ham it up in between songs of their set
5) Tubby finally sits still for a second in Prince Island Park
6) Anita and I, as photographed by Sean
7) Tree and light leak action!
8) The Dojo Workhorse ply their trade during a free show at The Core downtown
9) My newly faux-leatherette modded Holga

Holga Faux Leatherette Custom Decor

2011-07-04T22:13:00.000-07:00

We were out hunting for curtains this weekend, and I ran across a display of random wall paper designs in Jysk. One of them had this classic brown leatherette look and texture to it, remniscient of the stuff you used to see on classic analog cameras. And so I thought, a couple cuts and a bit of glue could turn a simple arts and crafts project into a cool vintage custom mod for my white Holga 120N camera. I'd been thinking about painting the plastic shell for a while now, but this looks way more awesome. My previous faux Leica Holga mod has fooled a few seasoned shooters, so I wonder how this one will do for passersby catching a quick glimpse.

Tools and materials required:
1) Textile or pattern you want to decorate with
2) Ruler or other straight edge
3) Exacto knife for precision cutting/ edging of pattern
4) Scissors for rounding off corners
5) Crazy Glue
6) Cheap plastic toy camera

Fireworks over the Calgary Skyline (sort of)...

2011-07-02T23:48:00.000-07:00

This is supposed to be a shot of beautiful fireworks cascading forth from above the Calgary skyline. So where are the fireworks? Great question. Due to an unfortunate set of circumstances, this is simply 'a shot of beautiful fireworks cascading forth from above the Calgary skyline', minus the beautiful fireworks part.

What circumstances, you might inquire, lead to the interference of said fireworks from appearing in this photo? Well, let's see:

1) Apparently, every other Calgarian had the same idea to view the fireworks from the vantage point of the Crescent Heights area, so finding parking was an issue.
2) Apparently, if you are going to photograph fireworks, you should arrive before they are mostly finished.
3) Apparently, I lack skills in the unforgiving arenas of both planning and execution of photographing an event...
4) Apparently, fireworks don't reach nearly as high into the sky as I would've thought, so even if points 1), 2), and 3) hadn't been factors in this event, this photo still would've only been titled 'fireworks making a pathetic attempt to barely crest above the Calgary Skyline'

But regardless, I did manage to snap off a series of long exposures of the skyline, and stitched them together in CS5. Use your imagination for the fireworks. Click to view the larger version.

Weather bitching

2011-06-28T22:31:00.000-07:00

I've spent a whole month complaining about how shitty the weather's been with the non-stop rain and cold. Then the barometer hits the high twenties for the last couple days, and wouldn't you know it, I start bitching about how fricking hot it is. There's just no happy medium. On the bright side, I'm looking forward to the heat continuing to scorch the local foliage, so that I can roam around the neighbourhood and capture more shots like this:

Taken sometime last year while we were walking the pathways around our house, with the Kiev88 CM and Arsat 80mm lens combo, on Kodak Ektar 100. Shot wide open of course, hence the shallow depth of field.

Five Dollar Elephant

2011-06-26T10:54:00.000-07:00

I folded an elephant out of a five dollar bill. An Asian, money, and origami. Can I get anymore stereotypical?

Random Photos from Portugal pt. 3

2011-06-23T22:40:00.000-07:00

Third in this series of random images from Portugal. In this set, we have ceramics, tile, mini beer, manueline sculpted architecture, milk coffee, Taylor Fladgate's port cellar, remains of a Roman wall, storks circling overhead, and some interesting shadow play. Hope you enjoy.

G.Mach - Dog/ Orchidsitter

2011-06-22T22:46:00.000-07:00

The in-laws are currently in Hong Kong, and while they're away, I'm trying my best to 1) make their dog lose weight, and 2) NOT kill my mother-in-law's orchids. It's day 3. So far, so good. If any of you have any pointers for the orchids (ie: water often, or not?), that would be appreciated.

Both photos shot with the D300 and Voigtlander Nokton 58mm f/1.4 lens.

Dog Turd Rubbernecking

2011-06-21T22:23:00.000-07:00

What is it about the human mind that can't resist doing the opposite of what you've been told? You know when someone tells you to not look at something because it's gross, and you just can't stop yourself, even though you know it's going make you want to gag? Or when someone says that it stinks, your natural inclination is to take a deep breath? What causes that urge?

Tonight I was walking Tubby (our dog), and he did his business on the pathway early on in the loop. I cleaned it up with my handy little plastic bag, and dumped that in the first trash bin I saw. We continued our walk, stopping in for a lengthy chat at my uncle's place, before heading towards home. At that point, Tubby decided he needed to squat and drop another package off on someone's driveway. I panicked as I had already used and tossed the one plastic bag I brought for his earlier deuce. So I approached these three young girls playing outdoors a few houses away to hunt down a plastic bag, explaining what happened. Then one of them literally ran over in the direction we came, and I thought, is she actually going to rubberneck (the dog did have an accident, so to speak). Sure enough, she got up close to inspect the turd, wrinkled up her nose and gave me the 'ewwww, that's gross' look. And then I thought, 'told you so...?'

More Immature Shits and Giggles: Photobombs at Nerdfest

2011-06-18T23:23:00.000-07:00

A friend referred to this weekend's Calgary Comic Con and Expo as 'Nerdfest,' which I guess isn't actually that far from the truth. I'd never really seen it that way, though, in part because a person can actually enjoy comics or sci-fi stuff, while also having non-nerd-like hobbies too (you know, like scrambling mountains, drinking beer, playing sports, and all the other non-nerdy stuff that we do on a day to day basis). But for a couple hours today, I guess I was a pocket protector wearing nerdbag... and proud to say that I enjoyed it anyways.

I made it a mission to take photos of all the costumed folks while Dean would sneak in behind the scene and photobomb. We got about 30 sets of these done before it got boring. These are some selected highlights:

Tank Girl!!

Wonder Woman and girl Robin

Green Hornet and Kato.

Riker. This one is my favourite because not only is Dean photobombing, but some random chick also happened to be doing it not knowing that was our game. Oh, and the dude actually looks like Riker.

The cast of the original Final Fantasy.

The Batmen...

Scarlett Witch and Kitty Pryde

??? Any idea who they are?

This one wasn't a photobomb, but Robocop is awesome, so he gets a guest spot in this blog post anyways.

AT-AT Style.

Random Photos from Portugal pt. 2

2011-06-12T22:18:00.000-07:00

As promised, second in a series of random shots from Portugal. This time featuring - rocks painted like yellow whales, huge stork nests, streetcars, churches, and MORE! Enjoy.

Immature shits and giggles

2011-06-12T00:13:00.000-07:00

And this, boys and girls, is why you should password lock your phone. Text message courtesy of Gregg... er, Gregg's unattended phone.

Random Photos from Portugal

2011-06-08T22:13:00.000-07:00

As the title suggests, I've curated a few of my favourite random shots from our trip to Portugal. I have a few more series of these I will post in the coming nights. Enjoy!

Malice in Derbyland - Rollerderby Exhibition

2011-05-31T21:56:00.000-07:00

We were handed a pair of free tickets to see 'Malice in Derbyland', a rollerderby game (match? exhibition? what the heck do they call them?) being held in Calgary this past weekend, and so off we went on Saturday night, not really knowing what the expect. If you pictured girls on rollerskates going around in circles, you've hit the mark. But you have to also add in that the girls really ham it up for the crowd in their cheesey to the point of being tacky outfits and player names, and that they are unrelentingly vicious towards their opponents during the match. I can't begin to count how many times girls were sent flying off the track by merciless hip and shoulder checks, with the crowd shuddering in unison as they landed on their knees, elbows, wrists, and occasionally flat on their backs. The meaty thuds and entangled mess of limbs that accompanied these not so graceful landings made you grimace, yet you couldn't peel your eyes away, as you watched wondering if the latest blow was enough to actually injure or not (thankfully, none were).

I stupidly brought a manual focus 58mm prime lens to the event, and so had a hell of a time trying to get anything in focus. Eventually, I gave up trying to pan with the action, opting instead to pre-focus to a set area, and when the girls would come screaming through there, I'd snap away. I shot at a fully wide open f/1.4, whose limited DoF made focusing even that much harder to nail.

Death Cab For Cutie w/ Bright Eyes - Live in Calgary

2011-05-28T11:51:00.000-07:00

Anita and I went to the Death Cab for Cutie show this past week in Calgary, almost 5 years to the day we first saw them together locally. That was our first concert date, shortly after we'd just started seeing each other, and I have vivid memories of the intense feelings of euphoria we experienced that first time Ben Gibbard and co. made sweet love to our ears with his melodic voice, emotionally charged lyrics, and live act that amazingly managed to match, if not outdo, all the different nuances and richness to their recorded work. So here we are, 5 years later, 5 years older, but the crowd around us largely hadn't changed. They were still the 15 - 25 year olds, and WE were now the elder statesmen, minus the one old dude beside us, who appeared to be chaperoning his two kids. At least we weren't THAT old. But as it turns out, that 'old' dude had made his way to Coachella recently specifically to see Bright Eyes, and so Anita and I didn't feel like we were young by comparison anymore. :(

I won't go into a full blown review of the show, as there are far more qualified folks that could do that. All I will say is that the set list spanned a really nice range of their discography, and I may have peed my pants a little when they played the first few bars of "Movie Script Ending". Oh, and the way the drummer POUNDED his drums to the ending of their encore set closing "Transatlanticism" was one of the most visceral images I've seen in a long, long time. Absolutely sonically and visually mesmerizing.

And I guess I should also mention that Bright Eyes opened the show with a really good set as well. I (echoing almost every other girl in the crowd) screamed like a schoolgirl when Connor played the first couple notes to "Lover I Don't Have to Love". Okay, gotta go. Enjoy. And check out both bands if you're aren't familiar with their work. Youtube is your friend.

Enough rambling, on with the images. All shot with the Leica D-Lux 4 point and shoot, including the 720p video of "I Will Follow You Into The Dark" at the end of this post (if you're reading this on facebook, you may have to hit 'View Original Post' to see the video).

Ben gave a bit of a spiel about how he hates it when bands insert names of cities into their songs... that is, until they actually have the chance to play those songs in the named city. In this case, the crowd goes a bit nuts as expected when he does a solo of "I Will Follow You Into The Dark."

The Mach Diner

2011-05-23T12:32:00.000-07:00

I'd been wanting to try out a recipe for German pancakes for a couple weeks now, but we'd been so busy with travelling for leisure, travelling for work, packing and unpacking, and generally having no time to do so. Well finally, on this third day of our long weekend, I whipped up the motivation (and a batch of batter) to give it a whirl. I present to you: German Pancakes with cinnamon apples topped with icing sugar a la mode. Garnish with market fresh blackberries.

Recipe:

1 tsp canola oil
2 large eggs
3 large egg whites
2/3 cups flour
2/3 cups milk
1 tsp butter

Cinnamon Apples
1 tbsp butter
3-4 Granny Smith apples (peeled, cored, cut into slices)
3 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup apple juice
1 tsp cinnamon (or to taste)
icing sugar (as much as you like)
Ice Cream

1. Heat oven to 450 deg. F
2. Grease pie pan, heat in oven for 5 mins.
3. Process eggs, egg whites, flour, milk, and butter in food processor until well blended.
4. Pour batter into hot pan, bake 20 mins. Reduce temp to 350 deg. F, and bake 10 mins or until puffy.
5. Prepare apples in skillet - melt butter, add apples, sugar, apple juice, and cook uncovered over medium heat for 10 mins until apples are soft (I like mine mushy, so add more time).
6. Cut pancakes into pie slices, top with apples, and dust liberally with icing sugar. Serve a la mode. Garnish with fresh fruit.

Love Hate Relationship

2011-05-23T09:50:00.000-07:00

I'm in a Love Hate relationship with my iPhone 3G (I know, who the frack still uses one of THOSE? That's like someone I know who chose to buy a new Motorola Razr a couple years ago)... Anyways, the point is, the Love Hate thing has shifted pretty dramatically to the HATE side. It's like there was a general election called, and all the citizens of George-land surprisingly voted a HATE majority into power, leaving the LOVE supporters decimated, deflated, and without purpose.

In a nutshell, the phone barely manages basic functions like checking email. Don't even think about trying to launch google maps unless you've got nowhere to go for about 3 hours. And don't even get me started on how slow the fracking notepad is (who knew Notes was THAT intensive of an application). Now I don't want to be a sucker and buy an iPhone 4 knowing a refresh is just around the corner, but every day I go through this routine is another day I'm tempted to throw it out the window, and run it over repeatedly with a forklift.

I draw nekkid people

2011-05-19T19:56:00.000-07:00

Went to another session of life drawing at Harcourt House in Edmonton with Dean. I mostly stuck with the Pentel Brush Pen and Copic Markers this time, cause the combo of these two produce results that mask my clear lack of skills.

Update - May 23/11: Bonus look - Here are the ones Dean drew using his MacBook Air/ Wacom/ CS5 combo. Click to view large.

"...a different sort of elevator music"

2011-05-07T09:49:00.000-07:00

A couple days ago, I'd been thinking about the concept of personal space and also about how isolated we are from each other in our communities, even though we live in such close proximity. And then as if on cue, I had a strange encounter on the elevator at work yesterday that closely examined BOTH of these ideas at once.

There was a bearded brown gentleman in a turban and a suit jacket lingering in the hallway by the elevator, but he hadn't pushed the button to call a lift. So I press down, and patiently wait to get in. The lift arrives, I hop in and hit '2' to go downstairs. The dude looks at me from outside and as the doors begin to close, he decides to hop in as well, staring at me the whole time. So I move over to one side as per elevator etiquette. Unspoken rule number 1: divvy up the total square footage between the number of riders, meaning we each should've had half the elevator as our personal space. But as he enters, he stares at me, and stands right beside me. Unspoken rule number 2: in general, thou shalt face forward in an elevator. But nope, this guy decided he was going to face sideways so he could continue looking at me. And then he began singing/ mumbling a tune that resembled a Bollywood song, and started to sort of dance on the spot. I'm not even joking. If I wasn't so uncomfortable with the way he was essentially breathing into my ear, staring at me, while making a different sort of elevator music, I think I would have laughed at the absurdity of the whole experience. Instead, I chose to deal with it in the way that typical city folk do, I pretended he wasn't there.

Weird.

Black and White Portugal

2011-05-05T22:26:00.000-07:00

We're back from 18 days in Portugal, and I have thousands of photos to sort through, let alone 13 rolls of film to scan. Based on my current rate, we will likely have gone on another overseas trip before I get around to scanning all that film. In the meantime, I edited a few b&w shots that I liked from Lisbon.

Lingering headache, stiff neck - all around good ski day

2011-04-10T08:44:00.000-07:00

Got another good day of snowboarding under our belts at Lake Louise yesterday (minus the near concussing myself part - first time my helmet has served as anything but a fashion accessory). But really, I'm looking forward to the end of seeing my breath in the mornings, single digit weather in the afternoons, and snow/ slush everywhere. So the sunny and 24 degree forecast for when we land in Lisbon on Thursday has my spirits higher than a night of binge drinking in Cornwall...

And when we get back, I think it may be time to hit the mountains again for some much needed scrambling, lest my winter beer belly continue to grow.

James stopping for a breather 1/3rd of the way up Mt. Temple.

Ray crosses the crux of Mt. Lady MacDonald.

Is it spring yet?!

2011-04-03T23:13:00.000-07:00

After shovelling what felt like 400 lbs of wet snow off the driveway this morning, I can now say I officially hate this shit weather. Can spring just effing arrive already? Ten days to Portugal...

Procrastinatory Panoramic X-Rays

2011-03-29T22:34:00.000-07:00

I have an interview in Vancouver tomorrow, so naturally rather than prepping for it, I'm screwing around with whatever interesting crap I can find around the house. We dug up a recent panoramic X-ray Anita had done as part of her TMJ diagnosis, and I scanned it for the heck of it. The film is huge, and my scanner doesn't do larger than medium format, so this is cropped significantly (I actually scanned it in batches and stitched them together).

Okay, I guess I should actually do some packing and prep work now. Wish me luck!
-G

Life Drawing at Harcourt House

2011-03-28T22:29:00.000-07:00

My latest visit to the Life Drawing session at Harcourt House in Edmonton. First time I experimented with a mixture of pentel ink brush and chalk pastels. I really like those results. I also like the look and feel of the recycled brown paper I used this time.

Media: Pentel Ink Brush pen, Chalk Pastels, 2H and 2B pencils, Papermate Ballpoint blue pen, and Copic Markers.

B+W Shadow Play

2011-03-26T08:12:00.000-07:00

These are a few photos I shot and then gave the black and white treatment to. I Like the interplay of light and shadows in them. Click to view the large versions.

Clipped Wing

2011-03-18T16:05:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've added to the dead bird diaries series, so here we are. This broken wing of a pigeon was seen atop the city walls of Dubrovnik, Croatia. Work has been super busy as of late, and I feel like I have about as much life in me as this poor bird. Luckily, we have about 26 more days to slog through before heading to Portugal for a short holiday. I can't wait...

2011-02-27T22:50:00.000-08:00

It's been a busy couple weeks, and I've done little to no shooting in that time. Although I did get out to snap a few shots for that architecture magazine project I was asked to help out with. Sample photos of the new Calgary Board of Education Building below... yawwwwn, I know. Sorry. I'm feeling uber uninspired.

Lion Sculptures

2011-02-12T11:36:00.000-08:00

Sculpture and public spaces are ubiquitous throughout Europe. Whether it's a bust of some historical figure, a Stalinist sculpture from the Soviet Communist era, or some completely random non-sensical artwork, you are sure to get your fill of public art just by taking a stroll through any European city. I found that sculptures of lions were a fairly common sight, and while there are far too many to post, I do like these particular ones I shot in Lviv (Ukraine) and Budapest (Hungary).

George Mach, Contributing Photographer?!

2011-02-08T23:36:00.001-08:00

I should really be in bed, but I just got asked to contribute photos to an architecture magazine some students are doing at ACAD (Alberta College of Art and Design). Even if things don't pan out, I'm still super excited that I even got asked! EEEEEEEEEE!!!!

-G

Photo weekend with my niece

2011-02-06T13:10:00.000-08:00

My bro and my niece came to visit for Chinese New Year's, and it's always refreshing to take pictures of a model that actually likes it when I point a camera in her face. I got to mess around with my 50mm prime, the SX-70, as well as the Diana Mini with Instax back. I love how each of these shots turned out - the light flare in the three shots with the 50mm prime, the yellow hues of the Polaroid, and then the presentation of the Fuji Instax shots as a triptych. A weekend of family time and photography... absolutely perfect.

Test Drive: Alien Skin Exposure 3 for Lightroom

2011-02-04T23:42:00.000-08:00

I took a brief test drive of Alien Skin's Exposure 3 Lightroom plug-in, and thought I'd give a quick review for anyone interested in using it. Exposure is Alien Skin's software suite that simulates the look of various film stocks to give your banal digital photos a retro analog look and feel. I'd used a previous version of this in Photoshop, and it was okay, if a bit on the slow side. The plugin for Lightroom does seem to run a bit faster than in Photoshop, but that could also just be a fault of my poor underpowered iMac.

Having only played with a few sliders and presets quickly, I would say my initial impression of the software is good. There are easily over a hundred different settings you can choose as starting points, each one simulating a specific colour or b&w film look. All the major chrome and colour negative film stocks are there, in regular and cross processed form. Prefer b&w? Well you can simulate pretty much every major variety of those stocks as well, with or without grain. Purists will obviously frown on this - if you want a true film look, just shoot film. But there are settings for film types that no longer exist (kodachrome!!), which render that argument moot. Then you can tweak colour, tone, focus, grain, and what they term 'age' (this is where you add dust and scratches for a truly authentic vintage analog look). The tone curve in Exposure feels more versatile than the one in Lightroom, which limits the number of points you can plot and move on the curve. The Exposure tone curve is actually much more like the one in Photoshop, with individual channels, as well as your overall curve. The grain function is fairly useful as well, especially when using older versions of Lightroom, which don't have grain controls for you to add it if you so desire. The closest you could get in those was to use the 'add noise' function, which was rather useless.

Now having espoused some of the good, I do have a few beefs with the software. I don't like that the Exposure plug-in isn't directly integrated into Lightroom's develop module. Instead, you access it by selecting the photos you want to edit, then choosing 'photo>edit in>Exposure 3'. This then brings up it's own interface for you to do your edits, and you have to close it before the edited version shows up in your Lightroom library. I dislike this for a couple reasons. Mainly, it's that this prevents you from coupling Lightroom presets with the effects in Exposure in any easy way. You have to make all your adjustments in one, then the other. I feel like I'd want to make changes using Lightroom presets WHILE simultaneously working with the Exposure settings. Another big beef I have with Exposure itself is that you can only choose one analog film process per photo in its interface, so you can't compare the differences between the various processes as easily as you could if you were working directly in the Lightroom library and develop modules. It's a minor annoyance, but still... Similarly, you can't switch between b&w effects and colour effects on the fly. You must choose one or the other when you launch the Exposure plug-in, which again is a hassle.

Having said all that, these are more petty inconveniences than actual debilitating hurdles for the software, so take all that I've said with a grain of salt.

Overall, I would say that without going into a full blown point by point explanation of each of the features in Exposure 3, I would say that they are mostly useful, and if you aren't interested in hours and hours of retouching and editing in photoshop to get a certain vintage analog look, then Exposure certainly is a good alternative.

Disclaimer: I'm not a power user by any means, and I don't think I've ever done a software review before. So this crappy review will probably only be useful for similar folks who have about as limited knowledge of computers as I do. I hope you found something useful here. If not, go read a real review. ;P

La Blogotheque Music Blog

2011-01-31T21:19:00.000-08:00

Just discovered this music blog called La Blogotheque that features 'Take Away Shows'. You get to see some of your favourite bands playing live impromptu accoustic shows in some weird venues. Spoon plays 'Black Like Me' at the back of a deserted hotel, Yeasayer perform crazy awesome acoustic versions of '2080' and 'Tightrope' at one of their buddy's houses (where an angry neighbour informs them of the excess noise levels mid-set), and Phoenix plays Liztomania on the open air top deck of a hop-on/hop-off bus in Paris (complete with onlookers who have absolutely no idea who Phoenix are). Totally Rad!! And some of the bands allow you to download the sets as MP3's, while others give you the videos in iPod format.

Spoon | Black Like Me | A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

#87.2 - YEASAYER - 2080
Uploaded by lablogotheque. - Music videos, artist interviews, concerts and more.

Phoenix - Lizstomania / One time too many - A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

Plitvice National Park

2011-01-27T22:34:00.000-08:00

These were taken at Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia, not far from Zagreb. Taken around noon, so even in the shade, I had to slap on a polarizer, crank down the ISO to the lowest setting, and still set an aperture of f/13 before I could get a decently long shutter speed for the top three (handheld at 1/6 sec or so as I didn't have a tripod).

Life Drawing at Harcourt House

2011-01-24T21:43:00.000-08:00

Scans of a recent Life Drawing session I attended. I wasn't terribly satisfied with my results from this one, but they can't always be winners.

Pentel Pocket Brush and Copic Markers

2B Pencil

Pilot Uniball Ink Pen

Adventures with the Polaroid SX-70

2011-01-23T11:23:00.000-08:00

A bit of Polaroid love for you. I took the SX-70 out for a walk yesterday downtown with Anita, and I just cannot get over how wild and unpredictable the colours of instant integral film are. I love the tactile and physical nature of the experience of shooting polaroids. Seeing the photo spit out the front of the camera after you click the shutter, and then watching as the photo develops in your hands over the next few minutes is a feeling like no other. And then the elation you feel when the photo turns out even more soft, dreamy and beautiful than you had hoped is overwhelming in a way that no digital camera can ever replicate. I've got about 85 Polaroid shots left (not that Impossible Project replica stuff), and will savour every last morsel...

These are scanned versions of the originals, but they really don't do the originals any justice - there is a warmth, richness of colour, and depth that is lost in the scanning process, but it's the best I can do short of having you come over to view them.

Sprocket Rocket

2011-01-15T23:20:00.000-08:00

We made a pilgrimage to The Camera Store this afternoon in search of a fairly new to market toy camera. I didn't see what I was looking for, so I inquired with some dude who offered us assistance. I said, "Do you carry the Sprocket Rocket?" His reply was an incredulous giggle, and that was when I realized that 'Sprocket Rocket' (for folks who don't religiously follow toy camera developments) does almost sound like it could be a phallic sex toy. Embarrassment aside, they don't sell this camera there, and we left more than a little disappointed.

Oh well, until I get my hands on one, I'll continue to do semi-wide/ panoramic sprocket shots through my Holga. Photos below taken in Budapest, Hungary.

Doodles

2011-01-10T21:33:00.000-08:00

Random doodles scribbled on a scrap page of notes I took during a meeting. The elephant represents the giant weight of accumulated stresses of my current job. I can't wait to go back to my old one in a couple months.

Makeshift Tilt/Shift

2011-01-09T15:04:00.000-08:00

Disclaimer - non-photo nerds need not continue reading...

On this second blustery winter day of our weekend, we decided to stay indoors all day once again. Being inside for so long makes one slightly antsy, and so to fend off the ennui, I was messing around with random camera lens/ combos when I discovered the art of DIY Tilt-Shifting. Yes, I know you can just fake it in photoshop, but that's not nearly as organic or satisfying. So, to generate the lensbaby-ish selective focus effects of the shot below, I removed the lens from the camera mount, and handheld it in front. The lens was tilted to the left by a good 15 degrees, hence the crazy vignetting on the right. It's certainly no replacement for a true tilt/shift lens, but for a poor man, this was a good experimental alternative.

If you're looking for more in the way of a tutorial, this is what you need to do: take your SLR (or I suppose any interchangeable lens camera/ body will do), and handhold a lens in front of it (ie: do not actually mount the lens). I used a D300 and a manual focus Voigtlander 58mm lens. Tilt the lens away from the body until you get the specific selective focus shot that you want. Snap picture. Note that you will be working completely manually for exposure, so it is best to use a lens with an aperture ring present.

Decade 3.0

2011-01-02T10:26:00.000-08:00

The sad thought of getting old as I turned the big THREE-OH was offset by a party filled with the love and laughter of close friends, family, and my incredible wife, who despite feeling feverish with the flu, managed to sneak out to buy this totally awesome cake. Thanks for helping me ring in 2011 in the best way possible! Love you all!

A Year in Photos

2010-12-27T08:41:00.000-08:00

I know there's still a few days left in calendar year, but I figured I'd get a head start on the year end wrap up. 2010 was a big year for me - I would hazard a guess that I shot over 30,000 photos. Between photographing in Eastern Europe for 3 months, shooting a couple weddings for friends/ colleagues, and moving further away from digital photo blandness, I finally feel like I've developed my own personal 'style' of photography. I will never be a great photographer, but I've finally come to realize that I don't care either. I do it for myself, and if a few folks happen to like what I produce along the way, then I've accomplished my goal and then some. Thanks for your continued patronage, and I look forward to sharing more with you in the coming year. All the best, and may the rest of your holiday season be filled with laughter, love, and libations. ;)

1. Untitled, 2. Boil, 3. Tagged, 4. Spires, 5. For Kicks, 6. Proclamation, 7. Gnarly, 8. Untitled, 9. The Downward Spiral, 10. Untitled, 11. Zmajski Most (Dragon Bridge), 12. St. Peter's Ba-ba-basilica, 13. Tailfeather, 14. Hungary HBW (Buda/ Pest), 15. Upright, 16. Centre Street Bridge in Microclics, 17. Untitled, 18. Untitled, 19. Untitled, 20. Wife on a Bike, 21. Prague Jewish Quarter, 22. Endless Emerald, 23. Weeds, 24. Amsterdamarama 2, 25. Pripyat: The Beauty of Decay

Update: Dec. 28 - I tracked down my mosaic of my 2009 photos. Click here to compare the two.

"It's in you to give"

2010-12-21T22:41:00.000-08:00

So I failed at one of my goals over the past decade - which was to reach blood donation # 50 before I turned 30 years old. At a maximum of 6 donations (of whole blood, not platelets) per year, I should have theoretically reached 50 a couple years ago. But then I was deferred several times for having travelled to 'malaria risk' countries, and then I just plain fell off the cart a few times, and so tonight, I made my 47th donation just 10 days shy of turning 30. If I could just pause the clock for 6 months... Frack.

Anyways, that's my idea of a segway into my annual bleeding heart pinko commie post about doing your part for your fellow man. Let me start with a short story: 32 years ago, a young couple undertook a risky journey thousands of miles away from home with nothing but the shirts on their backs. They left behind their few meagre possessions, as well as their only child at the time because he was too young to make the journey safely, and sought refuge from the oppression of a long civil war that ended in mass bloodshed. Through a series of events beyond their control, they landed on the shores of Western Canada, and were shipped off to a small town where they would then toil in poverty for the next 20 odd years working labour jobs. Money was perpetually tight, and opportunities were slim. But despite all the adversity, they had a second child, sponsored their first child to rejoin them through immigration, and through the support of the community that took them in, they were able to make a life for their children that would be infinitely better than their own youth. In a nutshell, that's the coles notes version of me, my brother, and my parents who arrived as one of the many Chinese-Vietnamese refugees known as 'the boat people'.

Now, back to the present: As we hit the homestretch towards X-mas, and mostly lose our minds when it comes to throwing around insane amounts of money on frivolous gifts for our friends, family, and ourselves, let's just take a moment to remember that there are many around us who are much less fortunate, and could benefit from a bit of charity on our parts. I think it goes without saying that many of us are in positions of middle classed privilege, and sparing a few bucks here and there for society at large isn't a terrible burden to our wallets. That small donation may not seem like much to us, but could mean a world of impact on the lives who need it. The point of my story was to illustrate that people are often the victims of circumstance, and sometimes all they need is a bit of a helping hand. Had it not been for the generous spirit of the Canadian community that took my parents in, we would not be in the position of privilege that we have achieved today. So while some of you may scoff at the idea of giving your hard earned money to 'those lazy homeless folk that don't want to work,' I'd ask you to step into our shoes for a second and perhaps realize that that excuse is perpetuating a stereotype that just is NOT true.

In this mad rush holiday season, please take a moment to think beyond just yourself, and reflect on what you're doing to help others. To co-opt an old slogan from Canadian Blood Services, 'It's in you to give'.

If you made it through all that soapbox prosetylizing, thank you. Wishing you and yours a wonderful X-mas season, and a fun filled (but safe) new year!

-G

San Frandoms

2010-12-16T23:04:00.000-08:00

Another set of random shots from San Francisco. It's been two months since we've been on a holiday. I feel due for a trip, but alas, have no money. How about I make a half assed attempt to grow a moustache, and you donate money to this truly worthy cause? :{D

Strange acorn type things that fell off a tree.

Rustling a bead curtain inside the SFMOMA.

Inside the SFMOMA.

Us riding a cablecar.

Alcatraz at night.

Shot from inside the glass elevator of the St. Francis Hotel.

Inside a cellar room in the Robert Mondavi winery.

Found on the beach...

Zen Kitchen

2010-12-09T21:24:00.000-08:00

Dinner with friends at a vegan restaurant, Zen Kitchen, in Ottawa. Despite the lack of meat and dairy ingredients, the multi-course tasting menu was fairly interesting and pretty yummy. I'm going to have to try reverse engineering a few of these creations at home...

Kimchee Caesar (more like a bloody mary because it was tomato juice, but still an interesting concept)

Fresh bread with white bean and butternut squash dip.

Polenta croutons with edamame mousse and togarashi flakes.

Split pea soup with tempeh (soy) bacon

Mixed green salad with crushed walnuts, maple candied apple, beet curl, and mustard vinagrette

Veggie shepherd's pie with peppercorn apple chutney, Brussell sprouts, beets, and chipotle ketchup.

Maple walnut pie with maple and ice syrup, and vegan whipped cream (made from coconut milk).

Ottawa X-mas Bokeh

2010-12-06T19:56:00.000-08:00

It's fracking cold outside!! I damn near froze my boys off trying to snap these X-mas lights bokeh shots in downtown Ottawa. And while I'm in a complaining mood, ARC the Hotel (yes, that's how it's called) doesn't have complimentary in-room internet. What EFFING age do we live in that you can't provide it for free? They damn near give it away at everything from coffee shops to dollar stores. How the frick can a hotel get away with charging for it?!

Who doesn't heart a little custom bokeh?

When did this become a food blog?

2010-12-05T00:23:00.000-08:00

Aaaaaaah, cooking, the process of preparing one's own sustenance. Estranged lovers we've become these past two years, but fear not, we shall make up for lost time.

Fresh Basil, Prosciutto, and Cod.

Ready for the oven.

Baked and ready to serve.

Cheddar Beer Bread

2010-12-01T22:24:00.000-08:00

I'm on a bit of a yeast kick this week - my little yeasties are busy bubbling away in a cauldron as they ferment the 23 litres of water, malt and sugar into beer (check in with me a month later, and I'll tell you how the brew turned out). And then I decided I'd try out a Cheddar Beer Bread recipe tonight. Now all I need is to get a yeast infection, and my Yeast Triumvirate of Awesomeness will be complete...

Recipe:
3 cups Flour
3 tbsp Sugar
1 tbsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt
2 tbsp Oil
1 cup Grated Old Cheddar
1 can Room Temperature Beer

Stir flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together. Add oil and beer, mixing just until blended (dough will be lumpy). Bake in greased loaf pan @ 375F for 40-45 min. Crack a beer and serve. Delish!

Recipe stolen from an insert in the Calgary Herald.

The Succulent Allure of Meaty Meatasticness

2010-11-28T14:16:00.000-08:00

At the risk of sounding disrespectful to folks that consciously make a choice to be vegetarian, I do have to admit that I take a strange amount of delight in watching folks fall off the vegetarian bandwagon. It makes me feel less weak willed knowing that I once tried to reduce my weekly meat consumption and failed miserably when others who have been vegetarians for a long time suddenly decide they can no longer resist the succulent allure of meaty meatasticness (yes, that really should be a word). It's like that saying goes, 'Vegetables are what our food eat'. I only bring this up because we were at our friends' wedding last night, and the bride admitted to having given up her heathen ways and embracing the delicious carnivorous lifestyle. And I couldn't help but shout out a rather emphatic 'YES', as this means we could now go out for dim sum with her and her husband.

The above are photos of the many meaty things I ate during our Eastern European meat-and-beer-cation.

Urban Exposure Project and the Shameless Self Plug

2010-11-27T09:32:00.000-08:00

Calling all photographers in the Calgary area - if you're interested in social issues in our community and are between the ages of 20 and 40, check out United Way and Because.ca's Urban Exposure Project and see if this may appeal to you. They are currently recruiting for next year's cohort and have set 'Community' as the project theme. I was a participant in last year's project exploring the issue of 'Poverty', and it was an incredible learning experience, a chance to force yourself out of your comfort zone and get you to interact with many folks in the community that you would normally pass without notice, and also a chance to get involved in the community through volunteering at many social services agencies. The intent of the project is to have you as a photographer document the experiences and findings of your project in a series of images that will then be framed, mounted, and exhibited. Come on, as if there's any greater pleasure in life than seeing one of your photos hanging in a gallery (even if it's only for one night), and people standing around it discussing its meaning or its impact on them.

Shameless self plug - you can see one of my photos from last year's exhibit here

Bridges of San Francisco

2010-11-25T22:58:00.000-08:00

Shadow of the Golden Gate Bridge

Transmission Incomplete

2010-11-20T12:15:00.000-08:00

I recently heard someone ask the question, "Why would anybody shoot film?!"... The irony of this was that he was deciding on which framed print to buy... from a photographer who shot film. It was hard to restrain my derisive snort at his idiotic comment.

I shot the following series using my Diana Mini on 35mm Fuji Provia 100 in Budapest, Hungary. The Mini has a loose switch for bulb and N modes, and often moves to bulb without me knowing it. I have blown out many a shot as a result, but occasionally, a few do turn out kinda interesting. And as more and more folks pick up dSLRs and similar larger sensor digi cams to produce noise free tack sharp images of blah, I find myself increasingly drawn to the allure of flawed lo-fi analog imagery. I especially love the scratches, dust, and imperfections in the first shot.

Polaroid SX-70 Test Shots

2010-10-31T22:49:00.000-07:00

Photos from my first pack of 600 film in my recently acquired SX-70. I'm not sure if the film pack is really expired, or if there's something wrong with the camera, but I have a feeling the chemicals in each photo aren't fully mixing/ developing. But it's been said before, there has never in all of recorded history been a 'bad' polaroid picture. And these prove it. Decidely lo-fi, poor contrast, and horribly soft. Polaroid perfection!

Shellfish / Shells

2010-10-28T22:56:00.000-07:00

I present you a diptych of the before and after of our meal at the Hog Island Oyster Co at the Ferry Building in San Francisco. Half a dungeness crab, 2 little neck clams, 5 jumbo prawns, 2 each of kumamoto/blue point/ and miyagi oysters on the half shell.

Fore:
Aft:
YUM!

Gastroscopic Update

2010-10-26T22:08:00.000-07:00

Well now having gone through the actual procedure (see previous post), I can confidently say that the IV drugs they give you are awesome. The nurse tells you that the drugs will make you drowsy and that you likely won't remember much. She's mostly right. I remember trying to say "I'll try" (but it came out sounding more like 'hff hhgg' as I had the bite block keeping my jaw open), and then waking up a short while later with no memory of when it had started, how long I'd been out, or even of the waking up process - my first memory after the procedure is of being fully awake and looking around at the nurses wondering if I could leave yet. I wonder how long I'd actually been awake but obviously still somewhat drugged to the point that my brain was still unable to lay new memories yet...?

Fun times.

Gastroscopy

2010-10-25T20:48:00.000-07:00

Does anyone feel like going for a gastroscopy for me tomorrow morning? Anyone? I hear those procedures are super fun, and I'll totally appreciate your friendship for at least a full day.

Wasted Days and Calgary By Night

2010-10-22T22:02:00.000-07:00

I managed to accomplish exactly ZERO tasks on my day off today. I actually felt like I was wasting the precious oxygen supply of all mankind. Seriously, it was one of those 'Holy crap, you are a useless human being' type of days. But then, Anita came home and asked me to drive her to Japanese class, so I actually changed out of my pj's, grabbed a camera, tripod, and fired the shutter a few times to make my life seem less pointless.

And on an unrelated note, we've bought a house. Our days of travel at will and frivolous spending are behind us... sigh.

Embarcadero Center

2010-10-18T22:44:00.000-07:00

Lazy photo post with no story... Shot with the Nikon D300, Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8, and a circular polarizer.

Nikon FG Test Roll - San Francisco

2010-10-16T10:10:00.000-07:00

Lugging along my new Nikon FG and Nikkor 50mm f/1.2 combination to San Francisco, I fired off a few test rolls. These few came from a roll of Fuji Provia 100 I ran through it, and I think the shots turned out great. Nice saturated colours, good overall contrast, and surprisingly sharp even at f/1.2. I think this has easily become my new favourite film camera. Oh the adventures we will have together...

I saw a girl shooting with a Rollei f/2.8, so I couldn't resist snapping a shot of her rig. Analog forever!

Deuxième Anniversaire

2010-10-04T22:05:00.000-07:00

Every morning I wake up just moments before Anita does. I turn to see her face, eyes still half closed, mouth slightly open, and I smile in amusement as I think to myself, how much good karma did I accumulate in my previous life to have ended up here?

Has it truly been two years already?

Redscale Fail

2010-10-03T22:52:00.000-07:00

I received my Nikon FG in the mail this week, and ran a test roll through it this weekend. I redscaled the film before shooting (ie: film was respooled upside down so that the emulsion side is facing away from the lens), and so the results were terrible - lack of tonal range as highlights were just plain red, and shadows were blocky black shapes. This was due to underexposure of the redscaled film (apparently, you need to overexpose by 2 to 3 stops to get a good range of red and amber hues, whereas I only overexposed 1 stop). Anyways, long story short, the redscaled version of these shots were horrible, so I converted them to black and white, which actually gave them an awesome lo-fi vintage look. These photos clearly are not representative of what this camera is capable of, but I really like b&w treatment. The grit and stains on the film are not digital trickery - the lab at Superstore is shit, and they clearly don't know how to process/ handle film, resulting in splotchy negatives that I couldn't be bothered to properly clean before scanning. Click to enlarge and see the grainy, gritty goodness in glorious detail.

3 days of work before we fly to San Francisco!
-G

Update (11-01-2010): View my first successful test roll here.

2 Litres of Soy Sauce.com

A Certain Aesthetic

Back and Jetlagged

A Year in Photos - see you in 'Oh-Twelve'

_the Galactic Empire of the art store universe_

_lost in a fog of photographic indifference_

Smoke Break

Moleskine Sketches

Procrastinatory Sketches

Get Nerdy/ Get Dirty

Fabricland Self Amusement

G's November Nerdfest

Sort of Audrey

DOMO!!

The Future is Analog pt. 3

The Future is Analog pt. 2

The Future is Analog

The Moleskine Files

Nutella Chocolatey Explosion

The Long Sleep

G's first Moleskine Notebook

Portrait Session at Fish Creek Park

His Steve-ness, 1955 - 2011

Roadkill Cafe

Celebration!

Instant Gratification - the Instax Mini and Instax 210!

Scenes from Portugal

Amateur Strobist Session

Life Drawing at Sandy Hill

Dear Tim Cook

Roadtrip to Drumheller

Hiking Old Goat Glacier

Twelve South Book Book Laptop Case

Scrambling Ha Ling Peak

Unintentionally Humorous

Move

Scrambling up the Big Sister

Windshield Flyer Dudes

Passing By...

The Macro Life - Backyard Bokeh Dreams

Sandeep weds Akashdeep

Lifestyles of the Hip and the Famous

'Roid Week 2011

Holga Faux Leatherette Custom Decor

Fireworks over the Calgary Skyline (sort of)...

Weather bitching

Five Dollar Elephant

Random Photos from Portugal pt. 3

G.Mach - Dog/ Orchidsitter

Dog Turd Rubbernecking

More Immature Shits and Giggles: Photobombs at Nerdfest

Random Photos from Portugal pt. 2

Immature shits and giggles

Random Photos from Portugal

Malice in Derbyland - Rollerderby Exhibition

Death Cab For Cutie w/ Bright Eyes - Live in Calgary

The Mach Diner

Love Hate Relationship

I draw nekkid people

"...a different sort of elevator music"

Black and White Portugal

Lingering headache, stiff neck - all around good ski day

Is it spring yet?!

Procrastinatory Panoramic X-Rays

Life Drawing at Harcourt House

B+W Shadow Play

Clipped Wing

Lion Sculptures

George Mach, Contributing Photographer?!

Photo weekend with my niece

Test Drive: Alien Skin Exposure 3 for Lightroom

La Blogotheque Music Blog

Plitvice National Park

Life Drawing at Harcourt House

Adventures with the Polaroid SX-70

Sprocket Rocket

Doodles

Makeshift Tilt/Shift

Read More. Cook More.

Decade 3.0