Minneapolis – An Art Lover’s Wonderland
In my mind, Minneapolis always seemed pretty cool. Knowing this was where Prince worked and lived was an early indicator, but with other locally-connected musicians like Bob Dylan, The Time, The Replacements, Hüsker Dü, Soul Asylum, Lizzo and others… clearly this is a musical town. But after working in the Bicycle Industry for a decade I became more familiar with the full-scope cultural cache this city has in spades. One of the best spots in the USA for urban cycling culture, Minneapolis and St. Paul (The Twin Cities) often pulled ahead of anywhere else in the US for cycling mode share, cultural events and plain old fun. Frostbike always looked like a blast, QBP gave us so many iconic brands and rides and the chopped/tall bike scene was internationally known. One day, I thought, I better check this place out.
(more…)On a Roll in Québec Pt. III – Eastern Townships to Old Town
After exploring Montréal and the lakeside area my Dad visited as kid — the Family Connections from my last post — it was parts unknown for the next few days. We aimed our little rental car east, in parallel to the Vermont border to our south and heading straight for Maine. Cool to be close to these states I’ve always wondered what they were like. With no plans to dip south this time, I think an autumn return to these parts might include a crossing to New England from New France…
(more…)On a Roll in Québec Pt. II – Family Connections
Heading East for a visit was, in part, spurred on by my desire to connect a little more with family roots. In my case, those go back to Montréal – the city where my parents were born, raised, met and fell for each other. I won’t go into the extensive family history, but it certainly goes back a few generations. My folks gave me a list of addresses to check out, places scattered throughout the island of Montréal and extending into the suburbs across the river. I wanted to picture these places as they were back in the day and what was happening there now. Well, I didn’t make it to all the family spots but I put eyeballs on a bunch and for that, I am richer.
(more…)On a Roll in Québec Pt. I — Montréal
While planning a recent trip to Québec for some exploration & connection I wondered what camera to bring. I traveled around México earlier this year and took around 1000 shots with my Fuji digital setup. Two lenses, minimal fuss and an attempt to slow down and take stock, not drop the hammer on the shutter every block. Trust me, I could have taken 10x that amount in those two weeks, easy.
This time, I opted to go even slower and more minimal. I took one analog camera, one lens and one roll of film (plus my iphone of course). My trusty Pentax was the right choice paired with my Sigma Mini-Wide 28mm/f2.8. And the film? Why not take an untested, limited edition experimental colour film from Harman Photo, perhaps better known for their legendary Ilford B&W films? Top it off with a light meter not functioning as desired and I stepped into an eight day trip with a 36-image cap rattling around in my mind. At some point I thought, why didn’t I bring two rolls? And maybe something I have shot before, understanding how it exposes and what colours will pop. Nah, let’s go back to basics and just feel it out.
(more…)When Creativity Needs a Beginner’s Boost
Have you ever felt burnout in your chosen path? Have you considered giving up on that path, feeling like there wasn’t any more fuel in the tank to keep pushing? Have you ever wondered if maybe what you knew, and always did, was somehow not as satisfying any longer? I have, and lately, I often do.
I’ve led a creative life for a few decades now, and in some ways it’s all I really know. I chose to move my passion for photography from a hobby to a job, and have been ‘making money with my camera’ ever since. Sure, there was a period in between magazine jobs when my freelance life was struggling. Working for a start up newspaper with an unscrupulous owner who locked us out in the middle of the night, well, that caused some short term pain. I jumped into A/V work, wrapping cables and striking shows before I realized I was absorbed by this work and almost forgot about my intentions – making money with my camera. This was, after all, the name of the night class I took exploring all the options to do just that. I landed on Photojournalism and that led me to Vancouver and my start with Adbusters, Momentum Mag, and that fateful North Shore newspaper.
Lately, I had been feeling a little out of sorts in the creative department. I have some great clients and satisfying work with them, at times challenging and demanding, but on a personal level I often left the camera at home. This was new, this was strange. What to do? I started to experiment with vintage lenses and digital bodies. I began working with film again, finding some nice infrared stock that gets me close to what Kodak offered years ago. I posted and then I stopped posting. Did anyone really want to see this stuff? Did I care to share? Was my happiness peaking at the moment I hit that shutter, my ‘marked’ finger engaging with my contraption as it has for what? A million times? Two?
(more…)Cholula, MX // Street Scenes from the Oldest City
Traveling back to Mexico was essential for my well-being. The place fills me up with inspiration, happiness and excitement along with pastries, tortillas and fresh fruit by the pound. This time around, it was another inland adventure hitting up some of the places I’d been dreaming about: Mexico City-Puebla-Oaxaca. In between the big smoke (literally) and our next stop in beautiful Puebla, my travel partner Mary and I spent some time in Cholula. Most reactions to that were: where? why? Well, here’s the answer. It’s basically a suburb of Puebla so easy to get to on the way from Mexico City. But why? Well, we didn’t know exactly other than we had two reasons before going, but many more after spending time there.
1. Volcano viewing — Popocatépetl and Iztaccihuatl are on display from any vantage point in town. Is the air clear enough to view it? Will they be shrouded in cloud and mist, at ease and relaxing. Or on a clear day, perhaps smoking and steaming, flexing their eruptive powers for all to see. The former is very active, the latter is dormant. We caught some smoke/steam action on our first day there, from the top of the Great Pyramid of Cholula….leading to reason #2:
Bicycle Photography – Two Wheel Gear Lifestyle
I’ve been working with a fantastic, local bike bag company called Two Wheel Gear doing photos and, at times, video for some time now. It’s been a while since I posted any of my commercial / lifestyle work on this blog, so I thought I’d kick that off again with some shots from 2021 and get up to speed from there!
Here we have some summer riding with Mariana as she navigates the streets of Mount Pleasant, Vancouver. Her bike is equipped with frame, handlebar, top tube and saddle bags as well as the Pannier Backpack Convertible — seen here in classic grey. While no longer available in that fabric, these bags have been upgraded to recycled black and olive/tangerine models in both Plus and Lite. Have a look at their site for what’s on offer here in 2023 — all photos by yours truly! More from my lifestyle shoots with Two Wheel Gear…and a few other bicycle-related brands to come.
Please click the images to view larger.
Vancouver, 2021.
(more…)Today & Tomorrow: Top Tunes of 2022
Here it is! The 20th edition of my Top Tunes list, whereby I publicly call to attention all the audio delights that tickled my eardrums these last twelve months. I can’t believe it’s been that long. Or that this year is finally ending. Or that it’s ending already. I don’t know anymore, time is so weird. Just like some of the tunes on this here list (segue!)
According to my Apple Music ‘Replay’ I listened to 41,541 minutes of streaming music this year — this is 114 minutes per day! I also listen to KEXP all day in the photo studio and to my own record collection in the evenings. Plus there is offline digital and listening with friends. Do I have other interests? Well, yes. But it is safe to say, music means the world to me. This is why I love to share with you.
This year we have million dollar beats paired off against futuristic exotica. Dark shoegaze once again nudges up against indie rock and dream pop. Sparse jazzy sounds and blissful tropical vibes. We have artists from around the world and no list these days is worth anything without a dash of Sault. Fire up your streamer and dig in!
Umbrella: Lost, Alone
I have a problem. It’s an ongoing concern and, to be honest, there aren’t a lot of folks I can talk to about it.
I seek out abandoned umbrellas you see. I don’t, like, base my day around it but I have been known to alter my route knowing a ‘dead brolly’ hotspot is on that street, not this one. Think transit exchanges, trash bins near bus stops, hedges close to institutions. That kind of thing. The day after monsoon rain and blustery wind shows a curious trait in people — they just toss their shelters when the weather improves.
I yearn for the time when a strong gust flips a random stranger’s umbrella inside out, their frustration mounting as the wind takes control, the rain now completely soaking their head. They whip their admittedly flimsy dome about, finally climaxing in a moment of sheer anger — the poor umbrella is tossed to the gutter. Me? I am standing across the street, camera ready with a motor drive whirring away. This fantasy, it’s elusive. I was close just once.
Since 2005, I have been capturing these lost, alone umbrellas on city streets. Mostly here in Metro Vancouver, but I have ‘bagged brollies’ in Havana, Amsterdam and NYC as well. Some are completely in tact and some person with an even greater obsession might collect these for some repurposing. Some are mere skeletons, the flesh as it were long destroyed by the same elements that first made it attractive. Occasionally I find just a handle or a macabre art installation involving all manner of urban debris. Oh the stories they can tell.
I recently updated the collection and shockingly, I’m at 366! Figured a book would need to happen at 365. Stay tuned for that (or get in touch, publishers!).
Please enjoy the fruits of my strange collection to date: Umbrella: Lost, Alone
CovidRED Visions – Pt. II
Follow me from the reverie of Visions – Pt. I, where I’ve put together a complimentary set of the natural scenes captured at the same time. Back then cases were few in comparison to today and yet people generally hunkered down because nobody really knew what was going on. We were all in this together. Fast forward to one year later and maybe not so much. We might be in the worst of it right now but you couldn’t tell by thinking back to last year’s quiet homesteading, bread & puzzles.
Armed with my red-filtered, vintage Takumar lens and my modern Fuji digital, I explored Mount Pleasant throughout this code red. The natural world is a wonder no matter if it’s your local park or miles from civilization. As the cherry and plum blossoms burst forth and became leaves, new growth followed and soon every tree and shrub was singing a song of spring. It was so quiet in the city I imagined hearing the unfurling of leaves…and maybe I did. Did you? Rotating the aperture ring on the lens changed everything about the image, the red filter cutting out certain wavelengths of light and having a heyday as digital colours mingled therein. See the side by sides above, below. I had some fun with it. I hope you enjoy these images created in camera during quieter times and find a peace within them, too.
Vancouver, 2020.
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Meeting Fires Creative 