Final Winter Drive and More Fiona

 

  Boffins Club Gazebo in Winter HDR by Jay Scott on 500px

Optimistically I included in the title of this post the word final. The last couple of days of warm weather, bright sunshine and receding snow and ice has made a lot of people feel a lot better about the eventual spring. As Angie has cautiously pointed out, we certainly could get more snow and another good dose of winter but at least the next week of highs well above zero should mostly clear off the roads and start the shrinking of the snow banks around the city.

 

  Innovation Place Pine Cones by Jay Scott on 500px

This last photo drive was actually a photo walk/wheel as I braved about -10°C to actually get out of the van, make some photos even with a little auxiliary light and breathe the fresh air. It felt good to be out and it didn't even take all day for my legs to warm back up. What caught my attention most of all was how absolutely quiet it was. How much time have I spent in this exact spot enjoying the scenery, the sounds and smells of this place? A lot but almost all of it was in the spring, summer and fall when many of the nice water features and wildlife sounds are consistently impacted by the running of air conditioners on the roofs of all of the big buildings around the area. It was very refreshing to get out by myself, not see a single person and just smell the smells of winter and the pine nearby.

 

  Innovation Place Pine Cone by Jay Scott on 500px

In past years when I've wanted to get out and do some photos during the winter I've often shied away because of the great limitations I have of where I can get by vehicle, but especially by foot/chair. After finding what I had found this year I feel a little bit braver and have a few more ideas of where might be suitable, and safe, for me to go independently next winter. I'm not certain I want to think that far ahead as I have spring on the brain but getting out and just giving it a try got my wheels turning in my head.

My good friend, Paul, and his girls made good use of the pond-turned-rink this winter. The one time they were there entirely by themselves in the evening, spotlights on the ice and classical music playing overhead. If we get a nice warm evening next winter I would really like to have a photo shoot down there, by that ice with some people having a blast skating under the gazebo and around the island. If it isn't that warm we could fire up the fire pit they always have stocked with plenty of firewood and include that as part of the shoot.

Finally, what post would be complete without yet another of our lovely daughter? Her hair is coming in so nicely, so soft and fuzzy. I knew I had to make a creative photo out of those glistening golden-red strands. So, making the most of the smiles she had available to me we made a nice creative photo of her with some purple hair. I was reminded that this photo might be enough precedent for me to not be upset if she decides to die her hair purple when she is a little bit older. All I will need to do is to remind her how in style vibrantly colored hair was when this photo was made and that should squash her idea. :-)

 

  Fuzzy-Haired Daughter by Jay Scott on 500px

Second Winter Photo Drive

My second photo drive of the winter brought me to the University campus. It was not long before I realized that nothing on the actual University campus was going to be very photogenic from my available vantage points and there certainly was nowhere to quickly pull over to make a photo. It really is a busy city of its own when in session.

So, I made my way over to Innovation Place where I knew of a few spots that I could stay comfortably safe and warm in my van. Tucked away at the back of Downey Road, I found a place that I could pull up right next to some evergreens.

I'm not saying anything I photographed that day was a masterpiece but at least I got out, got some fresh air, found a peaceful place to just do what I love to do and make a few frames.

Finally, since I was not thrilled with what I had photographed already, I decided to try a few more abstracts. Love them, hate them, it doesn't matter. At least I gave it a try.

Boffins Club - Last Warm Evening of 2014

I know the possibility exists that we will have another few warm evenings this year. But warm evenings, that are calm and comfortable enough for a couple of quadriplegics? I'm not so sure.

I'm not sure that the photos I made that night with Paul's company are that breathtaking but it was just great to be out in such a nice area, so nicely lit and populated by such nice people. It would've been nice to just sit down by the pond but to be chatting while the long exposures were being made just fit my description of a perfect evening.

I have seen some really nice work by a fellow local photographer in this area. I communicated with him a bit and determined that they do not close the gates at the Boffins Club at night. Maybe they do later on, but they were still open would we left there after 9 PM.

Seeing his work made me decide I needed to get there before the end of the nice weather but I needed to arrive with an idea. An idea that I hadn't already seen him capably execute. If you are on Instagram I highly recommend following him. His handle is @thecinnamon. Some great work with some aerial photography thanks to his quadcopter and a clear creative and technical understanding of what he's doing.

 

  Boffins Club Koi by Jay Scott on 500px

Of course my idea involves defaulting to what I'm good at, off-camera flash. It took a little bit of tweaking but I managed to get a few shots with the Koi in the photo, illuminated by the flash I had aimed at the water. I even forgot to bring the bread crumbs I was going to to lure them into the right spot. I think enough people have fed them this year that when they see humans they come looking and expecting treats. It sure was interesting to watch them shoot away every time that flash fired. That's one of the reasons  you will see the streaks in the water from the leaves that were moving the entire time of the 20+ second exposure, while the slow-moving fish were not to be seen as streaks because they took off so very quickly.

The last shot was just simply taking five minutes to move the tripod 10 feet one direction (Paul and I were pondering our jealousy of how quickly an able-bodied person could have picked that tripod up, rotated 90°, and set it down where they wanted it while it took us five minutes) to make a photo he thought looked like something out of Hansel and Gretel.

 

  Boffins Club on a Hot Autumn Evening by Jay Scott on 500px

I must say that I've been enjoying doing some more scenic type photography. In my mind I feel optimistic about trying to do more of this in the winter but we will see what happens. There may be a few more less inspiring shots made out of the window of my van where it's a little bit warmer, unless getting around is easy and I'm feeling motivated.

Still Waiting for Our Baby

 

  My Folks by Jay Scott on 500px

No baby, yet. We do have scheduled induction for this coming weekend or early next week so hopefully we won't get the call at some inconvenient time of day, but then, what would be convenient? At least this past Sunday we picked up the canvases I had on display at the mall and got a photo made of my parents-in-law. Now we just need to get Robin, and the boys, then one of Angie and I and probably one of Kiwi for the six frames I painstakingly painted to be hung in our child's room.

 

  Merv and Marilyn by Jay Scott on 500px

I thought about going to Innovation Place today to photograph the flowers that captivated me on Sunday when we made the above portrait, but my motivation was lacking and I decided to continue working on putting together some of the inserts for my new shelving unit. That's double satisfaction, right there. Organizing my disorganized mess of equipment and office clutter as well as building something with my hands. Even if it is just IKEA stuff, it still involves using a few tools and that great smell of fresh cut lumber.

I have one more photo that I'll share in a few days that scored me a lot of points on 500px and you might have already seen if you follow me on twitter. Sometimes it surprises me how popular simple snapshots with no lighting more than a reflector are popular. I'll share that with you in a few days.

Spring at Innovation Place

I was going to do my absolute best to get some shots of the spring fruit tree blooms this year. In the past it seemed like it was either rain, wind or other commitments that made me miss this beautiful time of year and perfect photo opportunities. It was the very next day that we had wind gusts up to 70 km an hour, combined with some rain, that made what you see here almost completely fallen to the ground or damaged to the point of withering.

 

  Innovation Place in Bloom by Jay Scott on 500px

The photo above scored me a lot of love on 500px. Like Angie said, even the skilled and discerning photographers that post, share and peruse work on the website appreciate a nice scenery photo. You won't see that much appreciation of a good food photo which took a lot more time to prepare, stylize, light and execute. These I just showed up at the right time of year, found a nice framing and made a few images.

Below you see the Saskatchewan Research Council and one of my favorite places to hang out with a coffee. The grounds are beautiful, the planters (not put out yet) are always full of the nicest succulents and there's always a nice fragrance in the air. The fountain provides the steady soothing sound of flowing water and there is plenty of sun or shade, whichever you prefer. This time, the group in the photo was enjoying the shade under the vibrant pink blossoms.

To the right, out of frame, is a nice patio with raised planters that are always full of some of the nicest flowers that bloom all summer long. You can find the photos I made over there in past years right here, here and here.

 

  Innovation Place - Saskatchewan Research Council - HDR by Jay Scott on 500px

I really wished I had more time to stay longer and keep shooting but I had another appointment to get to for the promotion of Challenging Reality. It was interesting to see newly injured individuals, remember some of the things I went through and to see firsthand which technologies I've shared were of most interest to them. It was very good to see their interest and to be affirmed that my work there is appreciative and helpful. The writing splint that I use was available to them but they were incorrectly instructed on how to fit it on their hands by their occupational therapists. I just don't see how it can be used any other way than it is supposed to be. That's why when I made a photo that I did not include my hand. The description I gave probably isn't even necessary. But, I helped accelerate the ability of two men to resume handwriting. Combine that with the photos you've seen here and it was a good day.

Rob, Brenda, Matthew and Danica - 2

The day before our shoot we scouted the area for a wheel instead of watching the same walls go by fifteen times at the track. The maintenance staff had emptied the pond. I thought my reflection shot planned for tomorrow was gone. We stopped to talk to them and they told us they were just cleaning it and it would be refilled by the end of the day. Besides that it had to be filled for it to be a skating rink in the winter.

Regardless, the water was not yet settled by the next day and the light just wouldn't work for a reflected shot so I tightened up the frame to make the shot below.

Such a nice family to work with, full of willingness and ideas to add to my own.

I hope to work with them again and look forward to getting back to Innovation Place  now that I have so many more great spots to use.

Rob, Brenda, Matthew and Danica - 1

With the switch being flipped that seemed to turn summer to autumn and the second flipping autumn to winter, it seemed like an opportune time to share the results of our last family session this autumn.

Word of mouth is the best and most affordable form of advertising for so many businesses. When someone vouches for you it is the highest compliment. Paul was that referrer and that is how this session came to be. I had done portraits of Paul and Rob for Federal Medical, but commercial is a different style of photography than location shoots with multiple people.

Since Innovation Place worked so well just a few weeks ago and since I had a number of great spots we didn't get to take advantage of the last time, as well as some newly discovered spots, it was a natural choice.

The raised patio from below gave us the vines on which grew some of my favourite flower snapshots, the morning glories. 

The other location I was excited to try was first seen in this post, the nook with the reflections from the gold windows. Danica's face was just radiant in those mixed lights. I grabbed one shot with her reflection in the windows, but an imperfect angle combined with being in a wheelchair on a significant slope made it less than perfect. This portrait turned out nicely.

Matthew helped his sister climb up this tree. They always say you shouldn't ask your subject to do something you wouldn't do yourself. I wouldn't have asked, they suggested climbing up there. I just shot.

Matthew had already crossed the stream but the gap was a bit too big and the rocks unsteady so we suggested they stay on the side with the walking path and little chance of having a very cold bath.

More on Monday.

Paul, Barb, Emma and Olivia at Innovation Place

The more times you visit a location the more you find ways to use it. Innovation Place is not a difficult place to work at, but part of the challenge is making it less obvious of where you are shooting. This is made more difficult when both the photographer and one of the people you are working with are using wheelchairs.

There weren't many photos off the beaten path this day, but that is just fine. Those are the times you take the surroundings and go with it.

Paul and I have been friends for a long time but only in the last few years have we spent regular time together, much of it exercising together. During that time it has been nice to get to know the rest of his family better. As his daughters have come to know me better it only increases the comfort level and makes for better photos.

I was simply impressed with the girls' attention spans and patience. They had returned just an hour earlier from their aunt and uncle's farm, not having normal sleep being in beds other than their own, but they were great the whole time.

Emma has been exploring making time lapse and stop motion videos and showing excellent skill for such an early stage. I've been helping her how I can and look forward to watching her skill grow. She also has had shown and interest in modelling. For her age she really has posing figured out. I will be happy to keep working with her if she pursues it.

It was a great day together finished off by lunch back at their home. Quality time and enjoyable company on a nice late summer Saturday morning.

Innovation Place Before Autumn - 2

You likely saw the Morning Glory from my Friday evening post. I thought I would pull back and catch two of them in one frame.

 The ladybugs certainly flourished this spring, then disappeared and have now returned in numbers again. I wonder if the temperature has anything to do with it.

Normally I would not pick flowers, but I couldn't get close enough to these to get a good shot, and it's the end of the season, so in the interest of art, I picked one to shoot. The softness of these little red caterpillar-like blooms was just like fur. Reminded me of cotton candy. I'm pretty certain that these are perennials so I will make sure to get back to this spot next year.

Innovation Place Before Autumn - 1

The days are getting shorter and before long we will begin questioning that alarm in the morning. "How can that be right? It's still dark out."

But we aren't there yet. Yes, a few trees are beginning to drop leaves and the remaining flowers are all that will be for this year. The chill in the air is noticeable, even in the still warm sunlight, and that sunlight is coming from a much lower in the sky orb.

It's a new season, though, and the return to routine has its goodness, as well. Still, the snow could hold off until November January, for my tastes and ease of getting around. The primary sump pump we just replaced is still running every five minutes. I wonder how many years of drought we would need before it stops.

At any rate, break out the indoor to-do and project list as they will be needed soon enough.

Weaknesses

I recently received a letter from seventh floor rehab at Saskatoon City Hospital giving me the opportunity to participate in a research study to see which needs are being met and which are not being met for post acute care spinal cord injury patients in Saskatchewan. I have scheduled the interview for this coming week, far sooner than I expected it to occur. Included with the letter was a short survey that could be filled out instead of or in addition to the longer interview. I was intrigued by the questions contained within that survey and it certainly made me additionally curious about the interview next week.

One of the types of questions on the survey was regarding how you, the person with a spinal cord injury, feel about your ability to accomplish tasks or reach goals if you put your mind and energy to it. I have heard from more than a few photographers, artists and writers that believe a philosophy of "hurry up and fail" is better. Most definitely there are things that are worth striving for regardless of the difficulty or time would take to accomplish the goal, but I tend to agree with them in most situations. Be it a book that has not captivated me within the first few chapters, a TV show that cannot keep me interested or continually disappoints with total lack of believability, or a skill that would take four times as long to develop and provide minimal benefit on a day-to-day basis, there is value in knowing when it is time to quit. Being able to do things for yourself is great but if you are more efficient at doing one thing and can outsource the other why not focus your skills where you are most effective? This is where I felt that in a number of places the survey I filled out really limited the ability to elaborate the reasoning for choosing the answer I chose on a question by question basis. I am very hopeful that the interview will allow me an opportunity to dig deeper and give them specific answers as opposed circling a number from 1 to 5.

Whenever I am working on our bank records and budget, watching "Smarter Every Day" on YouTube or anything else with a subjective nature I am reminded of the fact that, though I really enjoy photography and am enjoying more forms of art all the time, I still have inside me a person who appreciates structure, symmetry and order. Anybody who knows me knows how little I typically care for spontaneity.

This past week, while editing photos from a family session last Saturday, and today while shooting flora at the same location as those family photos, I really began to notice something developing in me. That thing is symmetry. I have read and heard from numerous professional photographers that it will take time for you to develop a style. It will be there, but until you shoot enough and find your groove you may not realize for a significant period of time that you have style. Looking at those photos last week, paying attention to how I framed photos today and thinking back about so many of my still life photos, I can see symmetry. I am not and should not be surprised by this. Symmetry, order, structure and sharpness are what I seek.

So, to answer the survey's question regarding being able to do anything I put my mind to, the answer I had to put was "not confident at all". The key word being "anything". Had they chosen "most things" I would've answered differently. Perhaps I could hire enough manpower to haul my butt down to the shoreline of the river for that perfect scenery photo, or maybe to haul me off the side of a mountain or even just up a ladder for that perfect perspective that I want when making someone's portrait. But that would not seem to be the most effective use of my resources. It is a weakness. Deal with it. To pursue that type of photography, even though there are times when I do it just for the fun of it and it can be really rewarding, would be an endeavor full of frustration and failure for all the wrong reasons. A little bit of failure so that you can learn from your mistakes is a good thing. Frustration because of a physical limitation that simply cannot be overcome in any reasonable way, if at all, is not worth fighting against. Realizing that sooner than later is far better than swimming upstream and never getting anywhere.


As much as many of the limitations that I am keenly aware of on a day-to-day basis affect me, I also know that very often there are very reasonable alternatives or workarounds to overcome or avoid situations that magnify the limitations. That was one of the questions on the survey, "how confident are you that you would be able to find a solution to a problem if one arose?" In this situation I most definitely had to circle number 4 out of 5. I cannot say that I can always find a solution but most of the time I am able to.


One of my weaknesses with using a heavier camera and professional lenses is simply the weight. Because I need to support the camera with my left hand under the lens and my right hand on top of the shutter button I am not always able to provide proper support to achieve the steadiest shots and often certain angles down or up are simply not possible for me without risking dropping the camera. Thanks to some experimentation on my part and a lesson from my number one inspiration, Joe McNally, I have found the grip that works far better for me than the grip I was using years ago. This includes a portion of Joe's method of tucking the camera into your shoulder, the breathing techniques my dad taught me for target shooting or gopher hunting and making a triangle out of my left forearm, left upper arm and the camera supported on my left hand and against my cheek, with my elbow resting on my rib cage for steadiness.

I have embedded the video of the lesson from Joe and if you use a DSLR please watch even just 30 seconds starting at the 6 minute mark. Please, please, do not use the overhand grip on your lens. Do you know how badly I would like to be able to provide two hands of support on my camera? Please, do not disable yourself. :-)

So, with weaknesses in mind, and my style clearly aiming for order, symmetry and absolute sharpness, I have found myself insistent upon using off-camera lighting. In dimly lit situations where full lighting control is necessary I know that no matter how poor my grip may be, how tired or weak I may feel that day, or any other compromising factors, I know that the flash duration of 1/4000 of a second or faster, no matter how long the shutter speed or how shaky I am, will ensure no motion blur in the lit portion of my photograph.

Finding solutions. Overcoming weaknesses. Maximizing efficiencies.