Welcome to my PhotoBlog

"The ultimate wisdom of the photographic image is to say:  "There is the surface.  Now think-or rather feel, intuit- what is beyond it, what the reality must be like if it looks this way."  Photographs which cannot themselves explain anything, are inexhaustible invitations to deduction, speculation and fantasy."
Susan Sontag in On Photography

Monday, January 18, 2010


Se A Cabo


Well, I'm back to dead stuff once again. At least it's still plant life and not something more macabre like an animal or such. This type of subject matter continues to hold my interest so when I was looking for something to photograph around the apartment today I spotted this remnant of times long past, a sweet pepper located on my balcony which the frost claimed before I could harvest it this past fall. This has undergone a treatment which I used on my previous dead subjects - that is a duplicate image converted to B&W then find edges and pasted back on top of the original colour image. Then several layers where colour and luminance was tweaked and finally a background layer for added texture and interest.

Se A Cabo, as near as I can tell from my research, means 'it's over' or 'it's finished', an apt title for this image I think. And besides I've been listening to Carlos Santana and attempting to play some of his music on guitar the last couple of days. Otherwise I never would have thought of this title. YouTube has this version, among others.

Thursday, January 07, 2010

Summer Days

This image is from last summer's Sunfest. Came across it today and saw some potential in it so after an hour or so in PS this is what I came up with. I also figured a little touch of summer wouldn't hurt during these cold, dark days of winter. Just got the replacement charger for my camera today so will be able to get to my project tomorrow (see last post).

Summer Days is by Bob Dylan. YouTube has this.

Monday, January 04, 2010

Hard To Explain

I had a plan for the new year but, as often happens with such plans it met with an obstacle. My plan was to post a picture each day for the month of January, all taken from my balcony. It was a challenge of sorts, a challenge to be more creative in my picture taking. It's not like I haven't posted images here from my balcony previously but I wanted to see if I could give my creativity a nudge by finding enough interesting subjects to complete my assignment. So what's the problem? The image posted on January 1, the one of me in my wheelchair, was taken that day by my son, who, after taking six pictures, informed me that the battery was dead on my camera. The problem began when I came in and removed the battery to charge it. My charger had disappeared and despite turning the apartment inside out myself as well as having others do the same, it's now January 4 and still no charger. The thing is, it has to be here, I have no way to explain its disappearance, but I don't know where else to look so I have one on order and until it arrives I am without a camera. The charger should be shipped today so I expect to have it before the end of the week. Today's image was taken from my balcony but on December 22. Nothing to get too excited about but I wanted to get something posted.

Hard To Explain can be found on the Cowboy Junkies' CD Pale Sun Crescent Moon. Found it on YouTube.

Friday, January 01, 2010

I'm Movin' On

Today's image is more documentary than anything. It is a picture of my newly winterized wheelchair taken around noon. Since then we've received another 15 cm or so of snow. Molly and I just returned from our evening walk and had no problem whatsoever navigating the sidewalks. In the past, venturing out on a day like today would have been out of the question as wheelchairs just aren't built to handle a Canadian winter. Needless to say I am feeling not only liberated but extremely thankful to the folks at Tetra for their help in rebuilding my chair. See my Scleroderma blog for a more detailed account of the process.

I'm Movin' On can be found on the recently released CD, The List, by Rosanne Cash. Watch a performance on YouTube.

Hope everyone has a wonderful 2010.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Nothing Is Easy

Couldn't resist one more in this series. This one's all about story. It's about youth and boys and girls and acting silly and awkwardness and well, you get the idea.

For the second time in this series the title song is by Jethro Tull. Found this YouTube performance.

Monday, December 21, 2009

Song For a Winter's Night

One more of the rink at Covent Garden Market. There have been skaters the last couple of times I've been there but no new pictures so this is another from the first set. It was the shadows which really got my attention so I've cropped the original to place more emphasis on them.

Song For a Winter's Night, like the title for last post is also by Sarah McLachlan. Found this video from the movie "The Lake House".

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Wintersong

Another from Saturday with much the same treatment. I have been back to the rink but it was raining both days so no new images.

Wintersong is by Sarah McLachlan and it is available on Youtube here.