More press for flora&fauna.

There's been a whirlwind of press around Pauline Siu's eco-fashion line flora&fauna the past couple weeks. Much deserved attention as f&f debuted their Fall 09 collection at Vancouver Fashion Week.

flora&fauna (and my photos) were featured in the Vancouver Sun, Scout Magazine, and the Georgia Straight. Shots of the clippings are on flora&fauna's blog.

Congratulations Pauline!

t-shirts.

I'm looking for people to help me out with a new project. It involves you, your t-shirts, and changing them as fast as you can. The process is kind of fun, albeit superfluous, but it's really about documenting and learning where our clothing comes from and where it's made.

If I get enough people to make a decent data range, hopefully I can put together some wizzy bar graphs and maps and such.

So far I'm the only one, so if you would like to take part and are in the Vancouver area let me know.

View the full gallery here.

Okay, so it's been a while.

So wow, my last post was in November and it's nearly March. So either it appears I've been up to a lot, or not much at all.

In reality, it's been a bit of both. Busy with some print design, product photography, a fashion shoot, and getting more into web design. But there's been some space in between where I haven't been up to much, just a lot of research and continuing to learn (and looking for work obviously).

It's a hard time to be a freelancer, especially when it's your first foray into the freelance world. The hardest thing for a first-time freelancer to get used to is the uncertainty and instability, and what that does to you psychologically. The second hardest thing is getting clients, and therefore work. So unless you're this guy, it's a difficult thing to do.

It is especially difficult when you see where the photography industry is going at all levels. Every year that goes by it gets harder for photographers, and doesn't look likely to improve. So at least thankfully I can do a variety of things together or separately, which is fine by me, I enjoy it all.

I hope to write a little more from now on, no more three month gaps.

Granville magazine.

I've got a photo in the Winter 08 issue of Granville magazine, no photo credit of course. But if you'd like to check it out it's available at Whole Foods, Capers, and MEC in the lower mainland.

Congratulations to flora&fauna for the much deserved press!

Sun & Surf.

What could be better? The sun shining on your face, the ocean lapping at your feet, and a flash perfectly rim lighting your hair.

It may sound ideal, but the sun wasn't enough warmth, and the water cold enough to make your toes hurt if you stood in it too long. But it's all part of the job as we worked away on the flora&fauna photoshoot.

We were blessed with a good break in the weather as we used up our only rain date. We all got up bright and early and were out by the water as the sun continually ducked in and out of the clouds. It was a great shoot and went smoothly thanks to everyone involved. Pauline Siu, creator of flora&fauna, Hayley Snarlidge did amazing hair, Savannah Larsen did a beautiful job with make-up, Kyle Little was my unsung assistant, and of course our model Kimiko Yoshida did a fantastic job.

Here's a little taster of the shoot and of the Spring 09 flora&fauna line.



Here's an outtake from the shoot as well. The tide was coming in pretty quick as were finishing up on the beach and headed into the forest for the second half of the shoot. So I had my assistant Kyle hold one of the flashes so we could keep moving with the water.

End of an odyssey?

It's been a couple weeks now, but I am back in Vancouver after traveling around the North and Southwest states for nearly 2 months. Camping in my Westfalia in snow and sand, giant redwoods and sage brush, experiencing brutal colds and brain melting heat. It has been an eye opening experience professionally, but even more so personally.


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Originally I had planned on passing through Vancouver a few times as I criss-crossed the continent. I didn't think much about the total cost of gas as I went, I just knew where I wanted to go and it just takes gas to get there. However, thinking ahead about driving across Canada to Ontario I realized that it was going to cost quite a bit to do it.

Unfortunately I've had to end the trip and sell my home on wheels. I'm going to be settling in Vancouver again, but hopefully I will be able to head out onto the road at various points to explore the continent in smaller excursions.

Here is a little recap of some images I've captured throughout the trip.


: : Graffiti on a railroad bridge in Whitefish, Montana.


: : Cow between train cars outside of East Glacier, Montana.


: : A frozen Jackson Lake below the Tetons in mid-May.


: : A jet steering clear of a tree in Jackson, Wyoming.


: : Clochette the shaved sheepdog.


: : Earthship outside of Taos, New Mexico. (see the Paul Frank-esque monkey face?)


: : Home sweet home, west of Telluride, Colorado.


: : Dry lake bed in Nevada. (the haze is from the wild fires in California)


: : A scale replica of my van, next to some giant redwoods in California.


: : A helicopter ride from Newport, Oregon. Why not.

I'd like to thank my very supportive friends and family, and all the people I've met that have helped make this journey so much more enjoyable.

The world's toughest bicycle race.

I'm sure a lot non-cyclists are unaware of a race that's been around for 27 years and traverses the US across 3000 miles from coast to coast. It's called the Race Across America (RAAM), and this year was the first year for a sub-component of the race called the Race Across the West (RAW). The RAW is a 1000 mile race from Oceanside, CA to Taos, NM covering most of the climbing, the hottest places, and the highest point on the RAAM course.

How I ended up involved with the race was a situation of someone I met, knew someone who knew someone else, who referred me to a racer in need of a crew. Murray Wilmerding is a solo racer in the 50-59 category for the Race Across the West, racing for Team Zap USA.



The race was an intense, inspiring, and brutally tiring experience. For Murray as well as the crew. The crew being myself and cyclist Rob Barnard packed into a VW Golf loaded down with all the gear, food and clothing for three people. Sleeping across the front seats, sprawled in the little space left on top of bags and coolers, and mostly in Murray's case just sleeping on any open space on the ground.



This psuedo vagabonding across the country allows for a lot of interesting experiences. Near hallucinogenic experiences where time and days mean nothing. Swimming in canals, herding goats, and getting used to the stares as we lay out in parking lots across the western US.

As much as attitudes towards cyclists are changing across the continent, there were still incidents of motorists following within feet and passing within inches. At least it's a far cry from things being thrown and getting run off the road. In fact, it seems more and more people are getting interested in cycling,. I hope it isn't only because of the rising gas prices, but an interest in health and well being.



The best thing about this race is that it takes participants to places most travelers don't see. The small towns that occasionally interrupt the beautiful landscapes whether they be endless farmland and ranches or unspoiled wilderness. It's a race that reveals all that America still is, in it's endless variety.

Unreal Landscapes.

I went to a shopping centre in Broomfield, CO a few days ago. Typically I avoid malls and any place larger than an airplane hangar, but sometimes it's just the only place you can go.

This place however made it really sink in, how bizarre and unreal these places are. The scale of the buildings, parking lots, and the shear sprawl requiring a shuttle to take you around are not on a human scale. The parallel for me was the large and beautiful temples, churches and pyramids around the world exalting any number of gods where the scale and beauty serve a purpose. Whether you believe in that purpose or not, at least they are architecturally beautiful.

Do these buildings serve a similar purpose? Exalting their brand on high.

Beyond that, and even more superficial, is that the architecture and design of these places is nearly offensive. As if a company that designs office cubicle furniture decided to become an urban planner. Creating fake roads, fake walkways, unusable and superficial green spaces dwarfed by coloured concrete and steel facades.

These places are so commonplace that we don't even notice them anymore, it's just a part of life. I'm going to try to take a different look at these places and try to show the absurdity inherent in them with a photo series I'm calling 'Unreal Landscapes'. If anyone has any tips on good places to check out in North America let me know.

Conservation Summit.

It's been a quick few days since the Conservation Summit ended on Friday, and I'm finally writing something.

This being my first workshop I don't have anything to compare it to, but from my perspective it was great. Full of opportunities to grow and learn. Although this workshop is heavily weighted to nature and wildlife photography, they don't even blink an eye when you go to shoot in a local tattoo shop. In fact the faculty enjoys the diverse subject matter.

The faculty itself were a diverse group of really top professionals, it was actually intimidating until I realized they were really nice and helpful people. Each day we submitted photos that were critiqued in an auditorium projected onto a screen. I found the critiques so helpful I'm working on the idea of a private blog so a select group of photographers can review each others work. Finding the right people for this will be a bit challenging I think.

It was a pretty tiring endeavour, getting up for early morning shoots, critiques, classes, presentations in the evening, and then getting to bed late to do it all over again.

I will definitely do a workshop again next year, but I'm sure I'll mix it up and do something a little different. I would however recommend this workshop to anyone, especially if you're interested in wildlife and landscape photography.

Flash and natural light.

One thing I really want to work on, and something that really interests me is mixing artificial and natural light. But specifically when it is seamless enough that it's hard to tell. Some photographers are great at it, and I would love to work with them to really see how it's done.

It's been a while, but I've been so busy the last two weeks that I haven't been able to comment. Thanks to Heather Morton's blog I've come across Lindsay Siu in one of her Lounge posts. Her first two photos are a beautiful example of this.

Here's a little sign I saw just across from the campground I stayed at last night on the first day of this trip.

The countdown.

There are less than two weeks until I finally depart. Everything is pretty much taken care of, which means I'm spending my time in a barren apartment. I also slept last night in a sleeping bag on a thermarest.

People are asking me now "So are you excited, are you nervous?" But actually I've taken care of all the big things, and many of the small things. I've also taken care of all the fantasizing and day-dreaming and worrying a while ago. So now I'm on autopilot, confident in my plan and relaxed and open to whatever may come. Of course I'm excited, but I'm just doing what I'm doing until those last few days.

It's strange to live your life as you've lived it, knowing that it's going to turn on it's head any day now. Well actually, even stranger when you know what exact day it will.

Interestingly enough, I'm not the only one about to hit the road. Photographer David Alan Harvey is heading out to take his "portrait of America". (although he also has some sad news, for which I give my condolences) But hopefully our paths will cross and we can argue about who needs the gas money more.

I would like to bring up a quote that an anonymous commentor posted on here, I think it deserves more prominence given the circumstances.

"To dare is to lose one's footing momentarily. To not dare is to lose oneself."
-- Soren Kierkegaard

Thanks anonymous... and Kierkegaard.

The plan.

So what exactly am I doing?

Well it seems my path in life has led me to a point I alluded to here. Through Art, video, design, and now photography. All the factors have led to this point, and I'm making the jump.

I've sold or given away most of my things, and bought more gear. I sold my car, and bought a van. I've resigned from my job, and in May I'm hitting the road.

First I'll be heading to Wyoming for the Conservation Summit photography workshop. Then the next 6 months will be spent traveling and working on my craft, educating myself in a way that only being out there (and broke) can do. I'm willing to make the sacrifices needed to make it to the level I need to be at, and if I don't, then I just won't be a photographer.

It's interesting that today Leslie Burns-Dell'Acqua guest posted on Ed McCulloch's blog about fear and growth. It's interesting because through all the excitement I'm going through, every day or so I get a quick shot of fear, like when you almost trip going down the stairs. But it's a good fear, it gets the heart going, and gives me the determination to do everything possible to do what I feel passionate about.

So thanks to everyone who has helped and supported me. You're keeping the fear from getting too strong.

Life aesthetic.

I've realized that all artists have an aesthetic that goes beyond their chosen art form. It permeates every aspect of their being.

The way a photographer photographs, is an expression of who they are as a person. Just as how a painter paints is an expression of who they are. It seems obvious to say that, but it goes so deep that's it's too simple a statement.

It was interesting to realize that there was this life aesthetic that showed itself in who I was, how I spoke, how I dressed, how I kept my home, how I designed, and then how I photographed. To see it quite literally in front of my eyes was a revelation in itself.

Especially after many years of being a graphic designer, I never really made the connection that my personal vision was a form of self expression. After looking at many other photographers work, and reading The Education of a Photographer, my view of what being a professional photographer meant was shattered. The book, as well as every blog I started reading, practically chanted that you need to find your own vision and style and pursue it without looking back.

Let's just leave out the fact that you have to make money while doing it out of this post for today.

Big glass.

There's nothing like big, beautiful glass to make a grown man giggle with excitement.

That's all I have to say about that.

What a blogging coincidence.

This is a little serendipitous story, and I'll try to keep from being too long winded.

It was a couple years ago when I had recieved a promo from Heath Korvola, and it just so happened that a few months down the road we were looking for a new photographer for our next catalogue. The promo was my introduction to Heath's work, and I loved it (it probably helped me to notice the promo more that the woman in the photos was quite attractive). I really felt our aesthetics matched so I pushed for him to shoot the catalogue, although the higher-ups had someone else in mind.

Fast forward a couple years to December of last year. I'm seriously getting into photography, and spending a lot of time browsing through photographer's websites. I get to Heath Korvola's again, and notice the blog link. I've never really read blogs, so his opened me up to a lot of different photography blogs, and indirectly lead me to start this blog.

I started this blog thinking that not many people outside my friends and family would bother to read it. Little did I know that when you link to someone else's blog they usually see it, so only on my second post Heath left a comment. It took me a few days to find out because I wasn't expecting anyone to actually comment.

So I wrote Heath and explained this whole story, and we discussed what the actual point of this post is. That you have to do what you love even if no one is watching. Heath had no idea that his writing would have led to someone else being inspired enough to write their own blog, and I had no idea that he would end up reading my blog. In other words, we just did it because we wanted to.

When you do something you enjoy and feel passionate about, you can have a profound effect on the world even though you're not aware of any of it.

I guess the second point to this post is that promos get noticed (especially by lowly graphic designers, because we never get mail).

So thanks again Heath.

When our machines turn against us

I'm at home sick today, with the blinds closed blocking out a beautiful sunny day. But luckily I can spend a bit of time looking through some other photographers websites.

I came across Amy Stein's website while I was googling something else completely different (as is usually the case), and came across an interesting series of photos here.

It got me thinking about the times I've been stranded on the side of the road, waiting for help and blankly staring at the engine, or turning the key for the twentieth time hoping it will finally work. It's interesting how connected we get with our machines and sub-conciously give them life. But when they break, they are a dead object. Instantly the lifeless thing they've always been, and a source of frustration, anger or indifference.

I don't think I have a point here, other than an observation of our odd behaviour as humans. All it is is stuff, the life we give them is our own.