Not Phoning it in.

This week is the "From Ruins to Renewal" photo exhibition featuring about 40 of my images to raise money for the restoration of the Red Antiquities Building,

It runs through  Saturday at The Arts Project in London, Ontario. I will be there at the private reception on Thursday evening, and I hope if you are local to the London area you can swing by and check out the prints during the next few days. They are all for sale with proceeds going to the restoration of the Red Antiquities Building.  The show runs through Saturday, January 21, 2012.

Arts Project Hours:
Tuesday - Saturday Noon - 5:00 PM
phone: 519-642-2767
203 Dundas Street, London, Ontario
(between Richmond and Clarence)

Lastly, as you have probably seen, I am not blogging much at all on here anymore. I have shifted my primary online presence to Google Plus. Circle me there. Maybe you will be the 15000th person to do so!  :)

Mike

9/11 at Ten

An old firetruck from the second quarter of the 20th century. When I saw the helmet resting on the twin hoses I thought it would make a fitting image for today. 343 firefighters and paramedics ran in when everyone else was leaving.

Heroes never say they are heroes. They are just people doing their jobs.  In this case, I beg to differ.

This and most images from the past 2-3 years on my blog are available as prints.

Mike

Amy, Untitled, #3 and now Down Under.

Opening later on today at the Latrobe Contemporary Gallery in Morwell, Victoria, Australia, there will be a two week group show titled “Dreaming Hazel Dooney” with participants having submitted works inspired by or based upon the persona of sometimes controversial Australian artist Hazel Dooney (Google + and  Facebook and Tumblr).

Last winter, when I was asked to participate in the show by Hazel, I hesitated. This was partly because I wasn’t sure what to submit. The show was originally planned for the early Fall in Australia (early Spring here) and I didn’t have the means to shoot anything new by the submission deadline. As I mentioned in the artist statement I submitted for the show, I wanted to find an image that would embody elements of how she is perceived by the public generally, and by those who follow her work more closely online.

I felt that the nude - and occasionally erotic - strong female form evident in Hazel’s work, her go it alone against the art world attitude, immersion in her art, and occasional admitted personal vulnerability, combined as elements in this image of my model Amy that I settled on: A woman alone in an empty room. Nude and exposed on a bare floor. Curled in a fetal position and covered in her ink. But perhaps also peacefully asleep on a blank canvas and dreaming of her next major piece.

The show runs from September 10-22, 2011 at the Latrobe Contemporary Gallery at 209 Commercial Rd, Morwell, Victoria, Australia 3840.  I can't get to the show - the first overseas exhibition I am participating in - but if you happen to be in the Adelaide area and fancy a trip out of town to Morwell, check it out for me. :)

This and most images from the past 2-3 years on my blog are available as prints.

Feel free to +1 this if you are on Google +!)

Steampunk Lightsabers

Went for a very long walk the other day. It involved some bush crashing and hill climbing: I wanted to get around the bend of a river when the hiking path was on the other side of the river. Luckily - or perhaps unluckily, there was no one with me to photograph. After coming out of mosquito, spiderweb and mud land, I came upon the tail end of a train that had stopped just after crossing a bridge. I had heard it for about half an hour it seemed, but wasn't sure exactly where it - or I was.

I had approached the train from the shadow side - which wouldn't have made for the best imagery. I made my way down the track for 7-8 rail cars to the back and found the train had stopped about 10 feet from the beginning of the bridge. Had it stopped with the last car on the bridge, it would have been too tough to go around safely and I wasn't going to climb on the train.

The far side had a lot of foliage growing quite near to the edge of the track bed and I knew I wouldn't get any distance shots so settled in on some close ups. Two cars were carrying empty steel frame supports of some sort. Most chained down properly. Others most definitely not with disconnected tie down chains.

These initial images of the screw threaded tension adjusters on the tie down chains reminded me of some sort of steampunk lightsabers.

Happy 144th, Canada

Crowsnest Mountain, June 1st, 2007

This was one of the first mountains I ever saw up close in person. I photographed the 2,785m Crowsnest Mountain from Hwy 3 up in the Crowsnest Pass about 5km West of Coleman, Alberta (near the BC-Alberta border).

Canada is an amazing place. All these tall mountains and glaciers. Vast prairies with disappearing grain elevators and endless vistas of golden wheat. The largest fresh water lakes in the world. And some generally friendly people - non more so than those 1/2 hour ahead of everyone in Newfoundland.

When I drove across the country four years ago, it was an awesome experience for me. An experience of a lifetime perhaps. I suggest anyone who has not explored outside of their neighbourhood to go look and see what is out there - no matter where you live. And if you are from Canada, well, you have lots to choose from.

Happy Canada Day. :)


This and most images from the past 2-3 years on my blog are available as prints.

 Mike

Pipes, bricks and trees

These pipes are a gas. Though the gas fitter who did them didn't know a right angle from a donut apparently.

These and most images from the past 2-3 years on my blog are available as prints.

Mike

Long Hair

One additional image from when I shot Nadine last month. When we reviewed it, she really liked the way her long hair was whipping around so I thought I would post it. Look forward to photographing her again sometime soon.

This and most images from the past 2-3 years on my blog are available as prints.

Mike

Katy and the Bridge, Pt Two

Continuation of the previous post with Katy. These were in shade for the most part so I intentionally used more fill flash which made for a completely different vibe than the other images which were in direct sunlight. I didn't want them tacked on to the end of the last post and perhaps not given the exposure I think they deserve.

This sequence was more entertaining as there was a dad trying to fish while letting his small kids scramble out of view under the bridge and probably watch us. Ah poor parenting.  I hope for another creative with Katy soon. Yes, Katy-chan, that is a hint.:)