Robert Adams at the VAG

I went to see a Robert Adams retrospective yesterday at the Vancouver Art Gallery (wiki page here). Although Robert Adams is a bit of a heavyweight amongst the new landscape photographers of the 70's, I was unfamiliar with his work before last night. After viewing the first two series of photographs I realized that this was the work of a master of the medium. I've never seen such an experimental yet successful use of exposure, and it blew me away how at times he had no middle grey in his prints, his skies all dazzling highlights and the shadows inky dark, but both still rich in texture and detail. Each series contained from 5 - 15 photographs and in each I found photographs that brought me to a climax of artistic wonder and inspiration. The photographs were so good that by the time I was 1/3 of the way through the extensive (200+ photographs) I couldn't go on anymore. The best way to describe it (however also decidedly low-brow)was that I blew my load early and after was too overwhelmed to enjoy the rest of the work, and so me and my gallery partner walked upstairs to see an installation by Song Dong, which acted as a perfect pallet cleanse for the night. Both shows so good that I will be back next week to pick up where I left off.


Robert Adams (Unsure of title, most likely something like "Looking East From Ridge, Bewton Colorado, 1973)


Song Dong - Waste Not Want Not

Sandy Claws!

Recently the jolly ol' elf himself visited my place of employment. I happened to have lighting gear and my trusty 14-24 f2.8 and so decided to do some improptu (is that a word?) photo-portraitgram-ographies. Oh also, I recently saw Nightmare Before Christmas for the first time since I was 8 and it blew my mind! Ever-thing, but especially the lighting is perfect in that movie. Congratulations Mr. Burton, you've done it again.


(I should have used a second umbrella for that rear bank of smiling faces)

October Drawings viii: Quentin Paint

Some people have said I look like Quentin Tarantino because we both have big chins. Ok. Fair enough. Plus WTF Lemmy was in Hawkwind! How did I not know this?

October Drawings vii: Three of One W/ Colour

I'm working on my digital painting. Comparing the faces and hair to the jackets and hands I see improvement. Quiet.
Went to an art school art show this evening. It was an interdisciplinary show (art, design, photography) and also not a grad show. I think that kept the work from becoming too pretentious and more automatic. Not too overly thought out like some years. Yups.

Also, one day i'll be the this of that. Asemic writing and whatns. Not a lot of thought going into this, just this.

October Drawings vi: Hands!

Hands! So much fun.

October Drawings v: Phonesy Boots

October Drawings iv: Erron Mader Third Eye

This is an example of where I want to take my drawings. Right now I'm essentially tracing photographs bit for bit, but I've been wanting to try doing some quick photoshop collages and then tracing. This would allow me to get more surreal than these party snapshots could ever be.* I could also recompose the image however I like after the photo was taken (imagine that!) AND introduce concepts inspired by the poses and expressions in the photograph, and also to whatever muses happen to inspire. You dig? This is the start of that.

*I did find these photographs to be quite spooky at 3:00 am

October Drawings iii: Erron White on Black

Made it small, save as, close window, do you want to save?, yes. Oh fuck, lost big original. Classic.

October Drawings ii: Lisa & Amber Hug Colour

Payed rent today. Next month rent will be less than one paycheque as I'm moving into a house with people. YAY!

October Drawings

i: Erron and Peter

I didn't post much in september. So I've started banking some drawings with the goal of two posts a week this month. Yay.

September Beach Sessions

I went to the beach Wednesday and met up with some friends. Sunny in September, who'd have thought? We drank beers, listened to tunes and swam in the salty ocean. The tide was coming in so it was super cold. It felt really nice to catch a couple hours of sun. I'm hoping for at least one more beach day like this one this summer.

idea

!

Cache Creek Wedding Pt. 2

"Grass Walkers"
We all walked to the ceremony.


"Lens-Flair Love-Embrace
There was a marriage.


"Cart Wheelz"
Everyone was happy.


"Oh Beer Oh Food"
Time to dine.


"Party Package"
Time to party.

Cache Creek Wedding Pt. 1

Had a really great time at the wedding. Such a positive experience. It really topped off the whole weekend very well. Stayed up late and got up early four nights in a row. Slept most of Sunday and almost all day today. Back to bed now!



Landscape


River near Peters Road w/ Ryan


Matt & The Creek



Ryan, Duffy, Lindsay, Liz, & the Bridge



Creek People


Friends Chilling (Sorry Sean)


Ceremony Path




Waitin'

4x5

It looks like a so-so photoshop job, but it's actually done in camera w/ 4x5 film! Built two different sets and then did a double exposure. Neat.

Leftover Drawings

Computer drawings.

Moon Bear

Black cat is black!

The So Modern Hip Young Photography Look

Digging through old files and folders lately. It's funny how time can change your perspective of successful photos you've taken. When I saw this photo it shocked me. It felt like I saw this for the first time even though I took it two years ago.

Missing Pasts

Going through old photos trying to put together a portfolio for a portrait job, seeing photos of my ex and I. Looking at how beautiful and happy she and I were, all the best moments. Really lots of perspective going on right now. So sad because I miss her, so proud of the work I've done, so happy to have lived this life, so glad to be in the present. Now I've got a few tears, am listening to the Good Will Hunting Soundtrack and drinking a glass of bourbon (these tunes make me feel ultra emotional, such a 90's cry vibe).
Here's me eating poutine and then liquified, done in the summer of 2007.

Victoria Fringe

Made this photo illustration for Lani's upcoming entry in the Victoria Fringe Festival. I don't know any of her links or anything, so go google it or something if you want more info.

Planet Algol Races In Colour: Azgukh Man

Here's Paul Giamatti as an Azgukh Man.

Birthday Card

Happy birthday Duffy...

Shutter Dragon

One assignment we had this semester for the class Advanced Studio Lighting with Greg Blue was shutter drag. It took me the longest out of any to complete. I guess the concept didn't click (dark subject white background, duration light and strobe, long exposure, move the camera) even though it's relatively simple. Well I shot it this weekend. Here's my setup and two of the final images.





Nikon d90 w/85mm f1.4
P.S. more potato heads to come.

Potato Head

1. Go to grocery store produce section.
2. Find a potato that looks like a head (they all do).
3. Photograph it on white seamless.
4. Draw the face in the potato over top.
5. Colour it in.

Scans: Visio Dei II

The scans from The Lab turned out much better than the ones from Lens & Shutter. Check out this delicious grain!

I've really been digging Art Deco colour schemes lately. Will try to do some illustrations tonight using vibrant teals, warm/cool grays and saturated pinks. Yay colour!