MONTREAL IN MAY
Back in March I had thought it would be a good idea to take another workshop with Patrick Laroque whom I've been studying on and off with over the last year. May seemed like a long way off in March. But here it was, May 5th. There was so much going on at work, at one point I was going through my head how could I possibly cancel this thing.
This time though, Alice and I were going with Maximilian and Solomon. Max was just back from his first year at Quest University and while I was going to be tied up in the workshop during the day, it would still allow all of us to be together as a whole family again. Regardless of my uncertainty, this trip was going to happen. So we piled into the Tesla and off we went.
This was also our first road ride in Alice's new Tesla S. It would be fun to experience the Toronto-Montreal journey driving in an electric car. I have to admit some nervousness as we went out. What would happen if we didn't calculate the battery life properly? I didn't want to get stuck in Timbuktu with the Tesla charging for 12 hours using some strangers 110V home outlet. Thankfully that didn't happen. We "filled up" in Kingston, then an extra stop in Cornwall which seemed prudent when the car's display informed us that we needed to drive under 110km/hour to make it to Montreal. Better safe then sorry (our trip back to Toronto we drove the whole way at 110km/hour and only had to stop once in Kingston).
The next morning Patrick arrived at our hotel, Hotel Alt in Griffintown, with his trusty Fuji X100T hanging around his neck and an X Pro2 in his camera bag just in case I could be tempted to give it a try (oh yeah).
First order of the day was an espresso so off we went to find a café and yes, it was already my second one of the day. It was probably 10:30 before we finally hit the road but it felt good to be outside, have my camera in hand and talking life and photography with Patrick.
I explained my recent disinterest in picture taking to Patrick and of course he understood fully. The need to make pictures just seems to come and go in me. I think it's my fear of not having anything unique to say in photography. There's just so many images today, does the world really need another amateur posting their images?​​​​​​​
Perhaps I'll always feel that way, only time will tell. After a couple of days though I did feel re-energized. Being able to see is such a gift and like most gifts it needs to be nurtured. There's nothing automatic about it for me, it's just like working out, the more you do it the better your results. That's my take-a-way. I just need to remember it.
SHOT WITH FUJI X100T, X-PR02
WHISTER SKIING 2016
Whistler in March. After four years of no fresh snow in January, Alice and I decided to give March a try. Our long weekend in February provided the proverbial mother load of snowfalls, over 60 cm in 48 hours. Hope abounds!
Over the years, Whistler has quite literally become a second home for us. I'm sure that we have not visited anywhere in the world as frequently as we have Whistler. And now that Maximillian is living just "down the street", the visits are piling up.... four times since last September.
Other than wanting to visit our son as frequently as possible, what is the magic that Whistler has over my soul? For years we would take the bus from Vancouver to Whistler; winding its way up the Sky to Sea Highway. It was a yearly ritual that filled my heart with joy. The bus would make its long slow trek north; it became a bookmark for our yearly pilgrimage.
Other than wanting to visit our son as frequently as possible, what is the magic that Whistler has over my soul? For years we would take the bus from Vancouver to Whistler; winding its way up the Sky to Sea Highway. It was a yearly ritual that filled my heart with joy. The bus would make its long slow trek north; it became a bookmark for our yearly pilgrimage.
This is a journey of epic beauty. With my headphones on, listening to something on my iPhone that would take my mind to the place where my skiing dreams reside. I can only describe this journey as my own personal "happy place". The years where snow filled the treetops were the very best; promising days of skiing bliss ahead
In recent visits our journey has now included a Hertz rental car, not a bus ride. If we could only figure out how to get Bluetooth to work in the rental car I'd have the chance to play two of my epic Whistler travelling CD's; Josh Rouse's 1972 and Nashville. I've asked myself "why Josh Rouse?" and frankly, I've no idea. It just came to be. Some things in life you just have to accept.
In recent visits our journey has now included a Hertz rental car, not a bus ride. If we could only figure out how to get Bluetooth to work in the rental car I'd have the chance to play two of my epic Whistler travelling CD's; Josh Rouse's 1972 and Nashville. I've asked myself "why Josh Rouse?" and frankly, I've no idea. It just came to be. Some things in life you just have to accept.
In recent visits our journey has now included a Hertz rental car, not a bus ride. If we could only figure out how to get Bluetooth to work in the rental car I'd have the chance to play two of my epic Whistler travelling CD's; Josh Rouse's 1972 and Nashville. I've asked myself "why Josh Rouse?" and frankly, I've no idea. It just came to be. Some things in life you just have to accept.
The latest chapter in our Whistler tale was one of the very best. Lots and lots of snow, some crazy weather that covered just about everything from fresh snow, hail, rain, clouds, sunshine, Maximillian being with us and of course our wonderful friends from Whistler, Melbourne and Manchester who we get to see far too infrequently.
The skiing season is now officially over for us, all we have left are the memories, some pictures and a fast fading whistler wind burn that will soon disappear. Until next year folks.
SHOT WITH FUJI X100T + IPHONE 6
BERLIN + HAMBURG
We visited Berlin & Hamburg in December/January 2015/2016. It's now August 2017 as I'm writing this. The memories from this trip are still vivid. This is the great gift of photography, in an instant you can be taken back to another time and place.
As I'm rummaging through these I know I would process them differently today; quite a bit differently. But I'm reluctant to make any changes. It's like time stamping, once it's done it's done. 2-1/2 years later I'm very happy with the images in this post.
Berlin is a great, fun city to hang out in, notwithstanding the sobering visit to Sachsenhausen, the infamous concentration camp outside of Berlin. I think I would have preferred a warmer time of year but in some ways it was perfect. Our trip to Hamburg was capped with a visit with my old friend Shane who I hadn't seen in many years. We're both quite a bit greyer then the last time we met, but time has stood still in many ways and the sign of a true long lasting relationship is one where the conversation flows as easily as the day we met.
SHOT WITH FUJI X100T
