Stuff Your Eyes With Wonder..

A while ago a friend and I headed out to take a few photos of the sun fading from the sky and stare in wonderment at the stars above. We managed to find a spot not too far from my place that seemed like the perfect location with very little light pollution. A spot I'll be coming back to I'm sure. Here are my three favorite photos from our little adventure.

 Standing out there in the cold beholding the beauty of the stars shining bright and true I couldn't help but think of Ray Bradbury's thoughts in Fahrenheit 451:

"Stuff your eyes with wonder, live as if you'd drop dead in ten seconds. See the world. It's more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories."

 

I've got to say after sitting in that spot for a few hours gazing at the stars above I felt as if I managed to stuff my eyes with the wonder of the world. All in all it was a wonderful way to spend a few hours... But next time I'll be bringing a thermos of hot chocolate!

I Choose...

 It's 3:45 am and smoke hangs heavy in the air. Sleep does not come easy to this restless mind of mine...

So now seems as good a time as any to actually type out a post I've been writing in my head for quite a while now. You know the type that you write and re-write over and over in your mind til one day you actually sit down at your keyboard and punch it out.

Yep it's one of those posts... So settle in for a manifesto of sorts if you will. Hope to see you on the other side.

I Choose

I choose to throw away the measuring stick

I choose not listen to those who seek to bring me down

I choose to stop keeping up with the Jones (who are they anyway?)

I choose to follow my own path wherever it may go

I choose to not get to get discouraged when things don't happen as I expected

I choose to do what makes me happy

I choose to live, laugh, love and learn

I choose to tune out those who don't deserve a say in my life to begin with

I choose to live a BIG life

I choose to be brave and stick to my guns

I choose to passionately pursue my photography career with vigor and determination

I choose to grow and learn and develop my photography skills in every way possible

I choose to go on adventures...even if they are in my own city

I choose not to put life on pause waiting for something to happen

I choose to be confident in my talents and abilities

I choose to be confident in myself

I choose not to care about other's judgments

I choose to dream

I choose to have fun 

I choose to stand up for myself and for what I believe in

I choose not to spend so much time thinking/worrying about tomorrow

I choose to live in the moment

I choose to make mistakes and I choose to learn from them

I choose joy

I choose to be who I am no matter what the circumstance

I choose to see the beauty in every moment I have on this Earth and make the most of each moment

What about you? What do you choose?

 

Twin Bridges

About a week ago I got up and dressed before the sunrise to capture the beauty of a brand new day. It seemed like the perfect day to re-visit a spot that I'd been to roughly a year before. Thankfully I got there a bit before the sun rose which gave me the chance to scout the location a little bit more than the last time and fit in a few sneaky l-o-n-g exposure shots before the sun started its climb to start off a new day.

Of course this was the perfect opportunity to break out my ultra wide lens (gotta love that 8-16mm focal length) and experiment with perspective and distortion. I just loved this little spot underneath the two towering bridges above. While I was there I couldn't help but think that it would make a magnificent backdrop to some stellar portraits. I'm slowly gathering an arsenal of perfect portrait backdrops... So if you're in the area and feel like some photos be sure to contact me.   

As can happen when I'm off taking landscape photos on my own I got completely wrapped up in the experience - completely enthralled in my long exposure shots underneath the bridge. So much so that the next thing I knew colour was starting the creep into the sky and I wasn't in position. Luckily I am now able to pack down my gear in record time and I (almost) ran to the best closest spot to capture the sunrise. 

I know I say it every single time but there's something kind of breathtaking about watching the sunrise. Seeing a band new day full of infinite possibilities take hold is something everyone should witness at least once in their lives.

 

I decided to add a black and white treatment to one of my under the bridges digital shots. I have a bit of an infatuation with black and white photography. Especially film black and white photography - the grain, the texture, the varying hues of black and gray - simply bliss. Given all that you can understand why half my rolls of 35mm film are 'true black' rolls. I'm going to get a bunch of my rolls of film developed soon and I'll be sure to share once I get my hands on them.

There should be a lot more coming up on this little blog super soon so keep your eyes peeled. In the meantime I hope you're having a wonderful week!