Portrait of a Baba

"Baba" shot in Teulon, Manitoba. Age 89 and spry as hell.

Wedding photography is tricky work. I admire the people who can do it weekend after weekend for their bread and beurre. While working within the role of second shooter, I tend to find myself drawn to the singular stars of any wedding event. Portrait hunter. In a rare moment of stillness in between running around slipping rings off fingers, loading cameras and hanging wedding dresses from trees in the bush while the bride readied herself, Baba caught my eye the instant I saw her sitting at her kitchen table in Teulon.

In the cool of her homestead kitchen, she stood out from all the rest. 

I was shocked to hear she was pushing ninety as her sparkling eyes and overall aura radiating from her electric blue soul told me otherwise. While shooting family portraits under the beating sun that afternoon, I asked Baba if I could fetch her a chair to rest. She looked at me and without skipping a beat, knocked her cane on her shin and said with a lilt "Why would I need such a thing? I have three legs!" Amen sister. Charmed I was, this was not the only portrait I asked of her. This Ukrainian Baba was giving it away for free! 

In between ceremony and dinner, she ambled over to her perennial and vegetable garden to pick potato bugs and tend to her flowers in the 35 degree heat (in her party dress no less). To me, she is the definition of beauty. If I am lucky to live a long life, I hope to age with as much grace and spirit as this little Baba.

* Kiev 60/ Portra 400 // that I like

For you

For Leo, because you love ants more than anyone I know. Albuquerque, NM / June 2013

For Kat, because you love Lavender. Albuquerque, NM / June 2013

For Lisa, because you are a barber. Albuquerque, NM / June 2013

For Liza, because you love a good stoop. Albuquerque, NM / June 2013

For Milkman, because you love aviation. Albuquerque, NM / June 2013

For Maya Rose, because you love clouds. Homeward bound / June 2013

For Tante MB, because you inspire me to fill my sills with plants. Home in Winnipeg / June 2013

This beautifully exposed color crop is from a recent roll of Ektar 100. No editing necessary for these bold primary colors. RED and blue come out great with this type of film. As my dad always says, do it right the first time. I have been making an effort to slow down and expose properly while out shooting with the Kiev and in doing so have been very pleased with the recent fruit of labor coming back from the lab.

Oh Summer, you are so damn photogenic! I have a heap of contrast rolls that need attention. But first I must wash floors, clean one more bathroom and finish the baby's laundry.

July flowers

Roses on Arlington.

Duck Tales

This is my neighbor to the east, The Duck. Ambassador-at-large of North Point Douglas. Tucked under his right arm is Lana and under the left arm is Kat. For a man of many stories, having an incredibly talented/ gorgeous photographer on each arm makes for a pretty good story. Not bad Duck, not bad. Hard copies for all parties involved is necessary. Duckman is one my neighborhood muses. Those eyes! That ever-changing beard! Oh my stars.

Film stock /// 120 Ilford Delta 400-- my go-to these dazzze.

Hook & Ladder

Day in the life of a nanny and company-- the wonder years. This professionally scanned roll of Ektar 100 spells it right out: life is pretty sweet. On Wednesdays, my friend Rachel and I try to get our bosses together for a playdate. Leo and Desmond are pictured above and both lads are 18 months old respectively. They are pretty neat.

This sweet time in life won't last forever so I am trying to capture the goodness of it all. Opinionated Leo on the back stoop steps. Friendly Leo waving hello to the large and in charge mother and daughter duo at Vimy Ridge park. Leo and Desmond guzzling from each other's water vessels. Hook and ladder attendants to the rescue in matchy-matchy swim wear. Rachel is a real beauty and a wonderful nanny to Desmond. When I asked for her portrait, she gave her face wide open and I think it is my favorite shot of the year thus far. Thank you senorita.

Time flies.

Looking forward to shooting Ross and Pete's portraits from a father son shop perspective in a few weeks time. But before then, there are family weddings to attend, new cities to explore with Leo upon my shoulders and friends of the ages to wine and dine in La Belle Province. Upcoming travel brews on the horizon. What luck!

A damn wise woman once said: BEFORE ANY GREAT CHANGE, TAKE A HOLIDAY. Amen, Chanel. A bientot, bebe.

Shy Teeth

Baby's first GIF. This one goes out to Miss Lisa King who is busy being Princess of PRT out in the woods of Northern Ontario at the moment.

We decided to try trading smiles for an evening. Not so natural.

Miss you turd. Come back alive.

The Glint

Annie and her man. Roseisle, Manitoba / August 2012

Rain day \
Work day \

Turns out, all I needed to light the fire under my ARSE were six sheets of sparkly poster board from Dollarama and the '71 album from Sugarman Rodriguez called Cold Fact. Damn, what a listen.

The beat of the pouring rain against the roof of the lean-to kept me focused this afternoon as a new stencil crawled up the wall. And OH how long it had been since I had last been moved to make. It has been nearly a year since shooting the photo of the couple above (shot at the Rainbow Trout Music Festival). Annie and her man; never caught his name. It took many months to complete carving out a stencil from the 16"x16" hand printed photo enlargement to then project for the large work I had in mind as soon as these two entered my line of vision.

Giant wall hanging on army duck. Her little teeth. The worn curve of his jean pocket. The rose tattooed to her chest. His twinkle. Those beads.

Sharpened pencils at ready behind both ears, one in the mouth and a pair chasing the lines of projection at home on a Sunday. Working hard in a straw hat. If one can carve with two hands one should be able to draw with both too. Practice makes perfect so I hear.

The carving process is now underway. Not bad for a day's work. It is days like this that keep me coming back, keep me looking, shooting, printing, carving. The circle spins me towards the place I cry for longingly in the wintertime. There is a strong sense of purpose to this strange stencil practice I can't describe. All I know is that I have to keep going until my arms fall off.

And that feels good.

Pilgrimage in slides

Religious roses.

Watende colors his own beard. Represent.

Watende shot this of me while waiting to board a train. Soft looks.

Pink piñata room. 

Color in unexpected places always catches my eye.
Scanned (home-job) 120 Fujichrome 100 / New Mexico / June 2013.

Babies be babies

Boys boys boys at Peanut Park. I love them all so much I could eat them.

Crystal and Donny's Rusty.

Colette and Matt's Leo.

Sara and Anthony's Jack.

Corpus Christi

I heard the parade before I saw it. Flower tending quickly trumped by trumpets. I ran up the stairs for the camera lying on the table which just so happened to be freshly loaded with Fujichrome 100. Slide film. Nice.

It did not take long to catch up with the Portuguese procession and when I asked two elderly gentlemen resting curbside if it would be offensive to shoot the celebration, they urged me on after sharing some background on their culture. They explained that in Portugal the parade is known as Dia de Corpo de Deus, a celebration of the body of Christ represented by the baskets of sweet bread carried atop the heads of the elderly women within the Catholic church. This moveable feast is celebrated annually on the Sunday following Holy Trinity toward the end of May or early June.

When I asked the woman in the first photograph for her portrait, she curtsied gracefully without hesitation and gave her face wide open. The basket of bread steady atop her head as she moved.