Silver Grill

source unknown :|

Silver babes going places.
That I like.

Photographs of this kind remind me of the beauty of forward motion. Portraits have their place, but street shooting is something I need to put into practice more. Respect!

This inspires the diva in me.

The Thresher

Woke with a start in clean sheets after a series of pot roast dreams. Dream reader, what in-sleep significance does the pot roast hold? Nice to MEAT ya. It was nice to rise with the early morning light. East facing windows. Ran into a real beauty this morning: Rusty! Getting so big, tiny little bun child in engineer stripes. Yum. Good latte and good company from Parlour on Main Street. Only Winnipeg latte that can transport me back to my '07 Europe trip in a single sip. Thanks amigos. It's good to be home.

Rusty's mama Crystal.

Writing from a small desk in my bedroom. The light is soft white. Thinking about things in an easy chair at home on a Saturday. What a pleasure. To reflect upon the last few weeks of life is wonderful. Highlights of recent life include:

- Seeing my cousin Billy marry his love Meagan while surrounded by mountains
- a helluva roadtrip to witness this family wedding with my love Craig and our good friend Chris (both talented photographers) and then heading deeper into the Rockies to drop Chris at VIA in Jasper
- Jasper, Alberta you beauty!! The Canadian landscape energizes the soul in me. Craig, Chris and I took a short camping trip just outside of Jasper in an old (but not forgotten) campsite just north of town. We swam (dunked heads in glacial run-off), lazed on logs and explored as three photographers with and without cameras. Wondrous to say the very least.
- Waved hard internally to you, Liza all through Alberta until we stopped for a sandwich in Saskatoon. Hello woman!
- Shooting so many inspired rolls of film in new places, ceremonies and young souls in their mama's arms. Pictures of mountains. Pictures of rocks and Craig's long legs.
- Flying to Toronto after a long drive home. Leo Leo Leo daze. Naked child in the garden with the mirrors. Tiny toy car world is his. When he crawled into my bed and shared my pillow on his back and laughed at my scary stories about the DARK DARK HOUSE and the narration of a new book about Victorian houses, my heart swelled up lying there until it split in love. Nice window into parenthood.
- Montreal felt like a great coat to slip into. We had fun in style. There were many little trips taken with Chanel and Lo. Car rides with women, long overdue. Cloudy beach perfect for shooting lazy slides. Italian hangovers. Antiques dug up in the heat.
- Approaching Simon and Steve in the dark after a long time apart. Dear to me's they are. Much gin was drunk. Many stoop tales ensued. Hearing stories of Steve's time woofing on farms in Italy filled me up. Sally. Oooh wee.

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Rode my moped over to visit Bram and got stopped by a cop out front of Rebel Waltz. Officer Jean. I don't keep mirrors on my moped. We had tattoos in the same spots coincidentally. Inside the studio, Bram worked on moons and taught me some things. Future is now. I am feeling very inspired and ready to giver.

This is Bram Adey.  He is one talented dude. See some of his work here.

Perks of dating a mechanic: sweet rides. Baby's first toptank.

Currenly listening to Abner Jay's Folk Song Stylist album on repeat. Unbelievably good listen. Full band, awesome drums and horns. When I pass away, please play Abner Jay on loop at the service. Thanks.

Yesterday Kat and I shot a heck of a wedding in the english garden at Leo Mol in Assiniboine park. Photos to come. Heap it on the pile! It been a great month for photography. Here is a shot of us in the bathroom at the Hilton, best part of the night!

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.