Images Published in China
Some images I shot for Vancouver musician Martin Mayer were recently published in China as part of Martin’s tour. One small image was printed in Vogue China, and others were used in publicity photos as below. You can see more of Martin here
Just Divorced!
I first conceived of the idea of a Just Divorced photo shoot while driving around with my friend Jovo who had experienced a cathartic release upon getting divorced. The concept was to explore the idea of divorce as celebration, as release. I had the idea of Jovo jumping out of the back of his 82 vandura with a blow up doll and a “Just Divorced” heart across the rear. Well, as the prep for the shoot continued, the ideas got more and more concrete, and I got interested in parodying wedding images in general. We came up with four set ups an on Sunday September 20th, we shot them!
The shoot was a success with local models, Little Vegas, Gisela Cardenas and Stephanie Manou joining Jovo for a fun shoot, last sunday.
The final images are viewable by clicking the image below.
Assisting on the shoot were expert model wranglers, confetti tossers, and light manipulators: Matthew Power, Michael Gardiner, and Brandon. I would like to thank Melissa Dutchak for producing the “Just Divorced” sign and I would also like to extend an extra special thanks to Christyn and Bogey for allowing us to throw rice and confetti all over their front lawn and turn their living room into a green room. Thanks!
Below are some behind the scenes pics from Michael Gardiner’s iphone.
Photo A Day Insights
It’s been almost a month that I have been taking my camera with me almost everywhere I go. Its been a month of serious looking, examining, mental framing, and risky driving maneuvers as I pull over on the sides of busy roads to shoot something that caught my eye.
Its been fantastic.
But perhaps the most exciting insight I have gleaned from this project so far, is confidence in the knowledge that great images are literally just under my nose. Two of the last three images I have taken are within tennis-ball-throwing-range of my kitchen, and that has re-opened my eyes to the visual world around me. I almost can’t not see pictures everywhere I go at the moment.
Check out my progress: PHOTO A DAY
MJPH
Photo A Day Project!
Commencing on the summer equinox this June 21st 2009, I will take one photograph a day, for one full year.
This project has had several motivations: firstly, I caught myself saying that I take better photos while traveling. I realized that this belief was not only destructive, but completely untrue. Rather than “ability,” it’s attitude that makes great photos in everyday life — that and the discipline of carrying my camera all the time.
There are images, remarkable, small, and beautiful right under my nose every day … primarily, this project is designed to engage my observational abilities in everyday life.
I started on the summer equinox to have a seasonal record, rather than a calendar record of a year. I think this has something to do with connecting directly with my life in an earth-bound manner, rather than a man-made calendar year.
The Plan:
1. Take one photo every day.
2. Take at least one portrait, one landscape and one abstract per week. Anybody want their portrait taken in the next year? Contact me!
I may not be able to upload the images every day, but be assured, the images will have been shot on the day in question.
You can follow my progress at: MJPH’s PHOTO A DAY
CBC Literary Awards Finalist
Line of Control, my account of two weeks traveling through Kashmir made the shortlist of 22 finalists in the creative non-fiction category of the 2008 CBC literary awards.
I consider it a real honor to be shortlisted in a contest that lists authors like Michael Ondaatje amongst its previous winners. For more information on the awards and to view the finalists, click here.
Story in June Issue of Climbing
I have a thousand words in the June issue of climbing, along with two photos. The story is the lead in the ”off-the-wall” section. It’s entitled, ”El Castillo Illegal.”
Oh No, Disappointment !!!
To all my friends excited about reading my story in the Globe today, I can only tell you that it must have only been published in the Toronto edition or some such thing. They tell me it was on page 12 of the travel section and was accompanied with a cartoon drawn by the paper’s cartoonist. .
Having read the web version (available HERE ) I can tell you that they story was dramatized, edited and homogenized before publishing. Best to read the real deal below.
