Cloudy days and cookies

Thank goodness the weatherman isn't always right. Today, the forecast called showers. This morning, I was supposed to take portraits for the C family at Vanier Park. I brought an umbrella, just in case. It didn't rain a single drop. Maybe it's Murphy's Law. Surprisingly, the weather has been very co-operative whenever I happened to have photo shoots outdoors - especially since this is the rainy season of Vancouver.

It was quite the challenge to get the attention of their little girl A, or any two year old child. A thought there were way more interesting things happening, like the people and dogs walking by, airplanes and birds flying overhead. Thankfully, with a some coaxing from her parents, a yo-yo toy, a new found toy (a seashell), sprinkled in with a few breaks and a few Arrowroot cookies, we made it through the shoot.

New Blog Focus

After a season of taking a break from photography, I dove into photography classes - all sorts, including black and white film and children, to name a couple. Now, I'm taking a break from the classes and am applying what I've learned. I have taken photos for family and family on occasion in the past. No, I'm not quitting my day job. I'm just exploring the world of portrait photography (and some candid) for friends and family. So, this blog will now feature some of my photography.

One of my earlier projects included a maternity shoot. Ironically, when I took the children's portraiture class, I missed the studio shoot for maternity photos. That didn't stop me from trying my hand at this genre. My friend J wanted some maternity pics, so here is one of the photographs. It was a beautiful fall day in late October. I snapped these photos just a week shy of their new baby being born. Talk about good timing. If you like, you can see more of my photos on my flickr page (on the left hand side of this blog).

Taking the plunge

Some days I feel like this little duck. I'm not sure what's going to happen, and I'm not sure I have the guts to find out. There's a saying that refers to ducks (something like adapting or adjusting to a new habit ... like ducks to water). This week, I'll be meeting with several people from the Vancouver Public Library. I'm not sure if I'm ready to take the plunge into the library work world, let alone a public library.

The public library environment does sound appealing. There's the 'jackie of all trades' element ... this is great for providing a variety of tasks (ie not get into a rut) and the patrons come from all walks of life! Maybe it would be a good idea to take the Storytelling course ... just in case. :) Maybe I'll be ready to take the plunge into the library world by the end of this summer term.

montreal horse and buggy
Originally uploaded by shutter_grl.

here's a pic i took of old montreal. it was such a nice day to walk around ... a bit cloudy, but still warm. it felt like i've entered another century.

admiring mother nature's artistic side

scenic tulips
Originally uploaded by shutter_grl.

ottawa's tulip festival at dow's lake. may 15, 2005.

signs of spring

buds
Originally uploaded by shutter_grl.

this weekend was relaxing.

finally made it to the ottawa public library ... took out a few books ... explored their library. indulged in reading "real simple" magazine -- my fave publication (practical yet picturesque!) took out "confessions of a shopaholic" for some light reading, "the missing manual for Mac OS X" for practical purposes, "the swashbucklers" by knowlton nash for nostalgic reasons and "paper shadows" by wayson choy for cultural enrichment and insight.

met with a fellow co-op student for coffee. she and i will be staying in the nation's capital for a second term.

we discussed the student evaluations. we talked about how politeness in some cultures can be seen as not being assertive enough, or possibly even passive. my friend, being a caucasian, noted that Canadians are pretty polite, too. women, are still, to some degree, socialized to be submissive. so, we agreed that assertiveness or passiveness could be measured by varying degrees ... depending on the person ... maybe librarians are also a bit "timid" because they don't want to offend patrons ... hmmm ...

as we had this discourse, we sat by the rideau canal and soaked in the sun. we also observed the sad state of debris leftover which the snow once concealed. the national spelling bee tour bus was parked on the other side of the canal. kids were out taking advantage of the balmy weather (we think). kids. sign of new life. the two seem to go well together.

when another season starts, particularly spring, it's a time to plan for the summer ... for relaxation. sowing the seed for the warm weather to grow something or other, as gardeners and farmers do. summer slips by so swiftly, if not scrutinized. so many plans, potential ... but unless there is intention and purpose and some goals established early in the season, fall comes more quickly than we wish.

more photos?

if you want to see more photos ... check this page

decisions, decisions, decisions

lately, i've been pondering whether or not i should go digital ... in terms of cameras ...

there are several factors when considering changing from film to digital photography ...
what type of photography will be done? what type of quality is desired? is most work done for black and white and colour or just colour? is this for fun? for professional work?

a friend of mine is looking to sell his fancy digital manual camera ... very tempting offer...
but, i can't justify spending a lot of money on a camera when i'm still trying to finance my education. the only way i could justify, or rationalize, this major purpose is to view it as an investment ... to do freelance work. however, with the crazy student load, i'm not sure if this freelance option is honestly that viable.

sigh. well, i guess i'll have to sleep on it. again.

photo page

finally got the photos of the make-over developed ...

make-over

christal and jo gave aunt freda a make-over! i'll post the photos once they're developed ... make up can do wonders. it transforms can transform an already pretty face into something stunning.

just for fun, i decided to do a "photo-essay" of this transformation process. christal did the make up while jo curled hair. definitely brought back memories of working as a reporter.

meanwhile, uncle julian was constructing a carriage (chinese-style) for a couple who was celebrating their silver anniversary. didn't realize he was quite the carpenter ... got a few action shots of him working.

speaking of taking pictures, jo asked me to photograph her school's cultural concert this thursday. should be interesting and a challenge. it's been too long since i've photographed stuff. maybe that's a good sign ... the passion for photography is finally coming back ...