Strobist Boot Camp II

SB2-Headshot-Ass
Originally uploaded by Objectif Image

I've decided to participate in the Strobist Boot Camp II - mainly to get me shooting again after a long, dry (creatively) winter. I've been reading Strobist on an almost daily basis for about three years now, so it's about time I jumped in. David Hobby, who runs the site, has created a fabulous resource and global community of people interested in off-camera flash.

Assignment #1 of BC2 is a Headshot. ( http://strobist.blogspot.com/2009/06/boot-camp-ii-first-assignment.html ). We were encouraged to shoot an unemployed person as a way of helping someone looking for work. Oddly I don't know anyone unemployed. Guess that comes from being so firmly rooted in a government town.

In any case, this is my entry. A headshot of Mattias dressed in his new TMNT pyjamas. Gotta get this boy in some martial arts lessons!

Part 2 of the assignment, for some level of integrity to ensure people are shooting new material, is that your subject then has to shoot you in the same light you shot the model in. So yes, Matt took this picture of me. Both shot in the back yard about dusk.

Trev n Megan

Sarah n Megan

Proud Daddy

I think the picture says it all...

Sarah and Danielle

Sarah and her mom.

Sarah

Sarah on her wedding day.

Columbine 2

A white version of the same columbine flower.

Spring Flowers

Our garden is green and colorful. Summer flowers are beginning to bloom, now that the tulips are gone. Here is a remarkably beautiful hybrid columbine.

Thought for the day...

``Ultimately, we will be judged by how we raised our children.``
R. Sammon

Lucky In Love!

A short reminder of why I'm lucky.
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The Pews

And assuming they had pews in the 1500s, this would have been where the parishioners listend to all those sermons (hopefully not too many on Nehemiah!).

Cathedral Interior 3

Presumably, from this pulpit, Calvin preached - apparently over 2,000 sermons, according to wikipedia.

During his ministry in Geneva, Calvin preached over two thousand sermons. Initially he preached twice on Sunday and three times during the week. This proved to be too heavy a burden and late in 1542 the council allowed him to preach only once every Sunday. However, in October 1549, he was again required to preach twice on Sundays and in addition every weekday of alternate weeks. His sermons lasted more than a hour and he did not use notes or manuscripts. An occasional secretary tried to take down notes of his sermons, but up to 1549 very little of his preaching has been preserved. However, in that year a professional scribe, Denis Raguenier, who had learnt or developed a system of shorthand, was assigned to record all his sermons. In analysing his sermons, Calvin was a consistent preacher and his style changed very little over the years.

Wonder

Matt asked to see pictures tonight from when he was a baby. It was fun, wonderful, astonishing and moving to look at photos and remember how tiny and helpless he was... He's five now! Wow.

Here's a photo I saw this evening that, for me, captured the wonder in Alex' eyes, at her newborn child. Wonder and adoration. A sense of pride and, perhaps, astonishment at this beautiful little thing she brought into the world. Good job Babe!

Cathedral Interior #2

Cathedral Interior 1

I have a number of interior shots that I will work on and post. This is the first. My problem with all of these was the long shutter speeds, which, even with an image-stabilized lens, were pushing it for handholding.

The Holy Bible

Could this have been the bible that Calvin preached from? Studied with? Not sure, but it was open in the nave on a stand; open to Psalms.

Pillars of the Reformation

Walking about the old city of Geneva, I came across John Calvin's church the Cathedral of St. Peter. Turns out the Swiss Protestant churches are celebrating the 500th anniversary of the birth of John Calvin, a formative figure in the Reformation.

I took a ton of photos inside as well as outside. This is the pillars from the grand steps at the front of the cathedral.

Mutual Support

Taken on a recent business trip to Geneva. If I recall correctly this piece of public art was called Mutual Support and celebrates a mutual defense/support pact between the cities of Geneva, Zurich and Basle from several hundred years ago. Forgot to photograph the plaque

Just because...

Élysia needed a photo for school. This was taken on a pony ride at the Toronto Zoo in August.

A new love?

Well, new relationships are never easy. My new 'ami' is a 60mm f2.8 Micro Nikkor. A wee pressy for being good. Or working hard. Or something like that. I've never had a real macro lens before, and this promises to open up a new aspect of photography for me. It should combine very well with gardening, me thinks. I'm finding it a surprisingly demanding lens - it demands careful attention to technique and won't tolerate casual or sloppy approaches. It's contrasty and has, to my eyes, absolutely lovely bokeh and nicely contrasty images. I think this is a friend who repays your efforts, but demands your best. Hmmmm...