Ottawa River Inukshuk

My wife and youngest on a walk along the Ottawa river.  These Inukshuk are left by locals and depict families.  Seemed appropriate to take a snap. 

There are over 30 of them and most are in the water just off the shore near the Laroch Park on the Ontario side.  Really beautiful. 

Makes for a wonderful place to put a face.

Letters behind a name, or, "What have you done lately?"

A good friend of mine, Peter Peets, described his route to photography and asked a question related to running a photography business.

"... any thoughts on getting photography accreditation - any value in that?"

Here's my long-winded 2c worth...
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Thank you for your comments, Peter. You’re very kind.

Your history with photography is a similar one I’ve heard from several photogs who in later years blossom into significant talents. It’s a passion that once ignited never goes out. Oddly enough, I too was in a high school camera club. I spent many spare periods in the darkroom inhaling chemicals and spinning spools of film. Uncharacteristically however, I did not move back into photography directly. It was only seven years ago that I took up sketching; mostly charcoal/pencil stuff.

It was while studying compositional rules and techniques for adding meaning and interest in artwork that it really dawned on me that photography uses the same principles. In fact, it represented for me a more pure form of art where manual dexterity (or lack thereof) did not limit the expression of a message. The wonder and curse of popular access to digital cameras and tools has allowed this form of art a flourishing growth. It’s opened vaults of artistic talent in millions of common folk. I love it.

You asked about the value of getting photography accreditation. As far as I can tell there are several reasons a photographer would seek accreditation:
1. To gain media access to events.
2. To impress and reassure clients.
3. To impress and reassure oneself.

Media access is a valuable thing if you’re after editorial work. I am associated with a sports photography company (Action Sport International) that gives me access to official events like games, marathons, etc. I haven’t done any events yet but look forward to the challenge. I’ve also approached a national magazine and may yet score something there.

Impressing clients is a funny thing. In truth, the best assurances for good work come from referrals. Nevertheless, a few letters on your business card and web site helps to give an overall image of professionalism. I’ve belonged to the local camera club which gives me membership to Canadian Association for Photographic Arts, CAPA. I also used a production company for wedding and portraits, Pictage. So, combined I could use the phrase, ‘accredited member of AIS, CAPA, and Pictage’. That’s a nice set of letters. Doesn’t change my images and as far as I can tell didn’t get any more clients but perhaps in an unseen way, it added credibility. Don’t know. The only real value I got was in access to their services such as mentoring/instruction, publications, etc. That’s definitely worth it.

Impressing myself is a constant challenge. Not that my standards are all that high but by nature of my own proximity to myself, I’ve seen everything before. (lol) Seriously, the greatest pleasure I get is in finding/making an image that, like a funny punch line, surprises me. It should happen more often and I’m working on stretching myself into new areas. Second greatest pleasure is having others see something of worth in these favourite shots. The last pleasure is getting paid for it so I can sustain this adventure.

In the end, it only matters what we are able to in the next photo shoot. Letters behind our name won't do that, just the gray matter behind the lens.

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My country, my quiet Canada.

It was a beautiful, cold, fall morning here in Eastern Ontario. I was fortunate to capture some images of the gentle countryside out back of my local town. It's a hidden pastoral paradise five minutes from the din of high tech business.


Just beyond these trees (above) there was a field filled with geese gobbling their morning gossip. This cornfield offered rest, fallen kernels, and avian social networking. The concenus was that they didn't like my presense much and took to flight. The sound of wind raised by their wings swept across the fields.

Milky. That's the feeling I got when squinting into the sun's blast to see this morning field.


As I mentioned in a recent tweet, it's often a hit or miss thing with shooting landscape. In the field, you see things differently, more emotionally. The wideness of each vista is somehow able to spread beyond vision and into the heart. It's not often that I get the same feeling on reviewing the files on the computer. But this next one, with the bare trees against the sky, the turned fields flat and ready, the trimmed grass, they all speak of land bleak and bare; yet one that people have loved. To me, it came out close to what I felt.


I have another image I'm working on from a shoot several days ago. I'm not sure what I think of it. I'm letting it steep like tea. Time tells a better story. I hope to share it when it's ready.

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The Embrace

Bless the dark chill that drives lovers to embrace.

I stole this moment between two lovers,

Comforting each other in the last days of their lives.

Long struggles in the growing/living season,

Did not harvest in either a bitter fruit.

Even when left old with wind withered faces, leaves and stems gone slack,

I couldn't help but noticed, they had both grown a common heart.

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