While walking around on my lunch break I ran into this lady and her little girl on the dock. After exchanging a few words about kids, I asked if I could take their photo to give them something to remember their day by. This is something I have done for people in the past and will continue to do so in the future. It is not a planned photo shoot, rather a spontaneous photo taken at random places. I have gotten "cool" street shots of people in the past without exchanging a single word and while I love those photos I often questioned the meaning of them since the person in the photo never gets to see them, and other than it being a cool photo, it holds little meaning to me. While I am sure that I will continue to do street photography from time to time, I prefer to have a short conversation with the "stranger" and give them my card so that they may download the photo from a folder which I make for them. I do not ask for payment, nor even photo credit, some photographers will frown at this, however like I said, I am a people person and I enjoy giving them a frozen moment of what belongs to them anyway, after all, they shared with me as well.
I have a unknown number of ideas that involve photography, many of which I will more than likely never find the time for. One idea that has been floating around in my head for about five years now, is called " I Met A Stranger Once". This is something that happens to all of us almost every day of our lives. Some "strangers" are people that we never meet or talk to again, others however become important people in our lives. My best friends were all strangers at one point or another in time, so were yours. "I Met A Stranger Once" is not about finding new friends, or making new contacts, for the most part I am pretty sure that I will never really talk to them again. "I Met A Stranger Once" is a way for me to give back as well as to learn not only about others, but to learn about myself as well.
Jason
I love you Beautiful and wish you a great day. I will see you and your growing belly tonight when I get home!
Wirklich.
Jason
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If I could ask for anything in my life for 2013, it would be a never ending supply of kindness and grace. The world is a better place when we slow down and remember what is important. I know that I fall short on a daily basis, but I also know that my heart is a good one. I will never spend enough time with my family and friends, but I want them to know that I love them and am proud that they are part of my life. I could not even imagine my journey without them. I remember simple times as a kid growing up, they were beautiful days. Looking back on them, they almost seem to belong to somebody else, as if I am watching a movie in which there is a kid that looks like what I would look like if I went back in time. That kid is still in me in so many ways. Maybe I am a dreamer, perhaps I am just trying to hold on to something that remains special to me. Either way, I can not thank my parents enough for all they have ever done for me, nor can I ever repay them for all they have given me.
I started this year a way I have never started any year, I started it married. It is funny, for that is something I thought I would do at around the age of 28, not 42. Actually, I remember sitting on my BMX bike in Rupert talking to a friend who was also 12 or 13 at the time. " I am going to be married by the time I am 28" I said. "I will have my first child right away and my 2nd child when I am 32 or 33....a boy first and then a girl." I really had it all figured out back then. Little did I know how far I would be from that, nor could I see at the time that that plan was just a reflection of my parent's life. So anyway, I am now recently married and we (Shara and I) are expecting. I have had an interesting life, however I know that none of that will compare to holding my child for the first time. A safe delivery for my wife and our baby is my biggest wish this year, a wish that is still very "unreal" at the moment. Shara, I love you. Mom and Dad, I thank you with all of heart, you two are the best parents and I love you! , Shrimp, you are the best sister a guy could ask for. Last but not least to all my friends both new and old, as well as to all those I have yet to meet, may God bless you and the ones you love this year!]]>
Jacklyn, Rick and their four legged family. http://www.itsoverrover.com/
As a photographer, I often find my clients and I looking for the perfect condition to set up an outdoor shoot. Locations may vary, however the preparation time is always the same. I pack my camera gear, charge the battery not only for the camera, but for the flash and the wireless triggers as well. The portable power pack for the strobes is also fully charged, as is the spare battery for the camera. Memory cards are all empty have been formatted and are face up in their case so I can easily recognize that they are unused. Things such as reflectors, filters, light stands, props etc are are all inside the bag they live in between shoots and are ready to go. The day, location, time and other small details have been gone over with the client, so everything is a go. Now all I can do is count the weeks, days, or hrs until the scheduled photo shoot. When that day comes I am excited and my excitement builds as I go over my mental checklist to make sure I have everything. Once that is done I open the front door so I can load all my camera gear etc into the van and that is when it happens. It rains! Weather is one of the things that we have no control over and it can change the entire game plan to the point where the shoot has to be called off and rescheduled. It has happened on a number of different occasions, sometimes repeatedly with the same client. Only a few short hours earlier the sun was shinning in all it's glory, with just the right amount of fluffy white clouds in the sky to diffuse the harshness of the natural light. Now buckets full of water have replaced the sun and there is no sign of white clouds in the dark sky. For me this is a photo shoot nightmare! Please do not get me wrong, I absolutely love stormy days as well as being out there with my camera for storms are amazingly beautiful.......just not when you have an outdoor shoot planed that involves babies, families or products.
Recently I had the honor of shooting for a company called It's Over Rover. This shoot had been called off at least 4-5 times over a period of 2 months already due to really bad weather. The day before the shoot the sun was shinning and it was another day in paradise on Vancouver Island. The day of the shoot came and although the morning was ok it started to rain cats and dogs shortly before we were to meet. I was sure that we would have to reschedule again, Jacklyn however choose to roll with it, so this time we just decided we would make the best of it and shoot anyway. I am really glad that we did, for even though things turned out different than we had planned we were able to capture some great moments and for that I am grateful! In a world where we often try to take control of things we forget that there are things that we have no control over. One of those things is the weather, the other is time. One of the beautiful dogs I was privileged to take photos of that day is sick and it is only a matter of time before he leaves us. Although that is a very sad thing, I feel really blessed to have been part of a special day for both Jacklyn (owner of IOR) and Rick (Jacklyn's husband). I was originally asked to just take photos for Jacklyn's company, however I am glad that she then asked if we could also take "family" photos. Working with dogs is Jacklyn's biggest passion, however it goes far beyond that. Jacklyn loves all dogs, however these ones along with Rick are her family. For those of you out there who have a dog and live on lower Vancouver Island, I highly recommend that you take a look at the It's Over Rover website linked above if you have any doggie needs that need to be taken care of.
Wishing everyone out there many relaxing walks along our beautiful beaches and wooded areas this fall/winter be that with or without a four legged friend!
Jason
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