Won an award – PPOC-Alberta competition

Last weekend, Exposure Symposium 2013 was held in Calgary Alberta by Professional Photographers of Canada – Alberta. I submitted 4 of my images for competition.  I was in a gallery at the judging session and had opportunity to hear all comments made by five judges. They are all master photographers and certified for judging. I believe professional means they have ability to perform thing regular people cannot so. All judges are like physicians diagnosing X-ray. They found things photographers had missed in creative process accurately. The difference from physicians is they were judging images from artistic points of view.

So my results…two images were rejected, one image was accepted and one image got merit. According to some photographers, these results were not so bad for me who joined PPOC one half years ago and tried a competition first time. AND more exciting news is I won the best in class award in Pictorial category. I know this is just small step. I have to work even harder.

Well the winning photo will be exhibited in upcoming show at Higher ground cafe from March 5^th. More details about the show will be informed. Stay tuned.

What’s wrong with snap shot – Crashed cessna near Takakkaw in 2001

This time, the article won’t be serious. I found this photo when I was archiving slide film. This photo was taken in 2001 when I was living in Kaploops, British Columbia and travelled to Canadian Rockies. I do remember so many things happened during my trip in 2001, but I totally forgot about the crashed Cessna near Takakkaw falls. I searched on Google and I found the airplane was 180 floatplane crashed around August 19th, 2001.

This photo is just a snap shot. But I got back some other memories with this photo like I left eyeglasses at the camping site after I took picure and I had to go back from hiking for 3 km to get them back, or I injured my knee in Lake O’hara, or a pole of the tent broke at Mt. Edith Cavell and I had to give up camping. I barely made parking lot before sunset. We phographers often have discussions like wether photography is art or how original photography should be. But I sometimes think camera is great visual recording tool, and the snap shots please people years later. That’s aslo powerful.

Couple portrait – a little spice to the photo

One more photo from the couple-portrait session which I talked in my previous blog post. This photo was taken in a little foot-tunnel in a park, and I like this location since I can try many funky photographic ideas. This time I lit the wall of the corrugated tunnel with pink gel. I believe I did not direct them to pose; the couple posed spontaneously. A client said my style was more like a movie director. Yes, I would like my clients to experience to be actors.  I love clients bring up ideas and create images together.

I think this image is completed as it is and I gave this version to them originally. She looks so strong, almost goddess-like, and he is watching over their new baby gently . But when I came back this image after months, I felt I need to spice up the entire image to enhance the impression I got in it. So this is the new version.

Please click the image for larger size. I am very sure my imagination is expanding  both at locations with my camera and at home on my computer, compared to even just one year ago. What I feel so lucky as an artist? It is when people enjoy a photo session and my art brings something to their lives (so satisfied work is not good enough to me).  In fact, I just like people.

By the way, now I am offering campagne. 15% discount for who booked portrait session and wedding by the end of January.  My contact infor is here

Related post: Couple portraits – Now I am posting because…

Couple portraits – Now I am posting because…

Here are some left over from last year. I wanted to post these photos from the photo session for the fabulous couple. I waited to post these images because I re-processed all images at the end of last year since I bought Nik Color Efex and Topaz B&W Effects. Nik Color Efex has changed my processing work flow totally. I was skeptical of using these digital filters since I felt I would alter me to just a switch pressing machine. But after some practices of using Color Efex, I became able to apply effects to meet my processing plans. Then these digital filters are really useful.

By the way, this couple just got new addition to the family. I wish their long happy life.

Please click the images for larger sizes.

Photographic gallery show at “Framed on Fifth” by Royce Howland

One day, when I visited Framed on Fifth, a lovely custom framing shop in Calgary, the owner of the store, Hannah asked me what kind of wide-angle lens was good to record gallery shows…Framed on Fifth has gallery space and they exhibit variety of arts every month. She needs a wide-angle lens to record each show. Actually, I am not a good person to ask this type of the question since equipment is least favorite topic for me. Some people can talk about every catalog data of all Canon or Nikon lenses. I am an opposite type of the photographer. But I became more interested in how I can capture her pretty store and the gallery show. Then I can give some ideas to Hannah.

I should talk about the gallery show this month since it is featuring Royce Howland, fabulous photographer from Calgary. I knew his name from some of my friends’ blog and Outdoor photography Canada magazine. Although, he and I took the same bus from Lake O’Hara about one and half years ago, I did not know who Royce was. Then I found him at PPOC (Professional Photographers of Canada) meeting. That was the first time I talked to him. We both were accredited by PPOC in nature photography category at the same time.

This is too late to announce but the opening reception of the show will be happening tomorrow, on January 4th from 5 pm to 9 pm. Royce’s photos were printed by Costas at Resolve photo, the most trusted printer in Calgary due to high quality prints, and they were framed by Hannah. You know fabulous b&w photos which are printed by the best printer and framed truly experienced framer… the show must be awesome! I am sure we will have deep conversation…deeper than catalog data for sure… at the opening reception. As a professional photographer, I am happy to be part of the community. I am looking forward to seeing them tomorrow.

• Flyer of the gallery show is here
• Direction to Framed on Fifth is here and their website
• Website of Resolve photo is here
• Lastly, please visit Royce’s website, Vivid aspect photography