web analytics

Alex's Photography Weblog

"to see the world in a grain of sand..."

POI – people of influence: #1

by Leave a Comment

Not neccessarily the Number 1 POI, but influencial for sure.  Deepak Chopra. He has influenced my perceptions about imagination and creativity.  Despite what you may think about his “new age” philosophy, he has a way of helping you see alternatives.  To me, imagination and the art of seeing is all about the alternative.

What we see everyday might be mundane and even boring, but with the right influence or suggestion, we can begin to see alternatives in the everyday views.  My image “The Devil’s in the Details” is a bit of the embodiment of this.  The title is only a suggestion, but you begin to see the alternative views when you look past the reality of a bush, because of the way our perceptions work.

If you are open to different ways of thinking – and thus, seeing, read a few pages from Deepak’s books.  Enlightening in so many ways.

News Flash

by Leave a Comment

Bad news is I didn’t recliam my trophy as Photographic Artist of the Year. :-(                      I was however a finalist.

Good news is I won first prize in the Experimental Catergory for "The devil’s in the details’  I get a small, but very nice trophy 🙂   This image also won a Judge’s Choice Ribbon and, while this is not official yet, – I have heard that it also made it into the Loan Collection – the top 40 images in Canada created by professional photographers.

That would make it 4 images in three years that made it to the loan collection! 

I am happy. I am grateful to the Judges for their consideration and the time they gave to try to "get" that image. I guess they all got it.

Have a superb weekend – I may be out celebrating at my fav restaurant, FUDE.   Maybe I’ll see you there!!!

Continue Reading

Entry # 4

by Leave a Comment

The Devil’s in the Details

the devil's in the details

This one was concieved 2 years ago as a result of a short trip down my road, and some random playing in photoshop.

I had a pretty good version of this concept all made up as a large format print (it really needs to be seen LARGE – so the web version is not quite as dramatic), but the horizon in the distance was a very negative distraction.

No amount of photoshopping could remove it in a realistic way. I have to say I was more than perplexed as to how to get rid of it, to complete the transformation of what I saw in my head and what would be renedered on the page.

I put the images away but never quite forgot about my vision.  Fast forward to Spring 2010 – we had 2 weeks of fog.

The fog obliterated everything more than a few feet from the camera. Back to the devil shrubs  – PERFECT!

Mother Nature made the distracting horizon invisible just so I could create this image.

The vegetation had grown and changed quite a bit in the ensuing 12 months so I started a new version and I am very glad i did.

Awarded EXCELLENT – PPOC Image Competition 2010.

Entry # 3

by Leave a Comment

dreamywaves underwater

If displacement maps are a mumbo jumbo term for you, then I will keep this one short!

I was experementing with displacement maps, and as I was playing around, this was going through my head – don’t ask me why!

From The Tempest (by William Shakespeare)


Full fathom five thy Father lies,
Of his bones are coral made:
Those are pearles that were his eyes,
Nothing of
him that doth fade,
But doth suffer a sea-change
Into
something rich & strange…

And what you see is the result of several hours of meditation on one of Willy’s grand verses.

ACCEPTED at the PPOC National Image Show, 2010

Entry # 2

by Leave a Comment

moraine lake canoes

Last summer I hiked around parts of Moraine Lake in Banff National Park, (too many tourists to do it right!), but it was a stunning view just the same, and from some angles I could get shots sans people. I’m going back there very soon BEFORE the tourist season starts so I can take a day to explore it in more detail.

There was one lone paddler amongst all the sightseers, and I would have given almost anything to hitch a ride with him to the far shore of the lake where people couldn’t get to. But why should I spoil his adventure – he took off in a hurry eager to enjoy the unreal emerald waters and the sunlight that danced on each wave. Lucky man.

This image was ACCEPTED.

No it’s not HDR in case you’re wondering :-).

Return to top of page

Return to top of page