Mistakes are Wonderful

Through my short journey (so far) of becoming a more confidant photographer, I've started to seek out new events to take photos of. I happened to be surfing the internet and came across the Toronto Roller Derby league. Being a sports-enthusiast, this immediately caught my attention as a fantastic sport to get some action packed photos. Not to mention, I love to the chance to be able to support women in sports.
Luckily, the league is run by a fantastic organization, mostly volunteers who are supporting of anyone willing to come out and take photos. So, with media pass in hand, I attended my first bout.

I had no idea what to expect of the lighting, action, or sport. I did all my research through other photographers on flickr, and studied videos of past events to get an understanding of the rules. Other than that, I saw this event as a great opportunity to practice "photoing" on my feet. I packed a few key lenses (50mm 1.8, 70-200MM 4) and 1 flash. I figured I would be shooting at high ISO because the rink is indoor and at night.

I was really happy and surprised by my final results. I managed to get some clear shots of great action, in really suspect lighting (it was even worse than I had planned). But it was in the editing process that I came across a fantastic mistake that became my favourite photo of the night. I was going for the blurred effect, but just as the shutter went off, the ref got in the way.  It was the perfect reflection of what I was feeling while watching these fantastic athletes.

Now only if I could repeat these mistakes on a daily basis...

Giving Back

This post is overdue, but I didn't want 2009 to end without a mention of a fantastic moment in my growth and development as a photographer.

Dec.12, 2009 was designated as Help Portrait Day where photographers around the world donate their time and equipment to  help those less fortunate. I volunteered my Saturday as an assistant at a local community centre that was hosting a toy drive. I was assigned to 2 fantastic Toronto-area photographers for the day.  Our goal, to photograph any individual families, or people that attended the drive and provide them a free 8x10 of the day.

It was a fantastic event for a few reasons:

1) Selfishly, I love to watch other photographers work. I like to see what their thought process is, and how they approach subjects. Luckily, they kept me very involved in helping them through the day, so I didn't feel like a lonely assistant, I truly felt part of the process.  It also helped me validate my own methods when I am shooting, add some neat tricks to my arsenal and reassure myself that I can be successful at this as a career.

2) We met some fantastic families. New immigrants, single mothers, an awesome grandfather. Even though we only had 15 minutes with each subject, it was heartwarming to hear their stories and see them interact in front of the camera (both good and bad).

3) It's good to give back. Even though it felt like something small for me to give (my time), it was huge for these families. To be able to get a gorgeous keepsake of their day, at Christmas, with the people they love was heart-warming.   It reminded me that I need to continue to give back - whether it be to do this again next year, or just to simply share what I am learning to other aspiring photographers.

I think as 2009 closes and we start 2010, I need to remind myself of this feeling of giving and continue to push to learn, share and grow. It's a good way to start a new year.

Update: youtube video of our day - fantastic! Click HERE.

I love Flickr

Finally, all my hard work posting, sharing, and tagging my photos on Flickr has paid off.

I was lucky enough to be chosen from thousands of photos on Flickr to be published in Time Magazine's Special Year-end Issue "The Year in Pictures" - Dec.21, 2009.  I was contacted randomly by the national photo editor, through my flickr account.  The spread is all about Michael Jackson and the various dance events that occured around the world after his untimely death.  I was the only Canadian photo chosen - other cities included Perth, Paris, Amsterdam, Mexico City, London and New York City.

I am still speechless that my first published photo in print was in Time. I've only had the issue on hand for less than 24 hours and already it's dog-eared from the amount of times I've opened it and looked at it.  I could not have imagined getting to this point so early in my photography career, but I am immensely proud and can only see great things in my future.

It's more than having something published - it's being chosen amongst the thousands and thousands of amazing images that are on Flickr that makes me the most proud. On top of that, being the only Canadian representative in a major national US magazine makes me proud to represent the great country I live in.

I know when the days come that I struggle with an idea, or image, I am going to pull out this issue and remember the fantastic set of circumstances that brought this photo to print. And then I am going to remind myself to just keep shooting what I love - for in the end, it will pay off.

Dance like no one is watching

I did the typical dance classes that all young girls do: ballet, tap and jazz. It was taught in a church auditorium. It was the 80's and I distinctly remember dancing to "Everyone wants to rule the world", with neon pink leg warmers and an off the shoulder sweatshirt like Flashdance (Irene Cara was my hero - an exotic dancer didn't exist in my 8-year old brain - all I knew is that she could dance!).  But I didn't dance for long. Soon, we moved out of the country and other sports took over my interests.  I grew up always loving music and dancing, but never formally took a class again. Until 3 years ago...

There was a local studio that I passed often on my way home from work. It looked like fun, and a quick web search showed that I could take hip-hop classes with no commitment (the best description was "absolute beginner" - no experience necessary). From that day I was hooked. At first I did it because I loved hip-hop music, the teachers were encouraging and energetic. Quickly I joined the annual showcase to perform in front of a live audience. It was incredibly thrilling and addictive, so I continued with classes and performances.  It has become a passion, a release and a huge part of my life.

But what does this have to do with photography?
Well for me - everything.

Dance teaches you a lot about yourself, and how your energy relates to the people around you.  When you learn to push your body and your mind at the same time, the satisfaction that movement gives you is unparalleled. Plus, accomplishing something, even something small, is so satisfying.

Photographers can learn a lot from dancers. They are open to emotion, and not just their own, but they feed off the energy of people around them. They take that energy, along with their own and translate it into often beautiful movement and expression.  I strive to have the same exchange every time I enter a dance AND a photography studio.  Emotion is a wonderful guide to the arts and for me, is one of the most important feelings when I dance and take photos.

Enjoy the Ride

I saw "Cuff the Duke" at the Horseshoe Tavern tonight. It's one of my favourite venues to enjoy music because they have no issues with camera's brought to shows (in fact, they didn't even check my bag when I went in - next time, I'm packing water!). But it also has a host of fantastic bands any night of the week - and you can practically stand on stage you get so close to them!!

Cuff the Duke is a fantastic Canadian indie band. They've released 3 albums since 2002, with the latest released this year (their 4th) produced by Greg Keelor of Blue Rodeo. They have built quite a following across Canada, and the show was packed with fans. I was surrounded by no less than 5 cameras in the front row capturing the great spirit and music of this band.

While I was admiring all the 5d Mk 2's around me I noticed a really disturbing trend amongst the shooters. Everyone spent way too much looking at the LCD screen after they shot a set of photos and failed to just enjoy the show. As much as I was there to take photos, I was mostly there because I admired the music and had never seen them live before. There is nothing like a live show when the musicians are talented, and the crowd sings along. I admit, I did glace at my LCD periodically, but I was not about to scroll through all my shots while the show was going on.

Digital cameras have created amazing advances and access to those that might not normally have invested in this art-form. However, I think people need to stop using the LCD like it was key to taking a good photo. The only thing I rely on my LCD for is a quick check that my exposure is correct (to a degree) and that my framing is on. I definitely don't rely on it, nor check it constantly, like some of these shooters were.

People need to peel away from the LCD, take note of their surroundings, and enjoy what is around them. We are blessed to live in a city where world class musicians can share their talent 2 feet from us. We, as photographers, need to enjoy the ride we are on.

On the Web

Today is a big day on my career path as a photographer. It's something that, I feel, solidifies me as a pro, and gives me something to share and be proud of.
My website went live today.
My business cards are printed and ready to hand out.
I have 2 new jobs booked in the next couple of weeks.
People are starting to take me seriously as a photographer.

But now, the real work happens. I begin to really market myself to those "key" clients and accounts that I want to land. Those that might not otherwise look at me, with just a flickr account. Flickr has been fantastic for my education and career thus far, and will continue to be. But there is nothing like a professionally designed website to really represent what I am currently as a photographer.

I have big plans for this site in the future. More sections, integration of this blog, and perhaps a bio. But for now, it shows what I am capable of doing and represents the jobs I want to book.

I am thankful and proud of the steps it took me to get here, and I can't wait for the next steps to come.

Baby Steps

I've been very fortunate over the last couple of weeks to have a few of my photos included in some great online sites. One was due to pure luck (and my love for music), while the other attributed to a concentrated effort to promote myself and shoot daily.

1) Fazer Magazine - At a recent show for God Made Me Funky, I had the pleasure of meeting one of the writers who had reviewed their new CD. My photos ended up accompanying Alex's article on the show and the new Disc: Photos/Article Link here.

Lesson #1: ALWAYS have business cards on you. I had run out the day before and forgot to replenish my stock, luckily I was able to get the writer's email but I missed a valuable opportunity to market myself properly to a future collaboration-partner.

Lesson #2: There is nothing like capturing a live show! It's definitely becoming one of my favourite photographic pursuits. I have made it a rule to learn how to photograph artists with no-flash, however stage lights are a killer! My new rule is to shoot a LOT - sometimes stage lights give unbelievable effects, but the moments are fleeting.

2) BlogTO / Nuit Blanche. At the annual overnight arts event, here in Toronto, and a perfect opportunity for photography. My main focus was to photograph using off-camera flash work (strobist style), however I also managed to get some nice shots of the artists at work with available light.

BlogTO is a fantastic site that supports local photographers through their Flickr group site, from which they populate their articles and reviews. My photos were used in a review of the Distillery District. I've been contributing steadily over the last few months and finally, I see my photos on their site. Thanks BlogTO!

Lesson #3: Never delete any photos in your camera. I had actually taken a series of the above photo. My finger hovered around the delete button with this one, when I was distracted by a phone call. I don't know why I was about to delete it, other than I had a lot of the same shot. But this was the only one in which the artist was pointing at his work (which I think ads to the charm of this shot).

Lesson #4: It's nice to have a game plan, but don't ever let it distract you from any event that materializes before your eyes. Although my goal that night was to experiment with off-camera flash, most of my best shots were available-light.

FYI - my favourite "strobist" shot of the night was this one (it's also really nice to have friends that are patient and willing to model over and over and over again):