Distracted Photography
Photography when otherwise occupied
Everyone needs a vacation.
But what about when one's career simply provides so much joy? Some glass-half-full person once quipped that "you never have to work a day in your life if you love what you do".
That ignores the inconvenience of schedules, commitments ... night-shifts, dysfunctional work environments ...
But still, I miss photography when I get so busy that I don't do it.
That, my friends, would not exactly describe my current situation, because on my vacation, people whom I love and adore surround me, and I revel. I also make a lot of photographs of them - but those images will, with rare exceptions, not appear here.
Creekshore Farms
Creekshore Farms provides one of those absolutely elating environments in which the principals welcome the commercial exposure, and I love working my camera there.
-evening watering in the greenhouse at Creekshore Farms
-the lovely proprietor Amanda in the Creekshore Farms Store
-essentially the mission statement of Creekshore Farms -getting it to look like this required some editing ... which I did in the evening after the house was generally abed ... and I enjoyed it!
Check out Creekshore Farms on Facebook. If you're in the St. Catharines, Ontario, area, then you will be happy to avail yourself of their produce.
Odd Signs
I just enjoy photographically documenting inscrutable information signs which I come across from time to time. This works in well and quickly even when otherwise not actively engaged in formal photographic work.
I'm just imagining what circumstances prompted calling the fire department, and when the firefighters arrive, they then find that arriving at the front door is not allowed!
Most of these odd signs I eventually figure out, but not this one. No entry, but right turn only. I suspect that the locals know what to do.
I think I know what this means, but ... what is the difference between "2-5 and 5-12" and simply "2-12"? (Also, supervision "recommended" - not "required"?)
Incidental scenery
So, just because one isn't on a shoot doesn't mean that you can't shoot!
Brockville, Ontario, Canada. I rolled over one morning at 4:45 a.m. and saw a beautiful light through the window, so leapt out of bed while the house still slept and found this, over the St. Lawrence River, from Centeen Park, Brockville, Ontario, Canada
-out in the local islands, on a boat, with loved ones - there is no rule that I can't snap a passing freighter!
-the dousing bucket at a fire-pit - just beginning to leak a bit
Hang Ups Exhibit
In the meantime, we're moving forward at Hang Ups, an established Brockville framing shop which has recently expanded its art gallery and opened it full-time. Much to my pleasure they have commissioned and then placed a large, framed print in their show-window, and are offering it for sale.
-my print, location suggested by Jessica at Hang Ups, in their show window - quite the rush!
But Anne, the owner, has also selected a dozen photographs from my portfolio, all local scenes, in the eleven inch size range, which will soon be on display and for sale.
-telephoto compression of sailboat foredecks at the Brockville Yacht Club
Reflections are a recurring theme in my work, and this one is local, a lighthouse (decorative, not operational) at the Tall Ships Landing condo/tourism complex, in Brockville.
Downtown Brockville, at night, in the fog
This all involved some re-editing, arranging printing, and working out the business details with Anne (which was a pleasure). The tail end of these arrangements happened during my vacation, so I handled it during my vacation, quite happily. Anyone who has ever been self-employed will understand. It did not occupy entire days.
Zinour
Then, during a break in the personal-life action, I bopped over to the Spencerville Mill and on a personal recommendation went to see a Zinour art exhibit.
This extends my recent spate of art-gallery visits.
The artist, Zinour Fathoullin, has an interesting and unusual biography. Check it out here.
My basic reaction is: go see the show. It isn't on for long, so go see it now. I do not consider myself competent to adjudicate the quality of oil paintings, but on a very basic level I ask myself whether a work interests me enough to prompt me to linger. Virtually every one of Zinour's pieces did this.
Most but not all of the works are big, bold oil paintings, but the media vary, and for example include a selection of wood carvings.
Many but not all of the paintings have an Inuit theme, reflecting some years spent living in Nunavut. Some are of sled-dogs, and many of people. These latter are often accompanied by a short description of the importance of the subject, which is often quite personal and moving.
-a Zinour landscape
There are several other portraits on display, and for reasons I cannot quite explain, I think that my favourite work was one called Old Friends. Let me know what you think.
(The upstairs exhibit space is not disabled-accessible.)
Art gift
To top it all off, one of the racing crew on my sailboat, a man who has been very faithful about helping out with chores when asked, knows of my nascent interest in art, and gave me a lovely framed print from an oil painting, painted by his father. It is really quite lovely and everyone at the hacienda loves it.
He just said that it had meant a lot to him to be able to crew on my boat, whereas of course the feeling is always mutual and it means a lot to a skipper that crew continue to show up! I felt quite touched, and said so.
-an art-gift - simply fabulous and very personal
I did comment to him that gifting art always feels slightly courageous to me; what if the recipient's taste differs? Fortunately there is no question in this instance but that it will hang in a position of prominence. His judgement was sound.
A Photographer's Vacation
So, for being on vacation, most of the time immersed in the love of family, a photographer's life apparently carries on, in its own way. It isn't quite the normal rhythm, if indeed such a thing exists, but the ongoing embracement of art does not - cannot - simply suddenly cease.
Things will return to normal - if indeed such a thing exists - all too soon.
While you're here:
Remember that I make photographs and that I sell photographs.
Almost everything which you see on this web site is for sale.
Prices at the time of writing, for example, for an 11x14" fine-art print with a generous white border would start at about $50, and you can go up or down from there. Check the rates page. More importantly, check out my gallery.
Book a portrait-sitting - the right frequency with which to commission formal portraits is a bit more often.
Remember also to leave a comment, or to contact me. Note that on the main blog page you can sign up for new-blog notifications. I am very careful and respectful with your privacy.
Thank you so much for reading.
Charles T. Low
Photographer
P.S. In fact, due to my enriching distractions, it took two days to write this short blog, and even then I missed out a bit on some personal activities in which I would have liked to participate.
