There's what I'm bringing.

J'aimerais bien pouvoir partir ce matin, mais j'ai encore quelques petites choses à clairer avant de prendre l'autobus pour Montréal. Le vrai départ pour la Nouvelle-Orléan serait mercredi matin. Hier soir, j'ai placé sur le plancher ce que j'allais amener en voyages. Ça m'a fait penser aux photos de Sarah Fisher (The Collection), je n'ai pu m'empêcher de prendre quelques photos.

Things to do this morning.
1. Go to work. Quick gig till about noon.
2. Get a haircut. Less time to get prepared in the morning.
3. Drop off CD's to clients, and send invoices. Someone has to pay for all that film.
4. Find more film. Still trying to get some 800 iso from Toronto.
5. Pharmacy. Last minute travel essentials.
6. Cell phone. So I can receive calls down South.

I'm guessing internet access is going to be limiting so blogging might take a two week hiatus. If so, I'll be updating my Facebook status everyday, which I can do from my phone.

On s'werra taleur !

p.s. I got to remember not to blog before 7am anymore. I had to repost a half dozen times.

So demain, eje vas pou' une p'tite trip. Manque à mett'e mes valises parées, jumper su' a bus pis enwoye en Nouvelle-Orléans.

Last year I met Ron Levine as he was giving a talk to CAPIC. He was talking about self promotion and how he often used personal series and not work photos to better show his personality through his images. This isn't a new concept, he just made a clear and understandable process out of it. You can look at Tony Fouhse's work in town and see how he manages work and personal at it's best.

I had gone to Montreal to do a placement with Ron and we really got along. We kept in contact, sending emails about updated websites, and such. Sometime in the fall he asked if I was interested to fly to New Orleans to help him while he was down there. I thought for a second and before that second was done I said yes. Deal is we fly down, then rent a car and drive to where we/he feels like. My gig is to help/assist Ron while we're there, but will also have some time to shoot.

Timing for this trip is good. I had a really busy last couple of weeks shooting various events (I'll post photos when I get back), and been wanting to go on a road trip for a while...who doesn't. Other great opportunity is I have been shooting empty rooms for about a year, and I love hotel rooms. This is going to be my primary project, hoping to do other mini series as the trip goes along.

So you might wonder what does a photographer bring on the trip, first thing I think even before packing my toothbrush is what camera to bring. I'm a boy and I like my toys, i.e. cameras. Making this a real vacation/time off would mean no work cameras. I often seperate the two when people ask me about what cameras I like or use. So this trip. Hasselblad, Nikon L35, Polaroid 600, Elph and Nokia 6300 - my cell. I bought about 50 rolls, mostly colour neg and we'll see what happens.

Here's two photos from my mom's hotel room when she was in town in June. These are pre-post photos.



Now you might ask why I would even mention the Elph or the Nokia 6300 in the same list as the Hasselblad. I like to use cameras differently and do like to switch it up from time to time. The Elph is a great tool for blogging, or to use as a "polaroid" tester camera. The Nokia? It's a noisy camera, really noisy, but can be very pleasing. I've using it since I got the phone. Funny thing is saw this guy in PDN who is taking remarkably nice photos with his Motorola. I think he even did a shot of Barack with it. Check Shawn Rocco's slide show.

I had mention earlier this week that I would post more pics from Sunday's ice fishing trip. Most of these pics were taken with my Hasselblat. Sorry, bad inside joke. I actually have two friends who calls it that way and it made me laugh. I didn't laugh cause they didn't know how it was spelled, but wouldn't really have a reason to know, it just the way it sounds. Saying Hasselblat or Hasselblad out load makes for two very different cameras. I'm a visiual person and have a pretty creative imagination. For me Hasselblad just sounds a lot sexier and the camera it self is very romantic. Enough about my relationship with cameras, here's a couple of images...sorry for the bad reproduction.





Also tried out a new camera, Nikon L35. I found it for free on Used Ottawa about a month ago. Its one of the first auto focus range finders, has a f2.8 lens which is nice. It'll be a partner in the South next week. Basically I wanted to know how it worked outside with daylight, at night with flash and inside with flash. Here's the test shots.

Michael Vickers had a vernissage at the University of Ottawa. He had told me about his polaroids and I couldn't wait to see them. I was really impressed, and suggest you walk in if your around 100 Laurier, Gallery 115.

Steur dimanche passée, j'ai 'té à glace. Faisait une coupel d'année qu'eje hopais d'aller su' à glace pou' pêcher du poisson. So quand mon buddé ma 'mandé d'y aller, j'tais tout' content. J'ai amené mon blad, pis une autre nouvelle caméra. Nikon L35. Eje devrais avoir des prints demain, so qu'eje peux woir coument ça 'té. Anyway, j'ai pris une coupel de photos pou' les mettre icette.

Tu commences la journée avec des hot-dogs, pis la belle gang de boys. Dave, Mike et Jean-Luc. Pis check la belle tackle box à Dave.


Starte la journée avec un p'tit réchaud...sauf que avec pas de poisson su la ligne, on a passé la plus part d'la journée dans à cabane. Rendu qu'on pouvait pu se voir la face, on a décidé de s'en aller.


J'avais pris un break pou' woir si t'chequ'un avait pougné un poisson, pis ouais y'avait une boune gagne qui en avait attraper un beau gros. Pis check les poisson catcher en forme de fusil, faut que ça work ça. Pas mal slick.

Y'aurait une coupel de raisons pou' parler d'events. Première, sé ya pas mal de quoi qui se passe derinèrement en ville, deuxième sé que j'eu busé à photographier des events, pas mal busé. Sé bon parce que ça me dounera une boune excuse de prendre deux semaines pou' la grosse trip. J'pense pas que j'en ai parlé encore de la trip, j'attendrai pou' le prochain post.

One of the events I went to was for the Ottawa Magazine interior issue launch. It was a fun time and saw some nice people in town. I had the chance to shoot two upcoming local artist.
Here's a couple of shots from Marion's house. Visit Marion Lanktree's website.


I also had the chance to photograph Howie at his house. I've known him for a couple of years, but never had the chance to take his picture. We had fun. Howie Tsui's website.


Les chats...c'est pas que je ne les aime pas mais, je suis allergique. Fait que, je ne suis pas pour les flatter en entrant ou me coller le nez dans leur visage. Quand même je suis assez poli et amicale pour apprivoiser quelques photos avec ces petites boules de poiles mignonnes. Drôle que je suis arrivé à deux photos similaires pour ces artistes.


Also been to a couple shows at SPAO in the last coulpe of weeks. Their third year students has been having solo shows, really worth seeing. Sarah-Jane Schorlemer had the first show in January, fifteen beautiful stills of sex toys. Printed in the darkroom to boot. Sarah Fisher just had her show on the weekend: The Collections. Worth seeing if you get the chance. Here's a shot of the Sarah's and their shoes.

L'autre jour eje charchais pou' de quoi et pi j'ai trouvé cecitte. Ça m'a fait rire. Sé des vieux projets d'école.

Found these around the house the other day. Promotional pieces I had to do for school. My teachers always had a kick with what would turn out next...and oh ya got married in Paris once, really romantic.