Bye Vash

My glamorous pal, Vash is moving to Vancouver -- moving back, really, as she's lived theresabouts before.

Finally got my butt to the far north (Markham) to take her family's portrait. This shot was the first one fired as we were playing around testing the lighting. This is Vashti's best Vogue cover pose. Her dad was hilarious in his absolute refusal to smile in any of the shots -- I'm not kidding, he refused to smile, on principle of some sort, or just being a dad.

It has been a major dream of Vash's to appear on this internationally read blog :) It's the least I could do as a going away gift.

Bye Vashoooooo!

fire shadow

Playing with artificial light and getting the flash off the camera. Two strobes used here -- main light a Speedlight SB 900 through an umbrella; coloured light added by an SB 800 through a snoot and red gel.

The subject is General whatshisname from Chinese antiquity.

Still

I went in search of the heron I've seen at the Brickworks ponds the last few times I"ve been there. Each time, dog in tow, camera a couple kms away at home, a small heron has stood happily 10 feet away pulling fish out of the pond. This time, no dog, with camera, I see a heron, this one a big one ("blue" likely), but at the same time that three other photographers see it, perched beautifully on a railing facing into early sun. All three other photographers find it importnt to exclaim to each other that they've spotted the BIRD which promptly drags itself airborne and is away -- leaving me with several blurry too distant shots; the others struggling to get their lens caps off.

It was the stilless day I've experienced in a very long time so at least this spiderweb sat still for its photograph. Without absolutely any wind, of course, my macro lens was at home, such is my luck.