Home

Galleries

Weddings

Ramblings

About aKs

Martini Time. It is always fun to explore different types of photography, e.g. macro photography. The best thing about macro photography (at least in my mind) is that you can find compeling images anywhere, including a bookshelf in your living room. This photo of a martini glass was taken on my bookshelf, and the background was an old purple 3-ring binder and the Apple OS X Leopard box... dramatic setting I know. The other fun thing about macro photography, is what you can do with old lenses. In this case I used an old Tamron 28-90mm lens, set at 50mm, f2.8, and then 'mounted' it backwards on the camera. By 'mounting', I mean held in place while taking the photo. The optics may not be perfect, and the ergonomics may leave a little to be desired, but at 28mm, this lens setup will produce higher magnification than the Canon MP-E 65mm macro, for about 1/10th the cost.

Home Bay, Nunavut. After spending the morning sailing down to the end of Itirblung Fjord, enjoying clear skies and the occasional narwhal sighting, the fog began closing in. We had planned on landing at the entrance to Home Bay, but as the weather deteriorated, the prospects of stretching our legs on shore seemed to be disappearing. A couple of the staff decided to set off in a Zodiac to see if we could find a safe landing site. We sailed along seemingly endless shores, watching for a landing site. And then it happened, as if right out of history itself, we caught site of an Inukshuk on the horizon. It served it's purpose well, leading us through the fog to an ancient whaling outpost, one that had been used off and on for several thousand years. It was a numinous feeling, watching this stone sculture slowly appearing out of the mists, leading us to an amazing location. To see what we saw as we sailed through the fog, click here or on the above image.

After a lengthy absence, the Picture of the Month is back! And for all those who are eager to see photos from the Arctic, here is the first! Okay, it's not exactly what you were thinking of, right? When you are fogged in on a ship for a few days, you need to keep yourself occupied, and this is one of a series where I was doing just that. Our ship, the Luybov Orlova, served us well... ferrying us to nearly 72 degrees North. It was an excellent trip, so stay tuned for more photos from the expedition.

In honour of the soon-to-be new addition to al-Khemedia Studios, I thought I would put up something a little different. (I am in the process of branching out into the oft-terrifying world of wedding photography.) Although this image is not likely to be the favourite of any bride to be, I just love it. To me it provides a sense of drama, and story that some of the more mundane headshots or posed photos do not really accomplish. And I leave it to you to imagine whatever story you wish. Of course, with all pictures, there is a behind the scenes story that is worth mentioning. And for this image it is simply that you must be careful when photographying someones... lower half only. I received a bit of a nasty look from the maid of honor over this photo, but in the long run, I think it was still worth the reproach. And of course, I must pay homage to Photoshop for providing me with the ability to put together several old-school slide tricks in a simple, fast and improved manor.

Picture of the Month - May 2008

Wildlife photography is generally all about the art of patience. This image of Marsh Wren is no exception. I waited in the same spot for quite some time before I captured this image. But more than patience wildlife photography is governed by a considerable portion of luck. A friend and I set off to capture some images of birds down along the shore in Ladner, B.C. We walked out carrying several kilograms to much camera gear, more so for my friend who was using a 10kg lens. After finding a relatively dry spot to set up, we went our seperate ways, and I set up shop on the edge of a little clearing hoping to capture some pictures of Red-winged Blackbirds picking at the cattails. After a while, it became apparent to me that my location was poorly chosen, and a new site was needed. So I headed back to my backpack to regroup and look for a new locale. Back at my backpack, I noticed a small wren flitting between some rushes with a mouthful of seeds. I observed the wren for a few minutes, and sure enough, it's nest was only about 20ft from our backpacks. I quickly set up shop, and waited, and managed to capture several images of the wren returning to insulate it's nest. If it wasn't for the near-perfect timing of my return to my backpack, I would not have noticed the wren, or it's nest, and would not have had the chance to watch it collecting mouthfuls of fluffy seeds.

Click here or on the image to see a 100% crop.

Still riding the prolific photographing that was my holiday this year, here is another photograph from Arches National Monument, Utah. This photograph was taken on New Years Eve. I love trying to capture interesting starry sky pictures, and the skys around Moab are some of the darkest in the lower 48 states. They did not dissappoint. Amber and I rolled into the park with just enough time to let the park rangers know we were going to be out late, so please don't tow our vehicle. Then we set off with a flashlight, a crash pad, some blankets and a bottle of red wine. This photograph was taken on the trail in to Double Arch. We may have confused a few deer on the way in, but they seemed undisturbed by our presence. This photograph was a 30 minute exposure, which happen to coincide well with the total charge left on my battery at the time. Thankfully, Canon has designed their camera such that it records the picture to the card before giving up for dead. Oh, and for any aspiring night photographers who are suffering from the ill effects of sensor heat and noise from long exposures, -15°C is sufficient to eliminate almost all sensor noise. Just be warned that your photographic session depends on the amount of hot tea you brought for your assistant.

Arches National Park, Utah. Still riding the prolific wave of photography from my Christmas road trip, I figured another shot from some of the amazing landscapes of Southern Utah would be appropriate. This is Landscape arch, a 370ft span, the widest natural span in the world. Just another reason to head to Arches during the quiet winter season. Clear blue sky and no crowds. Back in the "good old days" you could wander right up and under this span, but with the massive increases in National Park tourist traffic, this is now the closest you can get. Of course, the 6m slab that fell off the middle of the span 30years ago may be another good reason not to stand underneath anymore.

Death Valley, California. This holiday season, Amber and I decided to take a little road trip through Southern California, Nevada and Utah. In total we visited 7 national parks in that area, and have only managed to conclude that much more time is needed down there. This photograph of the salt flats in Death Valley was taken from a nice little overlook at about 9,000ft. The valley bottom is the lowest place in North America, at -282ft. It may not have been the coldest spot for a Christmas break, but we did manage to get a little -20C and snow in Utah for New Years.

In honour of those marvelously snowy months that seem to miss Vancouver every year, I thought it best to take advantage of the little bit of snow we do get. Soon I will move back to Canada (aka somewhere were it snows and there is a real winter) but until then I have to content myself with the occasional snowfall and some fantastic skiing in the Coast Mountains. This photograph was taken around midnight at Simon Fraser University. Capturing the image took over ten minutes. Fortunately, cold is not that cold in Vancouver and few people are wondering around SFU this late at night.

August 25th, 2007 saw a few minor changes in my life. Not the least of which was my marriage. Amber and I threw a huge week long party, complete with every dangerous sport we could think of. Surviving those, we figured we were on the right track. However, after the exhausting fun and stress of our wedding, a few days rest was in order. This photograph was taken on our honeymoon on the Sunshine Coast, at the RockWater Resort and Spa. A few days of luxurioius living really is a fantastic way to recover. If only we could do this more often.