A quiet stream

A quiet stream, a photo by Bruce M Walker on Flickr.

Red Rover, Red Rover, we call God over

Red Rover, Red Rover, we call God over, a photo by Bruce M Walker on Flickr.

Seen at the Mississauga Art Gallery.

The Optometrist #5

The Optometrist 5, a photo by Bruce M Walker on Flickr.

An unidentified (non-flying) object I saw recently at the eye doctor's office.

The real UN logo

The real U.N. logo by ~JoniGodoy on deviantART

Joe Jackson - Steppin' Out

Ah, Joe Jackson. There's nobody else like him ...

Purple Sandcherry

Purple Sandcherry, a photo by Bruce M Walker on Flickr.

I haven't posted a photo for a while -- I've been pretty busy and it's been pouring rain here for about the last two weeks. I've been watching this bush outside my kitchen window coming into bloom and this afternoon the clouds finally cleared.

PDML Photo Annual 2011

The latest yearly photo book from the Pentax Discussion Mailing List is out. There is work from 73 photographers, including myself, in this one, and I think it looks pretty fine. :-)

PDML Photo Annual 2011 by Mark Roberts (editor) | BOOK INFO

Storm

A tour de force animated beat poem with words by Tim Minchin, direction and animation by DC Turner; produced by Tracy King.



Official site here.

The Unseen Sea

A rather beautiful timelapse, although it's best viewed large in HD so you should pop over to Vimeo.

The Unseen Sea from Simon Christen on Vimeo

Stop The Meter On Your Internet Use!

This is of particular concern to Canadians ...

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are about to impose usage-based billing on YOU.

This means we're looking at a future where ISPs will charge per byte, the way they do with smart phones. If we allow this to happen Canadians will have no choice but to pay MUCH more for less Internet. Big Telecom companies are obviously trying to gouge consumers, control the Internet market, and ensure that consumers continue to subscribe to their television services.

These Big Telecom companies are forcing small competing ISPs to adopt the same pricing scheme, so that we have no choice but to pay these punitive fees.

This will crush innovative services, Canada's digital competitiveness, and your wallet.

We urgently need to send a clear message to Ottawa, saying that we won't stand by while some of the most profitable companies in the country indiscriminately add new fees to our Internet bills. Enough is enough.

Per: http://openmedia.ca/meter

Julie

Julie, originally uploaded by Bruce M Walker.

This is from a product shoot. Julie is modelling her line of custom hand-painted visors.

Grasses in January

Grasses in January, originally uploaded by Bruce M Walker.

We had an unexpected little snow dump this morning, and as it was about -20C it fell as the lightest, fluffiest stuff imaginable. The results on the plants in our garden were spectacular!

Merry Christmas!

Reindeer from Treat on Vimeo.

Pigeon: Impossible

Pigeon: Impossible from Lucas Martell on Vimeo.

Cat Diaries: The First Ever Movie Filmed by Cats!

Jetty Dreams

Jetty Dreams, originally uploaded by Bruce M Walker.

Seen on a jaunt into Port Credit this morning.

I'm experimenting with creating tinted gradient filters in Adobe Camera Raw. This image was processed to simulate a filter like the Singh-Ray "Gold-N-Blue".

Teresa

Teresa, originally uploaded by Bruce M Walker.

My brother-in-law's sister recently agreed to model for me, and we spent a very pleasant afternoon this past Saturday in her lovely home. I enlisted my own sister as assistant. Teresa has been working out body building so after doing some traditional portraiture, I had her pose with weights.

This was shot using entirely window light (big bay window behind), aided by a 40" silver reflector (Photobasics 5-in-1) in front below, slightly left.

Teresa

Teresa, originally uploaded by Bruce M Walker.

My brother-in-law's sister recently agreed to model for me, and we spent a very pleasant afternoon this past Saturday in her lovely home. I enlisted my own sister as assistant. Teresa has been working out body building so after doing some traditional portraiture, I had her pose with weights.

These are shot using mostly window light (big bay windows), aided by a 40" reflector (Photobasics 5-in-1 [a great deal, btw]).

Pentax K20D, DA* 55mm, f/2.4, 1/45th, ISO 400.

Teresa

Teresa, originally uploaded by Bruce M Walker.

My brother-in-law's sister recently agreed to model for me, and we spent a very pleasant afternoon this past Saturday in her lovely home. I enlisted my own sister as assistant. Teresa has been working out body building so after doing some traditional portraiture, I had her pose with weights.

These are shot using mostly window light (big bay windows), aided by a 40" reflector (Photobasics 5-in-1 [a great deal, btw]). In this portrait I also added a hairlight: a gridded AF-540FGZ on a stand behind to her right.

Pentax K20D, DA* 55mm, f/1.7, 1/500th, ISO 400.

Gazania

Gazania, originally uploaded by Bruce M Walker.

Seen near the Chappell House in the Riverwood Conservancy in Mississauga Ontario during a Flickr group walk Sunday. These were in full glare sun so I used myself as a light modifier: I shot them in my own shadow. :-)

Adele

Adele, originally uploaded by Bruce M Walker.

From a headshot photoshoot in and around Mississauga City Hall.

Strobist: a teensy bit of fill from an on-camera AF-540FGZ modified with a Westcott Micro Apollo softbox.

Adele Casuga: "Mom, Education Consultant and aspiring knee and elbow model." Tutor Doctor

The Brownman Akoustic Trio

The Brownman Akoustic Trio, originally uploaded by Bruce M Walker.

Made the pilgrimage to The Gate last night and had a great time. Started off with their Rib Steak dinner which left me in a serious state of bliss. Then Brownman served up sizzling hot, fat-free jazz protein. Oh yeah!

Brownman Ali - trumpet (http://Brownman.com/)
Michael Herring - upright bass (http://DangerHerring.com/)
Ernesto Cervini - drums (http://ErnestoCervini.com/)

Food - Gate 403

Watercolour

Watercolour, originally uploaded by Bruce M Walker.

Here's another one for the bokeh fans. Believe it or not, this isn't Photoshopped. I reduced the Clarity somewhat and the Contrast a little (in Adobe Camera Raw). The rest is through the magic of Pentax optics!

Warning signs

Warning signs, originally uploaded by Bruce M Walker.

Sumac.

Was out walking along Etobicoke Creek this morning with my friend Julie and our dogs when my eye was caught by the sun sparkling off the creek and backlighting the flowers and foliage.

Clock tower

Clock tower, originally uploaded by Bruce M Walker.

While meeting with friends for coffee in the cafeteria at Mississauga City Hall I spent some time prowling around the ground floor. I happened to look up and noticed all these crisscrossing lines.

Mopar

Mopar, originally uploaded by Bruce M Walker.

Chrome grille reflected in chrome bumper. Tinted duotone.

Rudbeckia

Rudbeckia, originally uploaded by Bruce M Walker.

SVT

SVT, originally uploaded by Bruce M Walker.

As seen on a late model Shelby Cobra Mustang.

Butterflower

Butterflower, originally uploaded by Bruce M Walker.

Butterflies were all over my backyard the other day. Perhaps celebrating Canada Day?

Sixteen candles

Sixteen candles, originally uploaded by Bruce M Walker.

My nieces celebrated their birthdays recently. They claim they don't feel any older. I know that I do.

Hansa rosebud

Hansa rosebud, originally uploaded by Bruce M Walker.

This has got to be my favourite of the roses. The heady perfume from a large Hansa shrub can simply knock you down, it's so fragrant. I wish that my Pentax could capture smells! :)

Underworld

Underworld, originally uploaded by Bruce M Walker.

#ds155 The Daily Shoot assignment for 2010/04/19: It's metal Monday! Find a metallic subject today and make an interesting photo.

Setup:
- AF540FGZ Pentax flash with Honl 1/8" Speed Grid, handheld below typewriter
- Honl 8" Speed Snoot unrolled flat, cantilevered over keys, on top of typewriter, and weighted down with a 2nd (powered-off) 540FGZ flash :-)
- flash triggered optically from K20D body's popup.

I'm in a book ...

So besides being in a gallery (well, starting May 7; see previous posting) I'm in a book too! Twice! :-)
Info ...

The best photography from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List, with all net profits donated to CureSearch, the National Childhood Cancer Foundation.

Edited by Mark Roberts with Associate Editors Scott Loveless and Bill Robb. With a foreword by Doug Brewer.

ISBN 978-1-4507-0950-7

PDML Photo Annual 2010 by Mark Roberts (editor) | BOOK INFO

One of my shots is featured in the previous blog entry. The other is this one ...

I'm in a gallery ...

One of my shots will shortly be hanging in a Chicago gallery thanks to members of the Pentax-Discuss Mail List (PDML), the DANKHaus German American Cultural Center, a City Arts Grant from the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and money from Illinois Arts Council.

If you're in the area I'd urge you to drop by. The PDML photogs are a talented bunch and the images you'll see are top-notch.

Here's the shot that the gallery's curator accepted. You've seen this here before ...

Crocus

Crocus, originally uploaded by Bruce M Walker.

Well spring arrived ... and was instantly replaced by summer. It's 24 degrees C here right now (75F), and with humidity it's like 28C (82F). I'd normally be taking these shots wearing a coat and gloves instead of jeans and a t-shirt.

I figured that these delicate little guys would be blown out soon, so this was likely my last opportunity to get 'em. Enjoy!

K20D, smc P-DA* 55mm F1.4 SDM, f/2.0, 1/1000, ISO 100

En passant

En passant, originally uploaded by Bruce M Walker.

With this shot, I just realized that I've created A Project, which I can call The Fleetwood Series. I have been roaming around my local park, Fleetwood Park, for over three years now, shooting stuff that grabbed my fancy. I think that counts as some sort of mini-documentary thing. :-)

Needles

Needles, originally uploaded by Bruce M Walker.

More urban foliage. Of course I've passed these pine trees a gazillion times before during daily doggy outings. Only today I was thinking about re-framing the world at 55mm. :-)

Boundaries

Boundaries, originally uploaded by Bruce M Walker.

From my early morning walk in Mississauga.

Chocolate Cranberry Cake

Chocolate Cranberry Cake, originally uploaded by Bruce M Walker.

Proving that you can take your cake and eat it too ...

Maple Almond Cake - crockpot dessert

Maple Almond Cake - crockpot dessert, originally uploaded by Bruce M Walker.

Cake fresh from the crock-pot!

Louise is giving a crockpot-cooking course and I'm getting shots for her web site.

Strobist: lit with an 18" Westcott Apollo softbox and Pentax AF-540FGZ hotshoe flash triggered optically.

Pixar Short: George and AJ

... now you know the rest of the story.

CSI Mississauga

CSI Mississauga, originally uploaded by Bruce M Walker.

A shot from my very first modeling photoshoot! Great fun for me, though hard work. Hotshoe flashes are versatile little buggers, and I was using two of them remotely. But the lack of a modelling light in the setup so one can get accurate focus is a serious impediment. I had to keep turning a small gooseneck halogen lamp on and off, and that really slowed me down.

All shots were lit by one or two Pentax AF-540FGZ flashes. In this one, the main strobe is behind a Westcott 45" shoot-through umbrella, camera-right, 1/4 power. 2nd strobe is camera-left high, snooted (rolled-up black construction paper), focused to a tight beam (58mm), 1/2 power, about 10 feet back and shooting through a screen to get that interesting background.

My model is Tina Hung, an aspiring actor/singer/dancer. Tina is practicing her "serious look" here. :-)

Model: Tina Hung
Makeup & styling: Tina and Louise Peacock

Dusk

Dusk, originally uploaded by Bruce M Walker.

1937 Dodge humpback panel truck. Taken at the final evening of a 2009 Classic Car Cruise held in the parking lot of a Harvey's (decent hamburger chain) in Oakville Ontario. Tinted duotone.

This shot almost didn't happen at all. The evening was windy and cool, variable overcast, the sun had almost set and hardly any cars had shown up by the time we arrived and had our dinner. I wandered around the lot with my kit in my bag on my back and looked rather dejectedly at the classic vehicles parked there.

I was about to suggest to my wife that we just head on home when I recalled that I told her I'd like to try silhouette shots this evening. So I sighed, hauled out my K20D and looked around for a candidate. Wait! This odd looking truck was parked 90 degrees to the lines and parallel to the horizon where the sun had now disappeared -- casting fiery orange onto the strips of clouds! Oh my!

I took 46 frames, some with fill flash, but this one was the clear standout.

Cosmos

Cosmos, originally uploaded by Bruce M Walker.

The biggest Cosmos I've ever seen! Seen in Mississauga's Riverwood during a Flickr walk on Sunday.

Flight

Flight, originally uploaded by Bruce M Walker.

This is Finn. Blink and you'll miss him!

Royal

Royal, originally uploaded by Bruce M Walker.

Ahhh, classic cars ...

Emergent

Emergent, originally uploaded by Bruce M Walker.

Becoming acquainted with less than 2 week old enablement: DA* 55mm F1.4

Exp 1/100, f/1.4, ISO 200, 540FGZ flash inside Westcott 18" softbox; PP in CS4.

Too close for comfort

Too close for comfort, originally uploaded by Bruce M Walker.

This is how I spent much of my Monday night. We were woken up at 11:45 PM by loud beeping that turned out to be the UPSes going off. I got up to investigate how extensive the power failure was. When I stepped out the front door, I discovered the entire north-west sky lit up by a huge orange fireball. There's a new "luxury executive" townhouse complex being built over in that direction, and sure enough it turned out that the entire complex was up in flames. This is the second time in five months that the same complex has been torched, the first took out 8 units. This one destroyed over 75% of the site, about 57 units by one count.

The image directly above is the view from the bottom of my driveway, looking north-west. A light breeze was carrying the smoke and burning embers north-east over a church and a big park.

Anemone pulsatilla

Anemone pulsatilla, originally uploaded by Bruce M Walker.

You can see incredible detail if you view this large on Flickr.

Specialty Alium 2

Specialty Alium 2, originally uploaded by Bruce M Walker.

I like the calm, cool simplicity of this.

Redbeard

Redbeard, originally uploaded by Bruce M Walker.

I've been shooting flowers again. First of a couple.

Dead Pirates, Wood, animated topless dancing chicks

Cool animated video for the Dead Pirates. Via BoingBoing.

Secret life of tulips

I picked-up a ring flash for doing macros and, hopefully, decent portraits. Here are some initial macro shots ...

Pixel-peepers can see these much larger on Flickr -- click on the pix!

Hey, I'm in a book!

Members of a mailing list that I'm on, The Pentax Discussion Mailing List, got together recently and edited a book of some of the member's images created during 2008-2009. Everyone was encouraged to contribute one or two shots to this collaboration, and my two submissions were accepted. Sales of the book will be donated to the National Childhood Cancer Foundation.

There are 110 photographs in the book, representing every imaginable style, from photographers in fifteen countries.

You can read more about PDML Photo Annual 2008-2009 book project, and even order one if you like the idea, here ...

Air - La Femme D'Argent

I simply cannot believe it's already been 10 years since Air released Moon Safari. I refuse to believe it, in fact. Hrmph.

Her Morning Elegance / Oren Lavie

There is more creativity crammed into this video than I've seen in the last years' worth of videos. Put a huge smile on my face -- and you prolly don't appreciate how hard that is to do. :-)

As seen at Ken Brown's blog

Winter announced itself

Dollars and Sense

Lefsetz is always a good read, but  this posting  really resonates.

Fall colours time ...

More photos ...



Japanese maple



Weeping birch