THE DEVELOPING TRAY

Strong Kid

2012-01-27T13:23:00.003Z

I'm working on a really interesting story with a writer here in Togo about an issue that affects all West Africans. It's coming along nicely and I hope to share the pics & details soon.

Until then, here's a strong kid flexing his muscles.

Back Seat

2012-01-20T11:36:00.000Z

Slave Castle

2012-01-16T08:26:00.000Z

Slave quarters at the Elmina Castle in Elmina, Ghana. Also, a fisherman with his nets and ropes.

Happy New Year

2012-01-10T08:36:00.003Z

Masqueraders and revelers climbing bamboo poles celebrate the New Year near Efutu, Ghana.

School kids

2011-12-21T20:31:00.003Z

Hung out with some local school kids today. :)

(Eyeshadow seems to be the thing to wear for a Christmas party...)

High School Protest

2011-12-14T13:36:00.003Z

High school aged students at the Technical School in Adidogome protested today to show their displeasure that their teachers are on strike (as they have not been paid.)

They temporarily blocked the road to Kpalime several times and were met with tear gas and flash-bangs.

Tear gas does not replace the smell of coffee in the morning.

Shhhh

2011-12-11T15:53:00.000Z

Baby sleeping.

Uni Protest

2011-12-08T15:07:00.003Z

Protesters at the University of Lomé and it's satellite campus in Kara clashed with police today. Students say they are upset after a 20,000 CFA ($40 USD) grant was withheld.

Kids

2011-12-03T15:18:00.003Z

Water & oil.

Bible Translation

2011-11-28T12:10:00.000Z

Went up to northern Togo for a dedication event in the village of Gando. After 32 years of work, translators have completed the Gangam language translation of the New Testament. A pretty big celebration.

Disability Advocacy

2011-11-23T11:04:00.005Z

I've been doing some work with CBM, an organization which helps people with disabilities who are living in poverty. They do amazing, inspiring work.

Here's just a few pics.

Yarr

2011-11-07T14:17:00.001Z

Went looking for pirates in the Gulf of Guinea for IRINnews (News service of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs). Didn't find any, but got a wicked sunburn and saw some whales.

Benin

2011-10-21T12:19:00.000Z

It's been three weeks since I landed in Togo, and I am already knee deep digging for stories -- no shortage of cool stuff going on here!

Until those projects are done, here's a few pretty pictures from a quick relaxing trip to Benin.

New Number

2011-10-15T14:31:00.001Z

The only thing that has changed with regards to my contact info is my phone number. Email address and Skype are still the same.

New # in Togo: +228 90 63 31 92

Togo!

2011-10-02T13:21:00.000Z

As some of you may know, I've re-located to Togo, West Africa with my wife.

Natalie has already been here for 6 weeks, whereas I arrived on Friday night.

I'll be posting updated contact info and more photos soon!

Brussels, last stop before Lome!

Limo in the Lake

2011-09-04T21:00:00.000Z

There's a limo in the lake. A limo bus worth $100,000 to be exact.

Yup, someone stole the tricked up Ford F550 and decided the best place to put it was in Lake Okanagan.

Here's the Fire Department making sure no one was on board when it went over the edge.

Wildfire!

2011-09-02T04:48:00.000Z

As some of you know, my regular shift at Castanet Media begins at 5:30 a.m. So when, after running some errands in Kelowna after work, I checked Twitter at 3 p.m. I am sure you can imagine how excited I was to learn of a 25ha forest fire raging in Falkland -- when I was hoping for a relaxing evening.

Five hours later, I got back home. And thanks to the super helpful Falkland Fire Department, I have some photos to share before I head off to bed...

Jackie and Jacob

2011-09-01T03:37:00.000Z

So my cousin got married -- yay! And I was super proud to be her photographer for the very special day!

They were so much fun to photograph and were super relaxed about the whole day too.. These are real smiles, folks.

Summer

2011-08-23T01:16:00.000Z

Well, summer is coming to an end... here's a few pics from the past couple of weeks.

Johnny Rose

2011-07-26T14:36:00.000Z

A character. Johnny Rose was a long-time client at the Kelowna Gospel Mission, where I volunteer.

At 74, he was one of the oldest clients at the mission and as someone who has an interest in Canada's aging population, I often gravitated toward conversation with him.

While he was not always in the mood to be photographed or become the subject of conversation, there are plenty of stories to tell.

His stories of life on the streets offered a unique insight into a street life from an aged perspective.

"Bylaws," he'd tell me, "are just out there to hassle me when I'm sleeping in an alley. I've been sleeping there since before they were born."

While he often bummed my change, he also tried to give back.

One day, when I was complaining about the cost of film, he proceeded to undo his belt and matter-of-factly took of his pants.

Stuffed into a secret pocket in his underwear was a small wad of worn cash which he insisted I should use to buy film.

RIP, Johnny Rose.

Craig & Lorelei's Engagement

2011-07-24T04:55:00.000Z

Super sweet couple Craig & Lorelei -- engagement photos in Vernon. So much fun, we went to two locations. Here's some photos from part 1 of the shoot...

New Camera

2011-07-18T14:07:00.000Z

Got my hands on a Nikon D700, loving the low light and shallow dof.

Such a nice tool to work with.

Matthew & Leah!

2011-07-15T00:48:00.000Z

Here are just a few of the photos from Matthew & Leah's wedding in Vancouver. Super relaxed, fun, amazing and cool couple.. All the best you two!

Baby left in car

2011-07-04T23:13:00.000Z

Fourty-eight hours after a dog died when it was left in a car in Burnaby, a four-month-old baby gets left in a car in Kelowna.

Thankfully, RCMP showed up, smashed a window and rescued the baby before it was seriously hurt.

The mother tells me she and another woman had just left the baby for a 10 minute trip to Zellers. To me it seems she felt nothing was at all the matter.

It's 25ºC (77ºF) -- not super hot, but when you are an infant strapped into a seat with no way to wiggle out of the sun, rip off your clothes or drink some water -- things heat up pretty quick!

Wine

2011-06-29T14:24:00.000Z

A quick portrait with Ezra Cipes at Summerhill Estate Winery in Kelowna earlier this month.

Rain, Rain...

2011-06-23T14:17:00.000Z

There's something about umbrellas that seems to make it so easy to make pretty pictures...

Canada's History Magazine

2011-06-22T12:00:00.000Z

For those browsing the magazine stands, you can check out my images of Uranium City in the current (til July 25) issue of Canada's History Magazine.

What a nice big double truck to open the spread, always nice!

Px3 Winner

2011-06-19T22:01:00.000Z

One of the photos I snapped last year is a winner at the Prix de la Photographie Paris (Px3) contest. It placed gold in the Nature-other category and bronze overall out of all the nature categories.

Okanagan Seniors

2011-06-13T14:19:00.000Z

Last week was Seniors' Week. Here's what I produced for Castanet Media.

I met some really fantastic people with great ways of staying active and involved.

Kelowna's Urban Farmer

2011-06-06T04:36:00.000Z

Pic from a recent shoot for the Globe & Mail on Curtis Stone, an urban farmer in Kelowna.

A really neat enterprise he's got going..

cheers-
/daniel

Pine Beetle

2011-05-31T13:57:00.000Z

Pine beetle affected trees being cut down and destroyed in Kelowna. Countless trees being axed, more flagged to be destroyed next year. Yikes.

cheers-

A newsy few weeks

2011-05-31T13:55:00.000Z

Another smattering of images, including a drug deal gone wrong, flooding and displaced fire victims.

cheers-

Jack Layton is watching you...

2011-05-31T13:42:00.000Z

An election photo and a photo from a fatal crash in West Kelowna where a car plummeted off a 200ft embankment and ended up deep, deep in Lake Okanagan. It took a few days before the RCMP dive team pulled up the car. This is the FD looking for it on the night the crash took place.

cheers-
/daniel

More to come

2011-05-31T04:59:00.000Z

I have not forgotten the blog. There will be more pix coming in the next few days...

cheers-
/daniel

The Abattoir

2011-04-26T13:18:00.000Z

Spent the day in a mobile chicken slaughterhouse for the Vancouver Sun... Due to strict industry regulations, it's one of only three in BC. Several years back, when regulations were more lax, there were hundreds of these mom&pop shops.

Here's a few pics... Not for the faint of heart, btw. Unless of course, you want to know where your food comes from.

cheers-

Matthew & Leah

2011-04-21T02:44:00.000Z

Matthew & Leah and I had a super fun time exploring Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver. Here's just a few photos....

cheers-

Fire!

2011-04-12T13:49:00.000Z

Fire season is back in the Okanagan. It's already drying out and high winds don't help.

This fire took off along one 1km of railway before being contained.

cheers-

It's April!

2011-04-02T21:40:00.000Z

Some pretty looking frost I found on my car one morning a few weeks back. Also, a crash pic. Guy hit a semi truck and ended up tangled in a telephone pole after a mid-air flip.

Stay tuned for pics from Matthew & Leah's engagement shoot!

Spring!

2011-03-25T21:30:00.000Z

Kids eating ice cream cones, yup -- spring in here!

Pruning

2011-03-24T21:34:00.000Z

A worker prunes an orchard with a view over Kelowna.

From winter to spring...

2011-03-22T04:03:00.000Z

Slowly but surely, spring is returning to the Okanagan. And yes, that is a man running down a highway in a blizzard wearing a hotdog suit.

Coyote invasion

2011-03-22T03:58:00.000Z

From wolf breeding to coyote invasion... it's all about the canids!

Some Kelowna residents may have noticed four-legged newcomers in their neighbourhood.

Mission resident Emily Schmitz first noticed one of the camouflaged canids lounging in the sun next to a sidewalk on Casorso Road on Wednesday.

Schmitz, who has lived in the area for 19 years, says she initially thought the coyote was a loose dog.

"I walk everyday, but I've never, ever seen anything like this," says Schmitz.

"We've definitely noticed a spike in calls coming in, which isn't abnormal for this time of year," says Conservation Officer Terry Myroniuk, adding that the month of February traditionally brings coyotes into town.

February marks the beginning of breeding season, the time when last year's pups venture out on their own while at the same time there are food shortages in the wild.

"All those factors seem to collide in the month of February," says Myroniuk, adding that while danger to humans is low, small pets are in danger.

"It is quite typical that animals are mistaken for being aggressive toward the person when they have a pet. What is going through the coyotes mind is he is sizing up the situation to see if the risk of tangling with the human is worth the reward of maybe getting the pet as a snack."

But according to Kelowna trapper Ron Lancour, coyotes are becoming increasingly brave.

"It's ongoing, not only here in Kelowna, it's evident across Canada that coyotes are expanding in urban areas," says Lancour, who is also the Executive Director of the B.C. Trappers Association.

"These animals have become urbanized -- by living in the city they have lost their fear of people," says Lancour.

In the country, coyotes are often shot at and chased by farmers.

"They have a certain fear of people, but once a coyote becomes urbanized because nobody is controlling them, nobody is shooting at them, they lose their fear of people and subsequently, from that, problems could result."

"Certainly it is their nature that if there is a house cat or a small dog, that is lunch for them. If they happen to prey upon some, then they are going to relate the next one to being a meal whether they are on a leash or running loose."

As shooting within city limits is not allowed and coyotes are not easily trapped live, it is difficult to remove coyotes forcibly, says Lancour.

The solution is for people to make the coyote feel unwelcome by throwing stones or banging sticks together.

But not everyone is inclined to chase the coyote out of town.

"One person may hate that coyote because he has eaten their pet or their neighbours pet, and then there are others who love to see that urban wildlife. The coyote is in a catch-22 position."

Anyone who encounters a problematic coyote should call Conservation at 1-877-952-7277.

Wolf Dogs

2011-03-02T04:44:00.000Z

Here's two pics from a recent shoot for the Globe & Mail..

Kelowna area wolf-dog hybrid breeder Keyhan Modaressi plays with Simba, his 4 year old Arctic Tundra Wolf hybrid on Tuesday February 15, 2011. Simba is approximately 2 per cent dog, and 98 per cent wolf, says Modaressi.

Here we go again...

2011-02-22T04:36:00.000Z

After promising myself I would not neglect my blog, life gets in the way and I brilliantly neglect my blog for several months. Yay.

So here are some updates...

Jackie and Jacob

2011-01-15T22:18:00.000Z

Here's a few engagement photos for super awesome couple Jackie and Jacob.

Aside from being brutally cold -- the location they chose for the shoot was really beautiful!

cheers-

Just a mugshot

2011-01-11T15:00:00.000Z

It's rare for a shoot to be this straightforward, but in this case the a mugshot is what people have been waiting to see.

Last Friday news editor Kelly Hayes filmed a plainclothes police officer kicking Buddy Tavares in the face during a take down. I won't get into the details here -- you can find more info on the Castanet site: www.castanet.net

In any event, since Buddy's been locked up over the weekend, there's one thing everyone wants to see.

His face.

cheers-

Welcome to 2011

2011-01-09T14:49:00.000Z

Pics from over the holidays. The sunset photo was taken December 31 at Kal Beach in Vernon.

cheers-

That's odd

2010-12-23T05:50:00.000Z

When the fire department gets called out for a lift assist, it is usually fairly boring and uneventful.

But on this day, a roofer busted his back and was trapped on a roof for several hours as fire fighters attempted in vain to get the poor guy down.

Finally, the ladder truck was called in and, with the help of the high-angle rescue team, the roofer was rescued.

It'll be a while before I see a lift assist as neat as this.

Winter fun

2010-12-16T05:29:00.000Z

December. Winter. Brrr.

What better way to illustrate winter than people strapping on skates. Or maybe people who are just plain nuts. Going for a swim in the 5 degree waters of Lake Okanagan? Yep, nuts.

And a few pretty pics from a road-trip to Edmonton.

/daniel

Cold Snap

2010-11-30T06:24:00.000Z

Here's two pics from the cold snap and snow dump. Preparations for the ski season at Big White Resort and a homeless man all bundled up for the chilly -30 degree Okanagan weather.

cheers-
/daniel

Remembrance Day

2010-11-29T06:21:00.000Z

Spot news

2010-11-23T06:15:00.000Z

A cyclist struck and freezing firefighters hosing down after an arson.

cheers-
/daniel

People who drive

2010-11-18T06:14:00.000Z

So within a week I photographed two subjects for the Globe and Mail, both sit behind steering wheels for a living.

Both are in jobs which require the use of computers to gather information -- but how much information is too much? Should the garbage man be recording video of your garbage? Should by-law officers have access to technology that automatically pulls up vehicle registration information of cars they drive by on the road?

cheers-
/daniel

Flood of updates

2010-11-02T05:03:00.000Z

Life has been crazy in the past month, so here are a flood of updates all at once! Of course, they'll be time stamped as though they were all put up on time.

First up, some more car crash pics.

cheers-
/daniel

Bizarre

2010-10-27T23:15:00.000Z

I think 'bizarre' really does sum up the following situation I covered today.

cheers-

An attempt by police to pull over an erratic driver triggered a bizarre sequence of events in Rutland Wednesday morning.

When it was all over, two accidents had been caused, a cube van was in a swimming pool and the owners of a house were left shaken.

At about 9:15 a.m., a police officer spotted an erratic driver at Highway 97 and Sexsmith Road, who fled when he tried to pull him over.

Due to the dangerous manner in which the lone male occupant was driving the car, police decided not to engage in a pursuit, says Kelowna RCMP Sergeant Greg Woodcox.

Instead, Air 3 was called in to keep an eye out for the suspect vehicle.

Minutes later, the suspect abandoned the car, which was stolen, and stole a cube van from the Highway 33 and Enterprise Way area.

Air 3 spotted the stolen delivery vehicle headed eastbound on Highway 33, reportedly in the westbound lanes.

After causing a collision at Homer Road and sideswiping an unmarked police vehicle, the man veered onto Homer Court.

Once in Homer court, the man drove through two fences and crashed the delivery vehicle into a swimming pool.

From there, Woodcox says he fled on foot wearing only a t-shirt and his underwear.

He was arrested by the police canine unit after breaking into an occupied home at 150 Franklyn Road.

"He was out of control," says Woodcox.

The suspect, a man in his 20s, is facing numerous charges including two counts of dangerous driving, possession of stolen property, hit and run, break and enter, mischief and property damage.

Depending on the injuries caused by the two collisions, the suspect will also face a charge of causing bodily harm.

Adams River Salmon Run

2010-10-18T04:18:00.000Z

Everyone is saying this year's sockeye salmon run is the largest most amazing thing in recent history.

So Natalie and I made the trek up to the Adams River near Sorrento to check it out.

The first time, I made some OK images from above the water, but nothing I was happy with... so I dug around for a fish tank, rigged up my camera inside, pulled on my hipwaders and went back.

Enjoy!

cheers-
/daniel

Fall continuing studies classes

2010-09-28T20:02:00.000Z

This fall, I'll be teaching some continuing education courses at UBC-O. Check em out. More info on the website linked below.

cheers-
/daniel

Basic Composition for Photographers - October 6
This workshop provides a foundation of the basic elements of visual composition: dot, line, shape, direction, tone, color, texture, dimension, scale, and movement. The primary considerations for photography are also covered: centre of interest, camera angles, 'camera to subject' distance, leading lines, backgrounds and foreground interest.

Understanding Light for Creating Better Photographs - October 13
Learn the secrets for creating outstanding photographic images using ordinary subjects to maximum effect. This hands-on workshop offers an opportunity to produce a portfolio of photographs and learn about the basic types of natural light, the direction and color of light, how to reveal texture and form, and how to control and modify light for your camera.

Travel Photography - Outside Your Door - October 20
As soon as you step out of your front door, you become a travel photographer. What about cultural sensitivities? How can you best tell a story with your pictures? Find out what to shoot, ideas on where and when to go, and how to shoot it properly - whether to create your own travel album or for publication.

People, Naturally (Family / People) - October 27
Hate those stiff-as-a-board-lined-up-against-a-wall family photos? How exactly can you photography your family and friends without having them look awkward and over-posed? Learn tips to capture people, naturally.

Finishing Touches (Editing) - November 3 & 10
 So you've snapped the photo, now what? Contrast, saturation, colour balance, levels and cropping. It seems daunting to venture into the world of photo editing, but in a few hours using free downloadable software, you will be amazed what you can do with your photographs.

Adobe Photoshop Elements 7 - Novermber 17 & 24
Participants will be introduced to the features and tools that will enable them to work with multiple photographs, layer masking and use of layers for correction and layouts, photo touchup, colour correction, cropping and much more.

https://continuingstudies.ok.ubc.ca/course/category.php?id=54

Whole bunch of pics

2010-09-27T02:45:00.000Z

Pics from the past month. Terry Fox run, a couple rollovers, local Parkinson's walk, a drive-by shooting and a few portraits.
cheers-
/daniel

Krista and Steve

2010-09-10T18:03:00.000Z

Pictures of Krista and Steve's fabulous wedding are here!

cheers-
/daniel

Triathlon

2010-08-26T23:06:00.000Z

Last weekend, the Apple Triathlon, Canada's largest, took place in Kelowna.

A few quick action pics of some of the stars including olympians Laura Findlay and Simon Whitfield.

Knox Mountain fire

2010-08-20T02:24:00.000Z

There was a rank 2-3 fire in Knox Mountain Park last night near Paul's Tomb.

Gusting winds kept firefighters on their toes late into the night.

cheers-
/daniel

Krista & Steve coming up!

2010-08-18T01:00:00.000Z

Pics from Krista and Steve's wedding coming right up!

cheers-
/daniel

Busy body day

2010-08-17T19:58:00.000Z

A busy day at the office yesterday, unfortunately dead bodies kept showing up.

The first was a man living in a tent in West Kelowna, then a few hours later the body of an elderly man washed up on shore downtown.

Foul play is not suspected in either.

cheers-
/daniel

Theo & Carolyn

2010-08-16T05:00:00.000Z

Last month a super sweet couple I know, Theo and Carolyn, got married!

Here are just a few of the pictures from their beautiful day!

cheers!

Theo & Carolyn coming up

2010-08-07T05:16:00.001Z

Photos of Theo & Carolyn's wedding coming soon!

Lightning

2010-08-06T16:38:00.000Z

There was a good-sized lightning storm last night -- unlike the prairies, people tell me the Okanagan usually only gets a handful of thunderstorms a year.

With extreme fire hazards across much of BC, lots of lightning and not a lot of rain is not a good sign.

Speaking of fire, I photographed Prof. Jon Corbett of UBC-O the other day for the Globe & Mail, regarding his work on an online interactive map of fire sites in the Okanagan. For the shoot, we went to the site of the 2003 Okanagan Mountain fire.

cheers-
/daniel

Stewart Centre fire

2010-08-02T04:30:00.000Z

Pics from Friday night's blaze which destroyed a wing of the Stewart Centre in Kelowna.

Nasty fire, lots of chemicals -- which promptly spilled into the runoff drains, into a creek and into Lake Okanagan. Dead fish, no swimming. Yay.

Sir Elton

2010-07-20T23:14:00.000Z

The Rocket Man himself, Elton John, was in Kelowna Saturday. Here's a few quick pics.

Great concert, lots of super long instrumentals in between songs -- 10 minutes of Rocket Man, you bet!

Enjoy!

UBC-O classes

2010-07-16T20:38:00.000Z

Next week, July 19-23 I will be teaching photo classes at UBC-O. You can register online...

More info here:
https://continuingstudies.ok.ubc.ca/course/category.php?id=54

It will be more fun than sitting around watching tourists take over Kelowna! (Hey, I needed to say something to go with the pic)

cheers-
/daniel

Seclusion Bay fire

2010-07-14T00:27:00.000Z

Here are pics from Monday's Seclusion Bay fire in West Kelowna/Peachland.

One house, two garages a cop car and a boat were destroyed in the 30 hectare blaze.

First two photos are of firefighters running to escape the fast moving fire.

cheers-
/daniel

Fire season is here!

2010-07-13T20:45:00.000Z

Here are pics of the Tolko mill yard fire in Armstrong on Sunday. Strong wind, thick choking smoke and lots of humidity made it a rather interesting day.

Pics from Monday's West Kelowna Seclusion Bay fire coming later...

Fire season is here!

cheers-
/daniel

Jessica & Ross' wedding pics

2010-07-08T21:59:00.000Z

Here are just a few pictures from Jessica & Ross' wedding. I had a great time -- Jessica and Ross are such a fun couple :) Congrats!

cheers-
/daniel

Jessica & Ross coming right up!

2010-07-06T15:00:00.000Z

Pictures from Jessica & Ross' wedding are coming up shortly!

Their wedding was the perfect combination of formality and fun -- where else can you get away with wearing a kilt AND roller-skates?

cheers-
/daniel

Shuswap Lake boat crash

2010-07-06T06:54:00.000Z

Here's a picture of the fatal boat crash which happened late Saturday on Shuswap Lake. Like the RCMP said, "surreal and tragic."

cheers-
/daniel

time time time

2010-07-04T08:17:00.000Z

I've got lots of pics to put up -- weddings, news, random pretty photos -- you name it!

But where of where has the time gone? I'll post them all when I find it. ;)

Here is one from a robbery on Canada Day that turned out quite nice.

cheers-
/daniel

Outtakes

2010-06-24T20:04:00.000Z

Here's a pretty picture that I spotted over Okanagan Mountain while flying back from Oliver after the mudslide. And a nice field at sunset while driving home sometime last week.

cheers-
/daniel

Landslide in Oliver

2010-06-14T05:54:00.000Z

Here are pics from the landslide in Oliver which destroyed or damaged about a dozen homes on Sunday afternoon. Powerful stuff, water and mud.

cheers-
/daniel

First day at work

2010-06-13T05:42:00.000Z

Earlier this week I joined the ranks of the local online news source, Castanet, as a part time reporter.

Since today was my first day, I should probably share a few photos and maybe, just maybe, some words...

cheers-
/daniel

Over 500 family members and friends gathered Saturday afternoon at Emmanuel Assembly in West Kelowna to remember Ashlee Hyatt.

Hyatt was killed in a fatal stabbing at a party in Peachland on Wednesday, June 2.

She was only 16-years-old.

Standing behind a large black and white photograph of Hyatt, with her twinkling eyes and engaging smile, friends and classmates shared memories of their time with her.

She was remembered for her passion for the outdoors, music, and love for any celebration.

Hyatt's alleged killer, also a 16-year-old female, has been granted bail after being charged with first-degree murder.

A petition has been started by Hyatt's friends, who are upset that the alleged killer was granted bail.

The petition asks for stronger and stricter sentencing and urges the courts to prosecute violent offenders as adults.

The petition will be made available to the public Sunday at the corner of Main Street and Brown Road in West Kelowna from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Drying up

2010-06-08T04:58:00.000Z

After what seemed like weeks of continuous rain, it is dry once again. And brush fires are back! This time the one hectare blaze in SE Kelowna was knocked back quickly -- scary enough though!

cheers-
/daniel

Kelowna Community Music School photos

2010-06-04T16:55:00.000Z

I had the privileged of making photographs for the Kelowna Community Music School. For those looking for reprints, please email me: dhayduk (a(t))gmail d(ot)) com

cheers-
/daniel

Fatal Stabbing

2010-06-03T21:43:00.000Z

Late last night there was a fatal stabbing in Peachland (of all places!) that left a 16-year-old female dead. It also leaves another 16-year-old female in police custody. Very sad...

It was, "this hysterical screaming," that prompted neighbor David Mulhall to look outside and see a body laying near the end of his driveway. Mulhall said that first responders administered CPR and used defibrillators in an attempt to resuscitate the female, but to no avail. Rowdy parties were common at the house, Mulhall said. "There always seems to be some kind of conflict going on -- and this time it ended badly."

Behind the Photo - Day 4

2010-05-31T20:51:00.000Z

To my FLCS photo class:

We talked about this photo in class, but I think this is a good reminder to go over it again.

Sometimes, just like the example #1 I posted on Wednesday, getting the right picture take a lot of patience and thought.

For this photo, several things happened before I could push the button.

Location:
Would this picture look as nice without all the pretty patterns on the sidewalk? It was these patterns that attracted me to stop and look closer.

Timing:
I noticed the pattern in the sidewalk on a sunny afternoon, and while they looked nice, I wondered what they looked like at night. One evening, I had some spare time so I went to check it out. It looked nice, but it needed a few more things to happen. It needed rain and it needed a person.

Patience:
Now that I knew that the sidewalk looked very nice at night, I had to wait for it to rain at night. When that finally happened, I got all set up and waited for a person to walk by with an umbrella. And this is where patience comes in -- I waited for almost two hours for a person to walk by in just the right place with an umbrella. Lots of people had no umbrella, or walked off to the side -- but with patience, the right person walked by in just the right place!

If you think about it, location, timing and patience has a lot to do with every photograph.

Check back tomorrow!

Mr. Hayduk

PS: It is super important that you all email me your pictures for your final project on time!! Please don't forget!!

Behind the Photo - Day 3

2010-05-28T20:07:00.000Z

Behind the Photo, for my FLCS photo class:

If any of you go to the Kelowna Rockets games, you might recognize this as one of the zamboni drivers at Prospera Place.

The zamboni only has one seat, so how did I manage to get the picture? Do you remember how we used my flash in class to learn about the directions of light? The equipment that allows me to wirelessly trigger my flash also lets me trigger my camera.

This is what it looked like:

To get the picture, all I had to do was push the button on the wireless remote when I wanted to take a picture!

Don't forget to check back on Monday!

Mr. Hayduk

Behind the Photo - Day 2

2010-05-27T20:06:00.000Z

Day two of Behind the Photo for my FLCS class:

Unlike yesterday's picture, which took several days of waiting for everything to happen at the right time, this picture happened instantly.

One thing newspaper photographers do is try to find photos that connect with the weather. If it is hot and sunny, the best place to find a nice picture is at the beach or pool. If it is rainy, we look for people jumping puddles or running with umbrellas.

On this day, it started to rain a bit as I was driving to work. On the side of the road, I saw this man trying to stay dry using a garbage bag as an umbrella.

All I had to do was pull over, make the picture, and get his name.

Mr. Hayduk

Behind the photo - Day 1

2010-05-27T02:11:00.000Z

Week two of blogging for my FLCS photo class:

This week, I'll be sharing some of my photos with you and telling you about what went on before (and sometimes after) I made the picture.

I made this picture in a little town called Hawkesville, Ontario. Hawkesville is a mixture of Old Order Mennonites (they are like the Amish) and people who moved away from big cities like Toronto. I spent five days photographing the people who live in Hawkesville because I was curious about how they interacted with each other.

On my first day in town I noticed this beautiful country road, with the big trees and farm houses in the background. A few mornings later it was a bit foggy out and the river in town was steaming in the cold morning air. As I watched the sun rise over Hawkesville, a group of children walked up to the big tree in the background and waited for their school bus. Just then a Mennonite came riding down the road in his horse & buggy.

Things that went into making this picture:
I first had to notice that it might make an interesting picture.
Secondly, I had to be ready when the picture did happen, several days later -- that meant being up before sunrise!
Thirdly, I waited patiently (about 5 minutes) for the buggy to ride down the road after the school children came. Would this picture be as nice without the horse & buggy?

Don't forget to check back tomorrow!

Mr. Hayduk

Before & After - Day 5

2010-05-25T18:06:00.000Z

To my FLCS photo class:

Here is another picture I made in Vernon over the weekend. I think this is the biggest quail I have ever seen!

Levels:

Curves:

Saturation: (this makes a big difference in this photo! Look how bright the colours become.)

And lastly, just a bit of dodging on the quails head.

See you tomorrow!!

Mr. Hayduk

Before & After - Day 4

2010-05-24T16:06:00.000Z

To my FLCS class:

I was in Vernon this weekend, and as soon as I saw this pretty row of trees, I knew there was a really cool picture to be made. All I had to do was wait a few minutes for a person to walk by!

Here is the original:

Levels:

Curves:

I think the colours could be a bit more vibrant, so lets add some saturation:

And lastly, the woman walking is a bit hard to see. If we dodge the area around her, we will see her a bit better.

Don't forget to check back tomorrow for one more before & after!!

Mr. Hayduk

Before & After - Day 3

2010-05-21T22:51:00.000Z

To my FLCS class:
Here is a cute photo of a puppy I know:

The first thing I did was edit the levels a tiny bit. It didn't change the image very much at all.

Then, I used curves, and made an 's - curve' shape, which made the picture look like this:

I don't think this picture needs any saturation, so we are going straight to dodging and burning.
I dodged the eyes and burned his whiskers a bit.

Don't forget to check back on Monday! Have a super awesome weekend!

Before & After day 2

2010-05-20T17:49:00.000Z

To my fantastic photo class at FLCS:

Here is the second image we will be working on:

Just like before, we start with levels.

And then curves:

I think the grass should be a bit greener, so I am going to saturate it.

The one mountain goat's head is almost completely in the shadows, so I think we can brighten it up using the dodge tool.

And lastly, do you think the mountain goats look very excited to be stuck right in the middle of the picture? Or should we crop it a bit and see if we can make the rule of thirds work?

Check back tomorrow!!

Mr. Hayduk

Before & After - Day 1

2010-05-19T21:30:00.000Z

This blog post is primarily for my super awesome FLCS Photography Enrichment class.

I want to show you all some before and after photos and tell you how I edited them in GIMP.

Here is a photo I made on Tuesday evening of two firefighters practicing. (I think it looks like they are watering the lawn!)

So, as we discussed in class I loaded the image into GIMP.

Just to recap: File > Open > yourphoto.jpg

Firstly, I adjusted the levels (Colors > Levels) and made it look like this:

Basically, it brightened the bright parts a bit more, and darkened the shadows a bit.

Secondly, I adjusted the curves (Colors > Curves). How much you adjust is up to you, but like I showed you in class -- you'll know when you've gone too far!

Then, to get the grass a bit greener and the firetruck a bit more red, I used the hue/saturation tool (Colors > Hue/Saturation) to brighten the green grass and the red firetruck.

Almost finished... To do a bit of fine tuning, I use the dodge and burn tool (The dodge/burn tool in the toolbox) to brighten a dark area or darken a light area. In this image, I wanted the grass to stand out even more. I also wanted the firefighter a bit lighter.

Lastly, I cropped the photo (the crop tool is the one that looks like a knife tip in the toolbox). Do you think the photo looks better when the firefighters are closer along the lower rule of thirds?

So there you have it! Don't forget to check back tomorrow!

Mr. Hayduk

Airport

2010-05-18T06:09:00.000Z

While driving past the airport today, I decided to stop for a while to wait for a picture to show up. After an hour or so, I got something..

cheers-
/daniel

Water

2010-05-15T21:00:00.000Z

With a dry summer in the forecast, getting water to orchards will become increasingly important.. so here is a pic!

cheers-
/daniel

riding gear

2010-05-15T00:10:00.001Z

To all you motorcycle riders out there: wear proper protective riding gear. That does not include t-shirt and shorts.

Ouch.

cheers-
/daniel

Comparison

2010-05-11T22:28:00.000Z

In the midst of moving at the end of last month, I hastily made several photos of a horse in a rather nice looking pasture. As I started to make images, I realized I was shooting in incandescent/tungsten white balance. Naturally I switched modes and kept shooting.

Days later (all moved in and unpacked), I found that I preferred the 'mood' of the improper white balance. To me, it conveys a surreal and dreamlike atmosphere.

For comparison, here are the two variations.

cheers-
/daniel

Mother's Day weekend

2010-05-11T20:57:00.000Z

After several years of being out of town/province/continent for Mother's Day, my whole family managed to meet in Radium Hot Springs.

On the way, Natalie and I came across a brush fire. Finally able to fulfill a childhood dream, Natalie had a legitimate reason to call 911.

Also, two pictures of some altered nature.

cheers-
/daniel

Wedding season

2010-05-07T06:25:00.000Z

With wedding season coming up soon -- and orchards in full bloom -- how could I not have Natalie drag out her wedding dress?

Enjoy!

cheers-
/daniel

Back to normal?

2010-05-04T20:55:00.000Z

Alright... I'm sort of all moved in again. Managed to find all the necessary cables and batteries and CF cards in all the random boxes.

The first photo has no fancy post-processing -- just forgot to switch my colour balance. Looks kinda nice actually.

A few sports pics, a couple shots from a portrait shoot and a sure sign that spring has arrived.

cheers-
/daniel

Randoms

2010-05-01T20:30:00.000Z

Last week was moving week for me, hence the lack of time for updating this blog!

Here are a few random images from the past weeks.

cheers-
/daniel

Global Citizen Week

2010-04-19T16:03:00.000Z

Sunday turned out a bit more eventful than I thought... A couple wrecks and a cool event called If the World were a Village, which is part of Global Citizen Week.

Enjoy!

cheers-
/daniel

Tigers balls - again

2010-04-16T16:04:00.000Z

I had the privilege of photographing Mike Caldwell, creator of Tail of the Tiger golf balls again the other day... This time around, the grass was green enough to get the photo I wanted to get the first time I photographed him.

And while I was in the neighborhood there was a bomb threat at Mt. Boucherie Senior School.

cheers-
/daniel