In the Summertime…
Today, I’m wrapping up a two-week vacation. It’s been great to have this time off to decompress, reflect and re-ignite my creative juices.
My first week off was dedicated to some small projects at home and a few days at the cottage (#fortressofmoderatesolitude) as well as some casual photography in the area around Campbellford.
Upon Reflection
While the two weeks seemed to fly by, I did find time to relax and also reflect. I'm 63, and at this point, I'm pretty sure I have more years behind me than I do ahead of me. I need to think about what my life will be once I retire. That horizon is quickly growing closer. As much as I like my job, I have no intention of it being the capstone to my existence. I want to continue to do things that bring me joy and offer value to others. I'm toying with the idea of teaching photography workshops myself.
I also plan to keep writing. Maybe more reflective pieces than tutorials, but we will see. While I don't know how much impact my writing has on others, I enjoy it and - similar to photography - it is something intrinsic to my character.
I also want to continue showing my work in local venues. I get an immense sense of accomplishment when one of my images is purchased by a total stranger. Case in point, below. :-)
Sold!
During vacation I also sold a 24x30 canvas print of Cedar the Scottish Highland cow. I am very pleased that this image will now adorn someone's wall. I am donating the proceeds from this sale to Topsy Farms, who care for Cedar, her bovine companion, Juniper and an uncountable number of sheep
A Quality Company
During one of those sunset shoots, a near-tragedy occurred; I had my Peak Design backpack with me and as I was zipping up one of the side flaps, the zipper jammed, then came right off in my fingers! The flap could not be zipped closed and worse, there were exposed lenses in the pockets on that side of the bag. I had to carry the bag back to the car in my arms, like a sleeping child. Fortunately, I did not lose or damage any gear, but the cash outlay for a new camera bag was not in my plans for summer vacation. Some context for you; I have owned my old PD Everyday Backpack for 8 years. And it pretty much went everywhere with me and held 98% of my gear at all times. It had never let me down. And Peak Design promises a lifetime warranty on their products…
So, before buying a new bag, I reached out to PD, explained the situation and provided photos showing the broken zipper, and within a couple days, they had approved a cost-free replacement with their newer, V2 Backpack! I didn’t even have to pay for shipping! I chose a snazzy new color, and the outer shell was made completely from recycled fishing nets!
Kudos to Peak Design for standing behind thier products.
Photography Workshop
Photographing the Landscapes of Prince Edward County & Beyond
In my second week, I had the opportunity to take a local photography workshop while I was on vacation. Facilitated by the talented landscape and nature photographer Rob Stimpson, the workshop was a week-long experience, covering everything from color theory to composition, with an emphasis on understanding why you are pressing the shutter button in the first place.
More than 61,000 photos are captured every second…
That works out to about two trillion photos a year - a staggering number - and over 90 percent of them are captured on smart devices. Considering that volume, it begs the question, how many of those photographs are mere recordings versus images that have been captured - or made - with intent?
Note: for this workshop, all my images were processed in Lightroom Mobile; I decided to just use my iPad for the week, leaving the laptop at home and - no surprise to me - it was up for the job. The focus was on image capture, not editing technique, but I was pleased to see that most of the group had either Lightroom or Photoshop workflows and I enjoyed helping those who had questions around those topics.
The Long & Winding Road
I drove the same route each day, to and from the photography workshop at Loyalist College, and it gave me the opportunity to observe the same landscapes under slightly different conditions each time. I told myself that one day, I would stop and make some photographs. Well, I did just that, one afternoon on the way home, and one morning on the way in. The afternoon drive had such amazing clouds. Driving by fields of corn and wheat, I felt like I was in the prairies, not Northumberland County. And the one morning, while hazy, really told the story of the cycle of farming, hay laid out in neat rows to dry, to eventually be baled into large cylinders. The soft morning sidelight added contrast without overwhelming the scene in shadows.
Campus Viewpoints
Throughout the week, Rob gave us various “mini-assignments” to shoot around the campus. Each of us were given different topics or styles to capture. Over four days, I had:
- Texture
- Shallow depth of field
- Lines
I also had the good fortune to see a pair of green herons in the nearby pond. I learned later there is also an osprey and some nesting owls in the forest near the campus.
Barren Beauty
Day 2 of the workshop took us to Sandbanks Provincial Park. We spent an amazing (and amazingly warm) couple hours there at mid morning. The heat did not discourage visitors; at 10am, the park was already filling up. I opted to follow a trail that led away from the people, towards a marsh. While I could have gone further, with my full backpack of camera gear, I ran out of gas by that point. And I did still have to make it back to the group. Even with the mostly top lighting, I managed to find a decent range of compositions as I hope you see here. In the afternoon, we were back at the college, making our selects and editing using whatever application we were comfortable with. I’m happy to state I was not the only Lightroom user in the class. I even took a few minutes to create a simple title image using Adobe Express!
Strategic Observations
Day 3 of the photography workshop was quite productive. We visited Base 31 in Prince Edward County. A long-retired military base, it is being given new life as an event and retail space and sometime soon, home to actual residences. This was an excellent visual exercise! So much history, so many photographic opportunities. While my preference is natural landscapes, it’s always a good idea to switch things up on occasion; it helps me to see things differently.
Workshop Wrap Up
The finale that final morning was a slideshow from each participant. It’s always amazing to me that you can drop a handful of photographers in the same location, yet they all come away with different images. Everyone has their own unique vision!
It was a great week of learning, seeing and inspiration!
About Me
Photography has been part of my life for more than 40 years. What began as a passion eventually became a career in commercial photography, and later expanded into digital imaging, web design, education, and creative technology. Along the way, I've had the privilege of teaching at the college level, presenting at conferences and events across North America, and helping educators and creative professionals explore new creative tools. Through it all, photography and teaching have remained the two constants that continue to inspire everything I do.
For me, photography is as much about making pictures as it is a way to slow down, to be present, and to share the way I see the world. Whether I'm exploring the landscapes and wildlife of Ontario, drawing inspiration from the quiet beauty of of this province’s forests, lakes, and rural landscapes, writing about creativity, leading a workshop, or speaking about creativity and AI, my goal is simply to encourage others to look a little closer, think a little differently, and discover the stories that are waiting to be told through the images they create. Today, I continue that work through my presentations, workshops, writing, and my role with Adobe, where I help students, faculty and other creative people embrace new technologies while never losing sight of the creative vision that makes every image unique.
Credits:
All photographs created by Jim Babbage