Christmas Baking

Gail loves to bake cookies and other tasty treats around Christmastime. Lucky me! But I'm showing a modicum of self-control and there will be lots left over to share with friends and neighbours. This evening - Christmas Eve - in a twist of the caroling tradition, we are going to visit our neighbours, offer them a box of Christmas baking, and wish them a very Merry Christmas. Best of the Season to one and all!

Cookies galore in 3D - Yummm!

John Tank

I had the pleasure of attending a jazz performance by the John Tank Group last night at the Huether Hotel in uptown Waterloo. John grew up and learned his chops around KW and now lives in New York City.

Last year I was hired to photograph John and his sax for his forthcoming CD "Jazz Live from the Registry".


His mastery of the saxophone is well illustrated by this short video I made of John with Bernie Senensky on a Hammond B3 and Ted Warren on drums.

The Cone Nebula

Isn't our universe a wondrous and beautiful place? So mysterious and yet so real! And the ability of telescopes to peer back in time and capture images so detailed and clear is truly amazing. I saw this image on the APOD (Astronomy Picture of the Day) web site which I check regularly, to remind myself that there is so much to see in our galactic neighbourhood.

Amanda Martinez at The Distillery

The Distillery District  Christmas Market

Gail & I drove into Toronto yesterday to see Amanda Martinez perform with her band at The Distillery. The central square was festooned with lights and filled with people. The open-air market on the cobblestone street was dominated by a huge Christmas tree with a small outdoor stage beside it where Amanda performed. She sang her soulful latin songs that we love... plus a few Christmas classics done to a samba beat. What a treat!

Amanda Martinez

with her biggest fan

Morning on Bronte

I like to take a walk through the nearby Bronte Creek valley any time. But it's particularly enchanting at this time of year when the winter light comes late and low, illuminating the cool moist air. Often the leaves are delicately frosted - a perfect opportunity to switch my camera to B&W mode and capture nature's elegant decay.

The Fuel of Life Launch

book cover

My photograph of the Miev electric car

Gail & I attended the launch of 'The Fuel of Life' project in the Galleria at BCE Place tonight. It is the third PhotoSensitive book and exhibit project to which I've contributed. PhotoSensitive is a collective of Canadian photographers that harnesses the power of the camera to achieve social change.


The exhibit runs to December 9th, so do check it out when you're in downtown Toronto.

James Burns, Evan Ferrari & Tony Hauser at the party

Help-Portrait

I worked as the volunteer videographer today, documenting the Help-Portrait project organized by Karen Brodie and the Guelph Photographers Guild.

 

It was a high-energy day capturing the excitment as the photographers, editors, printers, make-up artists and a host of other volunteers made the special-needs clients of Community Living look fabulous!

I didn't take any stills today but here are some video frames of what I experienced. Just click on a thumbnail to see the larger version.

Busy Friday

Mount Nemo on the road between Guelph & Oakville

I think today is Black Friday in the US but for me it's "Busy Friday".
Up early to drive to Guelph and drop the Prius off at Toyota for winter tires to be installed. Then down to Ed Video where I've been doing a video workshop all week in the morning and working on a music video in the afternoon. But this afternoon I went to Willow Public School to help out with a Focus On Nature program at a grade six class there. I did my usual 'History of 3D' demonstration to the excited students.

viewing historic 3D photos with stereoscopes

Back in my studio now listening to my Sam Turton CD. After driving back to Oakville on my winter wheels, I had  a lovely dinner waiting for me! Thanks Gail. (she made us a cajun fish stir fry!) And now before retiring I'll check out my equipment for the video shoot I'm doing tomorrow at Guelph's Community Living with the Guelph Photography Guild. Read the excellent write up about it here!

Occupy Toronto

I heard on the news that eviction notices had been handed out to the Occupy Toronto protesters in St. James Park this morning. So I drove down to the park to see it for myself. The park was a muddy sea of tents with as many media-types milling around as there were protesters.

At noon a General Assembly was called on the steps of St. James Cathedral to discuss how they would respond to the eviction notice. It seems that some protesters will stay until the bitter end while others want to move on to another park. It may all be over tonight.

Book Signing

the books we had for sale

Yesterday Gail and I took my 3D TV and a pile of my unsold 3D children's books to the Chapters store in Woodbridge for an author's book signing event. Lisa, the store manager, is an acquaintance of mine and she had a table reserved at the front of the store ready for my arrival. I set up the TV that showed examples of my work and handed out 3D glasses to new arrivals. There were lots of 'WOW's and other exclamations of interest but by the end of the afternoon only 8 books were signed and sold. Disappointing for the effort we put into it but I left some extra books for potential follow-up sales.

with Lisa at Chapters in 3D!

Quinte

This week I drove out to visit my brother-in-law Dennis and his lovely wife Paule, who live near Picton in Prince Edward County. It's always a pleasure to see them and the beautiful part of the world they live in on the Bay of Quinte. Here are a few of my favourite shots from the three days I spent there. Just click on the photo to see a larger version.

Robin & Megan

Gail & I had brunch with Robin Barker and his fiancée Megan at Around the Corner, a small cafe near Islington & Lakeshore on Sunday. Great food! Robin is a friend going back 30 years when I first started out in AV production and he needed a show about his work as a top hair stylist in Toronto. We have since worked on many updates of that original show as he continues to be on the 'cutting edge' of hair design at his Yorkville salon. Congratulations Robin and Megan! Never let it be said that age is barrier to true love.

Sam Turton Concert

The Guelph Little Theatre was rockin' on Friday night for the release of singer/songwriter Sam Turton's new CD 'At Home'. The soulful musicianship of the Homestead Band, with Sam playing guitar, his son Jesse Turton on bass, Adam Bowman on drums, Jane Lewis on keyboards and Tannis Slimmon providing vocal harmonies, brought Sam's lyrics and their social message to life. And in keeping with Sam's community roots, a parade of Guelph's finest musicians joined the band onstage for several numbers. In fact, in keeping with his 'sing-a-long' tradition, Sam soon had the whole audience singing with him! If you weren't able to make the concert, be sure to check out sound clips from the CD at www.samturton.com.

First Frost

I took my first 'frosty morning photo safari' of the new season this morning.  The moisture that hung in the still air of the valley had settled overnight into a cloak of crystal that covered every curling leaf and twig, sparkling in the morning light.

Within an hour the show was over, as the sun's melting rays reach the valley floor.

Mother & Child

While scanning old family photos recently, I came across this one of Ellen and Heather that I took while we were on a road trip through Europe in 1978. It's one of my favourites!

Red Oaks

Red Oak, Hendrie Valley

Here are another couple of favourite photos from yesterday's trip to Hendrie Valley. No colour boost applied!

Oak Trees in Hendrie Valley