Botanical Beach Provincial Park, is located on Vancouver Island, BC near Port Renfrew. The beach is a wonderful place to visit, during low tide some amazing color is revealed. This is the edge of a tide pool that looked like it was about 8 feet deep the purple holes in the center are carved out of the sandstone by sea urchins.

I have been looking forward to the Nanaimo 2010 Photosalon. In February I submitted two of my images for a adjudication, which were accepted. When I dropped off my prints this last Tuesday, I had a glimpse of some of the work that had already been dropped off, I was blown away by the sheer outstanding quality of images that were already there. This left me feeling like this years’ Photosalon was going to be a stupendous event. The last time I participated, in 2008, the venue was at the Vancouver Island University Art Gallery (then Malispina College). This year the Nanaimo Museum is a great partner, offering a suitable gallery space that houses 70+ outstanding prints from all over Vancouver Island. My wife and I arrived just after 1:00 pm to find several photographers already gathering. After enjoying some great company over Serious Coffee and several other conversations with friends, the big 2:00 pm announcements of the winners commenced.

The three judges that came over from Vancouver are professional judges from The Canadian Association for Photographic Art (CAPA). The comments that some of the judges made for each image were read and I found out that both of my entries placed.

In the open category,
“Make it Stop” – model Michael Ward,
took both the Gold Medal (1st Place) and Best in show.

Make it Stop ~ 38"x24" on canvas.

Mother's Treasures ~ 42"x14" on canvas.

When the announcement came for Mother’s Treasures my wife who was standing beside me started to cry. The image had been her idea and is a photograph of her collection of “bunnies” that our daughter has sewn by hand for her each year as a Christmas present, for the last 14 years. Our daughter was unable to attend the Photosalon opening, we purposefully did not show her the image before it was entered and we are hoping to bring her to the museum to show her the image before she sees or hears about it from elsewhere.

I wish to thank the CAPA  judges; [Allen Bargen, Francois Cleroux and Lynne Kelman], Peter Gyorffy ~ Chair of Photosalon 2010 Organizing Committee, the Harbour City Photo club and the Nanaimo Museum for a wonderful opening. The feature exhibit runs from April 10 to May 24, 2010.

I also need to give a sincere thank you to the amazing model Michael Ward, without his help, “Make it Stop” would still be stuck in my head.

Make sure if you are on Vancouver Island to visit the museum and take in the show. All the images are outstanding in both presentation and quality.
(I will be updating this post with the official list of winners when I receive it from Peter)

I have driven by this old gas station, now an auto repair shop, for years. Each time I thought to myself I wanted to photograph it. Finally on a leisurely drive to and from Victoria I saw the shot.

Put together using 4 separate exposures and tone mapped in Photomatix.

Remember to stop and smell the roses.

After months of waiting the extended version of “face” is finally available for public viewing. The video had it’s debut last night at the Nanaimo Joy of Photography show. The show was an amazing collection of videos brought to you by The Harbour City Photography Club. I wish to thank everyone who volunteered to help in the making of “face” and also all the hard working people who put the Joy of photography show together, without all their hard work the evening would have been without joy.

The music is titled Parade by AKAJULES.
For more details on the making of this video read the original short version post here

“Finding my way”
Illustrating Text: “The Lake Isle of Innisfree,” by W.B. Yeats

I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made:
Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey-bee,
And live alone in the bee-loud glade.

And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,
Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings;
There midnight’s all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,
And evening full of the linnet’s wings.

I will arise and go now, for always night and day
I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey,
I hear it in the deep heart’s core.