Happy Hallowe'en

To all the other superheroes out there...

Poppa

August 14, 2010: after waking up at 5:30 am, Evan played for a while, then to our relief, showed signs of tiring. As I tried to put him down, he fussed and woke up, so I rocked him back asleep and let him sleep on my lap. I watched him for quite a while, sitting there in the campsite, and eventually he stirred. He yawned, gazed up at me for a moment, then quietly said, "Poppa."

I will remember this moment for the rest of my life.
Thanks to Tania for capturing this image.

Evan is growing!

It is unbelievable the changes we see day by day in Evan. He discovers things continually, and learns very quickly. Sometimes I see a change from the time I go to work, until the time I come home. Amazing.

For the photography-minded, this was lit with window light only, camera right. I love my 85mm lens, wide open!

Goodbye Oma - you will be missed.

Today, my oma passed away, after a long struggle with cancer. She was almost 97 years old. One of my favorite memories of Oma was talking to her about the difference between asking "How are you today?" in Canada versus asking in Holland. In Canada, most people are happy with answering "Fine, thanks" or "Not too bad", but in Holland, the question meant "How are you today, really? Or maybe that was just Oma, keeping it real. Anyway, I've never forgotten that conversation, and when I ask "How are you today?" what I'm really asking is "How are you really?" Thank you Oma, for showing me how to bring more depth to my relationships, and I wanted you to know that I appreciate our conversations. I am proud that I had the opportunity to introduce you to my wife, Tania. I am happy to have known you.

What if...

you forgot that you couldn't do something? Follow me if you will, a moment. What if you were able to leave that voice behind, the one that says you can't play guitar, or you can't shoot professionally, or that you can't sing all that well. Imagine the music you would make if you woke up tomorrow and forgot all that criticism.

I like to think that we would all be geniuses, if only we could forget that we can't play.

Our house is for sale!

Our house is for sale! Tell your friends! Tell your wife! Buy our house!
http://www.12619giantsheadroad.blogspot.com/

A Perfect evening

Every once in a blue moon comes a perfect evening - where food, drink and conversation blend to form an amazing experience where we all have a chance to get to know one another better. Here's to good evenings with friends and family.

Reflections on Failure

This is not meant to be one of those New Year's Resolutions posts. Rather, I prefer to sit and reflect on how I've done during the last year, and how I can make meaningful, long term improvements in my life. As many of you know, one of my goals in life is to be a great photographer. To this end, I promote myself when I can, and I throw myself completely into anything that I do. Knowing that, I choose not to shoot weddings. They're just not my style, and nothing more.

However, I do enjoy shooting commercial, and shooting editorial. I enjoy the challenge of lighting, the connection with my subject, and the look of the finished work. I get a deep sense of satisfaction when a final image I've envisioned becomes real, and I strive to create that.

As I mentioned earlier, I like to sit and reflect on the year gone by, and see where I can do better. And this year, I saw how I could have been a better photographer - not in technique, or lighting, or subject - but in marketing. In sales, there is a phrase called "the Silver Platter." The theory behind that is that it takes on average, 5 calls to a client to make a sale. Most sales professionals make 4 calls, then conclude the buyer isn't interested, and walk away. The next person that walks by and says "Do ya wanna buy one?" gets the sale, and the original salesperson wonders why nobody wants his product. This has happened to me several times, and indeed, just recently.

For the coming year, I intend to become better at showing my work, and to be persistent in calling clients. It does no one a service when I hold back and doubt what I can do, and someone less talented does the work. Ah, but there's the rub: confidence isn't something on sale in aisle 3. How do I promote myself in such a way that doesn't come across as arrogant, but talented instead? How do I handle myself in such a way that a client knows I will photograph his product as I would my own baby? How do I communicate to people the belief in what I do? I don't need a course in photography - I need a course in marketing. 2010 will be the year I learn to market myself more effectively.