Images

Private Workshop (ctd)

May 8, 2012 by Younes

Last week, I showed you some of the quick snapshots I made while teaching a private workshop recently. As I hinted then, Stephane generously agreed to allow me to showcase his images from the two outings…Stephane wanted to work on developing his compositional skills and the famous “eye” (or learn how to see in human speak). We agreed to do it in two seemingly distinct (yet not that different) settings: nature and the city. Part of me really wonders if he really needed me at all…he seemed to be doing just fine on his own. I think I’ll just let his photos do the talking…

White forest, Black forest

February 28, 2012 by Younes

Some stories just jump at you unannounced. Others take years to make. Yet others are a bit of both. This is one of those.

I have been scouting this little forest for years now, always wishing and hoping for a good snow dump. Not any kind of snow, it had to be wet and sticky. It had to stick to the trees. In a specific way. The conditions finally arose this past week-end. We weren’t going to be denied. Hallelujah, our time has come .

Once in the forest, Amanda heads out to do her own thing, I on the other hand go on to wait and see Amanda doing her own thing. Her thing usually ends up being more fun. So I sit and stalk (technically since I married her I take it for granted that I am allowed to stalk). This a combination of me and her. I hope you enjoy it.

To make things more fun, I only allowed myself one lens: my beloved Sigma 85mm f/1.4. Mighty Bokeh Goodness.

I used the Brenizer method here (4 images merged in PS CS4)

Amanda doing her thing

Blue and Gold

February 13, 2012 by Younes

The northern town of Chefchaouen in Morocco, never ceases to amaze me. The profusion of blue all along the town’s walls is nothing short of mesmerizing. When this lady stopped to catch her breath on her way down to the market, I was immediately attracted by the combination of gold and blues. The lines at the top and bottom of the frame helped me pull it all together.

Chefchaouen the beautiful

There are still spots available for our Morocco adventure in May. Check here for more details.

Playing in the fog

January 31, 2012 by Younes

father and child playing on a snow-covered and foggy beach in Ottawa

Father and Son

A few weeks ago, I wrote on G+ about some of those images that just keep you coming back. Images that you made but that have a special connection or meaning for you. Beside the image I posted on that day, here is another one of my earliest images (it remains probably my best seller – though that is a very relative term). It was a really warm early spring day. A day that brought some of the thickest fog I have ever seen. You could barely see 20 feet ahead of you. For certainly makes for one of my favourite shooting conditions, the dark, mysterious and atmospheric conditions are great to create some fantastic imagery. The ordinary turns into the extraordinary, the beautiful into the sublime. It’s the perfect condition for simple, streamlined compositions that are half real, half dream.

I headed to my favourite spot back then, a short walk from my place, by the Ottawa river. Remember that at the time, I am almost exclusively a landscape photographer. That said, as I arrived on the scene, I couldn’t help but notice a boy have the time of his life with his father. The scene was touching and beautiful. I knew right there and then that it would make for a compelling image. The only problem was that I didn’t have a clue how to photograph people, and my legendary shyness would very much get in the way. The very thought of mustering the courage to start thinking about approaching them to let me take their photo was too much to bear. So I moved on.

For a while at least. As I was heading back home, I couldn’t help but take some side glances hoping *they* would start the conversation (yeah, right). For some unknown reason however, I though those trees would also make for a pretty image. Given that I was using my wide-angle, our two friends would hardly feature in the image and I was fine with (yeah, right). Anyhow, I set up, I make an image or two, and miracle, the two decide they have had enough and head out for their car. That meant they were going to walk right into my frame. In the best possible spot. Click. Better to be lucky than good I guess. I’ll take it .

A garage, a woman, a blackberry

January 23, 2012 by Younes

Wow! Even I get blown away by how clever my post titles are…very very clever.

Anyhoo…Amanda and I headed to the new Ikea in Ottawa a few weeks back. Not to shop, not even to the store. What we were aiming for was the very cool looking new garage! Yeah! That’s what I am talking about. Some cool colours, great lines and some cool lighting.

The setup was a straighforward one: a CTO-gelled flash in a Westcott Apollo 28″ softbox as a key light, then a bare flash in a 1/4″ grid for a kicker (either on the left or behind Amanda).