So years ago I had this theory, and I'm still debating how much of this is true. The theory was that much of what we love about analog photography has to do with optics and the fact that an image falls onto a substrate. Could be film or it could be paper, but that substrate plays a role in the way that image presents itself. I have no scientific thinking to back that up, and I'm sure there are other factors at play, like the way negative film handles highlights compared to digital, etc. Mostly for me it was the optics, and we're talking big old optics here, the kind that would have at least a 14" image circle. So with too many hours of research involved and too many hours building this camera obscura, I wanted to test it all.

These are the only remaining images of the 'camera' itself. I recycled it a few years after the shoot, not having anywhere to keep it. What's hard to see is that on the far side of the huge processing lens is a hole, and that hole is where I would mount my digital SLR. The camera obscura projected an image on the back surface and the digital camera recorded it. Looks fancy, eh? It was, however, a beast to use.

It was a fixed focal length and had a depth of field of fractions of inches. So I used the old school method of attaching a string to the front of the camera, and this is where the different participants would position themselves. On the back plate of the obscura I would draw scratches with charcoal pencils, ink marks, watercolor, etc. This was to give the images some texture, replicating that surface look you see on wet plates. I would print the images then add more scratches, etc., then scan again. Yeah, a very convoluted process. I love the results, not so much working with this camera.

It was very difficult and required a massive amount of light. I had to fire several strobes at close range to get a decent exposure, not wanting to introduce too much digital noise from the DSLR in the process. Overall I'm happy with the results from this experiment. My main takeaway was that I wished all those marks and scratches were 'real' in the sense that you could go up to the image and see them. The scratches on the original prints are there, but not the marks added on the substrate mounted on the back of the camera.

Looking back, this experiment taught me that the tangible, physical quality of analog photography, the thing I was chasing, can't be fully replicated through hybrid processes. There's something essential that gets lost in translation, no matter how elaborate the workaround. But sometimes the best way to understand what makes something special is to try to recreate using other means.

One last note: One thing I did learn from this experience is that equipment does play a role in how the work ends up looking. A massive camera that can't be moved with a focal length that can't be changed was a limitation that I had to work with. Those limitations force a person to be creative and come up with solutions to get the results they want.

A great example of this in action is the movie "The Holdovers." The use of tripods instead of steadycams, static shots, lens choices, color grading techniques, etc. I felt like I was watching a film from the 70s. I didn't pick up on it initially, I'm not a movie nerd, but you can't help but feel drawn back into that time if you have actually lived through it.

One last last note: I have a sincere sense of gratitude for all those who showed up for this shoot, taking place over 2 days. These images would not have been possible without them. THANK YOU!

The little lamp series turns 20.

This started out as a lark when Kara grabbed my floor lamp at home, wanting to pose with it. It became a popular image on the old modelling sites, and when I moved into my first studio the little lamp came with me, not to use as a prop but for low ambient light since I was constantly tripping over cords and stands. It still happened, of course. Do all photographers trip as much as I do? Eventually people noticed the lamp and asked if they could pose with it. I was like, "Nah, it's already been done by Kara, and I love those images."

Kara and the Little Lamp. Basement Studio

Eventually, after a few people requested it, I had the brilliant idea of doing a series. Okay, yeah... I mean anyone else would have seen this as an opportunity but I'm a bit thick sometimes.

Looking back at the metadata, Rachel was likely the first participant. She was also the last participant in my Torso series, the last series I did when I let the lease go in 2019.

Rachel – first Little Lamp images for the Series.

Eventually, several people came forward to do the series. Some were people I had previously worked with, some were friends, some became friends.

Jess, Tam, and Beatrix Mae

Others I had never met before and would not see again.

And some I had just met became friends.

Marla and Aenux

One came back for more.

Jess

Some I'd work with again once or twice or meet at events.

The little lamp is still around and still functional, and I'm debating if this is a thing I'd want to revisit. It was so much fun and I love doing image series and getting different people involved. It's such a unique way to see the personalities and character of people come through.

When I ask myself questions, I'll often look at other lines of thinking to find truths. Certain patterns repeat themselves throughout nature and experience. The branching pattern of trees also exists in river deltas and our lungs. We recognize these as systems that distribute or gather resources. So in answering the question, "What is beauty?" I thought of Viktor Frankl's thoughts on meaning and purpose. Is there something in the way that Frankl understood the need for purpose that I can use to understand beauty?

What I got from reading Man's Search for Meaning is that finding meaning in life is necessary for our survival. We find meaning through purpose. We often end up running around trying to find purpose, needing it to be some grand thing. That's what our ego wants.

For me, this is where the idea of surrender comes in and dovetails into many religious and philosophical texts. If we surrender to the idea that it's all beyond our comprehension, then "lifting water and chopping wood" can be the purpose in our life that gives it a deeper meaning. We need purpose to have a meaningful life, but purpose isn't some abstract thing we need to find outside of ourselves. It's an attitude or a way of viewing the world that gives it meaning. It's what we bring to each moment, not what life hands out to us. Does this logic then apply to beauty?

We're constantly looking for things to fascinate us, to make us feel something, to make us engage, to trigger that almighty mix of chemicals in our skulls. If the above is true, then this is the wrong approach. Beauty doesn't exist out there for us to find. It's an attitude and approach that we take toward the world, ourselves, and each other. The same is true when we dismiss something as ugly or unworthy of attention. That judgment is an attitude we bring with us, not a quality that we discover. So maybe the question isn't 'What is beauty?' but 'Will I choose to see it?'

I found a new word the other day. Shibui. Another one of those wonderful Japanese words that describe so much but in itself is hard to pin down. English words that are used to describe it are "subtle" and "unobtrusive beauty". It can refer to an economy of line, form, and effort. As a very famous creative director said, "Simplicity on the other side of complexity." I went through my work looking for images that I felt resonated with that concept. I think much of my work does, but at that time I couldn't find any that vibed with the idea. Then, semi-randomly, I found this set.

A shout out to Alexia Day, always an inspiration. Her subtle movement and expression, to me, capture what shibui means.

Love these film images of Ashley taken with my Fuji Super 6 rangefinder. What a bear to use though. The lens has real character, but I find myself often making unintentional double exposures: the shutter sticks and film scratches. I was never one for toy cameras, but I'm starting to lean into this one's faults. Faults. Character. Can be one and the same in cameras and in people. Just a matter of perspective sometimes.

I'm going through the archives, looking to use some of my old work as drawing reference. I use to pick one pose out of set and never show the rest. Thinking that somehow showing more it some how diluted the work that I did show. I think it does... sometimes. I'm now thinking I thought too much about it.

A few pics of Eva from our shoot last summer. Good times. The cameras have sitting on shelves lately. Not sure if it's a lack of inspiration, or I'm just busy making other plans. Still creating however, just not ready to share. I'm writing. Stories based on dreams. I'm enjoying it. One piece might become illustrated, either through photographs or drawings. That may pull me back into shoots. Yet to be seen. Connecting with others though, that's what I miss the most.

I keep finding interesting images that I either ignored or put a pin in while searching for drawing reference. I think it's because I'm in a different state of mind when looking at images in this way. Looking back at this road trip to Drum that Kate and I did a few years back, I feel it's deserving of a fresh set of eyes that now sees it as a story. Sign up below and you will be notified when this full set goes up.

I am deeply drawn to the simplicity and elegance of the human form. In this gallery, I've created photographs that are both abstract and sensual, celebrating sexuality while maintaining a sense of beauty. Primarily working with film, I find that black and white photography enhances the abstract quality of these images, allowing the viewer to see the human form in new and thought-provoking ways.

Many of the projects I've done over the years have served as petri dishes. Especially when it comes to digital photography, where every option I can imagine is open to me, I need to find a way to limit those options — it's the only way I can find a creative voice. Otherwise my energies feel like a drop of dye in an ocean of choices.

"The Room" explores the outcomes of isolating variables within a confined digital space constructed using multiple images and Photoshop. The room doesn't exist; it's a digital construct with intentional constraints imposed on myself and co-creator. Within it, I have created opportunities for the emergence of individually unique concepts. It's a virtual laboratory for the creative process and individual self-expression.

On July 17, 2025 or so I built this site. Mostly for as a form of self-therapy and hoping at somepoint I'll have visitors. And hope beyond hope to build a community. What that community looks like I have no idea at the present moment.

Film Photograpy. Weaselhead, Calgary, Alberta

On July 17, 2025, I started building this site. Mostly as a form of self-therapy after closing my social media accounts. I didn't see much point in having them since platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok have taken the social out of social media and feed us AI slop instead.

Basically, I got tired of feeding algorithms and the offshore money accounts of billionaires. That's the why of this site. Below you'll find a brief guide to how the site is organized.

Rough Cuts My old site was just my photography, however I do like to flail away at other interests but I never thought it appropriate to share them. There's a bunch of various reasons why we're told to niche down. I've decided to ignore that advice and share whatever it is I'm working on, no matter how rough. Writings, drawings, and whatever else I tangent into.

Oh That's Good! When I find something I love on the internet, this is where I'll share it. I may write about it or I may just post a link. Mostly you'll find websites of creators. As this site grows I may need to scale this section up. For now it's a simple list.

Photography My photography work. That's about it. Oh, some thoughts on gear and process and the state of photography may creep in as well.

What Am I Thinking Rants, thoughts and opinions. Yeah, that's it.

Poke around the site a little and if you find it interesting, you can sign up for updates at the bottom of any page. No spam, just letting you know what I've been up to."