thomas dagg

my bike

2012-02-08T08:35:00.000-05:00

This quick video was done for me, as a visualization to a question I was asked. This is why my bike is on my list of prized possessions.

I had some time yesterday afternoon, so I decided to put a camera on a tripod and on my bike and put some visuals to my answer. It's nothing fancy or planned, just a spur of the moment vid with my voice (which was recorded on a gaming headset...).

You can watch on vimeo in 720p.

Boy do I hate the sound of my own voice.

new blog: life

2012-02-06T21:25:00.003-05:00

I have a camera with me about 99% of the time. Even when I sleep, I keep one beside my bed.

I created a second blog, "life", to have a place to post my documentary work as I shoot it.

I can split my photographic interest into two main efforts. The first, which is what the blog you're on now (and my website) focuses on, is portraiture and thought out concepts. The light/subject/location is more or less planned, and I am in control. This is my main passion: personalities.

This new blog is a bit harder to explain; it's part photostory, part visual journal and part experiment. I can contribute the photo documentary influence to Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Frank, William Klein, James Nachtwey and Vivian Maier (I had to limit myself to 5). I am constantly inspired by street/photo documentary work.

There's something romantic about shooting the world around you. I'm looking forward to going through these images in five, ten or even twenty years and seeing how the subject matter, the people I surround myself with, and the places themselves change.

This is the reason I bought my Fuji X100. It's probably the favourite in my 3 camera arsenal. The retro styling, small size, powerful chip, 35mm lens and super silent shutter give it this unassuming quality; no one ever pays attention to it (unless they're photo nerds).

Before I bought the X100, I carried around my small Ricoh KR5 Super 35mm camera) so I find myself shooting the Fuji like I did tri-x. It's always either 400, 800 or 1600ISO. It just so happens that the X100 at 1600ISO produces a look I love, which is why I almost always leave it set to that.

BUT, it's way more about the moments then the gear. I limit my post work to capture one with just a levels, curves, and black and white adjustments; the files will be kept away from Photoshop at all costs to maintain as much rawness as I can.

So if you're interested, visit the blog at http://thomasdagg.tumblr.com and follow along.

Ian Delaney for ROB

2012-01-27T23:55:00.000-05:00

I have some work related news for the blog today...

I was hired by the Globe and Mail's Report on Business magazine to shoot Ian Delaney for an exit interview.

I found out he was a very avid flier (both fixed wing and helicopter), so I asked him if he'd like to throw airplanes around his boardroom. Luckily he said yes, and he even made a few of his own.

From Castro to barracudas, he is quite the interesting guy; I recommend reading the article below (click to see it bigger).

snap - Matt L

2012-01-19T23:00:00.000-05:00

Here's another no concept portrait. This time, it's Matt Le Blanc. I walked out to ask him a question and BAM. Squall + back alley wind + Canada + Matt L + awesome beard.

If you don't know who Matt is, he's Westside's studio manager/blog post writer. Check out the blog for some great words + photos

This post is far from becoming a wordy one, but I thought I'd mention that there are a few slightly planned shoots coming up soon, so keep checking back.

oh right... it's 2012 now

2012-01-09T22:19:00.003-05:00

It's a little late, but happy new year!

This post took a lot longer than expected to write. In the end I cut almost everything I wrote and summarized it into these four sentences:

1. 2011 was a really big year for me.

2. 2011 was full of new experiences, new people, new skills and new ideas.

3. I feel going into 2012, I have finally started to figure out where I want to go and what I have to do to get there.

4. It only gets crazier from here...

Since this is a photo blog after all, I thought I'd post a shot I took of a friend and fellow photographer Steph Martyniuk. She decided I was worthwhile photographing, so I sort of insisted I snap one of her after she had finished shooting me.

I don't really do many no concept - just shoot you how you are - portraits, but I think I'll suck it up and shoot more of them.

Also, I thought I'd include some of my favourite shots from the year of 2011. It was fun going back through a years work. I'm sad how little I actually shot, but I'll be all new years-y and say that'll change in 2012...

Barnes jungle adventure

2011-11-13T22:47:00.001-05:00

I've had this jungle explorer idea sketched out for a while, but a few things kept me from shooting it.

I needed to find somewhere in Toronto that looked like a dense jungle. This task turned out to be pretty difficult, but after a lot of searching, I finally found a place that fit the concept.

With the location picked, I then needed someone who themselves represented an explorer, had an interesting style, could pull off this idea and have the portrait relate/represent them in some way.

Who filled those specific criteria? Well I thought I'd ask Matt Barnes: a super talented photographer repped by Westside Studio. I was lucky enough to have him say yes.

Now why did I choose a photographer and why Mr. Barnes specifically? Without sounding too cheesy, I feel photographers are always exploring the craft/art/medium/whateveryouwannacallit. I find Matt to be one who definitely excels at it, pushing himself and his work through both creatives and commercial projects. He also has a pretty unique taste in clothing and culture, so he was really the perfect subject for this idea.

It definitely had fun shooting it. Once the outfit was donned, it's pretty hard to not get the mindset of a badass explorer.

I have to thank Matt again for letting me photograph him, styling the shoot and being enthusiastic about the idea. It also wouldn't have happened without Jamie Rosenthal, who helped me out on the shoot.

There are a few more photos from this shoot that didn't make the cut, but are actually hilarious, so stay tuned. I may just end up posting them.

Jeff Z

2011-11-05T22:39:00.000-04:00

This is Jeff. He rides a cool bike, he's a super nice guy and a good soccer player.

I got this idea while biking around downtown late at night; I have trouble sleeping sometimes. It's been one of those ideas that is super simple, but kept getting delayed due to weather or timing. We finally were able to shoot it after a game this week. It was a really quick shoot since I had a game in an hour, but I was able to get a few frames I like. I love the cinematic feel.

I snapped a few while we were waiting for a break in Lakeshore's traffic as well.

Some behind the scenes now, and in case you were wondering what it looked like, here's a camera test featuring Jamie Rosenthal's hand. He was nice enough to bike over and give me a hand (ha...). He was definitely a must when working around Lakeshore and moving cars on a Friday night.

...and here's our transportation. Bonus points to anyone who knows where that giant whale mural is.

my dad

2011-10-12T07:33:00.004-04:00

Firstly, I'll say it's been an interesting couple of weeks since my last blog post. The only thing worth mentioning was a tweak in my "creative" mindset, which will be made evident in the next few posts.

To the topic of this post now, my dad came to Toronto on business yesterday. When he makes it here, we always try and grab dinner or drinks. This time, I wanted to photograph him as well.

Now my dad's been a light test stand in, assistant, stand holder or subject too many times to count. This time, I wanted it to have a different feel.

So I leave you a side of my dad few people see.

Until the next post!

meet Ian Willms

2011-09-19T04:53:00.000-04:00

Who's Ian Willms? He's a freelance documentary photographer based out of Toronto and a member of the Boreal Collective. He's also a friend of mine, which is what made this post come together. As a few blog posts have mentioned, I love photo documentary work so I thought for those who are also interested in it, I'd ask Ian a few questions and post his answers. I also got him to suggest some locations to make a few quick photographs (this is a photo blog after all).

The following are my questions, his answers and some portraits inspired by the interview.

Thomas Dagg - What got you interested in photo documentary work?

Ian Willms - I know this is all going to sound a bit cheesy and personal, but I really believe that it all stems back to how I grew up. I was raised in a YWCA women's shelter by a single mother who battled regularly with drug and alcohol abuse. Being raised in that environment taught me pretty early about life's harsh realities. For some reason, this made me gravitate to the pain and suffering of others. I can remember being as young as three years old, watching the Christian Children's Network Africa relief telethons constantly. I would look at those kids living in shacks made of garbage, drinking brown, polluted water and be completely transfixed. I already knew at that age that I needed to do something that would help the people in this world who have been abandoned. That's a pretty heavy thing for a three-year-old to come up with, but that's just how I'm wired, I guess.

From there, it was just a matter of finding the correct outlet for those feelings. I explored storytelling gradually through writing and visual arts as an adolescent. Eventually I happened into the medium of photography and everything just crystallized.

TD - Who are your biggest influences?

IW - Woodie Gutherie is pretty high up there. He was a prolific storyteller who truly dedicated his life to his beliefs and helping the underdog. Even when everyone told him he was a loser and corporations sent goons to beat him down, he still kept going. Anyone who doesn't know Gutherie's story should read his biography and/or watch the film Bound For Glory.

The entire genre of depression-era Delta Blues really motivates me. Those musicians created something so powerfully raw and soulful out of such extreme oppression and despair. It's just so tragically beautiful to me. Technically, the minimal approach used in that music also really speaks volumes to my own photographic process. In their case it was out of necessity that they made more from less. In my case it's a conscious decision.

Photographer-wise, I'm pretty traditional. I sort of became obsessed with the Life Library of Photography textbooks very early on in my photography practice. As a result, people like Mary Ellen Mark, Gary Winogrand, Henri Cartier Bresson and Robert Frank loom large in my photographic foundations. I don't really keep up on who is shooting what these days. There's too much great photography and I find it all to be very distracting. I just do my own thing and take a look here and there at what's going on. I also make sure to catch the World Press Photo exhibit every year.

TD - What do you find yourself drawn to shoot?

IW - My work focuses on the systemic power struggles of abandoned people and the environments in which they live. That's kind of my "statement" as it stands at this point in my artistic practice, but it only really refers to my purpose and what I want to say.

Aesthetically, I am drawn to anything that is dirty, rusty, old, worn, polluted, dark and industrial. I spent a lot of time shooting abandoned factories when I was a teenager. Those excursions were sort of a proving ground of sorts. I would set out to express my own interpretation of what I thought the building was feeling. Sometimes it worked, other times it didn't.

TD - When you're drawn to something, what steps do you take to capture it?

IW - There isn't much to my process. If I feel it, I shoot it. Sometimes it translates and other times it doesn't. I try not to make it any more complicated than that. I don't use zoom lenses or lights at all and usually only carry one camera with a wide prime lens. After the photograph has been captured, I don't mess with it too much. A big part of what draws me to photography is the presence of reality and the boundaries it puts upon the art. I challenge myself to find surreal scenes within reality and bring them to the viewer untainted by manipulation.

TD - Where do you find yourself wandering when you need to think or need inspiration?

IW - My default place to go to clear my head is often the rail yard. The train tracks are always the back alley of any given town or city. They arrive behind factories, low-income housing, auto shops, scrap yards and other gritty places. I find these landscapes to be very honest and inspiring. There's no glossy facade along the railway. It's all pretty raw. I can walk the tracks for hours sometimes, thinking about anything and nothing at the same time.

TD - Whats your favourite camera?

IW - I have a real soft spot for the Holga. I used the same one for three years, shooting Detroit. The process was slow, painful and at times completely infuriating, but that camera taught me a lot about minimalism, patience and persistence.

Lately I've been shooting a lot with the Lomo LC-A and am really loving it for street photography. It's small, discreet, simple, fast and has a great little lens in it. It's everything I love in a camera, really.

My most often used camera is a Nikon D3s. It's easily my favourite digital camera I have ever used. I just wish it wasn't so big.

TD - How you do you feel about the constant documentation with phones? Is it taking away from photodoc work?
IW - I feel great about it. The more we document our world, the better chance we have to learn something from our past and possibly even our present mistakes. The more cameras out there the better. Thanks to all those cell phone cameras, we now have Citizen Journalism; a wonderful and powerful trend that I'm very excited about. We all saw the potential of that power recently with the uprising in Egypt. That revolution's success hinged on the use of cellphones and social media to document, communicate and coordinate the movements and efforts of the people streets who were fighting the Mubarak regime.

Closer to home, we also witnessed that power during Toronto's G20 summits. I was shooting the protests for the Globe and weekend and personally witnessed many horrific acts perpetrated by police in Toronto. Thanks to all those people using their cameras to document what they saw, the police are gradually being held accountable for the widespread brutality they inflicted upon innocent civilians all over Toronto that weekend.

TD - Where do you think your field is going in the next 10-20 years?
IW - Call me crazy, but I'm optimistic. Documentary photography is so important to the positive progression of our society that it absolutely must continue. I feel that it is only a matter of time before the rest of the world is once again able to appreciate that.

TD - Best tips for people trying to get into the photo documentary world?

IW - Shoot what you feel and feel what you shoot.

- Don't get caught up in thinking you need to travel abroad to produce meaningful work.

- Wear good shoes.

I have to thank both Ian and Tom Franks (my assistant for the evening) for helping me get this post.

If you are the type who likes behind the scenes, here's a glimpse at what it was like shooting Ian, from his point of view.

We climbed through some windows, gear and all.

We traveled to a few cool locations on our bikes, so we packed light.

We set up in some pretty interesting locations.

I shot a few BTS frames as well.

Lack of sandbags (we actually transported everything to locations on our bikes) and a 6 foot octo meant Tom had to hold things together during the gusts of wind.

A view of half the set, as seen from my apartment's door.

Aliens and high ISO

2011-09-04T12:44:00.003-04:00

I went to watch Apollo 18 with a friend (Marshall Seyler), not expecting much. It sort of delivered, being a somewhat quirky alien film straying away from the typical green men. I love alien movies, especially when they have real life events woven into their stories and this one was no exception.

Although it was somewhat predictable, it was still entertaining. It did a good job of building up suspense and a fear of the aliens without really showing them. There was a lot of potential in the story and the cinematography had a few glimmers of hope. It was worth the $9.00 (especially if you like alien movies).

Oh, and afterwards, we walked around downtown with our cameras, shooting by street light. I took a few photos of Marshall, which can be seen above, and one really random shot of a boat crossing the city line of Toronto. I really like the feel of these photos, even though they were unplanned and spur of the moment decisions. I decided to shoot a portrait with a paired architectural detail.

There are more photos coming this week; I have a few shoots planned over the next couple of days.

X100 Review

2011-09-01T13:32:00.002-04:00

Finally, I have some time to write my X100 review.

This review wasn't something I wished to rush; I've had the camera for about a month now, and I finally feel I know it well enough to offer my opinion.

First, I guess I should explain why I decided to buy it. Visually, I don't see how you can't want it... it's stunning in almost every way... a poor person's Leica. Luckily, for all its good looks, the X100 has guts that deliver constantly surprising results.

I bought it because of my constant need (OCD, ya) to document. Although most of the stuff on this blog and in my book are concept portraits or thought out images, I have a love for photo documentary work. Shooting the unexpected, unknown, unpredictable chaos that is thrown before us should not (and cannot in my case) be ignored.

This camera fit my needs perfectly. It's small, unassuming and powerful. It's fast, predictable and minimalistic. I can't help but like it.

One quirk is how silent the shutter is. I find myself checking to see if I've actually taken a photo sometimes. The shutter is almost indistinguishable and only noticeable if you and the surrounding scene are absolutely quiet. It definitely helps when you do take a photo on the street, no one pays attention to it and it allows you to take photos where you normally wouldn't.

The viewfinder is unexplainable. It's not a true rangefinder in the sense that you manually focus etc, but Fuji have figured out a brilliant way to overlay all the information (autofocus point, meter, shutter speed, ISO, aperture and other customizable options) over the optical viewfinder. It's bright, and in classic rangefinder style, it allows you to see outside the frame allowing you to lead your subject and compose much faster on the fly.

With the flick of a switch, the optical viewfinder turns into an electronic viewfinder, giving a through the lens view. This is great for getting rid of pesky parallax error. You can also view images off the card and use the menu systems through the EVF! You never have to look at the back of the camera again... awesome.

The lens lives up to the rest of the camera - it's superb. Attached is a fixed 35mm equiv. lens (the sensor is a DX or APS-C sized sensor) which lets you shoot wide open at a very respectable f/2.0. There's a built in 3 stop ND filter, which lets you easily shoot wide open in broad daylight, but stop it down a stop or two and it gets even sharper. I'm sure pixel peepers will notice some softness wide open in the corners, but it's never got in my way.

Match the fast lens with a sensor capable of 6400 ISO (expandable to 12800) and you have an "any light" system. High ISO quality is great and I consistently shoot at 1600 and 3200 without hesitation.

The colour rendition is great and even at higher ISO's the colours stay true. I have confidence in it, even though the files are almost always output in black and white (it replaced my trusty Ricoh 35mm and Tri-X). Autofocus is accurate and speedy once you understand a few of it's "quirks". It can be preset at any distance for hip firing or set in a continuous or single shot mode.

Do I regret selling my 500cm to fund this camera? NO WAY! Fuji made a beast of a camera. It has a spot over my shoulder or in my bag everywhere I go. If you find yourself in need of a small but extremely well built and powerful camera to compliment your large DSLR, I can't recommend it enough. I remember wishing there was a film camera with a shutter dial, aperture dial and digital guts... BAM

Unfortunately there are frames that I'm saving for other posts, or don't have permission to show, but stay tuned and follow my 500px account if you wish to see fresh photodoc work.

the dagg family

2011-08-26T11:37:00.000-04:00

I have so many half posts... I really need to get some time and finish them up. It's been busy lately and there just hasn't been time to shoot post worthy stuff or edit previous creatives.

BUT, on the note of not posting anything, I'll dig into my "not posted" work to post something potentially entertaining this Friday.

This was taken during a test for an attempt at a quick family portrait last time I saw my parents. We spent so much time outdoors when I was little and I really wanted to catch that casual "camping" feel without it looking too cheesy. The mosquitos were horrible yet again, and I think we managed to get 6 frames before we gave up.

That spot in the middle (as you'll see in the actual photo below) is for me. Why are they both looking at it you might ask? Well, it's actually an ant hill...

So this photo is even funnier knowing I'm sitting on hundreds of ants. The ants turned into a great distraction and source of smile inspiration which is why my super squinty smile makes an appearance.

There are a few real posts in the works that should be up soon. I also have a few creatives in the works and an ongoing review of that Fuji X100 that is close to completion. Here's hoping!

family visit photostory

2011-08-04T15:38:00.003-04:00

As mentioned in the previous blog post, I visited my family "cottage" this past weekend. I didn't go to make photos, but here's the weekend in photos; no posing, just raw photo documentary shooting on the Fuji X100.

conveniently the site was f22

and finally, a random snap of the road... not part of the photo story, just an outtake

my grandpa

2011-08-03T08:25:00.004-04:00

I went on a mini vacation to the family "cottage" this past long weekend. I also got to test out some new kit, but more on that over the next few days! There is definitely a photodoc post or two coming later this week, so stay tuned.

My grandparents also have a place up on White Lake and I got to spend some much needed time with them. My grandparents have been people I've wanted to photograph since I first really got into portraiture. I've had so many ideas, but they were either too elaborate or not meaningful enough.

So, while packing for the train ride back home, I made some room for my battery pack, a head, a mod and a light stand. I spent many a summer up there, so I knew I could find an interesting location.

I could go on and on about inspiration for this shot... My grandpa is a major reason I love the water, sailing, camping, nature, the outdoors and slingshots (and many other things) as much as I do. There are just far too many memories to even think of off the top of my head.

I ended up shooting this during happy hour (a family tradition when we're all together). I had to wait for the sun to drop below the trees for the mottled light I was looking for, and had about a five minute window. Unfortunately the mosquitos were also horrible, so between the first and final frame was a span of maybe seven minutes.

The main goal was a candid feeling shot with just him and his (in my mind) famous slingshot and a couple of rocks. The rest was just waiting for the moment I saw the real grandpa I know and fighting off the bugs.

So here's my grandpa, Bert Bashaw, as I see him.

Remember to check back every day this week, I plan on posting a few more posts from this long weekend as well as a gear review post...

2011-07-17T11:09:00.005-04:00

Locations often surprise me.

I was asked by Rodrigo Daguerre , a photographer/assistant I met a few months ago, if I would be willing to stand in front of his camera. I responded with a rare, "yes".

We arrived at Pi Media and I was surprised how cool a location it was. Rodrigo is an assistant there, and I was quickly lead down to a large warehouse style room with set after set of fake rooms, walls and windows.

Amidst the organized chaos of gear and carpentry he set up and started his process for making photos. Here's my view via iphone...

After he got his shot, he returned the favour and stood in front of my camera.

I was drawn to this area (see first image - click to make bigger). I wasn't expecting to like the studio as much as I did. I loved the collection of random room props, electrical cables and boxes. The only ambient light came from modelling lights, which added to the eerie mood of the space. The house lights stayed off the entire time we were there (it's how they work). This is his "office"; it's where he works every day. It's why I like environmental work so much... you really never know what you're going to get.

Techie side note - I didn't have enough control using the actual strobes (only had 2400 w/s speedo packs at my disposal), so this entire thing was lit via their modelling lights and shot at 1600-3200 iso...

bikes and stuff

2011-06-23T01:01:00.003-04:00

I finally bought a bike.

It has been life changing for me living in downtown Toronto. I cannot believe how long it took to cut my dependence on the TTC.

Now I bike everywhere. It not only saves me time, but makes scouting locations incredibly efficient. I'm barely able to hold in the excitement! Especially when combined with my battery pack system... I'm 100% mobile.

My bike is a Fuji classic. It fits my personality perfectly (it's why I bought it). Yes, Fuji is probably the perfect bike company for a photographer (I actually wrote RDP III on the frame, bonus points to whoever gets the nerd reference) but that's not the reason I bought the bike. It really wanted a single speed/fixed gear bike. My minimalistic nature loves this; no extra gears, no extra components and superior reliability.

Warren from last post also has a bike. We went exploring yesterday, and I brought along my trusty Ricoh, loaded with Tri-X. The shutter is starting to go (giving some weird choppy exposures on the edges) but its size and weight get it a place in my bag almost all the time. Above is a photo of Warren, his bike, and his Contax 645.

Here's my trusty steed...

... and here's an outtake.

style and new gear

2011-05-23T15:56:00.004-04:00

Here's a portrait of a fellow assistant, Warren Hrycun. Now that summer is here, shooting has turned up in frequency and intensity. I'm definitely finding inspiration starting to show up everywhere, which leads us into this post.

There are certain things that change the way I think. I find it can generally be put into two categories.

The first category is knowledge. It could be learning something new about myself, or a new skillset, but either way, it has a huge impact on my creativeness.

The second category, and the one that this post specifically is about is gear...

Sure, I could mindlessly chant the cliché that gear doesn't matter, but really, to a certain degree that's complete BS. There are certain pieces of kit that have changed the way I think.

I've been saving up, researching and debating what path to take, but I finally caved into my subconscious (and conscious) demands for a location system. Everything came into consideration; I went through the "I don't have a car" to the "I love going places without power" and everything in between.

So, I bought a battery pack system. I'm not going to go into brand and model details on the blog (if you have questions, throw me an email) but I FINALLY have a powerful, fast and portable flash system!

Which brings us back rather neatly to the beginning. Now that I have quality w/s wherever I go, my ideas have started to change completely. I'm looking forward to shooting more location based portraiture and concepts.

walking with the blad

2011-05-14T22:17:00.003-04:00

Today was one of those days where nothing was lined up. It was rainy, miserable and quite foggy.

I had my blad already loaded so I threw it in my small pack, along with my light meter and an extra roll. After I was all packed, I threw on my trusty trekking shoes and weather gear (aka my bright orange jacket - yes it's thomasdagg colours...) and met up with Erin Leydon. She's a recent grad from OCAD, and a fellow filum lover.

Here are a few frames from the roll of HP5 showing Toronto by the water in the fog. On a related side note, I really love my blad for stuff like this.

I also felt like attaching a frame from North Bay that was on the same roll. I liked the contrast of shops and rolling hills.

I can't wait to talk about some style related gear I picked up recently. The next blog post will involve it so stay tuned!

Easter visit

2011-04-24T14:03:00.001-04:00

My parents came down to visit this weekend for Easter. They went to see a show at Canon Theatre this afternoon, so I am finally able to write this blog post/show some non-contrived portraiture.

I took these two photos yesterday at different times of the day. They both love the balcony. It's oddly suiting that the chair they are sitting on is an old fold up they gave to me when I moved out.

I prefer having a concept and working through my ideas before shooting, but I'm definitely starting to appreciate the spontaneous light, pose and subject matter that more documentary work brings. I will be shooting way more of it this summer, I'm sure.

You've seen enough of my Dad on here I'm sure, but I hope you enjoy both. Especially the one of my rarely-in-front-of-a-camera mother :-).

Exciting news is coming this week fingers crossed! Stay tuned...

post two

2011-04-20T01:12:00.003-04:00

Day two (yesterday) went really well.

We shot mostly inside, but had a few shots to do a few hundred feet from the campus, which was awesome. I managed to snap this photo (during a break outside) of one of the campus buildings up here. Imagine this style architecture in the middle of a deep valley, surrounded by a forest, a mini lake to the south(with it's own island) and rolling hills. It has the looks of a 1970s Bond villain's evil lair...

It has such a sweet feel to it. I wish I had a 4x5 camera, tripod and some time up here to shoot it corrected and from other cool angles. It's quite the bummer.

BUT, I do have some exciting news in the next week (hopefully) or two! Stayed tuned for that and maybe a few photos from our last day up here!

North Bay post one

2011-04-18T22:14:00.002-04:00

Hello from North Bay!

Nothing here has really inspired me to take any photos yet (not that I've had any time to), but I did snap a few photos on our way up. It was a constant battle between snow, wind, hail, whiteouts and rain... but we made it up safely yesterday, and finished our first shoot day today.

Here are a few photos from the trip north. It was so beautiful in places, I had to take photos through the windshield and passenger window.

I love this area. It brings back visions of my childhood. I have so many memories of camping in our tent trailer, running around in the bush and going on wolf howls.

I brought my blad up, and actually started a roll this evening. If any turn out, they'll be posted here first.

right shoe

2011-04-11T07:41:00.001-04:00

This is my right indoor football/soccer boot. As always, click the image to bring up the actual, larger image.

I have a fascination with objects that have been used, worn and appreciated. Whether it's sports gear, clothing or camera gear, the signs of wear create intrigue and depth; a layer of interest beyond that of the object itself. I'm a sucker for it.

There's also my love for objects designed with a specific purpose in mind. Thought, time and evolution has created this shoe, and although it's not the top of the line, I still couldn't play indoors to the best of my abilities without it. Each scuff has a story - whether it's from taking a pass, shooting or being fouled...

Yet as I post this, it's use is diminishing... Spring is here and soon I'll be playing with my outdoor boots (that is, until fall rolls around again).

Getting back into soccer has made me remember my life before photography. It was filled with sports. Although finding ways to creatively push myself has taken over my life, I find myself thinking more and more about how I used to push myself physically. I'm excited to pursue both now however, and I look forward to combining them more often in future projects.

I've been playing around a lot more with subtle light as well. I might post a few more product shots up. BUT, if you have an interest in something, send me an email. I'd love to do some portraits of people doing something they love. I need a subject that talks back... ASAP!

snapshots

2011-04-01T11:00:00.001-04:00

The last week of March was good. I've been working constantly almost the whole month.

I am really looking forward to the break I have this weekend.

I had a few minutes after a shoot this week to try a lens I've never tried before on a digi blad kit (it was the 35 f/3.5). I love the 35mm focal length on a 35mm camera, it's the perfect mix of wide and normal for documentary and street shooting... but on medium format, it was too wide for the way I see most things.

I thought I'd throw up two photos from my experimental 25 foot walk. The first one, above, is Andrew B. Myers, a photographer over at Westside Studio. As I came back in he was on the stairs smoking. Had to snap one. You can see it on their blog with links here.

Also took a shot of across Ward St. in those 25 feet.

Anyways, small/random photo documentary(ish) update with a digi blad... Next post soon.

real football (soccer)

2011-03-29T08:39:00.005-04:00

There's a motion project I'm working on with a few friends. I'll have more on that in later posts, but it has something to do with what's above.

Until I can say more, here are a few images capturing some early spring "I just need to get out and kick a ball around". It's real football... Playing in a muddy field with friends, hopping fences and pretending you're Messi.

I rarely shoot 100% ambient for people, but this location at this time of day had some awesome light. Shooting at 1.4 was also interesting, as pre-focusing had to be within centimeters of the action...

spring

2011-03-19T13:59:00.002-04:00

It's been getting dryer and warmer here in Toronto.

Although this image was taken somewhere between Hamilton and here, it reminds me of how excited I am for spring.

There are going to be more environmental portraits, more locations and way more sports. I even have a few motion storyboards/experiments sketched out that should start production in a few weeks.

As the city's trees turns from bare and yellow to full and green, I'm really looking forward to getting out to the local fields and kicking a ball around. There will probably be a few soccer inspired projects in the future too.

house I grew up in

2011-03-08T08:37:00.002-05:00

These are, more or less, the places I remember the most in the house I grew up in.

I visited my parents and their house back in Ottawa this weekend, and I got nostalgically (if that's a word) inspired. Here are some of said places, shot on my iPhone and then posted.

I'll be updating you guys with the commissioned real estate portrait later this week, so stay tuned.

road trip

2011-03-02T23:37:00.003-05:00

Today's assisting gig took me down to New York state.

I snapped a few photos to finish of a roll still in my KR-5 Super. I wasn't going to post it, but people have been bugging me to share more.

Enjoy my photo doc filum shot fresh out of the developing tank/scanner...

Adam V.

2011-02-27T12:14:00.007-05:00

As promised, here is something with a bit more production value.

I first shot Adam about a year ago, for a school assignment and portrait. The shot turned out well, and can be seen on thomasdagg.com.

I was contacted a few weeks back to shoot his real estate business portrait. He wanted something that would stand out from the muslin filled, boring light, cheesy posing business portrait that the world is riddled with. I was happy that I was contacted for this challenge and was more than willing to deliver something different.

We went through a couple of light changes to find something that fit his wants and needs. I'll post that when it's done.

It's an interesting light quality and a concept I've been playing around with a lot. I use two or more lights as the main light to sculpt the face.

As much as I like the headshot, I really wanted to shoot him with a different feel as well; something more portrait, less "fashion". I came up with the shot above.

I'm definitely pushing the limits of the 5x10 foot area in my apartment. At least I have clean and smooth(ish) white walls... sort of.

untitleable

2011-02-07T00:16:00.001-05:00

WARNING - This isn't a technical photo in any way.

but...

I just scanned this about thirty seconds ago. I don't know if it was the raw nature of the frame, the subject matter or a random unexplainable "something only I like" trait, but I thought I should share it.

It brings up a reason why I love photography. A frame is different to every person. You're viewing the same physical object, but it can tug on completely different things.

I think always working so hard on creating an image alters my perception of shooting and makes me forget the power of pure documentation. This moment in time was a strange one. I can't express how happy I've been since moving here. As I stood on my balcony watching the snow fall, I simply just felt the urge to flip open the waist level and snap a frame.

I didn't wait for the right light. I didn't take much care in composing.

I just had to document the moment in time I realized I'm in the place I should be.

Next post will have something that was created, I promise.

a girl this time

2011-01-23T14:49:00.007-05:00

This photo has a story that begins about five months ago. I was sketching out ideas for potential shoots with the usual music playing, the TV (or a movie) on and a bowl of dry cereal. I consider that an essential part of my workflow. So much of my inspiration comes from cinema, TV and music with the cereal providing the creative fuel.

Since putting pencil to paper, I've been on the lookout for someone who fit my sketch. Fast forward to Friday, five and a bit months later, and where do I find her? On a photo set for the talented photographer Nikki Ormerod.

I like when subjects pop up in unusual places. Especially when they're fellow photographers. Her name is Brooke Wedlock and she's actually a second year photo student at Sheridan College here in Toronto.

I love subtle lighting. I ended up using a 10˚ grid as the main and background light. Grids are my favourite modifier, they create such interesting light and falloff. The only negative I had is my poor Speedo kit. It can't put out a really fast duration, so the hair whipping around created a really strange blur and gradient on the background (aka my apartment wall). I included a bigger photo this time, so give it a click. Just ignore the horrible blogspot compression...

It was definitely really satisfying to get this concept shot and checked off in my sketchbook. I'm finally starting to get what I'm seeing in my head...

non photo favourite thing

2011-01-13T15:23:00.001-05:00

Here comes part three in the object series. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, check the previous post for the explanation.

Yes, it's the Star Wars box set (no, the prequels aren't included). It's not the greatest subject for a photo, but it cannot be ignored.

These movies were the first things I remember that truly sparked my imagination. It laid the foundation for my love of motion, narratives and light versus dark. In fact, a lot of my work draws from those loves.

I grew up with the original trilogy having a permanent spot in the VHS player. At play time, you could find me surrounded by my Star Wars figures and the trilogy playing on the television behind me. I was Darth Vader for Halloween, I made Boba Fett costumes out of paper and tape and my back yard was the forest moon of Endor. I watched these movies so many times, I actually wore out the VHS tapes.

If you haven't seen them in a while, I recommend watching them. They really are classics.

a few of my favourite things... 2

2011-01-09T13:02:00.001-05:00

Here comes part two in the object series. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, check the previous post for the explanation.

It's my iPhone.

If you have a smart phone, you will probably understand the first reason why it makes the list. Communicating via email, phone or text just by reaching into my pocket. That really is invaluable.

Efficiency is important to me. It's obviously a well designed product. I'm sure the Apple haters will find flaws, but it does everything I need.

The applications for it are equally impressive. I definitely have my favourites right now, and being able to use this as a backup light meter, keep up with my RSS feeds on the go and work a rudimentary photoshop are all high up on the list.

It is also one of the best media players out there. It's pretty slick, especially when paired with an Apple TV or other Airplay capable product. I love my movies and I love my music.

Finally, I can't end this without mentioning the camera. For a phone, this is probably the best image quality I've seen. It's a 5 megapixel image, a (roughly) 28mm lens with a fixed aperture of f/2.8 and an exposure ranges from 80 to 1000ISO and a "shutter" between 1/15th and 1/6000th if a second. Pair that with PS Express and I have a great little point and shoot camera that can upload to my blog, twitter, or whatever other social media outlet I choose.

That's all I dare to mention for fear of this becoming a very one sided product review.

The next item should be up in a few days and I promise it will be way less photographic in nature.

a few of my favourite things

2011-01-08T14:09:00.007-05:00

I came to a conclusion quite suddenly yesterday as I was skimming through the daily photoblog RSS feeds. Why haven't I given the readers a better glimpse into my life outside of photography (no matter how small that world really is) and who I am as a person?

People that know me well, know that the creative industry is more or less my entire life. If I'm not shooting or editing, I'm probably reading blogs, looking through photographer's websites, watching behind the scenes videos or eating/sleeping. In fact, most of the time I'm doing a bunch of said activities at the same time (call me an OCD multi-tasker).

Which brings me back to the reason for this post. Let's call it a blog post series. What is that? Well hopefully, it'll be a glimpse into me as a person, my likes and things I find amusing. A lot of it really does translate back to my photographs.

Wait, isn't this a photo blog?

YES, which makes this series of posts more of a photo story. As 2011 progresses, I will be photographing objects that have some sort of importance to me. The objects themselves could hold something of value or it could what the objects represent. It's also a nice change of pace, as I rarely shoot an object as a subject.

I thought I'd start with more photographic objects first... Some of you might already guess what the first one is.

Yes, it's my favourite camera, my Hasselblad 500C/M.

It's more than just pure picture taking prowess that made me choose this object for the first post though.

I have a big interest in well made mechanical objects. This camera works through gears, springs, levers and pure ingenuity; kinetic and potential energy used to capture something. I am trying hard to avoid using clichés, but they really do not make stuff like this anymore. It's from 1975 and it still works very well.

I don't like having things I don't need, whether that's camera features, clutter on my workspaces, or physical objects. A lot of the time, less really is more, and this camera is exactly that. Simplicity at its finest; everything is there for a reason and it works well. In a way, it represents some of my own personality.

I LOVE film. I could rant on and on about why, but it comes down to the physicality of it. You load it with your hands, you wind it and you fire. That moment in time is forever burned into the emulsion. The photo has soul, especially when compared to digital and the "10011010101011...".

You cannot mention Hasselblad without mentioning exceptional build quality, image quality, reliability and that special 'blad history. Oh ya, did I mention they went to the moon? They're some of the best cameras ever made.

Tomorrow I'll be posting the second object in this series. If this is something that interests you, check it out.

2011

2011-01-03T12:09:00.009-05:00

Before I move on to 2011, I wanted to start this blog post talking about the year that just finished. 2010 was great to me; I took a couple of big steps in my photo career.

I think those steps can be summed up into two categories...

1. Photo School - 2010 was the year I graduated from Algonquin College in Ottawa. I learned quite a bit through my photo experimentation, met a bunch of talented people, made some friends, produced my first "book" and in the process, won Best Graduate Portfolio for the class of 2009/2010. I also had a few interviews/articles written about me which lead/forced me to start thinking about and formulating my master plan.

2. Toronto - While completing my field placement for photo school in Toronto, I fell in love with the city. I spent the next four months eagerly, and quite impatiently, waiting to move. I knew that I had to move there if I wanted to pursue the career path I had chosen so I spent a lot of time planning, researching and contacting people. All of this ended up with me living on my own in the city on September 1st.

Since moving, I've met some awesome people, worked with some amazingly talented shooters, learned A LOT more about myself (and my photography) and made a few goals for the new year (which I will touch on in the next post).

I am really excited to start the year of 2011 in this awesome creative city and I can't wait to see what creatives I find myself producing.

Until the next post, Happy New Year again from everyone here at thomasda....... well, me.

train ride

2010-12-21T12:03:00.005-05:00

December 20th - For the Christmas holidays, I am traveling back to my hometown of Ottawa. I am actually writing this post in the photo below.

I am trying to shoot a few projects in Ottawa, but I thought I'd share a few photos I am taking through the train windows as it chugs along. I am constantly impressed with how handy the iPhone 4 is. Not much to look at, but it's passing the time. I'm due to arrive in Ottawa at 1:50pm

Today - The connection kept cutting out and failing due to the photos from my iPhone (hurray 5mp).

Since writing that post yesterday, I've been "home" and the nostalgia has hit a bit. I had lived in this house for over 20 years; my family never moved. It feels strange walking through the door and noticing the changes. I'll try and express that through a photo story later this week if I can.

I hope everyone is having happy holidays!

a few days early

2010-12-13T22:31:00.005-05:00

I'm starting my resolution early this year.

What's my New Year's resolution? It's quite simple; I have to post more to this blog!

So, starting things off today, I have a photo I was inspired to take after walking around downtown this morning. I think it's something to do with pushing comfort zones but personally, I love extreme/bad weather.

Today wasn't extreme, but people were walking bundled up, their eyes watery and their noses red from the wind. It got me a bit inspired.

So, here's the not so subtle result. This is me, and what I put on when it get's really, really cold. Gotta love balconies.

It's not something I'd normally share, but since I'm posting more from now on...

Let me know if it's worth keeping up the random photos!

November

2010-11-13T21:54:00.002-05:00

Unfortunately there hasn't been anything exciting to really post about lately. I will try and post more iPhone photos like the one above if there's nothing exciting. I was able to get a snap of the cool fog at sunset yesterday with it.

What have I been up to? Well, I've spent a lot of time contacting a lot of the amazing photographers in this city. It's been slow lately, so I've also given myself a couple of projects that I'l be working on in my free time. I'l be posting more about those later this month hopefully.

After the first month

2010-10-13T17:11:00.002-04:00

It's taken a while to get used to living in a new city, but I'm enjoying Toronto. I'm enjoying it a lot.

The first month was quite busy, between work, adjusting and getting things done. I got the chance to work on awesome sets, both motion and stills, from editorial to massive print campaigns. I definitely didn't make a mistake moving here... This is exactly where I need to be.

I got internet connected to my apartment about a week ago, so I thought I'd share two photos from my most recent touristy exploration. I'm lucky enough to live right downtown, so I've spent a lot of my free time just walking around.

These were taken with the iPhone 4. It's a recent addition to my gear kit and has found it's place as my everyday point and shoot. The files, for the most part, are extremely useable.

Stay tuned! Toronto can only get better and now that I'm officially connected to the internet, I plan on blogging a lot more.

Toronto

2010-09-07T20:48:00.000-04:00

thomasdagg is now officially a Torontonian!!

Yup, I'm finally living in the Canadian mecca for creative industries.

I was lucky enough to work on a web series called Ruby Skye P.I. last week here in the city. I definitely advise you to check out the site at < www.rubyskyepi.com >. I was the stills guy on set taking the production photos and movie stills on the last few days of filming.

It was a lot of fun to be part of a motion set. Being a pure stills guy at this point, seeing all the cinema industry lighting and equipment in action was awesome. I hope I get more work like that soon.

More updates to come... and photos as well! Stay tuned

HP5 in 35mm

2010-07-31T22:24:00.003-04:00

My 35mm SLR goes with me everywhere. It's the ultimate point and shoot. As soon as I learned it's metering quirks, I had the perfect, simple camera. I had a dial for shutter speed, a dial for the ISO rating and aperture control. No menus and no complications, just exposure setting and manual focus. The only problem was the emulsion. I think I finally found the perfect film for me.

I finally finished my test roll of 35mm HP5 today (rated at the box speed). I've shot quite a bit of this film in 120, but never in 35mm. After developing and scanning this evening, I have to say I'm a big fan of both formats.

I'm looking forward to shooting with this film more. I finally have my own scanner, so expect more frequent posts.

Here are a few more shots from the test roll. It's not what I normally find myself shooting, but I still find them somewhat interesting.

cabin

2010-07-24T20:25:00.003-04:00

I have been trying to decide whether to post this quick photo from a month or two ago to the blog. I'm still trying to figure out if I like it or not.

This was a pretty fast set up, working with the location that was given. The whole shoot lasted maybe 20 minutes due to the unbelievable amount of mosquitos. I'm surprised I could even focus with how thick the swarms were. It took me so long to clean all the bugs from the lights I had set up outside after I got home.

I have some exciting news for the next post, but until then, enjoy this indoor/outdoor portrait.

media

2010-06-21T18:34:00.006-04:00

I was lucky enough to have an article about me in The Ottawa Citizen last Friday. You can read the article on The Ottawa Citizen's website. This interview was the third in a string of interviews, articles and posts featuring me.

Applied Arts Magazine's blog (Applied Arts Wire) was the first, which had me featured in a Student Spotlight post. It can be seen here.

The second article was a grad profile on Algonquin College's website. The article that came from another interview can be seen here.

I'm very honoured to have this media coverage, especially by these great places.

Bringing this post back to photographs, I have a few I will be sharing soon. There are also a couple of exciting photo shoots with some cool talent (subjects) that are also on their way.

Stay tuned!

new direction

2010-06-17T19:38:00.004-04:00

My graduation ceremony is tomorrow morning. The walk across the stage officially signifies the end of school and the "I'm a student" mentality that goes along with it.

That being said my learning is far from over. The only thing that's changing is how this blog documents my life. As I pursue my dream of becoming a successful commercial and editorial photographer, this blog will show my journey and the highs and lows along the way.

I cannot wait for my first major step, which will be moving to Toronto this fall.

Until I do move, I will be posting a few creatives that I hope to shoot in the next two months. I enjoy shooting more than ever now that school has finished and I can't wait to continue my photographic self discovery.

Seeing as this is a photo blog, I thought I'd post a few scans that I've found while cleaning out my computer. Film is still a big part of my self work, and it's generated a heightened interest in photo-documentary styles.

the switch

2010-05-13T17:37:00.003-04:00

Since graduating, there have been a few changes in my photographic life.

1. No more studio or school gear (there was a ton of amazing kit to use at Algonquin College...)
2. No more assignments (I'm free to shoot anything with no criteria!)
3. No more Nikon

The reason for the switch from Nikon you ask? Well I asked myself what I'd hope to be shooting in the near future. The answer was simple - portraiture (both environmental and studio). How would I shoot these photos? In a controlled manner with lighting and planning.

Both Nikon and Canon make equally impressive cameras. There is no beating Nikon at the high high ISO game and there is no beating Canon with the full HD video and their reasonable costing higher megapixel sensors (at this point in time). I personally find myself shooting more and more with lights, so the high high ISO quality really doesn't get used (even though I can shoot now at 1600 ISO and get comparable results).

What can I say about the new camera though. The 21.1 megapixel sensor is always nice for editing, and the colour is really nice (quite a bit better out of the can compared to Nikon at the same level IMO). The controls took me a few tries to get used to, but now I feel right at home and love how I can do everything with one hand.

The major reason for the switch however wasn't stills related.

It was motion.

I am very excited to apply photographic knowledge to video. It was the final reason that got me to switch. I figured the more experience I can get with video this early on, the better I will be in the future. I cannot wait to start experimenting, especially combining it with the CS5 video editing software.

The HD video is beautiful, especially when shot at fast apertures. I will have something interesting to post soon if all goes to plan.

It was also nice to completly start over gear wise. I was able to take what I learned through shooting in school with Nikon and get gear that I know I will use. I still almost always have a 50mm on the body (except this time around I sprung for the f/1.4!) and I put the extra money towards useful accessories instead of duplicating my set up that I had with Nikon.

But... In the end, it is just another light tight box with a light sensitive device inside.

2010 Exhibition and work updates

2010-04-28T13:32:00.006-04:00

My last exhibition while at Algonquin College was Monday and Tuesday. There were so many talented student photographers showcasing their blood, sweat and tears during that exhibition.

It was great to see so many people at the exhibition as well, including working photographers (and previous graduates), friends, family or just people who like photography.

Here is a quick snap of my little corner.

I printed two portfolios for this exhibition. I had my second year portfolio, which had "suits" as a theme, as well as a film portfolio. The film portfolio held some of my experimentation with film cameras. I've only been photographing for about 2 years now, and never experienced film, so I took it upon myself to learn how to shoot with iconic cameras and develop black and white. Unfortunatly finding a wet printing lab is hard these days, so the images were scanned and printed on inkjet. After starting, I'm hooked, and now shoot almost 60% on my blad.

The two years at the Algonquin College Photography program have been both incredible. I look back at my self just two years ago and I can't believe how much I've changed and how much I've accomplished.

I have photography, the teachers and of course my peers to thank. Not to forget my parents, who have supported my craziness every step of the way.

So now the program is done, the exhibition is done and student life is done.

In case you didn't make it to the exhibition, or wanted to see my school portfolio again, here is a pdf portfolio.

I am very excited to say that this portfolio won the Adobe Imaging Portfolio award for the best graduating portfolio, as judged by Alexis Finch. I am also very excited to receive the brand new Adobe CS5 Master Suite!!!

It's been quite exciting the past two days, and I am so happy to have been part of such an awesome year. You can check out here for more info about the exhibition in the days to come.

If you get a chance, I also encourage you to head over to my website (www.thomasdagg.com), which has just been updated with more work.

Although school is over, real life has begun. Stay tuned as I'm sure there will be more exciting news to come, and more work to show as I try and work my way up to becoming a professional photographer.

second week

2010-04-21T19:03:00.002-04:00

I have been keeping busy since coming back from Toronto Sunday night. Preparing for the 2010 Algonquin College Exhibition has been a lot of hard work and a lot of fun. More on that later.

Back to Toronto: week two.

The second week of interning was done with Mark Zibert. It was an incredible experience. I learned a lot about the commercial industry, shooting styles and gear. Zibert is a 2009 Hasselblad Master which means Hasselblad sent him the brand new H4D 40 megapixel system to shoot with and test. Being a lucky intern, I was given the "how to" for this impressive beast of a camera and the Phocus software. It's in a different league.

Of course I wouldn't be an intern if there wasn't manual labor involved (painting ceilings, cleaning etc), but the amount of raw creative juice flowing in that studio (between Zibert, Adam Rankin and Andy Ferreira) more than made up for any brainless stuff. I even learned amazing information about assisting from Zibert's first assistant Chris Muir.

The only scary part was when he asked to see my book. Having only my school portfolio to show, I was really nervous. He gave me some great suggestions on how to improve it further.

I can't wait to use all that I have learned in the upcoming years. I come out of photo school with a clean, blank portfolio to shoot for. I look forward to filling it up.

Speaking of portfolio's, I put the finishing touches on both my school portfolio and my film portfolio today. I also got two framed prints ready for the exhibition on the 26th and 27th of April. Check out the details here: facebook , website , and twitter.

I hope to see you there!

website and week one

2010-04-10T17:02:00.004-04:00

My website (www.thomasdagg.com) is now up and running! Stay tuned for colour work, which will be added on the 26th and 27th of April (the days of the Algonquin College Photography exhibition).

It's been an incredible first week here in Toronto. I spent it at Sugino Studios (http://www.suginostudio.com/). I met some amazing creative people and learned so much about the industry here. Especially the motion/film/video side of things.

I also got familiar with new still and motion equipment. It was amazing to work and become familiar with Broncolor and Hasselblad digital on the still side. The motion side was very new to me, and getting to see a full studio set up with industry leading equipment. I was shown RED cameras, a Phantom HD camera and all the other incredible equipment that is used with these video capturing giants. I must say, seeing a 10 K light was impressive but lifting one was something else.

I also got to work on set at some pretty cool advertising shoots. Talking with these creative professionals, the awesome assistants and everyone else that is part of these projects was very eye opening as well.

It's been a slight adjustment the first week. I haven't had too much time to explore and shoot yet. I did get a chance to use my own Hasselblad 500 c/m with a Phase One p45 digital back yesterday though! I couldn't go anywhere, so I shot out the door of the studio. I will save you the boring images of patterns, gradients, high contrast places and vivid coloured objects I shot to test out this kit.

two week upgrade

2010-04-02T22:59:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow morning I leave for Toronto.

In Toronto, I have gotten the chance to work at two studios for a week each. I will be posting to the blog as these two weeks progress. I am very excited for this opportunity.

I will also be shooting some self work while in the city.

What am I bringing?

Stay tuned!

second start

2010-03-30T00:15:00.006-04:00

I never thought two years of my life could be boiled down into 12 pages.

Handing it in was tough.

That book, that black plexiglass, acid free, archival quality 11 x 14 book holds progress. It holds my progress.

Although I might not be totally happy with any shots in my final school portfolio, I can't dismiss how happy I am with what I have learned these past four semesters. Every mistake I've made and every element I wish I could fix has made me into the photographer I am right now. But...

Can you quantify this learned experience? Is is something you can show right after graduating?

Does a school portfolio represent you as a photographer at this moment?

These are definitely hard to answer. It's been something I've spent the greater part of a month thinking about.

3.7 gigs

That's what my final portfolio weighs in at. That number seems small, considering the hundreds of gigs I've shot and the thousands of hours I've put in since starting in September '08. Is a school portfolio something that should be looked at as a representation of a photographer though.

I'm on the fence.

The school portfolio does showcase your most recent work, which is where you applied what you have learned. There's an architecture shot, there's an environmental portrait (sneak peak to portfolio),

etc etc etc. All of these assignments that you see in this school portfolio were designed to teach you. They were designed to teach you and let you make mistakes.

I think most professional photographers would agree that a school portfolio should be just that, a school portfolio. The second it's finished you should be starting to think about your own personal book and never look back.

The book from school is an amazing experience to shoot and put together. I enjoyed every second of it and am proud with how far I have come. However, I don't really think a book filled with assignments and criteria can truly ever represent a photographer (I won't even start about marks).

So there it is. In a weird sort of way, finishing a photography program gives you so much with so little proof. I may only have 3.7 gigs of quantifiable work to represent me, but I have learned so much and can't wait to start developing my style. More than ever I'm inspired to shoot and I happily maintain my love for this craft.

I guess my real photographic journey starts now.

Hello my name is Thomas Dagg and I'm an up and coming photographer.

behind the scenes

2010-03-17T18:33:00.008-04:00

I can't show you actual portfolio images yet.

Here is a quick scan of a behind the scenes shot I took with the 4x5. Think of it as a sneak peek into my magazine cover.

The portfolio is finally coming together. I have to say I am super excited to see the completed portfolios from the program. There are quite a few talented photographers that are putting together some great books.

Do you want to see these portfolios, see some framed pieces and meet the artists?

Make sure to follow us @algphotoex (Twitter) and view the exhibition details on Facebook or the Algonquin Photography website.

buckled up and ready to shoot

2010-03-07T23:54:00.007-05:00

This was the view I had of the back seat, as I drove to a studio to photograph a man in a suit today. It made me laugh. I really need to buy a light bag. I don't think seat belts were designed for 102 heads or 1005 packs.

As my school portfolio due date creeps closer and closer, I find myself getting busier and busier. Today, for instance, was a shoot day. Shoot days put me in a good mood. There will be quite a few more coming up on the road to the March 29th due date.

The next few weeks will be crazy...

Stay tuned.

a birthday

2010-02-21T14:21:00.011-05:00

Being the photo nerd I am, what birthday would be complete without a cake made into a Hasselblad?! Rebecca and I decided it would be fun to create a cake in the shape of the classic camera. Being deathly allergic to many a things, this was what my parents did for my first real birthday cakes. I knew this would be the only way I would be getting a Hasselblad for my birthday...

I thought I would try something new, so here is a quick step by step behind the scenes look into our rice krispie creation. (Click below to go into fullscreen)

Rebecca brought a polaroid camera, so we snapped a couple of those as well. Here's my favourite. My dad had some trouble with the polaroid at first, and we couldn't keep a straight face.

portrait of the artist

2010-02-17T22:36:00.001-05:00

If you are free this Friday, come check out the vernissage of Portrait of the Artist at Arts and Architecture from 7-10pm. For a list of Algonquin students (both current and graduated), check out the Algonquin Photography blog.

why oh why

2010-02-11T18:49:00.006-05:00

The weather has been quite bland lately. The inspiration hit an all time low. Maybe this is the reason why I haven't been posting anything lately.

So as I move this post along, and away from my photo deficiency, things start to get a bit more fun. Today was a "fun day" for me. I finally started getting back to just fooling around with lights, cameras, film formats and space constraints. Not having anyone around to take a photo of, I decided to use myself, a turtle neck and a warm fire.

No, this is not what I do when I get home... And no, this is not my usual dress or preferred seating. This is just me bored of working on my website and deciding to shoot.

I promise this blog will start seeing more action and more serious photos soon.

1 week into 4th

2010-01-15T23:00:00.005-05:00

I am one week into my last semester at Algonquin College. This is both an exciting and scary realization. I can't believe it's almost over. I look back just two years and think of how picking up a camera changed my life.

That is a topic that I will save for another post. Instead, I will leave you with an image I took recently. I always find areas like this amazing. In the world we live in today, it's so rare to find such emptiness.

shaking a master's hand

2010-01-10T22:54:00.011-05:00

Edward Burtynsky is a name that appears often in photographic culture. His images show an eye opening view into our changing world.

I was lucky enough to get a seat for a lecture by Burtynsky at Carleton University today and I must say, being as big a fan as I am, I was really excited.

His presentation was a fluid transition through his main work. The visual impact of the photographs was only rivaled by the story behind them. We were shown throughout his talk and his photos that the power in our world has changed from the "force of nature" to the new forces of technology and industry.

"We are the players, and we are dwarfed by our own creations." - Edward Burtynsky during today's presentation

We have transformed nature through industry and our own desires to succeed. His photos show us some of the largest examples in amazing photographic skill. We were shown images from many of his series, including China, Manufactured Landscapes and Oil. We were even shown some of his more recent work of Australian Mines.

It was inspiring to have someone, who like me, expresses their feelings through photography. I tried for a while to put in words how it affected me, but I failed. I feel very lucky to have had a master explain his work in person. I never thought I would be able to shake his hand and thank him.

If you are in the Ottawa area, I must recommend stopping in at the Carleton University Art Gallery (CUAG), which has a collection of his work showing until February 7th, 2010. Also, his website is great as well and can be viewed here. If you were not able to make it today and want to hear about his amazing work, he has a few presentations and TED talks online.

break

2009-12-20T14:24:00.004-05:00

This holiday break has already given me a few chances to do some shooting, and I look forward to taking advantage of the ones to come in the next few weeks.

I also finally had a chance to develop and scan some film shot on various formats in the past month or two. Here is a recently developed shot from an old twin lens reflex camera and a roll I almost forgot I shot.

entering the holiday break

2009-12-11T23:33:00.002-05:00

A lot has been going on recently. I am very excited to be part of Help Portrait this Saturday (December 12th). I encourage you to check it out. It's a great idea, and I am really glad I get the chance to shoot in it. I will be posting some behind the scenes in the next post.

I have also started another experimentation binge. Over the holidays this December, I was lucky enough to borrow a couple different formats, including one I have very little experience with (Mamiya RZ67).

There will be more information in the days to come, but I will leave you with a recent image. C'est moi!

Flip Book

2009-11-13T21:58:00.002-05:00

Here is a compressed video project I did in Flash.

Enveloped from Thomas Dagg on Vimeo.

I decided to create a visual representation of how I feel when I look through a camera. There are so many ideas and thoughts just wanting to get out.

It was a fun experience and a challenge as well. Shooting through my Mamiya 645's ground glass and getting both the ground glass and the camera lit and in focus turned out to be a fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

content

2009-11-12T15:58:00.003-05:00

It's been a while since I have posted an actual photo. This is 7:31 as I got off the bus. The fog was pretty thick but luckily my cell phone handled the low light and fog rather well.

In other photo news, school has been going well. Website development has really started to take off and I have a few opportunities coming up (fingers crossed) that should be a lot of fun to shoot.

a wee update

2009-11-03T20:50:00.000-05:00

It's been busy.

Between school stepping up the quantity of attention demanding assignments and my personal work slowly increasing, I have been spread a little thin. Luckily, I have found a work flow that allows me to pump out images in a more efficient manner and with slightly less headache.

On the topic of learning, we were all extremely lucky to have Jodi Pudge in our studios today for a food workshop. Both the presentation and practical lesson were awesome (even though I have to admit food photography has never really appealed to me - peanut, egg and dairy products tend to kill me). As always, anything learned in photography can be applied in any shoot. I know for a fact I will be working on the skills showcased today for a while to come.

That's it for now. I should be posting a behind the scenes snap or two of my so far unsuccessful search for theme fitting architecture in Ottawa quite soon.

Stay tuned!

the search

2009-10-08T22:05:00.001-04:00

It seems most of my recent "shooting" hasn't actually involved a camera at all. My days have been full of sketching, thinking, scouting and testing for potential environmental portraits.

So when I was able to actually grab my F4 and go out to meet a potential model, I was happy to find my finger resting on the shutter. I have been trying to get into the habit of photographing the potentials before any important shoot to see how they handle themselves in front of my camera. It's also way less boring when compared to meeting in a coffee shop or looking at photos and talking on the phone.

Here is a quick scan of a frame from a test roll of Pan F freshly developed in my bathroom.

Stay tuned for a few more environmental portraits.

the show has ended

2009-10-01T20:17:00.010-04:00

If you didn't get a chance to see the show Face and Film, here is my series of social statements that hung on the walls of Arts and Architecture.
School has really started to pick up. Stay tuned for some work that should appear really soon!

Navan and the 1Ds Mark III

2009-09-13T22:53:00.008-04:00

Although being a Nikon photographer, I decided to take out the new Canon 1Ds Mark III from school this weekend so I could familiarize myself with a different system. I also decided to take out Canon's 24mm tilt shift to keep the 24-70 f/2.8 company while shooting.

I am really impressed with this camera. Of course why wouldn't I be since it is Canon's top of the line workhorse. I managed to take a couple of snaps in Navan while visiting the Church where my Grandpa is buried. It was the 130th anniversary of the church today - the Daggs donated the land for it.

Since landscapes aren't my thing, I might try the 1Ds mark III with a different subject matter soon to make sure I understand Canon a bit more.

In the end the 1Ds Mark III is another high quality camera. It has a brilliant 21.1 megapixel sensor, which pumps out some amazing images straight off the camera.

BUT

For what I shoot and the way I shoot, the full frame 12.1 megapixel sensor I have is perfect. My familiarity with Nikon and the trust I have in their gear keeps me shooting with their product.

Citizen

2009-09-13T11:27:00.007-04:00

I finally got a copy of the Ottawa Citizen from Saturday the 5th. Just a reminder that Face and Film is up until the 27th so if you haven't had the chance to checked it out yet, you still have plenty of time!

Stay tuned for a few shots from my trip to Navan today.

show and school

2009-09-08T23:29:00.004-04:00

The opening night on Friday for the show Face and Film was awesome. I want to thank everyone who attended or sent their best wishes. Your support was greatly appreciated.

If you get a hold of the Ottawa Citizen from last Saturday, one of my photos from Face and Film is shown. I will upload a scan of it as soon as I find a paper from Saturday.

I also wanted this blog post to mark the start of my second year in the photography program at Algonquin College. I will be working on important projects and changes during these 8 months and will be posting quite frequently.

4 | 7

2009-09-01T09:14:00.003-04:00

There are four days until the opening night of Face and Film.

Also, school starts back a week from today. I can't wait for second year!

Photo ed and focusing issues

2009-08-25T18:32:00.009-04:00

I will start off with the good news. PhotoEd magazine has chosen one of the images I submitted to publish in their fall magazine. Another student and fellow Face and Film artist, Jen Allison, also appeared in the magazine on the contents page! Her shot is the glasses bottom right. Time for the bad news. It seems I messed up the focus when I fixed the shutter on the Molforeflex camera. I put a roll of Ilford HP5 through it and every single image is near focused! The camera also started to act up again as the shutter jammed a few times. This resulted in me having to manually flick it again. Here are a few shots from probably the last roll that will ever come out of "mofo".

Plus 2

2009-08-21T23:44:00.019-04:00

To start things off, I thought I would say I am finally done shooting for Face and Film. It's good to express those feelings and I can't wait to share them!

Secondly, I have added two more cameras to my collection.

I am proud to add a 6 x 6 twin lens reflex camera I simply call "mofo". I picked this up from the Camera Trading Company. The shutter wasn't really working so it was practically free. I managed to coax the shutter free from it's old and dried lubricant after I shot the first test roll. Now I am pretty proud of my cleaning skills because it seems to be working perfectly!
Here's a scanned image from that test roll. I manually flicked the shutter with one finger while another held down the release. Sometimes the shutter would jam open and ruin that frame. Once I found the conversion chart for developing, this Kodak TMZ 320 ISO film seemed to process ok in the Ilford ID-11.

The second camera to be introduced weighs quite a bit less than the other cameras I use. Here is the Ricoh KR-5 Super.
This was a 10 dollar purchase and included a 50mm f/2.8. My dad actually owned a Ricoh XR-P (the film advance is broken) so his tiny 50mm f/1.7 is a perfect match. Both the image above and below are from the test roll (Ilford Pan F Plus 50ISO) and right off the scanner.
It's a really cool camera with no unnecessary features. Plus it's so small and dinky looking, I can easily carry it around everywhere (and I plan on it doing just that). I am looking forward to seeing what sort of photographs come out of it.

discovery

2009-08-18T21:32:00.015-04:00

I am learning more and more by immersing myself in photography's past. My summer has been spent experimenting with older equipment, processes and techniques (that I was completely unfamiliar with).

Here are some of my most recent experiments while shooting and developing my own 4x5 negs. If you want to see more, please check out Face and Film.My dad, coffee, light leaks and scheimpflug.Destroying a photo on purpose (painting with light during development)

behind the scenes

2009-08-10T18:32:00.011-04:00

After a bit of suspense, here is the new behind the scenes video from my Value Village shoot!

Keith Peckover did a great job with both the filming and editing. The first bit was shot on my Mamiya 645 and Nikon F4s. One photograph from that first shoot will be printed and hung at the show (actual image, stance and position that I used is not shown in the video). You can come check it out at Face and Film from September 2nd-27th at Arts and Architecture on Bank St.

After I finished a roll of 120 and 35mm, the shoot took on a more fashion inspired theme. Here is my favourite image from that shoot (not shown in the video).Stay tuned for some more news as the next few weeks progress!

All images © Thomas Dagg 2009. May not be used without written permission under any circumstances

Exhibition, Corn and MW

2009-08-07T16:29:00.005-04:00

I have been very busy shooting for Face and Film. With the show being less than a month away, it's game time photographically speaking.

I decided to do something unrelated to the exhibition. I have always found corn fields intriguing so I decided to do a bit of scouting and found a perfect place for the photo I had in my head. I like the way it turned out.
Also, check out Michelle Wilson's show at Arts and Architecture right now. I got to check it out last night and it was cool seeing her work. Click on her name to visit her blog.

All images © Thomas Dagg 2009. May not be used without written permission under any circumstances

Showing

2009-08-04T15:37:00.006-04:00

I am proud to announce the show Face and Film, a collaboration with fellow students Melissa Ade, Jennifer Allison and Christos Spentzos.

The grand opening will take place at Arts and Architecture one month from today, where we will be showing a collection of photographs all taken with film.

Oldy

2009-07-27T01:04:00.009-04:00

Here is a shot (rebate and all) from a free roll of black and white film I got developed a few weeks ago. The film I used was over 25 years old (judging from the scratched up expiry date on the box) but it still developed and scanned pretty well. Especially considering it was in the Thomas is lazy storage area/my bedroom floor for the past few months. Thanks to Mr Robertson who gave me the roll!

I shot downtown with my F4s and the 50mm while also metering for Christos, who was shooting with his Mamiya C220 (since I had the only in camera spot meter haha).

All images © Thomas Dagg 2009. May not be used without written permission under any circumstances

Addition

2009-07-16T22:41:00.010-04:00

I was lucky enough to get a chance to shoot Ottawa photographer Rémi Thériault for the multitude series today. Check out his amazing work on his website and blog.

I also picked up some slide film I had cross processed at Lab Works that I cannot wait to scan.

All images © Thomas Dagg 2009. May not be used without written permission under any circumstances

Behind MULTITUDE

2009-06-19T00:51:00.005-04:00

Here is a behind the scenes video of me shooting my teachers for the MULTITUDE series.

It was Shot and Produced by the Algonquin College Photography Program Faculty. I was lucky enough to be included in the Emerging Photographers series. "This is a new series of videos we have begun here at the Program on Emerging Photographers. This series will focus on our second year students and specifically their personal projects while in the Program." - Algonquin College Photography Blog

The final faculty portraits shot in that video are featured both below and the previous post.

MULTITUDE of teachers

2009-06-18T08:38:00.011-04:00

I had the chance to shoot my teachers from the Algonquin College Photography program for my series. I decided to stick with the theme of my series completely and shot with as little as possible (I was given the option to use the studio etc). Denine got the idea of using a California Sun Bounce white Scrim/Reflector as the background and I used my 50mm 1.8 and digital body. Sticking with the minimalist idea, I did just basic curves and very slight dodging and burning to finish these.

Check out the Algonquin College Photography Blog for more details about the shoot and some behind the scenes action.

Mix it up

2009-05-24T00:43:00.009-04:00

I have started to realize that photography is similar to food. Everyone has different tastes, preferences, norms and views on what they find acceptable to "eat" or "shoot".

Who's mother or father has not said at one point or another, "Try this [insert your name], you will like it!" in some desperate scheme to get you to eat a certain food. For me, I was stubborn. This did not change my opinion of any new food. It did not matter what it was, I was not going to like it. New is hard, new is challenging, new is embracing something that you are unfamiliar with or unsure of. New is pushing yourself.

Now as I am getting older, my tastes are starting to change. I am getting over the stubborn kid phase and I am trying new and different foods and cooking methods.

That concept from food can be applied to photography. Shoot with more diversity. Try something outrageous or different that you normally would never try. Who cares if it is not normal or does not sound like something you would do. You only learn what you like by trying everything.

So here is a challenge to any photographer. Do something different. Try old analog cameras and film, do some point and shoot work or try some camera fusion technology. Maybe try renting a Hasselblad or some other cool camera. Just break away from your norm.

Here is my first shot trying something different. This was taken with my phone walking down Bank St. I moved it right before it took the picture. This man was having a hard time deciding whether to cross the street, and I wanted to capture the hesitation to take his first step. In the end I like the blurry shot. I will have to try more defocused or near focused shots on the SLRs.
I will be trying as many cameras, films and technologies as possible. I have about 6 different 35mm film canisters on my dresser right now, 2 different 4x5 boxes my dad's old Ricoh film body, my F4s and my D700. If you have a suggestion, I will try my hardest to give it a try. My next post will hopefully have some scanned negatives from my first roll of trying Kodak Gold 200. I tried some reflector shooting in my front yard and cannot wait to see the results and test the colours!

Simplicity

2009-05-20T20:07:00.011-04:00

As much as I want it, I have never had experience shooting a big project...

I have read and watched videos about them, and having assisted a couple Ottawa photographers, I clearly see another key aspect that separates the professional photographers from the "I have professional equipment" amateurs. I am a small step closer to realizing what I have to do to be successful.

When the day came to purchase my D200 less than a year ago, I had the common misconception that a good photographer is someone who uses lots of lights and modifiers and shoots with super expensive equipment.

I was wrong... (and I am embarrassed I ever thought that).

Most good photographers use a few lights and modifiers. That stuff is pretty standard. I was shocked to hear from Brent Gervais (a great photographer and graduate of the Algonquin program) that some of the really good photographers in Ottawa don't shoot with pro bodies and lenses. Undeniable proof that knowledge and experience greatly outweighs the camera and lens when creating an image. Unfortunatly I have seen the full range of the equipment obsession. I was fully into it when I took my first step to becoming a photographer less than a year ago.

So if it is not the camera, if it is not the lens and if it is not a lot of lighting equipment, what is it? It's reading light. Good professionals can get away with one or two lights because they see the light. They don't pull out every single light they have on every shoot just because they have it. They know when they can get away with just one or two heads and ambient.

They know how to keep it simple.

In my preferred style, location based shooting, who has the room to carry tons of equipment and the time to set it all up? I have seen what is possible with just two or fewer lights from the photographers I mentioned above, and it is awesome. You never want something overly complicated.

As I mentioned in my post on Adaptation, I know the basics of light that were taught to me in first year, I have access to house hold items, one SB800, and time. I have every intention to stay assisting, shooting and learning as much as I can before my second year at Algonquin.

Here is the newest shot in my series. Shot with ambient, one of Nikon's cheapest (and simplest) lenses (50mm f/1.8) and one SB800.

Expression and Communication

2009-05-11T22:33:00.013-04:00

Looking through the other blogs and portfolios created by students in first year and second year, the graduates and professionally shooting photographers, I finally realized one of the reasons why photography has such an impact on my life.

It came to me rather abruptly as I was looking through photographs (I have been looking at a lot of work since school has ended). The good photographers use a camera as an extension of themselves. Ansel Adams was one of the people who changed the world's view on photography. He explains it perfectly.

"Photography, as a powerful medium of expression and communications, offers an infinite variety of perception, interpretation and execution." - Ansel Adams

Perception, interpretation, and execution... After looking through all the other photographers work, it really boils down to that. The choice of lighting, framing, composition, posing, and model choice etc etc etc is the photographers expression and attempt at communicating something with an audience. Artistically, that is one of the reasons why I love photography. It is a way I can share myself with the rest of the world.

I am officially announcing my first ever series. Simply called MULTITUDE, this is a collection of peoples faces. Working with what Ansel Adams said, I decided to share my perception and interpretation of the people around me. The choice to go black and white, with the plain white background, the relatively even lighting, the super shallow depth of field and the symmetrical framing was to help me communicate my expression. These are also shot in random environments with only an SB800, a reflector and a D700 so I can make sure the person is comfortable and at ease. I want to show the person I am photographing with nothing to distract or hide who they are.

To help launch the new series, here are my first two images. Thank you to Kyle and Josh, who helped me start the series.

Adaptation

2009-05-06T11:11:00.009-04:00

Since last September, my friends in first year (at Algonquin) and I have become learning piranhas... We crave even the tiniest scrap of photographic knowledge. Whether it be composition, lighting, post production, digital imaging or theory, we sucked it all in our brains with varying degrees of enthusiasm. The atmosphere was awesome and the teachers were really starting to throw us some interesting concepts.

The handing in of my portfolio on April 15th signified the end of first year. That act came with both positives and negatives.

I had just completed the BEST school year of my life. I learned the basic foundations of shooting, lighting, printing and editing and got to construct my first ever portfolio. I used a 4x5 view camera, a lot of lenses and flash gear, got a good grasp of black and white and starting processing my own 35mm BW film. I also met some very talented photographers, both in first year and second year, with whom I cannot wait to shoot with and see what they produce.

The only problem is that it is over. I no longer have access to the studios, the gear, the classes, the printers or anything else those facilities offered. I am now completely on my own both gear wise and knowledge wise. This is when I started thinking and researching.

Having talked to a few photographers who shoot for a living, one major theme keeps resurfacing.

A photographer produces great work not by being strong and having lots of gear, but by having the ability to accept the inevitable, conform to the unavoidable, and harmonize with the existing or changing conditions.

That's when I realized... As a student with 3-4 months away from school, I have a huge advantage! Time! I have the time to experiment, time to learn with what I own, time to use what I already know and learn to adapt it to what is thrown my way.

It seems others have picked up on this too. The Strobist shows us what can be done with cheaper small flashes like the Nikon SB800 (or even older small flash systems). The possibilities are endless, and with the ability to adapt and think creatively, there is no telling what you can or cannot do.

So here is the challenge I put upon myself. I know the basics of light that were taught to me in first year, I have access to house hold items and one SB800, and I have time.What can I create...

The camera phone

2009-05-04T21:59:00.011-04:00

Technology has made photography easier and more accessible than ever. Now with cell phones coming standard with better and better cameras, people like Chase Jarvis (http://www.chasejarvis.com/) are showing us what you can do with the simple and convenient feature.

I am a photographer who recently jumped on to the cell phone camera wagon, and from what I see so far, I love the results!

Don't get me wrong, the cell phone is no D3, but the lack of power and resolution was not as missed as I thought it would be the first time I used it. In fact, used in the right light and shooting the right subject, they offer a pretty good and rather unique view on the world around you.

The best camera is the one you have with you.

I haven't even started talking about the huge benefit! Portability! I hate to admit it, but I don't go anywhere without my phone. When I have my SLRs in my hands, I seem to see the world framed in 24x36mm. Since I have discovered my cell phone to be a viable option for taking photographs (when I do not have my SLRs), my eyes are constantly scanning.

The colours are off, they are not super crisp and the the resolution is not the greatest. YET, cell phones (with decent cameras) for photographers, or anyone looking to improve their photography, should be considered an important purchase. Having the ability to take a photo wherever you are in a device that you would be carrying anyways seems like an almost unbeatable option. I am looking forward to the improvements that are no doubt in the works and that will make the cell phone camera even better.

EXHIBITION!

2009-04-23T20:35:00.004-04:00

My first year at Algonquin College has come to an unwanted end and to mark the occasion, we are having an exhibition! See above for details. There is some amazing talent in both the first year and second year students. I honestly am super excited to see how all the hard work turned out!

Hope to see everyone there. If you have any questions about it, feel free to drop a comment and I can get back to you.