Taking a break from thinking too much, just to look at photos. I've always liked this one.

 I shot this image of Renee Zellweger a long time ago. Long before I owned any digital cameras. Long before I started playing with medium format cameras. In fact, long before I could afford professional lights. Instead I used an ancient Canon camera with a lens that was unique at the time. It was a Canon 135mm S.F. lens which would allow you to defocus parts. Essentially adding distortion to the image. It was a soft focus lens for 35mm cameras. 

Since I didn't  have "pro" lights I set up a rickety old light stand, put a hand-me-down 40 inch, white translucent umbrella and aimed a $10 work light through the fabric and onto my subject. There was no fill card and no other mods. 

This image was done years before Renee launched her acting career. It was done in a time when living was cheap and easy in Austin and everyone seemed to have lots of spare time for art projects. You'd call a friend and they'd drop by and sit for a portrait. Then, maybe, you'd both head over to the Omelletry for some gingerbread pancakes and a plate of eggs. Or you'd gather a group of friends and head to Barton Springs and someone would come up with enough cash to pay the fifty cent entry fee for each person. 

I like this image because I think it's a good portrait but also because it was done on a shoestring and with the most basic camera gear. 

Ah. The good old days.

Just finalized travel plans. First solo shooting trip in a long time.

 

Lemons in the Jean Talon Public Market in Montreal. By B. She shot this with her Canon G15 point and shoot. She's a better photographer than I am. I was walking around with some big, state of the art full frame camera and didn't get images half as good. 

I really enjoyed my last two visits to Canada. I'm happy they are still allowing Americans to travel there on vacations. That's very "Canadian" of them.  I have only been to three different cities there. Once, to Montreal, pre-Covid, with B. It was chilly on our late October 2019 trip but chilly for Texans in a welcome and exhilarating way. I was in Toronto back in early 2018 just in time for a blizzard, a quick tutorial on driving on black ice, and a series of video projects that were well received by the German company funding the whole shebang. We made a daring trip to Vancouver in 2022 during a welcome pause in the pandemic and, again, had a blast. Great hotels, great restaurants, great scenes. 

Of the places I've seen in Canada the one that is most compelling to me as a photographer is Montreal. It has a wonderful vibe, it's inexpensive to operate in without abandoning a bit of luxury, and the food scene is incredible. The Old Town has some terrific architecture and some of the neighborhoods in various parts of town are just ---- totally cool. I might even get to Quebec.

I've been anxious to get out of town and spend four or five (now six) days by myself with a good camera or two in tow. When I looked at all the travel destinations out there my thoughts were that I needed to let the European hotspots recover from a satanically hot summer and the overwhelming hordes of American and U.K. tourists. I'll give them a few months to decompress from the giant swell of Summer-Panic-Oh-My-God tourism. 

So, when I started looking around for a place to spend time, shoe leather, SD card memory space and what not I immediately pegged my next destination to be Montreal. 

There are no direct flights from Austin, Texas to Montreal but if you work the schedule correctly you'll find well scheduled flights from the major carriers that can get you from here to there in about six and a half hours. And then get you from there to here in about seven hours. Not at all outrageous and cheap as underwear from Walmart. (Just making fun of Walmart. I've never actually been in one....). 

I booked a room at a nice, small, boutique hotel in the Old Town for six nights. I'll take the bare minimum of wardrobe and buy what I need if I find out that I didn't pack right. I've scheduled one arrival day, on departure day and five days of doing nothing but walking around with a camera or two photographing everything that catches my eye(s), my attention. Oh, and also eating like I just got out of prison. No vegan diet that week. For damn sure.

B. encouraged me to go and shoot by myself. She'll be here holding down the fort and relishing her days without my constant mansplaining and anxious check-ins. We'll pick somewhere else to go for a different sort of vacation later in the Fall. 

Deep down I think most photographers relish (at least they should!!!) the idea of getting away from any and all schedules, clients, chores, routines and family obligations and just having unfettered time to walk around aimlessly, or even with good aim, taking photographs with their favorite cameras. I might even bring a small tripod and stay out later than my bed time making street photos by lamplight. It could happen. 

Go re-read my post: Lonely Hunter, Better Hunt. ( https://visualsciencelab.blogspot.com/2011/10/lonely-hunter-better-hunt.html )

I'll be up north from the last week of September till the middle of the first week of October. If you are in Montreal and want to meet up for coffee at Crew drop me a note at the email on my actual website. I'm thinking of setting aside one morning to meet up, if anyone is interested. Don't plan on flying over from Tokyo just to meet me for coffee --- I'm not that interesting in person.

I love booking non-refundable trips. It's always the best incentive to follow through... $$$