junelle, part II

A year ago, my good friend Junelle and I did a creative set of portraits. The first set focused on capturing serenity and beauty at the pinnacle of spring. I posted those photos earlier this year. The second set was intended to be more whimsical and a tad gritty. We wandered the downtown alleyways in search of some colourful graffiti so Junelle could pose in her runners and ballet tutu. Perhaps we were a little unhinged, but we managed to get some fun shots, which I have finally edited in a bright, high-contrast style.

never enough flowers

Every year, when the flowers are in bloom, my camera starts to call to me from the drawer it lives in. While I’ve tried to hold my ground, year after year, I always end up somewhere in a cluster of trees taking photos. Are cherry blooms a cliche? yes. But after surviving a particularly dark and cold Edmonton winter, you permit me the indulgence. - H

experiments in leica

I have always been drawn to sharp monochromatic photos or colour shots with a vintage feel. It is, however, not as easy to achieve these looks in post-production and even harder to plan for them while shooting. I learned earlier this spring that Leica had a new mobile app which mimics the different Leica lenses. I secretly worship all things Leica, but will never (never) be able to afford a Leica. The thought of being able to achieve the Leica look with my mobile photography piqued my curiosity.

The app is available in the Apple App Store. It has a free version and a pro version. I decided to do a trial of the pro version, strictly for my photographic curiosity. I was delighted that the interface not only provides the filters while shooting but also a degree of manual control, including depth of field. As a photographer who firmly believes mobile photography is serious in its own right, I decided to do a few months’ experiment and only shoot in the app to see what kind of results I could achieve. Here is a sampling of my experiments in Leica.

The Edmonton skyline reflects on the glass of the LRT window when crossing the Tawatina Bridge.

Student art in Rutherford Library on the University of Alberta campus.

A stack of pancakes, that I promise I didn’t eat all on my own.

Cooking adventure, with a really clean shallow depth of field effect.

I have a fascination for capturing scenes in windows.

An attempt at using lack of symmetry to focus on light and shadow

Hot tea and sunshine

Oxalis open in the window

Getting flowers and fine details to work at the shallow depth of field setting is still challenging at times, but with patience and adjustment it works well.

Domestic scenes with nice sharpness vs. faded background

junelle, in two takes - part I

Just finally getting to posting this, as this shoot is nearly a year old. It was taken last June when the lilac and flowering trees were at the height of their blooming. This is the first part of a two-part shoot, in this case dramatic and trying to capture the fresh colours of Spring. Junelle is a dear friend and colleague whose persona has many overlaying contradictions, much like my own. She is intelligent, creative and kind beyond measure; her life has been rich with experiences that make her compassionate and marvelously sassy. While these style shots may seem out of her usual character, she pulls them off with ease. Stay tuned for part II, which is still in editing. — H.