Adventures of "The Legographer"

(c) Andrew Whyte

I can't remember how I got to this article, but I'm so glad that I found it!

This is a very clever way to keep yourself engaged with the world around you, and keep pushing yourself to see things from a different perspective with simple tools -- all important for a photographer to keep their skills sharp.

I love that this was a 365 project of a UK-based photographer, Andrew Whyte, who used his iPhone for the whole series.  He seems to have only used apps for lighting, which would let him separate focus from exposure, which makes sense. The effects are amazing.

I think it's funny that during that year, he never left home without out his pocket-sized companion, Legographer.

Andrew's work on this miniseries here: The Legographer.

Next time I take on a 365, I want to do something similar... not necessarily a Legographer, but something that will shift my perspective on the world... and keep me rethinking, re-engaging the normal everyday things.

Article: 3 Tips to Take Better Landscape Photos

I constantly do this to myself... I envision the perfect photo I want to take, and then get really let down when the perfect conditions don't present themselves to get that shot.  More often than not this happens when I'm trying to capture a particular landscape, and often times it's somewhere I'm not going to get a second chance.

The author of this article has some great suggestions, including borrowing techniques from other areas of photography to capture the landscape image you want.  I will have to try to keep this in mind the next time I'm only shooting.


http://digital-photography-school.com/3-tips-take-better-landscape-photos-regardless-weather/

Article: The 6 (Surprising) Best Cities for Photographers to Live and Work

I have to admit, I take my city for granted!  I guess because I have lived here all my life, I forget there is a certain charm of Toronto.  There is an incredible amount of natural beauty in this city, juxtaposed with a lot of man-made beauty, that encroaches, but never overtakes that natural.  Of course, we also have an amazing thriving film industry.

Read about The 6 (Surprising) Best Cities for Photographers to Live and Work.

Yay for Toronto! Time to be a photo-tourist in my own town, again... This is where we belong!

Day 340 - Choosing which bridge to cross...

This is one of the pictures from a hangout last summer.  I had to work on this one a bit, because it was way overexposed. I also added text, just because.

Day 314 - Unvisited treasure

I was out running some errands, and with the weather as beautiful as it is, I was walking everywhere.  This is a view of the trail I sometimes run on.  I never stop here, and now that I've seen it from this perspective, I think I'll be heading to some time soon to take some pictures.

Can't wait 'til tomorrow.  Heading out to a new place to explore and photograph with a friend.

Day 296 - Bridge Over Troubled Water

It was slightly misty when I took this picture.  It had been raining all day, and when I went out, it looked pretty foggy.  I liked how it looked, especially with the river swelling to the brim with all the melting snow and ice feeding it.

When I saw this picture, it just reminded me of the Simon & Garfunkel song, Bridge Over Troubled Water.  I like the lyrics

See how they shine 

If you need a friend 

I'm sailing right behind 

Like a bridge over troubled water 

I will ease your mind 

Like a bridge over troubled water 

I will ease your mind

Day 287 - Comfort

I have lived here, or near here almost all of my life.  As I was staring out this window, I was amazed to see how much this place has changed over the years. Despite the changes, it still feels familiar and comfortable.

Day 255 - A pony in its element

Still not really inspired, so, pulling some photos shot at earlier during this project.  This is from the summer when we went driving on the weekend. I just like the animals on the farm enjoying their time away from human interlopers.

Day 215 - Naturally

Here is a picture of one of my hosts/guides while in Morocco.  I haven't posted many (if any) pictures of people from Morocco, because I didn't have permission.  You have seen this person a couple times before in the post that had me reflective post about seeing the world from the back seat of a car, and where I talked about telling a story with photography.

So, why did I want to post this picture? Some of my favourite portraiture are photos where the subjects are not posed or are taken by surprise. I've talked about this a bit before, and this shot reiterates my sentiments. Have you ever noticed when there is a camera around people start acting different -- unnaturally, even? Some people are good at posing; others, not so much.  I find I really like the photos when people are caught off guard, even when they are good at posing. There is something a little more intimate about capturing that moment when they have let their guard down, and the image looks and feel more natural.  Isn't that what photography is all about?

In this case, I can't remember if I even had to call my friend to get his attention for this shot, or he had just turned to look at me at an opportune moment... whichever, it is one of the photos I love from my trip.

Day 205 - The silence of the night

So, the freezing rain lasted more than a few days.  I LOVED it!  It was so beautiful, particularly at night.  I loved how everything looked covered in ice. Don't you just love it?

Day 202 - Video screen shot of Andalusian Gardens

So, I was uploading videos, and found a few videos from Morocco that I had forgotten I had taken.  This is in the Andalusian Gardens in Kasbah des Oudaias  (Kasbah of the Udayas) in Rabat. I LOVED this whole place.  That day I realized I had not taken much video, so I took my camera along and tried my hand at videography.  In the end, when we got to the Garden, I was torn between taking video and taking pictures!  I guess that is the danger of having 3 cameras with you!  I just discovered that my camcorder allows you to take images from a video, so that is how this was generated!

I could have spent the whole day here.... I guess, just another place to visit again when I'm not so rushed. 

Day 199 - Icy waterdrops

After the snow came the rain.  Even though it was icy, it was beautiful.  Of course the danger is with all the ice building up on the branches, they become very heavy, and some come down.... like that of the neighbours!

Day 194 - Happy Holidays!

From my family to yours!

Another picture I took from the first real snowfall we had!

Day 193 - Snowy berries

Isn't it amazing what you can find to photograph if you just look at your surroundings?  This is a bush that was just down my street.  I can't say that I ever noticed it before.

I wonder what type of berries these are, they look sort of like blueberries, but they aren't. If you know, please let me know!

Day 192 - Serenity!

I don't know what it is about this shot, I just love it!

Day 190 - Snow covered footbridge

This bridge should look familiar.  It's on the trial near my house.  Doesn't it look so different covered in snow? I love my winter wonderland.

Day 179 - Looking across to a different land

In a reflective mood these days, and was looking through my pictures from when I was living in Ottawa.  I recall this day... was having a couple of rough days at school, it was a beautiful day outside, so I just took off and went for a walk along the Ottawa River Parkway.  In this picture we are looking across the water to Quebec!

If you knew Quebec, you would understand that title!

Day 178 - Reflecting with the ducks

Also taken the my sister's birthday years ago. I just liked the way this one looked.  My brother. Reflective.

Day 170 - The view from camelback

While in Morocco, I had an opportunity to ride a camel in Marrakesh (Marrakech).  It was fun! My camel was so certain that I wanted to take the ride, that the second I sat on him, he got up.  I still had my cell in hand, so I took a few random (and I do mean random) photos.  The sun was shining much too bright, so I couldn't really see what was on the screen.  I took a few good shots, like this one of our guide.

Day 150 - Road home...

I haven't been on the trail by my house for some time, so I took the long way home couple days ago.  Same trail I took the pictures of Tasha, when I started this blog.

Edited this on the PhotoGrid app on my phone.