Just a hint of what is to come...

Ottawa Update 41

It has been a long time since we spoke, I actually think this may actually be the longest break I’ve ever taken from blogging, and my conscience has been nagging me, so I had to get back to it. And to tell you the truth, I kinda missed you guys a little too. So here I am enjoy me while you can.

So what’s up with me?

While America is spending their way to hell’s door and completely unable to stop, while Somalians are deciding which of their kids to leave behind as they walk hundreds of miles to find something to eat and while Norwegians are blowing each other’s heads off I’m happily hunkered down here in sleepy, safe, predicable old Ottawa doing nothing but taking pictures this summer.

School finished April 28th and after spending May half-heartedly looking for meaningful work, being thoroughly unmotivated to take a ‘job’ doing something that I had no real interest in and that wouldn’t bring me any closer to where I wanted to be I found myself becoming thoroughly depressed. After a month of laying in bed at night cursing myself after yet another directionless, unfulfilling day I went out to shoot a time lapse of Ottawa. I wanted to just get outside, relax a little and feel the old 40D in my hands again. And I think that decision may have changed my life.

Since then I’ve been going out most days for 7-8 hour stretches and I won’t come home unless I’ve got 1000 pics on the memory card. I’m treating it like a job and slowly building up a fairly decent little collection of footage.

There are a bunch of reasons why I’m doing it boredom, to avoid reality just a little longer, to build up my portfolio for when I graduate next summer, but mostly because there is nothing like a healthy dose of regret to get you off your ass and working on something.

Last summer I returned home from Japan all gung-ho to make a short time lapse film of Ottawa. I expected to make a few phone calls, send out a few emails and have the city open its arms to me and give me unlimited access to what ever viewpoint, balcony or rooftop I wanted. Needless to say that didn’t happen and after sending out around 50 emails to various potential locations and after getting only a single ‘no’ in return I gave up...an all too common reaction on my part when adversity walks into the same room as me.

So I kept busy with other stuff, but I spent the school year kinda bummed that I never bothered to shoot anything substantial in the four months I kicked around here. At the same time I was coming to the realization that while Ottawa is an extremely boring place it is also a very pretty town and there is much time lapse potential here.

Secondly, I’m doing this because I believe that in this computer driven world I believe that the future of photography is all about pushing boundaries, moving beyond the traditional and desperately trying to capture people’s attention in this fast moving, ADD world. These days I’m finding that standard photographs are just so 20th century. Cameras with the right software can now do things that were nearly unimaginable 10 years ago and so for me this summer is all about figuring out a few new skills to be able to do offer one or two of those things to prospective employers.

It has given me a purpose, focus and challenge...all be it a very low paying one. The whole experience of doing a time lapse is, for me at least, very peaceful and zen like and can turn me from being in a very bad mood to being in a very good mood. Much of that has to do with the fact that I am outside interacting with new people and places everyday and I am far away from internet, mobile phones and all those other time consuming distractions. You are witness to some cool things that you might never see if you don’t stop, sit in one place and look take it in.

Till this point the weather has been outstanding this summer dry and not too warm, so to sit outside and watch the world scurry around me is most enjoyable. Every photographer will tell you that the key to getting the perfect shot is patience and preparation. Doing this is certainly teaching me that and through all that sitting around I meet some of the most interesting people, which certainly wouldn’t have happened if I had gotten access to those great rooftops and wasn’t standing in the street.

Over and over people stop beside me to talk about the most whack shit you could imagine or just watch the sunset and tell me how they are so busy that they haven’t just stopped and looked at the city or nature around them in years. People are starting to recognize me and stop to say hello. One thing that I’m finding is that girls generally like to talk about artsy stuff and the scene I’m shooting, guys all want to talk about gear and technical stuff, but most amazing is that every time I go out I’m meeting people who are incredibly positive and encouraging about my getting this thing done.

There have of course been a few negative parts of doing this and not everyone I meet is helpful or positive. It is amazing to see the powerful reaction something as simple as a camera can have on people. People will cross the street to avoid getting photographed, they will give me dirty looks and order me to erase any and all pictures I may taken of them. And, best of all, I seem to be a magnet for every security guard and police officer Ottawa has to offer...more on that in a future Update as I think it is worthy of it’s own piece.

The other and more painful problem I’e encountered when photographing things full time is the inevitable destruction of your equipment. On July 17 we had what meteorologists call a microburst here in Ottawa. What that means is sudden winds over 100 km/h and my camera got blown over. So I’m now looking at a broken lens ($1500), broken body ($1000) and broken grip ($300), an empty bank account and no job to cover expenses. However I’m struggling on with what bits and pieces of gear I can cobble together. Ironically it has been kind of a good thing. It seems to have committed me to this project in a new way, because I don’t want to have lost my camera for nothing. But the bigger lesson learned is that your camera and gear are not priceless treasures, but rather tools to be used and are easily replaced. Besides if they break on the job I’d better figure out a way to keep going with what I’ve got with me because no one is going to pay me for giving up on a job.

The scary thing is I’ve been through like four of these microbursts already this summer and I can’t think of more than a few times in my life before that, here in Canada, that wind has actually scared me. Thank you greenhouse effect. Anyways, I’ve been doing time lapses for years on mountains, in winter storms and on the roofs of buildings and going into this project I was kinda assuming that here in Ottawa theft would be the primary way I’d loose my gear not gail force winds.

Finally, doing stuff like this also lets you discover just as much about yourself as it does about your camera. This has been the best part of the experience for me. I’m going after something hard and I’m learning a ton both are things that I love to do. I’m finding that I seem to love completely immersing myself into one thing. Last summer it was writing and experimenting with that this summer is all about photography. I also love doing big, oddball difficult projects (climbing mountains, making movies, and biking across Canada) with all the frustrations that come with them and get easily bored with the small day to day stuff.

As a result, I’m approaching this like I do playing an instrument--I think of an idea, I figure out how to make it a reality then I put in the hours until I get it right. Because of that I’m finding that there has been a change in my photography. The camera is becoming much more like an instrument and not just a tool. Things are now more innate and intuitive and new possibilities are popping into my mind every day.

Most importantly over the past few months something has changed in my head. I’ve been a pretty good shooter for a while, at least I’ve been able to capture my ideas and generally be happy with the results, but now my confidence has grown and I’m wanting to take it to the next level. I want to prove myself to the world. I’m finally looking at this as a realistic way to make money and travel and no longer as just as a pipe dream or a fun little hobby.

Other than that, between photo shoots, I’ve been hanging out with the nieces and nephews, doing small odd jobs here and there and doing a little writing for some local fish wraps to build up some kind of a written portfolio as well.

It is good to be back, but on that note I’ll let you go. Who knows when I’ll see you again, but just know that even though we’re apart I’m having a blast. Take care for now,

Dan.