Ice Skating in Ottawa

©2009 Daniel Marchand

"Expiration Notice" vs Magenta's "Flash Forward"

As I am reminded that the deadline for submission to Magenta Foundation's  "Flash Forward 2009" competition for emerging photographers is being extended to January 17, 2009, I discover a new blog and website for emerging photographers: "Expiration Notice".

I, along with many of my contemporaries, have long wondered why Magenta, and many other organizations for that matter, are limiting participation to their competition to photographers who are 34 years of age or younger. Can't anyone over 34 be "emerging"?  Stan Banos and Mark Page have heard the same cry and are providing us with an alternative, "Expiration Notice", which will be limited to photographers worldwide who are over 35 years old with no current gallery representation. They are now taking submissions for the first edition which will go live in February 2009. The deadline for submission is the 31st of January.

TS lens trials

After being so impressed with the photographs done by Vincent Laforet with the TS (Tilt-Shift) lenses (check the CN Portfolio series), I decided to rent the Canon TS 24mm f3.5 lens for the weekend and try it with my 5D. Although it takes some getting used to, I managed to get some shots I am happy with. If you check Vincent Laforet's blog entry for today, do not miss the HD videos he is making with the new EOS 5D MkII soon to released by Canon. In particular the aerial shot of New York taken with a TS lens.

I am no Vincent Laforet, but here are two of the shots taken on Sunday with the TS lens (click the photo to enlarge):

©2008 Daniel Marchand

Early winter shots

Winter is slowly coming. It has been snowing lightly for the past two days and the temperature has been below the freezing point.

Here are two shots taken yesterday in Gatineau Park.

©2008 Daniel Marchand

Sunday afternoon stroll

mus-mus.org launches its experimental website with the project @600

Several photographers around the world have been invited to take part in the @600 project on November 4, 2008 @600 Internet time. The organizers have reserved 25 spots for other photographers. The final selection will be selected by a jury and will be announced on November 21.

All participating photographers will take one photograph at the same moment. These photographs will be joined and archived on the mus-mus.org website for a unique document of that special moment.

The organizers are still looking for photographers from Canada and have asked me to pass on the word.  

Please check here for the details.

Fall Colors

For the past several years, Fall colors have been at their peak for the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend.  Colors are never the same year after year, so I always look for different landscapes to photograph.

Yesterday, on our way back from the upper Ottawa Valley, we came across a yard full of discarded dumpsters that were in complete harmony with this year's yellows and oranges. Here are a few shots.

All photos copyright ©2008 Daniel Marchand