Life in rural Quebec

It's hard to believe that this is going to be our third summer in the Eastern Township region of Quebec! We have, along the way, renovated some of our home (which we call "Sputnik") and have adopted a 5-year old dog - a Chihuahua and Terrier mix - named "Jack."
I am always creating photographs (some for various online microstock agencies and for Natalie's Interior Design projects) along with some graphic design work from time to time.
There is always something to do (fix :-)) when you have a house... The latest was replacing the motor in our central vacuum system - all I can say is "where would we be without Youtube?" That online video repository is amazing... I have learned so much about home maintenance from their videos...
Presently we are upgrading our floors from old (nasty) carpet and vinyl to hardwood. The installation will be done by professionals and the tearing up of the old stuff, by yours truly. So far, the baseboards and some of the vinyl is done... Lots more fun ahead.
I will post some of my latest photographs when I get away from my tablet and back to my computer.
Bye for now!
-Gordon

Some Recent Developments...

I rented a local Photo Studio in October and after submitting an ad in Craigslist (Montreal) I enlisted the help of some non-professional models to pose for some lifestyle images - to be submitted to my stock agency sites.

The advert sought out "everyday people" that were willing to pose for 1-2 hours in exchange for digital images from the shoot. I let them know that I needed them to sign a model release and that I would send each of the models a CD with full-resolution jpgs that they could use for their portfolios, web sites etc.

I received a half-dozen responses within 2 weeks of placing the ad and was very pleased with the results!
Each person posed with and without props (most of which were purchased by me at a local Dollar Store) and we had a lot of fun coming up with different ideas.

The models were all super (arriving on time or calling if they were running late) and had as much fun as I did during the process.

The important thing that I learned was that the photographer needs to be prepared; have a list of shot ideas or guide images of similarly posed models printed as thumbnails on a sheet of paper. This was very helpful for the models as they were not professionals but really wanted to help me create persuasive images.

Also, I had set up my lights and tested (roughly) for proper exposure - long before any of the models arrived. I was relaxed and this helped to expel any nervousness on the part of the models. Once the model was relaxed and feeling at ease, the whole process went along very smoothly.

The studio that I used is called Studio4Fun here in Montreal. They have 3 studios for rent at very reasonable rates - as a member (there are 3 member categories - visit their site for details) you rent out a block of time, 5 hours on the weekend and 7 hours during the week. You supply your lights and camera of course, but seamless paper backgrounds and risers, chairs and even a change area and makeup area are provided. Super deal!

Anyway, here are some of the photographs that we created together.
A special thank-you to all of the models who participated - it was a huge success!

Full sized versions of these images are available for purchase.
Visit my site and click on the links found on the Stock Images page.

Back after a lengthy absence...

This post is dedicated to Yan Wang - one of the managing editors at BCA Research in Montreal.

It has been a busy time lately. My microstock earnings have been steadily (if not slowly picking up) and I am going to be heading in a complimentary direction in the new year. I will be teaming up with Serengeti Photo Studios here in Montreal to help develop their corporate portrait division. I am training with the owner - Robert Healey - learning advanced retouching techniques and how to improve my portrait photo making skills to match the high standards set at Serengeti.

It is a wonderful challenge and I am learning so much that it will be great when I am actually doing some real studio and location shooting. Rob uses a Canon 5D and the image quality is fantastic. I am presently happy with my Olympus E-30, but the advantages of the Canon full-frame sensor are immediately apparent.

Above is an image that I took earlier this week while walking in Montreal's Old Port district. People are very devoted to the bicycle here - even during the winter months!

Getting ready for the holidays now and will be spending some time in the Laurentians here in Quebec. If you ever get the chance to visit, it is quite beautiful during all of the seasons - yes even in Winter...

Drop me a comment or two so that I know you are out there. In the meantime keep shooting and have fun. Best wishes over the holiday season, for the new year and beyond.

Having Fun with Photography

For those of you who do not know - "microstock" is a offshoot of traditional stock photography, where you contribute your best images to an online agency. Prospective image buyers (web designers for example) search for images using keywords and then select from the results that are returned.

The commission for each sale is not a lot but that same image might sell many times over and that is where the appeal lies. I have been contributing to 4 (down from 8) such agencies (see my website - link at upper right of this blog page) and have over 200 images on each site. This is a vast improvement over this time last year, but just a drop in the bucket as compared to the top earners who might have thousands of images.

My goal is to earn enough to help pay for camera gear, studio rentals and travelling and with each submission, I get a little closer to that goal.

There is a photographer from Quebec city (Lise Gagne)who started contributing a few years ago to iStockphoto and now she earns a comfortable living from what started as a hobby. Check out her images if you have a moment or are considering entering the microstock world. Anyway, she is a real inspiration and her persistence and commitment are something to marvel at.

Here are some of the images that I have uploaded to be sold as microstock. They tend to be images that convey a marketable concept - such as the road construction industry or small business tools.

Cheers for now - Gordon

Local Wildlife in Quebec

I visited Parc Omega near Montebello, Quebec on Thanksgiving weekend (Canadian) and came back with some great images of some of the wildlife that are in this reserve. It was bright and sunny (and a little on the cold side), so there are a lot of shadows, but overall, I was happy with the results. The parc is large which permits the animals room to roam - there are bison in the park as well - these are huge animals when they are standing (blocking) the path of a car. I highly recommend a visit but get there early or try visiting during the week to avoid the crowds. The longest reach of my lens was 300mm (35mm equivalent) and it was sufficient although an extra 200mm would have been awesome. I used the IS (image stabilization) feature in my E-30, which I never thought I would, and it does make a difference - thanks Olympus. I will be submitting some of the images to my stock agencies, links to which, you can find on my website - there is a link at the top right of this blog. Enjoy the pics and if you would like to use them, you may, just send me an email letting me know where they will be posted. Cheers for now - Gordon

Today, it rained...

I did not use my camera today, but sometimes just after it rains can present some interesting photo opportunities. A few weeks ago I took these photos through the back door of my home in Verdun (a neighbourhood in south west Montreal). I held the glass in one hand and shot up through the glass door to an almost clear blue sky. The other glass photo was taken on the deck just outside. The rain had only stopped a few minutes earlier. I was happy with the results, mostly because it was a "spur of the moment" impulse... sometimes they work out. We have a long weekend coming up, here in Canada - Thanksgiving. Hopefully I will get the camera out and who knows what I will come home with? As always, your readership is appreciated and if you have any comments or ideas that you would like to share - kindly do so. Cheers for now - Gordon.

Models Wanted for Lifestyle Stock Photography

Have you ever thought of modelling? I shoot microstock photography and there is a growing need for images of the woman or man next door - in other words, average looking people, perhaps like you. Your compensation would be a series of edited images (6) in digital format on a CD. In exchange for this you would offer 1-2 hours of your time in front of the camera in lifestyle poses (drinking coffee, reading a book, listening to music, exercising - this kind of thing). You can see some examples in this blog entry. If you are interested or have any questions, and you live in or close to Montreal, Quebec, then contact me by sending a brief email (please put "Interested in modelling" in the subject line) as well as a recent photograph of yourself to info@gwphotographics.com. You will receive more information that will explain the process more fully. I look forward to hearing from you.