blink! photography

Photography Course

On January 23 and February 6 I had the opportunity to guest-lecture for the Photography & Film course at Providence College. In the first class I spoke on some of the basics of photography - Rule of Thirds, aperature, shutter speed, iso, lighting, etc. Important stuff, but fairly mundane in a classroom setting. The second class is where I really enjoyed myself. In this class I talked about my philosophy of photography - which you are familiar with if you have read some of the history on this website. I love talking about my work as a vehicle for communicating the dignity of others. Key to this class was the invitation I gave to the students to present an image or two of their own and open themselves up for critique, always a worthwhile excercise, and to present what they could about their own philosophy - what motivates them to create images. A memorable class for me; I hope the same for the students.

Habitat for Humanity

During the week of July 12-18 I had the opportunity to volunteer my photographic services on the build site for Habitat for Humanity here in Winnipeg. There were three duplexes being built for six families - who I had the privilege to meet. I have a lot of respect for the work that Habitat does in providing families with the opportunity for owning their own homes.

Habitat does not give out freebies - they hold the mortgages on all the properties they provide and require that families continue to pay off their homes. The terms that the families have to work with, however, are a far cry from those the banks are able to provide, and are customized to each families individual needs. There is a lot of detail that goes into the structure of these financial terms, but I think the best part is that the homeowners spend a significant amount of time in the building of their own homes, as well as learning basic home maintenance skills.

If you are interested in making a very real difference in your local community, I encourage you to volunteer for a build. I encourage you to support Habitat financially, of course, but the opportunity to do some "hands-on" work is indescribably wonderful.

The people in the Habitat for Humanity image gallery are a mix of some of the soon-to-be homeowners (blue helmets), volunteers, and Habitat for Humanity staff.

Still at it

It has been awhile since my last post, but I haven't been entirely dormant in my activity. I was interviewed by a local newspaper, the Indo-Canadian Telegram, following the travel presentation on India which I delivered at McNally Robison Booksellers in February. They had a wonderful article and featured a number of my images in full-colour.

Since mid-March I have had most of my in-stock framed and matted images on display in the new(ish) library at Providence College. The college has been wonderfully supportive of my work and it looks like I may have an opportunity to deliver a class or two in their Photography and Film course. I hope that this works out - I would love the opportunity to share with aspiring artists both my technical methodology and my philosophical motive in my photography.

I have also been approched by the Manitoba Camera Club to be a guest speaker at their November 11 monthly meeting. I look forward to the opportunity to rub shoulders with others in the industry.

Colour & Texture: Portraits of India - postscript

My first solo gallery, Colour & Texture: Portraits of India, has been a success. Over 50 people came out to the one-night event this past Saturday, nine images have sold thus far - raising $675 for World Vision development work in India; and two children in need of support have found new sponsors. Not huge numbers by any stretch, but it is my first show and my first attempt at making a difference in the world through my photography.

                      

On a personal level, I have received rather overwhelming response to my show - both from people who attended and those who have seen the images through this site. I am encouraged by how people are catching the vision for my photography: to try to portray the dignity of the people I am making images of – not to ignore their life circumstances, but rather to show their worth in the midst of their situations.

                  

My prayer is that I continue to learn how to create better art. Art that is great not because of wonderful composition, colour or texture (though I hope my images excel in these areas), but that finds greatness in its ability to provide a glimpse into the lives of very real people in another part of the world. The greatest pleasure I had in making these images was the interaction (dare I say relationship?) that I had with the people involved. In the process of meeting the people you see portrayed, I have been invited into the homes of families, shared countless cups of chai, been schooled by teenagers in street cricket, and had one mother try to marry me off to her daughter. While the sights, smells and sounds linger then fade, the memories of the people I met are as strong as the day that I made them.

                              

I encourage you to take a look at the images in the Colour & Texture: Portraits of India gallery. They are available for purchase if you like - just email me at info@blinkphotography.ca. I also strongly encourage you to take a look at World Vision and consider signing up for a sponsor child or three. 40ish bucks a month can make an absolutely remarkable difference in the lives of a lot of people.

Blink! Photography Gallery Show

Blink! Photography is participating in its first gallery display on April 12 to 14 at Adelaide– McDermot Gallery as part of the Greening of the Spirit show being held by St. Benedict's Table. It is an honour to be invited to display at this event and my hope is that my portrait images reveal the dignity of the people portrayed. This show will give you a taste of the upcoming exhibit in June. Keep an eye on this site for more news about the Colour and Texture: Portraits of India show.