Archive for July, 2009
The Hope Moment
Every photographer wants people to see their photos. In addition to this I hope that people will see my photos and feel an inspired compassion. So it’s very well a dream come true to exhibit my photos during World Vision’s Ottawa Campaign for Children. If you are in the Ottawa area please join us this Thursday July 30th from 6pm-9pm at the Market Media Mall (the “A” Channel building) for an exhibition entitled The Hope Moment. You’ll see 19 of my photos from Ethiopia, South Africa, Brazil and El Salvador.
Above you’ll see the invitation and an article that appeared in today’s 24 Hours (the Ottawa addition) about the exhibit. You can click on them to see them larger. You can also find the Facebook invite here.
Also! If you are in the Ottawa area I will be on “A” Morning at 9:40 am on Thursday.
A Favourite Water
Emily’s cottage has become a haven for me. Goodness it’s so relaxing during the most trying of times! For the last 4 years I have gone up and had some pretty delicious sleep. Recently I went up with some of my dearest friends (from top: emily, marco, dar). There is something to be said about sound sleep while loved ones are close by. I have taken hundreds of photos while lazing on the dock at the cottage. It’s one of my favourite waterfronts (Ward Island’s beach and Ko Phi Phi are way up there too).
My Hometown, Your Hometown
A year ago at this very moment we were all in Kisumu together. It feels longer and it feels shorter. Maybe we were eating at the Indian restaurant, maybe we were walking, or at the orphanage playing with the twins, or maybe we were on our way home from the boarding school. It was a Friday, I can’t remember what we did on Fridays. I feel saddened when I wonder if we’ll ever be together like that again.
Steve posted some of my photos of Kisumu and since then I have been thinking a lot about hometowns. The ones we have left. The ones that we long for. The ones we return to. I have felt at home and a sense of belonging in so many places amongst many loved ones. Horses in Bramps, Toronto streets, that waterfront on Lake Victoria. Vague and lucid memories of hometown shuffle and pile into a wily timeline creating a strange tension of always feeling at home.
Summer City
I’ve been living in Toronto for almost 8 years and I’ve never spent an entire summer here. (The closest was in 2005 and even then I was in Florida once in a while). So needless to say Ive bee enjoying the summer city immensely. Yesterday I woke up and for a second imagined what it would be like to get up and run to a cold bathroom and hurriedly put on thick socks and a winter jacket to go outside. I shuddered and proceeded with a leisurely day (although I was and am sick - it’s okay because at least it’s summer!!)
In any case, I’ve managed to skip the city for a few days here and there. On Father’s Day I photographed Ingrid at my favourite barn in Bramps. There she is above with her dog Scruffy-Bear. This photo makes me long for summer and wish that it would stay. The second photo is of an old friend from University Jamie Kaiser and his fiancee Melissa down by the waterfront. This photo makes me happy because even when summer has gone these two won’t mind because they can’t wait for October (they’re getting married!)
So there we have it. A summer update. More to come as I run around bare foot, ride around town on the Raleigh and hit up every patio I can find.
