i've got a fortress.... and you've got a landlord

HEY YO YOKO!!!

2010-07-01T15:08:00.000-07:00

tribute to a performance piece by yoko ono. solid.

kvt

r.

kvt

2010-05-31T18:34:00.000-07:00

julian

2010-04-15T07:42:00.001-07:00

i shot this a while ago but was too busy to work on it. enjoy.

r.

snailhouse promo photo

2010-03-19T11:34:00.000-07:00

a few months ago i went out, bought a file, brought it home and spent 20 minutes filing down one of my negative carriers. this is the first time i've scanned with it. it reminds me of the way i used to print back in my darkroom days.

r.

SNAILHOUSE polaroid tests

2010-03-16T12:16:00.000-07:00

shot snailhouse at the treatment room studio in mile end for press for the upcoming record. these are tests from the shoot. i love working with mike. listen to him. buy his records.

the real shots are coming really soon. hold on.

r.

BLUE SKIES TURN BLACK 10th anniversaire party/show/all-out throwdown!

2010-03-04T09:49:00.000-08:00

that was one hell of a weekend. within a span of 4 days i had to go to toronto and back twice, saw 2 shows, and went to comic book convention (where i scored many a treasure). so it all started on thursday with a trip to toronto to see MF DOOM. i feel slighted by this show. i drove to and from toronto in a blizzard. DOOM was 2 hours late taking the stage. he played for a total of 1/2 an hour. tickets were $50 a head. the sound was terrible. his gargantuan hype man's mic was louder than his. all in all, garbage.

spent friday recovering.

saturday was the blue skies show. this was easily one of the best shows i've been to in a long time. it totally made up for the DOOM debacle. the line up was incredible. thundrah, north of america, spengler and rockets red glare. 3 of these bands don't even exist anymore. the part of me that's stuck in 2002 was happy. really happy.

THUNDRAH

SPENGLER

NORTH OF AMERICA

ROCKETS RED GLARE

i really want to thank meyer at blue skies for putting this together. he's released some of my favorite records, put together some of the greatest shows i've been to, and was the best roomie i've ever had. thanks big guy.

xo
r.

megan leslie

2010-02-17T20:25:00.000-08:00

on a recent trip home i was afforded the opportunity to shoot photos for canadian MP megan leslie. this photo was shot in ketch harbour on the cusp of her constituency. i had a blast. she is easily one of the most earnest people i've ever met.

in other news, aside from comic books, one of the things i've been obsessed with for a long time is music. i started going to all ages shows and buying records (yes, that's right, i buy actual records. i'm one of those hipster jerks) when i was about 13. it's been a downward spiral since then. one thing i've decided to start doing recently is make mixtapes again. i used to make them for people pretty much constantly. i would labour over them for hours with my crappy sears record player with dual cassette deck. i couldn't decide who to give this one to. thanks to the magic of the internet I CAN GIVE IT TO EVERYBODY!!!! i'm probably going to start posting these on a semi regular basis; at least until some lawyer somewhere tells me to stop.

once you've finished listening to my super awesome mix, please support the artists and buy these records. just do it. don't me give any guff.

here is the tracklist.

01 vermicious knid - smalltown devotion
02 vermicious knid - century soldiers
03 north of america - black is, black ain't
04 braid - what a wonderful puddle
05 yo la tengo - sugarcube
06 spengler - loose screws
07 number one cup - what does it mean?
08 pedro the lion - magazine
09 american football - honestly
10 q and not u - y plus white girl
11 the burdocks - mistake parade
12 pavement - kennel district
13 the wrens - every year you wasted
14 tokyo police club - be good
15 weezer - i just threw out the love of my dreams

download the mixtape here!

xo
r.

new site is finally up!

2010-02-12T15:18:00.000-08:00

after some delay it is finally online. pop by and take a look!

BRAND NEW SITE!!!!

r.

the mirror

2010-01-08T10:42:00.000-08:00

here's a piece i shot for this weeks issue of the MONTREAL MIRROR!

for a legible hi res version look HERE.

r.

angie the barbarian in guerilla mag

2009-12-14T07:54:00.000-08:00

issue #22 of guerilla hit the stands on saturday! here's the shoot i did for the angie the barbarian article. the article itself was written by tony martins.

hi res HERE.

read the article HERE.

xo.
r.

veronique and boo

2009-12-10T08:49:00.001-08:00

CAT IN A LOBSTER COSTUME!!!!

xo.
r.

snap party photobooth

2009-12-06T22:32:00.000-08:00

here are the pics from the photobooth that i set up for the snap party. it was a blast.

for higher res click HERE.

and this is us partying oh so hearty.

for higher res click HERE.

on an unrelated note, here i am with chewbacca.

comic-con was today and it was awesome.

xo
r.

SNAP MAG allows me to make an ass of myself....

2009-12-04T23:05:00.000-08:00

and i love them for it!

i have no idea how this project came to be. i'm not even sure how to explain it. i like plaid shirts. i love food. i like photobooths. i wanted to see how much my moustache would grow over 31 days.... so, for the entire month of august i made the pilgrimage to the photobooth in the metro station a few blocks away from my house in order document this asinine idea. once again, i truly have no idea why i did this. i think it popped into my head sometime in june and i just couldn't shake it. it also gave me an excuse to amass 30+ plaid shirts. awesome.

fast forward to august. shayl and hannah at SNAP asked me to contribute something to their winter '3 letter word' issue. i told them i was doing this. they wanted it. i was honestly surprised. i pretty much thought it was something i'd show my friends for a laugh. those i showed it to either laughed or looked at me like i'd finally lost it. maybe i had? it sure helped me lose any semblance of shame i might have had prior to it.

fast forward to about a month ago, i get an email from SNAP asking me for the hires image of me jamming hot dogs in my face. why you might ask? so they could put it on the cover. when i was finished laughing my ass off i sent it. i really didn't think they were serious. they were. oh how they were.....

so, last night was the launch and i finally got to see a physical copy of the issue. it looks great. i'm really chuffed. i would occasionally look around the room and see people pointing at me. i also got to run a photobooth (expect that to go up soon).

this is the portion of EAT that made the magazine (teeheehee).

and this is the whole thing. click the enlarge button. i tried uploading it directly to blogspot but the compression they put on it absolutely mangled it.

view this behemoth at a higher res HERE!!!!!!

now this is what i ate.
day 01 - yes, that's a duck with the head still attached.
day 02 - ice cream (i expected get way more of it in my moustache)
day 03 - double fisting bavarian cream donuts.
day 04 - pepperoni pizza and hot sauce
day 05 - raw octopus. it's actually awesome. i love tako sashimi.
day 06 - DQ vanilla milkshake. DQ around the corner = bloated summer.
day 07 - pickled eggs are gross. paul newman was a braver man than i. drinking the brine was just stupid.
day 08 - i love cotton candy
day 09 - i can get 2.5 twinkies in my mouth at the same time.
day 10 - canned haggis tastes like dog food.
day 11 - spicy tripe. i wish i'd brought water that day. discomfort.
day 12 - wamernelon.
day 13 - green icing.
day 14 - surprise surprise, i didn't like pickled pork tongues.
day 15 - hoagie.
day 16 - cottage cheese.
day 17 - spicy chinese noodles.
day 18 - nibs are awesome.
day 19 - double fisting hot dogs from belle province.
day 20 - a double 1/4 pounder inside a krispy kreme donut. decadence.
day 21 - portuguese spicy blood sausage. guess what? gross.
day 22 - smoked meat sandwich from the main. (way better than schwartz's)
day 23 - lobster. this was a pain to pull off in 20 seconds.
day 24 - drinking alpha-getti from the can. somehow i didn't get worms.
day 25 - beef empanada.
day 26 - i ate 1/2 a cake. yes, i finished it.
day 27 - a chicken with a head. the meat in the neck is amazing.
day 28 - bag of funions. first and last time i will ever eat them. ugh.
day 29 - the first time i've ever liked poutine. i hate potatoes.
day 30 - pork pupusa. something else that tasted like dog food.
day 31 - i really had to work to get all of those dragon rolls in there.

if you're in montreal you can pick up SNAP at atelier punkt, boite noire, the emporium gallery, coupe bizarre, drawn and quarterly, laika, le cagibi, shaika, off the hook, boutique onze, and bistro in vivo.

once again, hannah and shayl, thank you. this is both ridiculous and awesome. every time i see the cover i start laughing all over again, simultaneously shaking my head in disbelief and blushing. wow. really. wow.

xo.
r.

OH SNAP!

2009-12-01T12:40:00.001-08:00

if you're in montreal and want to party like it's on sale for $19.99, you should check this out. should be a blast. snap mag is awesome. there will be a surprise or two that might or might not involve me. that's all i'm saying.

rsvp ICI!

come shake your 'three letter word'. let's get crunk*

xo
r.

*i don't actually know what crunk means or how one would obtain it.

2 nights with DO MAKE SAY THINK

2009-11-30T16:20:00.001-08:00

DO MAKE SAY THINK played two consecutive shows last week and i was fortunate enough to catch both of them. if i had the time and the money i would probably follow these guys around. they recently released a their sixth full length record 'other truths' on montreal label constellation records (home of other incredible canadian bands like godspeed you! black emperor, a silver mt zion, polmo polpo, etc). just buy the record and thank me later.

DAY ONE
fuji instax

DAY TWO
polaroid spectra

the reason for only two photos from the second show is because i toasted my spectra camera. it's my third this year. i'm either incredibly unlucky or they're just incredibly unreliable. either way, as i'm still sitting on a ton of spectra film, it looks like i'll be hitting ebay and craigslist. if you have one you don't want feel free to send it to me. i can pay you in homemade gnocchi and shoulder rubs.

see! i told you they were great. some of the most haunting music you'll ever hear.

xo
r.

WET PHOTO ON DISPLAY AT FRAME AND CANVAS!!!!!

2009-11-30T13:34:00.000-08:00

any framing store slash gallery that takes its name from a BRAID record is a-ok with me! they are one of my favorite bands of the 90s/all time. these guys are the forefathers of most of the music i listen to now.

frame and canvas is located at 220 rue bernard ouest in montreal. it's a wonderful spot run by a wonderful couple named angela and gilles. and they did a bang up job of putting this together. i dropped off the print a while ago and wasn't able to pick it up as i was on the road almost constantly. i got an email from them a few weeks ago asking if they could display it. they really did an amazing job framing it. i'm so happy with how it turned out!

iphone photo care of mackenzie duncan.

the print with frame measures a whopping 3 1/4ft by 4 1/4ft. as much as i would love to keep this monstrosity for myself, it is for sale. asking price is currently $1100 plus shipping (i could be flexible on this within reason). if you are interested in purchasing it/feeding me/have any questions, feel free to hit me up at robin@robinharthiltz.com. if you happen to be located in montreal, toronto or ottawa i will drop it off free of charge as i reside in montreal and am frequently in both ottawa and toronto.

please buy it and display it! you could put one of those really nifty artsy fartsy lamps above it. they're pretty damn cool.

or you could just pop in and look at it........

have i mentioned that this would make a great christmas gift? just sayin........

xo
r.

j&m

2009-11-30T08:10:00.000-08:00

here's something that was wicked out of my photo comfort zone. the light is completely natural. shot in an amazing loft in the plateau.

models - julian and monica
assistant - jeremy cohen (he was a total life saver. i should probably take him to aux vivre next week for vegan chili.)

in other news.... had our first real snowfall in montreal. going to spend most of the day listening to the rheostatics 'music inspired by the group of 7' and scanning polaroids from both of the do make say think shows at salla rossa last week. once again, they didn't disappoint. expect to see those at some point over the next few days.

r.

guerilla live #22

2009-11-27T21:27:00.000-08:00

if you're in ottawa on december 12th ya'll should attend this.

got a chance when i was in ottawa doing family thanksgiving to set aside a day and shoot the one and only angie the barbarian for the new edition of guerilla mag. she is one rad lady. her taste in both metal and taxidermy is top notch. got to work with deedee butters (mua) and amanda willbond (hair stylist). tony martins was there art directing and being our omnipotent overseer. it's not often that you get to shoot 120 film for a publication these days. i jumped at it and feel like i finally got to work in the rz67.

we also listened to soundgarden's badmotorfinger. that was a first in at least a decade. that record more than makes up for all of the garbage that soundgarden/chris cornell did after. i can sort of forgive them for superunknown, but that whole audioslave thing was an abomination.

r.

THE WALRUS

2009-11-25T22:48:00.000-08:00

somehow....... my mug appeared in the walrus. it was drawn by nicole aline legault. she is amazing.

the new site launches in the next few days. expect another illustration by nicole.

she's REALLY tiny.

r.

noyes

2009-11-17T19:34:00.000-08:00

adam hartling knows photoshop

2009-11-07T07:50:00.000-08:00

like bo knows baseball.

photo - me
lovely lady - becka
post work - adam hartling

r.

SMUT or, how a project completely falls apart.

2009-11-06T00:40:00.000-08:00

for the last few months i've been working on the second issue of NO. i have to be honest, things got way to busy for me to finish it in the near future. i still want to but things have to slow down first.

here's what i have finished so far.

mena

kvt

charlie

i have an absolutely ridiculous post coming really soon. trust me, it's going to be hilarious. as well, i did promise the website revamp with all of the photos no one has seen before. this is happening VERY soon. it's been a long process. not only did i have to retouch a lot of old photos but, it got really hard to pick and choose what updates needed to be made. the layout is new. the photos are new. I AM SPENT. it seems like my entire waking life is spent either shooting or photoshopping. the next week/ week and a half is totally a mental health week. no deadlines. no pressure. some buffy the vampire slayer. some comic books (some she-hulk. it's all about she-hulk).

it also seems like another move might happen in the near future. more on that to come.

i really do swear i will update this more often. i have a lot of content to post. it's more about making sure all of the loose ends are tied up. face it y'all, i have to come correct. in other news, in the last month i've had the opportunity to see some amazing bands. mono at pop montreal was one of the best shows i've ever attended (thanks meyer). david bazan/pedro the lion is always a great choice. his show at lee's blew me away. the man may have lost his faith but he's still an amazing songwriter. he has presence.

take care of yourselves.
xo.
r.

new kestrels shoot

2009-10-15T22:11:00.000-07:00

i love these guys. i love working with these guys. i love listening to these guys.
they totally throw down live. check them out - KESTRELS

here's an ad that ran in the coast promoting their upcoming halifax pop explosion appearance. the layout was done by the talented ADAM HARTLING. he's also the guy on the left. he's also a teddy bear.

r.

some old stuff

2009-09-29T18:58:00.000-07:00

currently in the process of prepping stuff for the new website. it means drudging through a lot of folders and reworking stuff. here is some of the reworked stuff.

zoe

mood

monique

maggie

website should be online by mid/late october. stay tuned for details.

r.

gallery show

2009-09-23T12:23:00.001-07:00

i was asked to take part in a gallery show in ottawa in early november. here's one of the photos that will be in the show. it's funny, i have about 20 photos from this shoot in total and every time i look through them i find another one that i love.

r.

COMIC CON!!!!

2009-09-20T15:06:00.000-07:00

i'm not sure if you're aware of this yet but i'm a huge nerd. so much of a nerd that i went to comic con. sadly enough, my first instinct wasn't to go and buy comics, but to take photos of nerds in their costumes; i also bought a lot of comics. i also got to meet the honky tonk man. that guy has seen better days.

seeking refuge in the company of other dorks after a week of never ending work was a huge reward for me. i wish comic con was everyday. the one drawback to it was the lack of 'trek'. but i guess that's what star trek conventions are for.

r.

snap magazine - issue 8

2009-09-08T14:00:00.000-07:00

i love snap magazine. they asked me to contribute a photo to the fall issue. they even made me write a blurb about my favourite record. i of course complied.

read the rest of the issue HERE!

r.

veronique, a story, and a self portrait.

2009-09-02T13:23:00.000-07:00

this is veronique. she is my favourite bartender. she's a solid photographer. we both have a love of second hand stores and church garage sales. she has an almost incomprehensible amount of amazing, kitschy stuff in her apartment. she has two adorable cats. one of them is known to dress like a lobster on occasion. her only fault is a love of the afghan whigs. i guess i can forgive her.

so.... i've been obsessed with photobooths for the last couple of months. i've been working on a pretty huge project that i'm really excited to show off. it's been difficult trying to balance it with a lot of the other stuff i've been doing, but i still keep slugging away at it. i'm hoping that this photo will be it. i hope to never set foot inside a photobooth again.

and now for the story. as you might be able to tell by the infrequency i've been posting on this thing, it's been hectic. hopefully fall will slow down a bit so i have time to work on some new stuff. my site is getting a facelift which i'm pretty exited about. i will have a new photographer interview to post very soon. i'm also toying with the idea of posting a tutorial on the myriad of ways one can modify 120 film to fit old 620 cameras. a couple of the ways are easier then you may think.

r.

smut

2009-08-03T21:24:00.001-07:00

been a while since i've made a post which isn't to say i haven't been working on anything. in all reality i actually have a little bit too much on my plate at the moment. i'm totally fine with that. someone once said something about idle hands being the something to someone's something or something.

here's a sneak preview of one of the projects i've been working on. it's called SMUT and it's the second issue of NO magazine. there's no release date for it yet but i'm sure it will drop before chrimbo.

r.

the sorrys

2009-07-22T12:43:00.000-07:00

every once in a while you have a shoot and you come away knowing that you nailed it. this was one of those shoots. i was lucky enough when i was back in nova scotia for work a couple of weeks ago to get to work with THE SORRYS again. if you like GUIDED BY VOICES (or indie rock in general)check these guys out. solid.

r.

contrived press photo 2005

2009-07-21T20:26:00.000-07:00

olympus 0m1. kalimar thrysistor flash. fuji velvia cross processed.

r.

contrived

2009-07-21T15:35:00.000-07:00

not sure when this was taken but i'd say sometime in 2005. shot with an olympus om-1 on some old weird kodak film that didn't last very long. 400 pushed to 1600 and processed as such. it's funny that i can remember what it was shot with and what it was shot on but i can't remember when i took it.

loel really is an amazing drummer.

r.

sx-70

2009-07-21T14:22:00.000-07:00

when i was back in halifax last week i managed to pick up an old polaroid sx-70. luckily for me, it had 3 exposures left in it. they had been in the camera for at least a decade and luckily they actually worked!

katherine.

r.

VKNGS

2009-07-09T19:13:00.000-07:00

i shot this photo of vkngs at the "6015 willow" dvd release in late october. i came back to it earlier tonight and decided that i still wasn't happy with it. lately i've been going through the 8yrs of show photos i've shot (totally ripping off charles peterson)and decided i miss shooting shows.

VKNGS

6015 WILLOW trailer

buy a copy of 6015 willow here.

and for more VKNGS photos go HERE!

r.

kestrels

2009-07-02T19:55:00.000-07:00

so so lazy. this is from the 45 release in march. dope show. shot on a mamiya rz67 pro2d on fuji acros 100.

r.

NO zine - the NO frills edition

2009-06-29T11:00:00.000-07:00

the first issue of NO is online and ready for you to look at it. keep in mind, this truly is the NO FRILLS edition. the print copy will be formatted a little differently and there will be a couple of extra pages with info and a mission statement. i'm going to host it on my dripbook at the moment as it seems like the easiest option. a swankier edition will most likely also go up soon.

so remember kids... scroll from left to right and click to make the photos gargantuan. it also loads a little slow as it's kind of huge.

READ ISSUE #1 HERE!

r.

NORTH OF AMERICA

2009-06-27T21:16:00.000-07:00

just found these photos on my hard drive. i scanned them a few months ago and forgot about them. they take place between 1999? and 2003?. it was all shot on crappy konica 35mm colour film and slightly less crappy agfa 35mm b&w film. shot on an ancient olympus om-1 and a kalimar flash. i made due with what i had.

i truly love this band.

LISTEN HERE!

WATCH THESE

a huge freakin update coming very soon. spooky.

r.

another photo of charlie from february

2009-06-22T13:02:00.000-07:00

finished this one off last night. i tried processing it a little differently and am much happier with the results. the first one can be seen HERE!

i forgot to run the credits first time around so here we go.

glasses - kitsch 'n swell (st laurent)
shirt - meow (mont royal)
makeup - brandy alexander
hair - kristin zakaib

r.

NO zine

2009-06-20T19:29:00.000-07:00

just finished doing a mock up of the back and front cover of NO zine. keep in mind, this hasn't been cleaned up yet. it's going a lot faster than i thought though. i think this is going to turn out well. let me know what you think!

r.

sean from 2007

2009-06-08T20:18:00.000-07:00

i've been working on my book lately in preparation for meetings and a trip to toronto. usually i just look at the most recent photos i've shot and try to work them in. this time i approached it a little differently. as opposed to just looking at the new stuff i went through the backlog of photos i've shot since 2006 in order to make sure i hadn't been overlooking anything. i came across this image of my friend sean that i'd taken in 2007 and realized that i really liked it. i had forgotten that i'd even taken it.

r.

new wet photo

2009-06-06T23:48:00.000-07:00

yes, i actually finished one. since getting to montreal i've been super productive. this makes me happy.

stay tuned for more very soon.

r.

the kid koala

2009-06-04T11:03:00.000-07:00

a couple of years ago i shot a set of photos with my friend wearing a koala mask and grey hoodie. i really loved the concept but was never fully satisfied with the lighting. about a month before leaving halifaxi was given the opportunity to redo them and i jumped at the opportunity. here are the results.

the rest can be seen HERE!

r.

charlie

2009-06-03T18:14:00.000-07:00

something i shot in february that i just finished. i really have to get on the ball with personal work. i just get so busy.... whine... whine... whine...

r.

one more photo from new york

2009-06-02T21:04:00.000-07:00

forgot to mention in the post before this that these were shot with a diana camera. i'm not usually into the whole toy camera aesthetic, but i like these. they are kind of fun to play with.

r.

back in the saddle.

2009-06-02T19:20:00.000-07:00

real post coming as soon as things settle down a bit. just moved to montreal and i'm still in the process of unpacking and making the new house livable. this has been daunting thus far.

here's a photo that i shot in new york last fall. i found the roll of film in my fridge before i moved and couldn't figure out when i shot it. i was pleasently surprised.

coney island.

r.

stop! hammer time.

2009-04-19T11:12:00.000-07:00

hitting the road tomorrow night for a week or two. most likely won't be able to post. i just figured i'd leave you with a little treat. this is going to be another polaroid on NO zine. it might actually be the greatest photo i've ever taken.

see y'all soonish.

r.

p.s. proof that hammer has somehow defied the laws of the known universe and remained alive. kudos to him.

NO!

2009-04-17T20:36:00.000-07:00

just to clear the air a bit, i haven't printed a zine since the 90's. for the last week or so i've been SLOWLY working on about 20 polaroids that i shot in the fall of 2005 for a zine i'm putting out called "NO". i'm going to do a run of about 200. 100 of them i will give away to whomever wants one and the other 100 will go to family, clients, and potential clients. is this the first issue? i guess. will it be the last issue? not a clue. am i going to take a loss on this project? definitely.

i'll let you know when to start sending me addresses. this will most likely be around the time when i actually have a mock up finished.

just a quick story about the photo. kim had asked me to take out the garbage. for some reason, instead of vocalizing my response, i decided to write NO on the counter in honey mustard. why did i do this? no idea. it had been a weird day. if i remember correctly, i watched all 5 planet of the apes movies that day. i also might have squirted ketchup on the cat. he didn't seem to care.

r.

ali and doug

2009-04-16T19:52:00.000-07:00

in other news, i'm picking up one of these tomorrow!

r.

katherine

2009-04-13T00:59:00.001-07:00

interview with los angeles polaroid photographer LOU NOBLE!

2009-04-12T14:47:00.001-07:00

Robin - history?

Lou - I was born, things went well for awhile, then there were some… a lot of mistakes, I coasted along for a while, then a few things got really bad, like that time on the mountain with that buddy who took to much acid and the… anyway, then things got really good, a few more mistakes, I got that job saving lives, learned some cool tricks, another mistake, learned from some mistakes, then made some new ones, and am currently head down. I was born, live, and hope to one day die, in Los Angeles.

Oh, and somewhere during all that, I took up photography as a hobby. I think it was the fall of 1996 I started taking Polaroid. 2005 I started taking Polaroids seriously.

And somewhere around the spring of '08 I got really awesome.

Robin - what was it that first grabbed your attention with the polaroid format? shape? colour? the immediate tangible results?

Lou - before finding a polaroid camera in my mom's closet, i really had no interest in photography. so i'd have to say it was, for a long time, merely the immediacy of it, having that actual artifact so quickly available. it was a bit like a magic trick to show people, that i could point a box at them, then have their image in my hands less than a minute later.

Robin - explain to me the process you go through from an idea to a finished polaroid image. what is the genesis of an image?

Lou - I actually go through precious little forethought when it comes to shooting. I shoot people exclusively, usually in a photo-shoot situation where i've contacted a model, told 'em where to meet, then just started shooting.

most of the time there's some conversation beforehand, and during that i'll be, sometimes consciously, sometimes without really thinking about it, looking at the model, looking for some expression, some look that i want a shot of.

from there it's usually a matter of getting the model to replicate that pose/expression/look without giving them so much direction that it feels false.

Robin - is polaroid 600 your favourite format? if so, why?

Lou - definitely. compared to the peel-apart film, it's far superior, no drying, far more durable. no peeling, no messy leftovers. never curls. great stuff.

Robin - with the current 'decline in production' are you worried about the format dying out? have you been stockpiling? what will you do when it runs out?

Lou- oh, it's not a decline. they discontinued production back in february of '08. and while there's currently a going concern in the Netherlands that's working on restarting production, I've been shooting under the presumption that Polaroid film won't be coming back. Better to think like that, than to hold out hope and be disappointed.

I haven't stockpiled, instead I chose to just buy it as I need it. I find shooting with the thought of "oh, this film is so precious and rare" to be far too constraining. I shoot as much as I need to, aware that one day there won't be anymore.

It's the main reason I started shooting medium format around the end of '07, and right now I find I shoot maybe 2 or 3 polaroids a shoot, compared to 2 or 3 rolls of 120 film, and around 100 shots with a digital.

Robin - are there any polaroid photographers whose work you admire? which photographers inspire you?

Lou - There sure are. Kevin Mason, excellent all-around photographer, a wizard with a Polaroid. Jim Lucio, one of my earliest Polaroid heroes. Katie West, one of my best friends, and one of the most potent photographers I know, all of her work is electric. Bradley Johnson, the man makes me work that much harder every time I see a Polaroid of his. Raises the bar, continually. Julia Galdo, just about the best photographer I know.

Robin - how do you feel living in los angeles has impacted your work? what is it that makes the city sing to you?

Lou - LA is in my bones. I've spent my entire life here, can't see myself ever living somewhere else. I suppose the most obvious influence on my work is the general connection between physical beauty and the city. I often joke that beautiful people are LA's #1 import. Legions of actors and models are available to me, here. The weather always makes for great light to shoot with, the sheer size of the city means there's an enormous list of places to shoot.

On a deeper level, the idea of identity, of coming to a place and becoming "yourself", of making/remaking yourself into someone successful, famous, of separating yourself from the heard, I think that runs through this city, as well. And as a result of that, it pushes me to attain a level of authenticity in my photos that I might not otherwise strive for.

I love this city because I understand it, understand it like I understand few other things in this world. It is by no means perfect, but it offers up an inexhaustible variety of cultures, activities, personalities. There is nothing you cannot find here, if you look hard enough. And for all the complaints and stereotypes I hear about the city, I've found that there is a place here for everyone, if they put in the effort to seek out that place.

Robin - in which direction is your work heading? where do you see your work in ten years? what actions are you taking now in order to get there?

Lou - I can't really say where my work is heading, I don't actually have any idea. I don't have a grand plan for myself, so it's hard to know where I'll end up. I shoot because it's something I feel compelled to do. Occasionally I'll find myself a bit dissatisfied with the shots I've been taking, try something different, move in another direction. I try not to avoid the impulse to try new things, to stray from my comfort zone. But for the most part all I want to do is get better at the kind of shots I'm taking now. More honest. More authentic.

Ten years from now? impossible to know. I hope my work'll be better, that's all I can really ask of myself. To try to continue to grow in terms of technique and my ability to connect with my subject, and convey that connection to the viewer.

In ten years I want my work to make children cry and old ladies faint with joy.

....................................................................................

for more Lou check out his website or his blog.

r.

charlie kamikaze

2009-04-04T21:21:00.001-07:00

montreal.

r.

I LOVE NEW CAMERA DAY!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-04-02T18:17:00.001-07:00

i finally managed to track down a yashica 124 mat-g locally. i sold one about 1.5 years ago. it was stupid. i've done nothing but regret it since. all because i hadn't used it in a while. never again.

r.

also, before anyone decides to make fun, there are kitty photos in my office. they are mine. i love kitties. every time i see a kitten an angel gets its wings.

polaroid self portrait from 2005

2009-04-02T01:15:00.000-07:00

just ran across this image in a photobucket account i'd forgotten about. still wear those glasses. still have that haircut. still have that shirt. still have that tie. only difference.... i can now grow a pretty killer moustache. oh the joys of aging.

r.

the many faces of craig king (with a cameo by my cat)

2009-03-31T17:31:00.000-07:00

craig and i were supposed to spend the afternoon playing street fighter 2. somehow this happened.

this is craig as bill shatner, or maybe a famous authour.

here we have craig and etobicoke in a choir robe and swaddling cloth. the halo is real. seriously.

r.

interview with canadian photographer KYLE CUNJAK!!!

2009-03-31T09:00:00.001-07:00

Robin - gimme some history.

Kyle - I can't recall what exactly got me interested in taking pictures but I remember suddenly being really drawn to my folks' Canon AE-1 and starting to learn the basics.

When I got an SLR of my own in High School I was working for the yearbook and doing a lot of low-light photography in bars shooting music as a way to sneak into shows. The low-light shit really turned my crank and I'd usually be out in the frigid winter nights with my camera and a stool that I used as a tripod. One night, christmas day actually, a carload of thugs stole my stool and I had to go buy a real tripod. The mother of one of my friends was a photographer and taught me how to process my film and let me use her makeshift darkroom that was actually a closet full of lightleaks. I'd be in the closet of their house making dusty, light-splattered, photos of headlight blurs and neon signs while my friends were playing N64 Goldeneye in the other room...

I knew from a very young age that I wanted to be an artist, but always thought I'd continue with drawing or painting. Within a month of starting Fine Arts in University I was skipping nude drawing and painting in lieu of spending more time in the darkroom. I transfered to a college for the next few years to focus solely on photography and stayed after graduating to do independent studies. I've been working
for myself for the past five years, struggling to find work and a darkroom to use. I actually just got word that the college colour lab is being turned into a bathroom. I need to move.

Robin - when you first began taking photos and were making the decision to pursue it, whose work was influencing you? are there remnants of it in what you're working on now?

Kyle - I don't think I was ever conscious about the fact that I'd pursue a life of photography and as cliche as it sounds I'm going to say that it chose me somehow. I don't ever remember any one's work particularly influencing me as much as the idea that photography could capture something instantly and archive it forever. That's was a strong influence in pursuing portrait and landscape as subject.

I really liked the idea of long exposures creating something your eye couldn't see due to reciprocity failure and the low-light burning the image into the film over the course of several minutes.

Robin - tell me about your "carnie" project.

Kyle - This started a long time ago for me....

I've been going to the Carnival to take portraits religiously all over the world for the past 7 years. The workers are ALWAYS cheerful and willing to have their photo taken or to tell me a story. In Mexico I watched a bullfighter kill a bull in an arena and then everyone went outside to gut it and rip apart its meat. It would go on sale in 5 minutes.

I never went to Carnivals as a kid, there was one called the Bill Lynch that came to town early every fall and it only interested me once I had the right camera. There are about 30 photos I'm really happy with that I'm trying to print large scale, 30" x 30" approx. Waiting to hear back from grants and galleries before I can make the investment on printing a show that size though.

Robin - you did some of this project in vietnam if i'm not mistaken? what were some of the differences between carnies of different nationalities? different stereotypes?

Kyle - While I was in Hanoi I heard rumours of this Carnival water park and took a xe om (motorcycle taxi) around town, through the district where you can buy dog meat in restaurants, but arrived too late. I took a couple photos from the outside and ended up wandering around while the sun set, disappointed I'd missed my chance at a Vietnamese Carnival.

A week later when in Nha Trang, while toward our hotel, I randomly stumbled upon another Carnival where I shot the image of the boy working the air rifle stand. The Asian Carnies were much like those in North America and Mexico, finding pleasure in posing and seemingly shy.

Robin - as a musician who has done extensive touring internationally with bands like SHARE, SNAILHOUSE and OLYMPIC SYMPHONIUM, what gear do you take with you on the road and what projects do you focus on?

Kyle - It's always a conflict for me to balance music and photography. It usually goes in waves where I'll focus on one until I need a break and then switch to the other. I ALWAYS take a bag of gear with me when I'm on the road that includes my Hasselblad 500c/m w/ 40mm, 80mm and 150mm lenses, a light meter, Nikon FE or Ruissian Panoramic 35mm camera, filters, flashes, tripod, etc...

This is quite a burden to bring through airports and in vans all the time but I'd rather be safe than sorry. Most times, however, I find myself more frustrated than anything when we're travelling because I'd love to go explore and shoot for a few hours but that is impossible when you have a schedule to keep between gigs. I've found that a good balance is to shoot documentary-style when on the road, i.e. the Jesus project, and concentrate on Landscape photography when I'm alone.

Robin - explain coney island and why i had to sit there, drinking beer in the hot sun.

Kyle - I had been wanting to hit up Coney Island for a while, it's the ultimate American Carny Experience. When I decided to finally go to NYC to see some music I checked into Coney Island and learned that it
was being shut down. I basically made it there JUST in time, maybe too late even. There wasn't really that much activity and taking photos of the inactive rollercoaster and "shoot the freak" stand was actually more poetic when empty.

You drank beer in the hot sun because it's delicious.

Robin - now explain to me why you thought camping/nearly freezing to death in the adirondacks in late fall was a good idea.

Kyle - I'm cheap and can't justify paying for things like hotels when camping is even a remote option. It's also a more interesting experience to go searching for campgrounds/squatgrounds rather than settling for the shitty Super8 on the highway where you'll sleep in old semen-stained sheets that probably weren't washed, even though that wouldn't really bother me. That night was really damn cold though.

Robin - good response. unfortunately i want to rephrase the question. explain why you tried to kill me in the adirondacks.

Kyle - Oh come on, I didn't try to kill you. I've camped in way worse. Try Fundy Park in December with 3 feet of snow on the ground. Our problem was that we didn't have enough whiskey to warm our bellies and lull us to sleep.

Robin - have you thought about taking this series in a more 'gonzo' direction? would you go live with the carnies if it meant a more 'real' experience? do you think that style of documenting is too narcissistic; by bypassing the real story and making yourself and your experience the center point?

Kyle - I'd love to go on the road with a Carnival; to live with these people, being exposed to their personalities on a day to day basis, would definitely make stronger photographs. I'm pretty much a carny anyways. I live the same lifestyle, as an entertainer on the road living show to show.

I wouldn't want to change the focus of the project though, which is to tell the stories of these people through the environment and isolation of their booths. There is a certain earnest that happens with the spontenaiety of meeting and then immediately photographing these people. Becoming too involved might change the theme of the work to photojournalism rather than portraiture and that's not what this is about. I want to tell the story of their past, not their present.

Robin - what do you see as the next step for the project? locations?

Kyle - I'm driving my 1991 Honda Accord through broken America on old Route 66 from Chicago to LA to continue this project at the end of this month. I'll be stopping at Coney Island again along the way and hope to find some travelling Carnivals in Texas, Arizona and California. The plan is to drive my car until it dies, then fly home. If that takes me to middle-America, great, if it takes me all the way to LA, even better, and if I can criss-cross my way back up to Canada and back to the East Coast I'll pee my pants.

you can find kyle's photo work HERE!
or listen to one of the 10 bajillion bands he plays in HERE or HERE!

r.

zoe from last fall

2009-03-27T23:27:00.000-07:00

i had originally posted these in october using one of those built in dripbook widgets. i found it annoying. i took it down. here they are again.

r.

new and reworked "WET PHOTOS"

2009-03-24T22:51:00.000-07:00

this project has been on ongoing process that i've been moving through very slowly. things have been piling up and i'm desperately trying to catch up. i was originally going to unveil all of it at the same time; but since it's been taking so long and everyone has been so patient in waiting for them that i feel i should post what i have so far. i've gone back and redone some of the originals as well as i tossed a few new ones in too.

one thing i have noticed since beginning the project again is the difference in sharpness between the rb67 which i shot the original ones with, and the rz67 which i'm using for the new ones.

enjoy.

i'm excited to continue this project in montreal in june. hopefully over the coming weeks i'll have time to get to the 10 i have left to scan at the moment.

r.

interview - south african photographer DANIEL CUTHBERT

2009-03-23T11:11:00.000-07:00

Robin - gimme some history.

Daniel - Born in the UK, moved to South Africa when I was 8 and lived here till I was 18. Grew up during the Apartheid years, which has had a pretty profound effect on me and my work I feel. Left to go back to London and lived there for a period of 10 years. Studied fashion photography at the lovely London College of Fashion and got sick and tired of the rat race that was london and banking and packed it all in and moved to Thailand, which had another profound effect on me and my work (can you see a pattern here?). Fell in love with South East Asia and the way of life and decided to not go back into banking but concentrate as working as a photographer.

Moved from Thailand back to South Africa, where I am currently located on the beach. I was just accepted onto the prestigious London University of the Arts MA in Photojournalism and Documentary Photography, over in London, and this is now taking up a large chunk of my time. The result of this is me working on documentary project, with a trip to Burma happening in four weeks and then Afghanistan in
June.

Robin - what was it that made you fall in love with photography? was it the work of a single photographer? a group? a single image?

Daniel - I kinda fell into the photography side of things. I came from an art background at school, but at the age of 19, i got greedy and wanted loads of cash, so shunned the art career in favour of being a hacker (the legal type I might add). It was only when I was living in NYC and surrounded by very creative friends, I picked up a camera and started looking at the creative side of life again. I've been very lucky that the majority of my close friends are in the creative industry, advertising, make-up artists, photographers and designers. It was being surrounded by them that gave me the kick up the to look at doing something I enjoyed again.

My two styles are Documentary/Photojournalism and Fashion. On the Documentary/Photojournalism side, three people really inspired me to pursue this side of photography: James Nachtwey, who I had the absolute pleasure of spending time with In Bangkok a while back, Marcus Bleasdale, who is not only an utterly brilliant photographer but also had the same career change I did and then a very good friend, Jason P Howe, who is a massive source of inspiration when it comes conflict photography. These three photographers are one of the main reasons I love documentary photography.

On the fashion side, I'll be honest and say I don't have that many photographers I fell in love with. Whilst I studied at the London College of Fashion, I didn't go down the route of studying all the masters, so I was blissfully aware of their work and style, which might have helped in some weird way as every bloody fashion photographer seems to copy one of them at some point. Steven Klein is the one photographer who really keeps on pushing fashion photography, and I enjoy looking at his work. Other than that, I get pretty inspired from reading the monthly magazines and seeing what others are doing.

I still have a load to learn, so luckily looking at the works of the above photographers makes me realise I have a way to go before I can even be happy with what I'm producing.

Robin - you mentioned apartheid being something that influenced your work. how do you feel it effected what you create?

Daniel - Living during the Apartheid years for someone who initially grew up in the UK was strange. I never did get used to seeing 'Whites Only'signs, or the fact that I was often told off for going in 'Black only' minibus taxis. I think that whilst everyone else was happy to live in their suburbs, away from the evils that were the black community, I was often in the middle of the city, going around and interacting with all classes.

This seems to have been one of the reasons why I did my People of Durban series. I was annoyed that fourteen years after Apartheid fell, people were still making decisions based on the colour of that persons skin. This wasn't a white only problem, but black, indian and coloureds.

Whilst the rest of the country has a constant fear of black communities, I feel the opposite.

Robin - what kind of roadblocks have you come across in the industry so far? do you feel that your diverse background and upbringing has played a role in how you've dealt with them.

Daniel - I wouldn't call them roadblocks, mainly small humps in that road, the ones you hit at 100-mph and think 'what the hell was that? oh well..."

I think this industry, like many others, is going through a natural phase whereby the weak are killed off. Everyone is a photographer today, that's the benefit of digital. The really good photographers are those that can take amazing pictures, but also tender to the other side of photography, the business side.

Having prior experience in business, especially investment banking, really helped me make a better judgement call. Taking pictures is only a small part of the process, and many people forget that. One key aspect is having something to sell, something that a picture editor, art buyer or editor can visualise being sold and earning money for their publication. As much as the art world would love you to think that people do this for the love, nothing brings that dream home quicker than the landlord/bank/car repayment company calling you up and asking where the payment was.

On the upbringing front, I've lived in so many places now, I'm very aware of cultural issues and how to deal with them. Often you will see people barge in and expect their subjects to be open to having their picture taken, and that's often not the case. Having respect for other people and cultures is something Apartheid did give me and I'm thankful for that in a way.

Robin - what do you feel are the strongest aspects of your work and where do you see it taking you in say... ten years?

Daniel - I have one hell of an inquisitive mind and I hope that shows in the photographs I take. I ask more questions than ever before, and sometimes I think that helps when you are documenting people and places. The latest documentary I'm doing is concentrating on gang culture here in Durban, South Africa. Here I am in the thick of things with career criminals. I've documented the cocaine process, the interaction with individual gang members and generally been given access to their world. The benefits of that are now starting to show, with images like X bagging and smoking coke/mandrax.

I want to show people a side of life they often don't get a chance to see.

Ten years time is a long time. I'm 33 now, and feel I haven't even experienced 20% of what I should have experienced yet, so who knows what might happen. I do foresee my travel plans to be as hectic as they are now. I love moving around, seeing and documenting new places and people.

Exhibition maybe? Would be pretty amazing to walk into a room with your name on the wall.

Robin - during the process of documenting the gang and drug culture in Durban, what measures have you had to take to guarantee your own safety? is there a limit to where you're willing to go and what you're willing to do in
order to capture these images?

Daniel - I'd consider myself pretty street aware, I've been involved in documenting the drug culture for four years now and have picked up some useful insight into how dealers often work. Prior to me picking up the camera, I spent 8 months getting myself known to X and his crew, without a single image being taken. I did this to show them I wasn't press, or wasn't after that expose shot. The first time I documented the process, I was invited around to his house and walked into a room full of young kids, guns and tension. X, by then, had already gotten used to having me around but these young runners were concerned I was undercover narc, which when you have young kids trying to impress the boss, sniffing cocaine and fondling a gun, isn't the best thing to be around.

I do have a limit, the problem is that I will often go over the limit if I feel I can get the shot. Luckily I have a very supportive wife, who often reigns me in when I start going over that limit, so there is a process that seems to be working.

At the end of the day it's all down to knowing what you are doing at all times. I am very aware of my surroundings when I'm in the company of the gangs, before I point the camera, make sure I know who I'm pointing it at, how they feel about me and also what they are doing. Thank god for Leica's is all I can say, being discreet is bloody handy sometimes.

Robin - how do you feel about the rise of stock photography over the past few years? do you feel that by having editorial and commercial clients flocking to companies like istock and shutterstock is making it even harder for photographers to make a living? do you think that their pricing schemes and licensing might be devaluing photography? do you think that as an industry, stock will eventually bottom out?

Daniel - I'm glad you've touched on this as it's an area that's recently reared its head. I approached a few local papers about my Chernobyl documentary, which is relative to South Africa as last week the reactor here leaked, which obviously makes everyone think of Chernobyl. One editor, who won't be named, said they often find it easier to grab stuff off the wire or from stock. I understand it's easier to grab stuff off the sites or wires, as right now the content is there, but what happens when that content has been used to death or dries up? You are chasing away the people who go out and make those images, and at some point, something has to give.

The ironic thing about stock photography for me is that it doesn't take into account the cost of photography. Often these stock libraries require high-resolution images. Add good quality glass, computing power, software licensing, time and effort and you can bet it's more than a 2 dollar image. Unless the stock photographers are really crap at business, something isn't right somewhere.

It will all balance out in the future, this recession has everyone diving for the cheapest possible supply chain solution, which is understandable, but not sustainable.

Robin - you touched earlier on the rise of digital photography and the mentality that 'if you own a camera, you're a photographer'. as someone who is still shooting a lot of film, do you find that it adds a bit more weight or adds a bit more satisfaction to what you're capturing when you FEEL the shutter fire and wind the film forward? what is your favourite format?

Daniel - I think not relying on seeing the image after you've pressed the shutter actually helps you grow more. If you look at the ratio of keeper shots using digital and film, you often find you slow down more with film and plan the shot more. This is totally due to the format, you have 36 exposures or 10/12 and clicking away won't help if the composition is rubbish. I was guilty of this myself when I had my Canon 1d, pray and spray approach was commonly used.

My favourite format is a mix of both 35mm and 120. I love Tri-X, it's such a versatile black and white film. At the same time, Kodak Portra and Fuji Pro 160S for medium format is always mostly used.

Robin - do you have any advice for photographers who are looking to find their footing?

Daniel - Get out there and take pictures. Don't shoot to please anyone else but you for the first few years. Ignore the arms race for equipment. I've shot plenty of stories that have been accepted by clients on equipment that is 15 years old. Only the camera manufacturers make you think you
need the latest kit, you really don't!

Having some business knowledge and sense always helps. Taking the image is only 10% of the process, learning how to market yourself and sell your ideas and concepts to the people who count is often priceless.

Daniel uses.....
Leica M6 and recently acquired M8
Hasselblad 500cm and 80mm
Mamiya RB67 and 80mm

to see more of Daniel's work check these links....
www.danielcuthbert.com
his daily updated portfolio
or stalk him on twitter

r.

SHARE press photo

2009-03-22T19:42:00.000-07:00

andrew sisk is an amazing dude. he makes beautiful music under the name SHARE. shot some press photos for him in the middle of nowhere. we drove forever. it was fun.

listen to him HERE

r.

?

2009-03-21T17:31:00.001-07:00

with the amount of time i spend in photoshop i have a lot of opportunity to listen to music almost endlessly. this post (which i originally wanted to title anal bum cover as a tribute to snl celebrity jeopardy) is my attempt to chronicle what gets the most play in my winamp player. yes, that's right, i still use winamp. why? what other program has the console from the starship enterprise as a skin? i'm a huge dork (see post about leonard nimoy).

feel free to hit the comments and tell me what you like to listen to while you're in the purgatory that is photoshop.

and here we go.....

DO MAKE SAY THINK
goodbye enemy airship the landlord is dead

this record is incredible. all of their records are incredible (except the very first one which i pretend doesn't exist so it doesn't count), but this is the one i seem to listen to the most.

FIRST AID KIT
plaits

not to be confused with halifax's own talking heads-y, elvis costello-y, indie band nor the washington d.c. skronky, math-y, dischord records hardcore band both of the same moniker.

i was combing the internet one night looking for a copy of 'fights and shivers' by the d.c. band called the first aid kit when i came across this record. they're a cute little boy/girl duo from spain making catchy folk/electronic music. they're like the postal service without the pretentious suck that ben gibbard brings to the table. it's hard to classify this record. it's at times seemingly dark yet at the same time way to cute to be considered so. it's like a cupcake for your ears.

PANDA BEAR
person pitch

yep, it's panda bear from animal collective. it's a great record. if you like a lot of drone with layered beach boys style vocals this one is for you. word of caution though, for some reason when i listen to this i become way less productive. don't let it trap you too.

MONO AND WORLD'S END GIRLFRIEND
palmless prayer/mass murder refrain

this is the darkest record ever. it's funny, both of these bands make music that i would consider upbeat. not so much in tempo but in temperament. i've found the last few mono records to be somewhat uplifting as well as pretty much anything world's end girlfriend has ever created. this record is an enigma. the first three tracks blend into an amazing crescendo of strings accented by sparse guitars and drums. this record is slow moving, dark, and incredibly depressing. everyone should have it. i would go so far as to say this is in my top 3 of all time.

LAND OF TALK
some are lakes

so far this year some great records have come out (like the new propagandhi). this one is heads above. i discovered land of talk through dependent music (contrived, wintersleep, brian borcherdt.....), a label run by some friends of mine, who released land of talks first ep 'applause cheer boo hiss'. i had never heard them before and was completely surprised by them. seeing them play at the halifax pop explosion festival in 2006 only solidified my appreciation for them. this record record is a much more mature record than their first on and to be honest, it absolutely blew me away. right from the get go this record hits the ground running. BUY IT.

GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR
lift your skinny fists like antennas to heaven

there are truly no words that can express how amazing this record is. IT IS the greatest record of all time. hands down. if you've never heard it before, go out and buy the 2xlp version, put on huge stereo headphones, put down the needle, turn out all the lights and strap in. it is pure bliss. i'm listening to it right now. even though you'll read this later and it isn't 'right now', i'm probably still listening to it. end of story.

BEIRUT
the flying club cup

this record was a nice surprise for me last year. zach condon sings like an angel and writes music for waltzing gypsies. this record is catchy yet unconventional.

WEEZER
(the blue album)

this record is 15 years old. this fact blows my mind. it proves that weezer were once culturally relevant and that rivers cuomo didn't always phone in his performance. i have a funny feeling that this record is my generations 'dark side of the moon'. i will most likely get the same chill down my spine during the last solo in 'only in dreams' 30 years from now. this album will never die. it seems to only get better.

FINAL FANTASY
has a good home
he poos clouds
alphabet x
spectrum - 14th century
plays to please

owen pallet is in a lot of ways like a portrait photographer. he writes songs about people. he tells stories, whether enchanting or sordid. i can't sit down and listen to one of his records. i put them all in winamp at once and hit shuffle. each time he releases a new record i just add it to the list. he proves that all you need is a violin, an idea, and a looping pedal. a string section also helps. whether it's songs based on theme music from retro video games to songs about seedy sexual encounters, he never fails to please, he plays to please.

r.

some covers.

2009-03-20T22:30:00.000-07:00

as some of you may be aware i have a tendency to do a lot of shooting for weeklies. i absolutely adore seeing my work in print. there is something incredibly satisfying about it. not sure if it's the smell, the cruddy paper, the minimal pay, or the fact that the covers are so big; either way though, it's awesome.

here are some of the covers i've had over the years. it's by no means all of them; just the ones i've actually been able to track down.

click to see them at full res. they're huge.

r.

fall of 2005

2009-03-20T09:28:00.000-07:00

i love stumbling across old stuff. these are two polaroids i shot in the fall of 2005.

once again, i promise more new stuff soon.

r.

becka

2009-03-20T06:44:00.000-07:00

new photo.

i'll have some more new stuff to post really soon. have a lot of stuff backed up at the moment and i'm trying to play catch up.

r.

leonard nimoy loves fat chicks v2.0

2009-03-16T13:36:00.001-07:00

i have loved leonard nimoy as far back as i can remember. watching episodes of the original series on sunday afternoons with my grandfather is a cherished memory of mine. star trek also provided me with a huge time waster during junior high and high school when it was on late at night after "golden girls" and "empty nest". i missed a lot of classes due to this late night combo. and yes, i am man enough to admit that golden girls was freaking awesome. and no one can forget his quest for explanations of paranormal activity on the 70's series "in search of".

a few years ago i wrote an article regarding leonard nimoy's "full body project" when i found out that he was a photographer. this only strengthened our tender bond. somehow the abyss that is the internet swallowed this article and i can't find it to re-post it, so here is "leonard nimoy loves fat chicks v2.0".

before i get started here, let me first provide four amazing facts about leonard nimoy that i totally didn't make up......

1. in 1988 leonard married susan bay. by marrying susan, by proxy, he became the uncle of none other than the king of movies featuring not much more than pointless explosions....... michael bay.

2. in 1986 leonard played the voice of "galvatron" in the transformers animated feature, which in japan is referred to as "super god robot force". i'm not sure what this revelation does to the michael bay connection.

3. according to william shatner, in the fall of 1966, leonard punched him. i do not find this surprising as shatner most likely had it coming. let's face it, shatner is a bit of an ass.

4. in 1963, leonard played a character named bernie on "general hospital". this isn't actually an amazing nimoy fact as it is an amazing fact about "general hospital" and television in general. how the hell has that show been on for 46 years? there's truly something wrong with the world. "coronation street" is far superior.

and now, onto the photos.

lenny at work.

the full body project.

for more of leonard's work and information about it go to www.leonardnimoyphotography.com

for an outline of leonard's illustrious film career go to his imdb profile

and for a piece of homoerotic star trek fan art go HERE!

r.

ps. i promise i'll get back to tending to the blog on a regular basis. seriously, i swear this time.

the terrible thing i did to zoe.

2009-01-28T13:34:00.000-08:00

i made her stand outside in the freezing cold forever to shoot a total vanity project. i gave her a bottle of grape crush. i somehow feel like that wasn't enough.

polaroid test.

another photog interview coming soon.

r.

photographer interview - Rémi Thériault

2009-01-11T14:22:00.000-08:00

this is the surprise i was talking about. this is the first in a series of interviews i'm doing with established and emerging photographers from canada and europe. the emphasis will be on portraiture. hopefully these interviews will teach us all something about art, ambition, and the industry.

so here we go........

Rémi Thériault

Robin- favourite band, movie, writer, superhero?

Rémi - Hysteria by Def Leppard was the first tape I owned. I think my parents bought it for me when I was five or six. I don't know what they were thinking.

I like to watch old muppets movies, just recently started to watch old shows on youtube.

Aldous Huxley was a writer a really enjoyed during High School.

Optimus Prime was my hero as a kid, being able to transform into a truck was amazing.

Robin - gimme some history.

Rémi - Growing up in a small town was very limiting, if you were a guy you either played hockey or fished lobster. Since I was sea sick all the time, I stuck to hockey. I moved away to Ottawa to escape and see something different. I had graduated from Teacher's College when I decided to dedicate myself to photography. After a year off school and back in PEI, I moved back to Ottawa to attend college hoping figure out how I could make it a career. Before even graduating, I had people asking me to photograph gigs for money. Slowly clients grew and I started shooting full time.

Robin - what are you currently working on?

Rémi - At the moment, I'm putting a new marketing package together. I'm hoping to expand my client base and hopefully start working in different areas. I am also preparing for a trip to Memphis with a Montreal photographer where I will be shooting an ongoing series on empty rooms. I really like hotel rooms.

Robin - in your career, what are some of the roadblocks you've hit?

Rémi - I think starting any business is hard to do. Most people don't realize how much time is spent when you're working for yourself. Learning to be your own boss needs a lot of dedication and effort. Up to now, I've been able to sit myself down and get the work done...most of the time.

Robin - film or digital?

Rémi - I like both. Seems that I mostly shoot digital for work, clients like to see the images right away and you get a better sense of what the want. For personal use I often lean towards film. I have a bunch of cameras so I'll go in waves of shooting polaroid or toy camera or large format. Lately I have been mostly shooting with my hasselblad and my 4x5. If I know I'll want to post the picture online for portfolio, I tend to shoot digital because I don't have a scanner, which is a huge drag.

Robin - in which direction do you see yourself growing?

Rémi - Building a stronger portfolio is my main focus. I want to grow as a business to be able to make this a full-time career. It's important for me to show work I like and images I'm comfortable with. I am also slowly building personal projects that I hope to display in the next year or so.

Robin - what was it that hooked you? was it a single image or was it a specific photographer? if so, what or whom?

Rémi - I first used a camera in my early twenties. I just like to see the result of something I did. I always wanted to work with my hands in high school, but never saw myself as a mechanic or lumber jack. I had a University teacher that really liked me and motivated me to shoot more. I had good people to help me along the way.

Andrew Vincent
Musician from Toronto. Shot album art and promos for his new album Rotten
Pears on Kelp Records.

We set up in Kelp Records back yard in the fall. The leaves still had a nice green to them. I wanted to have a nice and clean look to the image, so I use flash to add to the ambient light.
Shot digital D300 and two Profoto heads, SB800's.

Guen Douglas
Tattoo artist at Planet Ink. Shot for Guerilla Magazine.

Guen has an extraordinary house, so setting up was quick easy. The Professor, Guen's cat, was a pretty easy model to work with.
Shot with D300 and two Profoto heads.

Rebecca Leach
Rebecca was interested to get back into modeling and we agreed to do some shots at my studio/apartment. Rebecca has a beautiful face and gorgeous hair, so I didn't want to over light the shot. I wanted to add a little mood to bring out her features.
Shot with D300 and one Profoto head and reflector.

thanks rémi!
if you want to learn more about rémi or see more of his work you can find him at remitheriault.com
and at remitheriault.blogspot.com

cheers!
r.

amy

2008-09-04T18:14:00.000-07:00

my father

2008-09-02T14:33:00.000-07:00

testing out film for a project i'm about to begin.

r.

meg again.

2008-08-27T18:32:00.000-07:00

michelle

2008-08-25T22:41:00.000-07:00

i absolutely adore working with michelle. she lent me the new grizzly bear ep. i like that.

r.

zoe

2008-08-25T15:26:00.001-07:00

meghan

2008-08-19T20:28:00.000-07:00

.

2008-08-18T15:02:00.001-07:00

kestrels

2008-08-12T19:46:00.000-07:00

kestrels

r.

apeshit for bikes

2008-08-11T17:34:00.000-07:00

the kids in toronto love their bikes.

r.

?

2008-08-05T23:52:00.001-07:00

polaroid test.

2008-07-23T22:43:00.001-07:00

there is nothing more exciting than seeing a polaroid test. no joke.

r.

explosion part 2

2008-07-23T12:31:00.000-07:00

the rheostatics

contrived

by divine right

the halifax explosion........ of really cool indie rock from the early 2000s.

2008-07-23T05:23:00.000-07:00

i went to the aforementioned contrived/tomcat combat show at the marquee last sunday night. it made me miss halfax's heyday in the early 2000's (not to be confused with the one in the 90's that produced sloan, thrush hermit, the state champs, the motes, and the superfriendz). i could go out to three shows a week and never be disappointed. now i go to maybe a show per month. it might be because i'm an old man now.

north of america (easily the greatest band that has ever been).

by divine right

slight return

contrived

there will definitely be more of these coming. i'm going to dig through the vault.
r.

IT CAME!!!

2008-07-22T22:25:00.000-07:00

it arrived yesterday. never been so excited for a camera. hello phase backs. i realized while i was shooting the wet series that i could pull so much from the 6x7 format but i felt a little limited with the rb67. mind you, the rb67 is a great camera. it's a solid fully manual workhorse. part of me is really going to miss it. still, the rz67 feels so precise. maybe it's just the automatic masking of the view finder. i also love the locking back.

in other news, i got my new book printed. 25 11x14s. nice leather portfolio. i feel pretty good about taking it to toronto next week. i feel like i'm in a strange period of transition. being in one place while trying to make the transition to somewhere else. when opportunity knocks....

r.

things turn up in the strangest places.

2008-07-15T16:10:00.000-07:00

i was perusing the halifax locals main page when i ran across a poster for some upcoming shows at the marquee. it's kind of strange when your own stuff (especially really old stuff. ie:contrived photo) pops up places unexpectedly. i'm not complaining, it was just kind of weird. that contrived photo is so old that when i saw it i thought "hey! that looks familiar. did i take that?". anyway, compare and contrast.

poster (durrrrrrrrr)

original ruby jean and the thoughtful bees shot

original contrived photo taken sometime in the 1920's. (i was so wet behind the ears when i took this.)

in other news, the luchadora shoot i did last week didn't pan out as i expected. the exposure and lighting are bang on but there is something about the composition that isn't working for me. i think i'm going to reshoot it and take a completely different approach.

r.

tiles

2008-07-14T23:22:00.000-07:00

a photo of lucy from last winter. it was a neat shoot. it was a crazy snowy rainy nova scotian day. i stepped in a slush puddle when i was loading gear into the location. the water went up over my ankle.

r.

so what?

2008-07-07T07:43:00.000-07:00

i'll admit it, i pretty much only shoot people. i find it satisfying. i find when shooting people you're able to either expose someones character or create it for them. by shooting a portrait and showing it to the subject you allow them to see how others view them. a lot of people have insecurities that are unfounded. if not unfounded, they're a minor insecurity magnified beyond sense and reason. my job is almost like therapy. i help people overcome them. that is the mark of a successful portrait.

here's some stuff that isn't people.

one of the first photos i ever shot. i started out playing with an old ricoh rangefinder of my mother's. when i started to find it a bit limiting i picked up the bargain hunter and tracked down a beautiful old olympus om-1. i used it for this. i still have it. i don't really use it anymore but i don't think i'll ever be able to get rid of it. it was my first love.

an old house just before north sydney. this was shot sometime in 2006. my wife and i were travelling back and forth to halifax on a regular basis getting ready for our wedding. i used a bronica etrs with a 50mm lens for this. i think it was shot on fuji reala. when i finished the roll i noticed a really old man peering out of one of the windows. he's unfortunately not in this shot.

this is from a series i was working on last summer. i was trying to shoot landscapes that were more interesting than the normal landscape. i enjoyed the idea of solitary trees. i kind of feel bad for them. these were shot with a yashica 124 mat-g on fuji reala. these were a total pain to do.

these were shot at the museum of civilization in gatineau quebec. shot with a bronica sq-a on kodak portra 400. for a lens i had an 80mm lens with an s-18 on it. i often think about shooting miniatures because of how well these turned out. it might be something i'll do in the future.

r.

le simon

2008-06-27T16:29:00.000-07:00

i shot with simon this morning. used the same martin schoeller style set up with a gridded strobe in behind. pretty happy with the way these portraits are working. slowly finding twists to make it look less and less like a martin schoeller piece.

r.

nathan boone near a hobo bed.

2008-06-27T14:42:00.000-07:00

more from porters lake

2008-06-25T19:05:00.000-07:00

one more.

bronica sq-a
80 f2.8
fuji acros 100

r.

more wet.

2008-06-23T20:30:00.000-07:00

these are the last of the sneak previews. i'm so happy with the way these turned out. the website is nearing completion as well. big things are happening in the hart hiltz camp.

r.

outtakes from the wet project

2008-06-14T13:34:00.000-07:00

these are some outtakes from the project i was working on. they were shot by markie keddy. she's super nice.

i promise i'll show the real ones eventually. promise.

r.

ps. my mamiya rb67 is pretty. like, really pretty.

i just can't help myself

2008-06-09T23:37:00.001-07:00

another sneak peek from the wet series. as of today the shooting is finished. one negative left to scan, some colour correction and some 11x14 prints and i'll be ready to shop this around to the galleries.

stay tuned. the other 11 will be debuted on my new site. excitement.

r.

sneak peek.

2008-06-06T19:53:00.000-07:00

here's a sneak peek at the new series i'm working on. it's being shot with a mamiya rb67 on fuji pro-z 800.

r.