I decided a couple weeks ago to try my hand at a 30-Day Photo Challenge (found here) for a laugh. That, and I haven't been taking too many photos lately, and that bothered me.

I threw in some self-imposed rules on top of the challenge. Just to make it a lot more of a challenge. Basically, I have 5 minutes. Total. That includes Setting up the shot, setting up lighting, setting up my camera, taking my photo or photos, and then post processing. That's not a lot of time. And when you also have to come up with an idea for a shot every day, based on the theme of that day, well, it gets tougher still.

Some of my photos, well, I'm not proud of them. But that's also not the point. The point is to get me shooting. The point is to get me thinking. The point is to try and make me more creative. The point is to get me to be able to setup and bang out shots in a very short period of time. And so far that's what it's been teaching me. Thinking on my feet. Going with it. Not taking a lot of shots. Working with what I have.

It's been tough, I have to admit. Working 10 hour days, then getting home and dealing with life, while trying to also brainstorm an idea for the photo of the day, it's tough. I have respect and admiration for folks who make photography their profession. I can only imagine how difficult it can be daily for them.

14 more days to go. And its still fun.

Fall is my favorite time of the year. Most people get bummed out about the lack of daylight, the constant rain, the colder weather... but when you stop to look at it, even for a minute, you see that there is a lot of beauty to this season.

Other benefits: hot chocolate and a cup of tea become more amazing, the city sounds different, running through leaves and going for bike rides is more serene. And of course, it's great to photograph too.

In this case, I just had to look out into my yard.

Many thanks to my friend Tyler for helping me spot this shot. That kid has one hell of an eye, and even more talent.

I might try some more street photography with him in the future.

Slowly getting back into the swing of things.

I have very recently re-organized my room to allow for a backdrop to be set up in my room, as well as having my equipment set up in there as well. It's no 'full blown studio' by any means, but it'll do for now.

I have a few more photo-walks planned in the very near future, and also plan on a few shoot ideas once I find a suitable 'model'.

Fall is still my favorite time of the year for Photography. :)

Logan does not like the cone of shame.

I still love Street Photography... too bad this isn't exactly a 'street photo'.(It's more of the 'urban decay series I'm so fond of)

This was taken on the 4km long 'poo-pipe' (as I so cutely named it) out at Iona Beach in Richmond. I brought my 35mm and my 55-200mm... guess which one got me better pictures? The 35. For some reason my 55-200 was acting up. The autofocus was off, by a LOT. I thought it was my new perscription, or my diopter, I even tried manually focusing. Nothing worked. So any shot with that lens was ruined.

But my trusty 35mm, 'old faithfil' as I call her... got me some crisp, clean, fun shots. Surprisingly, my 35mm and my 18-55mm "kit lens' have actually gotten me some of the best shots. My 50mm and my telephoto both get me sub-standard images. Crazy, because after all the reviews and whatnot I read, it's supposed to be the other way around. Meh. Shoot with what makes you happy, and what produces images you're proud of. Reviews don't mean anything.

That being said, I'd kill for a Tokina 10-20mm f/2.8.... :)

I am pretty lucky. I had amazing lighting at the Richmond Night Market, the Blue Hour was in the background, and I got to shoot an extremely good looking couple. What also makes me happy is the fact that I got this in one shot. Point camera, autofocus, shoot.

I've been stagnant as far as my photography has been going lately. Nothing really seems to be interesting me. But this weekend I plan to head out to Mount Pleasant, because I always have good luck shooting there, plus, I've seen a few things when I rode by some spots that I just need to shoot.

I'm also planning ahead for the Fall. I have a number of shoots in my head that I want to get done, plus, the crazy colors, the early sunsets, and some strobist action will really get me back into it I think.

Wish me luck.

Ahhh The Pixies. This shot was taken shortly after seeing The Pixies live at The Orpheum Theater in Vancouver. This was heading down to the Skytrain station, and I absolutely loved the angle, lighting, and mood of the escalator/tunnel bit. So I snapped a photo (with my cellphone) - it's an app called Vignette (For Android) - it has some pretty stellar effects.

Now, I am a 'Hipstamatic-hater' because everyone thinks they're a photographer because of that samn app... which ruins it for those of us who studied, learned, and practiced photography. But I digress.

The weather is taking a turn for the good, I won't have to house-sit much longer, which means I can get out for some photo-walks soon. Which is great. Because I have some ideas I'd like to get 'on film'. :)

My apologies for the lack of updates recently.

Things have been a bit busy in my day-to-day getting things done that needed doing. Buuuut! I will have a functioning scooter shortly, which means I can lug the camera gear with me, go on photo-missions, and get back into the swing of things.

Actually, thing are going to get a lot more interesting for me this summer, as I'm taking my car off the road so I can just ride bikes. (Bicycles, scooters, motorcycles) - simple transportation that lets me stop when I want if I see a photo-op.

So, again, sorry about the updates, but stay tuned, there will be more coming. :)