live the questions now.

I recently stumbled across this quote (here) from Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke...

"I would like to beg you as well as I can, to have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and to try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a foreign language. Don't search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday, far into the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer."

I like that.

Joy McWilliams, in black and white.

I was able to spend a day with Joy, one of my favorite people, while traveling through Mississippi last month. 35mm hp5

collective art and telling stories.

Photos from an afternoon outside drawing and enjoying a beautiful during the St James art workshop. We made some drawings together, each person adding onto the previous person's drawing, to tell a story of flying kites, starfish, colorful volcanos, and all sorts of things.. and then of course there was an interpretive dance photo shoot.

Mario found some new sunglasses

Daguy giving us instructions for how the piece would work

faces.

Some of you know that I recently had my photo equipment stolen.. Well last week I finally was able to get some of it replaced! So here are a few portraits of some friends that I took while on a walk. 

AND, since you are still reading, you should check out this great article from Hope Magazine in Europe on the hope of the gospel for this generation. 

stop, drop and roll.

Just wanted to give a quick update. Last week there was a small fire at St James drop in center; there was quite a bit of damage to the furniture and windows caused by the water to put out the fire. The center has since been closed and they are looking for a temporary location. Please pray that they'll be able to find another location quickly so that they can continue their work. For info on what is happening or how you can help check out their blog or you can send an email to info@stjamescentre.ca

I cannot get over what a beautiful spring it is here, cheers everyone.

Mario, and artist and member at St James. 

St James photo workshop

A couple of friends and I have started teaching a photo workshop at St James. Yesterday was the second class and it went so well! The guys were so engaged in what we were doing, and they took some great photos. This week we talked about natural light at different times of day, and some techniques to use in different lighting situations. We went to a run-down alley that had a combination of overcast natural light and an eery orange light coming from a bulb on the wall; it proved to be a tough lighting situation, but it gave an interesting effect nonetheless. These are some of the photos I took of them...

Taking responsibility

One of my first influences in photography used to always say, "You have to take responsibility for every part of your frame," which was in essence was his nice way of encouraging us to quit making excuses for poorly composed images. I think over time, though, advice like this has helped me to simplify my photos compositionally. I went shooting the other day in Verdun and Laurier park with his advice in my mind. So, here is an attempt at taking responsibility...