St Francis Chapel

St Francis Chapel
Originally uploaded by Alan Norsworthy

My blog ramblings this week are in no way related to the photograph chosen as my "Photo of the week" ...


It's a tip of the hat to my friend Bunny Safari who organised this event and, more importantly, found a spot for me at the last minute.

Yesterday I spent the day in the company of an eclectic bunch of people who gathered at Trina Koster's Studio here in Guelph to put on the 8th Annual "Go with the Flo" Show and Sale.

http://gowiththeflo.ca/

I must admit, it was quite unlike any other show I have attended or participated in.
For a start there were only two 'guys', myself and Eric the Purple. We took over the front entranceway and declared it 'the man cave'.
Unfortunately most of the male visitors were the one's whose wives had come to visit the "Estrogen cave" next door. The menfolk stood around jiggling strollers, keeping the young 'uns in line and keeping Eric and I company.

Well Eric is one of those people who knows everybody in Guelph so he had lots of visitors who came to do just that, visit. Sales were few and far between in the man cave. However there was a steady stream of people coming out of the other cave carrying paper bags and bundles.

And lets not forget the music and the dancing (when there was enough room). African / Jamaican dance rhythm's swirling out of the Estrogen Cave drowned out my little iPod, even Led Zeppelin couldn't compete...

Christmas Music ? Forget it...

And as for sales, lets call it a day for "networking" or better yet a party in the thin disguise of a 'show and sale'.

So, was the day a success?

Lets just say, I'm working on it.....

"That man is successful who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much, who has gained the respect of the intelligent men and the love of children; who has filled his niche and accomplished his task; who leaves the world better than he found it, whether by an improved poppy, a perfect poem, or a rescued soul; who never lacked appreciation of earth's beauty or failed to express it; who looked for the best in others and gave the best he had." ~Robert Louis Stevenson

Winter comes sneaking in - Rockwood

Winter comes sneaking in - Rockwood
Originally uploaded by Alan Norsworthy

Why is it that we photographers travel many a mile in search of places and things to photograph and in so doing drive past some of the best places we have ever visited?

A case in point, last Saturday morning we decided that another visit to the Rockwood Conservation Area was warranted, for no other reason than "it had been awhile".
As usual the comments were along the lines of "why don't we come here more often"? "it's so close to home but we drive right by".

Yes it is and yes we do, but why?

Rockwood is one of the most beautiful places for miles around, so accessible and oh so scenic.
As Grant mentioned "it's like being somewhere around Georgian Bay" and it is.
However Georgian Bay is several hours drive away but we do not hesitate jumping into the car to make the trip but to drive 20 min down the road to Rockwood ... it doesn't happen.

I think it is because it is so close and accessible we tend to overlook it in favour of less accessible places. As Bill Mason once said "part of the attraction of a place is its difficulty in getting there".

Maybe I should start taking the long way round to get to Rockwood.

Wandering re-establishes the original harmony which once existed between man and the universe. ~Anatole France

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders Fields
Originally uploaded by Alan Norsworthy

On the 11hr hour
of the 11th day
in the 11th month, we shall remember them and offer our thanks.

It's the least we could do ...

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

- John McCrae

Door Chimes

Door Chimes
Originally uploaded by Alan Norsworthy

No man's an Island ...

I'm still recovering from this damned cold/flu or whatever it is I have.
However this weekend was an absolute joy;

On Saturday I met up with Doug and spent an hour or so at "Tim's" drinking tea and catching up. Eventually we ventured out for a walk but Doug was ever conscious of my weakened state and thank goodness because I would have overdone it had he not been.
Yes he told me I had had enough and brought me home, I had taken 3 photographs that day.
Thank you my friend for taking the time out and giving up yours for a short walk and not much photography, I needed that.

Sunday Cathy and I were invited to visit Grant and Cathy in Milton. Grant had photographed my son David's wedding and he had all the proofs ready. So the gang descended on their house, Cathy and I and David and his new bride Siobhan.
We had a great afternoon laughing and talking, watching a slideshow and movie's of the wedding and gorging ourselves on Chinese food.
Not too much exercise but that meant I could stay longer :-)

All in all a wonderful weekend organised by wonderful friends, I thank each of you and hope you don't get sick ...

Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one. ~Jane Howard

Tranquility Base I

Tranquility Base I
Originally uploaded by Alan Norsworthy

A couple of weeks ago I was part of the Guelph Studio Tour.
The photographers Guild of Guelph had a show and sale in the Dublin St United Church. I spoke with many people that weekend but there is one that stands out.
A lady commented to me about the number of iPads that were scrolling through a smorgasbord of images from several photographers. This was in addition to the prints that were displayed.
Her comment was on the fleeting images and how they did not allow time for a person to truly appreciate (or not) a given image.

"I know", she said "that I could have asked for the owner to scroll back through the images to the one I wanted to see, but I shouldn't have too. If people made prints then I could hold and look at the photograph for as long as I wanted and not have to worry about it disappearing".

Yes I'm paraphrasing but hopefully you get the point.

The world has turned away from the final, all important, step in the photographic process, producing a print.

A printed image is tangible, it's real, you can touch it, smell it, gaze upon it for as long as you like, put it down and come back to it and it will still be there.

In Quantum Mechanics there is a theory that nothing is real until you name it, in that instant it becomes what it is.
In photography a photograph is not real, it is just a collection of data of bits and bytes on a hard drive.

The moment you print it, it becomes real.

Of course I am referring to digital photography. But the digital vs film debate is for another place and time.

Back to her story...
Her comments brought to mind a story of what one person did after the tsunami hit Japan.

After the aid workers took care of the injured she went in to help recover that most precious of items, the family photo album. She was drawn to this simply by the numbers of people who had rescued that one thing.
In fact ask anyone, "if you had to get out of the house and could only pick up one thing, what would it be"?

The Family Album, that treasure chest of long dead relatives, moments in time captured forever, memories beyond value, priceless, irreplaceable they all reside in the family album.

How many of us today have a family album? I mean one that you have started.

How many of us have a Family Hard Drive ?
Photo's on an iPad?

It's not the same is it? So, my challenge to you is:

Start collecting prints in a shoe box, your Children and Grandchildren will thank you for it
and your reward? You will become immortal ....

To live in hearts we leave behind Is not to die.

~Thomas Campbell, Hallowed Ground

Whispering Moon

Whispering Moon
Originally uploaded by Alan Norsworthy

It has been several weeks since I have had the time to think about all that has gone on since late September.

In the last few weeks I have been to Killarney and the La Cloche Mountains where I met a group of like minded people many of whom share my love of the land.

I have been to my son's wedding which was so much more than a 'wedding' it was a joyous celebration of friendship and love shared my a lucky few.

I spent a whole weekend talking to strangers about photography, what it means to me and the journey it has taken me on. Hopefully showing them some of the wonders on their doorstep and opening their eyes to what we have.

However, this weekend has been a time of playing catch up not photographically but on the home front.

Being away for so many weekends has caught up and the chores were piling up to the point that they could not be ignored.

So this weekend was one for home. I did manage some time to work on images and capture a few more.
Stolen moments to satisfy the creative urge.

I have spent quite a bit of time thinking and having re-watched Bill Masons epic "Waterwalker" my thoughts turned again to Northern Ontario.

More than once I have heard people say this of my photographic work

"Your love for this land is quite evident in your photographs".

Well I may not be able to adequately put it in words but I guess I can put in photographs.

As I write this my thoughts expand and I look wider, I realise it's not just "the North". It's all the wild places, be they Northern Ontario, British Columbia or Newfoundland.

It's this country, this Canada.

The wild places are my places..and this country abounds with wild places. We are so lucky to have them, we must keep them safe for our children and their children.

We can do this by making others aware.

We can do this by taking photographs !

Pleasure is the flower that passes; remembrance, the lasting perfume. ~Jean de Boufflers

Link to Waterwalker.. http://www.nfb.ca/film/waterwalker/

First Dance

First Dance
Originally uploaded by Alan Norsworthy

It's been a hectic couple of weeks.
None more so than this Thanksgiving Weekend.

For this weekend my son David was married, his bride Siobhan,
one of the sweetest, bubbliest, loving people I have ever met.

It wasn't your typical wedding, more of a three day celebration with friends and family.
I managed two out of three ... LOL

To be serious for a moment I turn to George Eliot...

What greater thing is there for human souls than to feel that they are joined for life -
to be with each other in silent unspeakable memories. ~George Eliot

Love and laughter to you both, now and always.

Sláinte