Carleton Kaleidacolor

We were shooting at Carleton University today, doing some relatively straight-forward classroom stuff. Then we also had a profile portrait to do of a student - a student who's doing some cool studies and a someone we hadn't yet met. Now Carleton students are a typically conservative crowd. Nice looking kids - jeans, branded t-shirts, ball caps, pretty straight-ahead presentations. Anyway.......we're meeting our student (Amy Campagna) in the open Galleria space by the campus Starbucks, and out from the crowd of 'similar'ness came Amy. She was beaming with a smile and wore a kaleidoscopic array of color.

She was such a treat to photograph. And not just because of her unique and independent fashion statement, but because of her soft yet definite confidence and the openness of her smile.


© Dwayne Brown

It's A Cat's Life

As the world is busy getting their day rolling - commuters sitting in traffic - parents making school lunches - executives already been at the gym - busy business folks returning morning emails; Polly reminds us all that it really is a 'Cat's Life'. Or.......maybe that our busy world shouldn't be so busy. But then again, she's a cat. :)

Margie Gillis

As many of you already know, I'm not really known for shooting dance. So when I was invited to photograph Margie Gillis dance at the National Arts Centre, I was super excited for the opportunity. The thing is, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. In my ignorance of the world of dance, I didn't really know what a cool experience and what an emotional ride I was in for.

Margie isn't just an incredibly creative dancer, she's also such a nice person. I love meeting people that are so accomplished and yet so humble and generous. Perhaps that's what makes her such a great artist.

Thanks to my friends at the NAC for the opportunity, and especially to Margie!








All images © Dwayne Brown and cannot be reproduced in any way without the permission of Margie Gillis.

A Face Tells a Story.

The face is the most amazing story teller - especially for men. Each line - each crevice shares a different chapter. The older the face the more interesting the story it seems.

I met and photographed Chris Clarke this morning. He's going to use the imagery to help him get a bit of acting work. Not for the money, but to perhaps gain a few more experiences to add to his story. He's done loads in his day. Acting, farming, sales, finance, parenting. Now he wants to act again. I'm certain he will - the camera certainly loves his face.


© Dwayne Brown

Another Rainy Monday.

Yeah I know, I'm supposed to keep my eyes on the road in-front of me while driving. I just liked the rain on my window this morning while I was heading to a shoot. The randomness of the drops are just so nice. Never ever to be reproduced.


© Dwayne Brown

Camera Phone Study

I just got a new blackberry the other day, and settled on one with a camera this time. (as if I needed another camera, right) And it actually does a pretty good job. You definitely need to do some work to the files after the capture (increasing contrast and sharpening), but overall it's pretty awesome.








All images © Dwayne Brown

Simplicity

As they say, sometimes the best approach is often the simplest. No extra lighting, no hair and make-up stylist, no props, no contrived concept or backgrounds. Just simplicity.

This is one of the images from our University of Ottawa shoot from yesterday. A beautiful face and a really nice young woman. Again like I said yesterday, we're often so lucky with the students that university finds for us to shoot.

Isabelle is a great example!


© Dwayne Brown

The Best Talent........

Brent and I just got back from a little shooting at the University of Ottawa, for the Faculty of Arts. And we were just saying that we're always so lucky with the students they find for us. We could never hire talent (models) to look as good or to shoot as well, as the real students they find. A really great bunch of kids!


© Dwayne Brown

From Hasselblads to Camera Phones.

I think we're in such a cool time in photography's history. A time of constant and obsessive capturing, and of course sharing. It seems everyone is busy recording their lives and experiences at a furious pace. I feel very fortunate to of learned the craft of photography in the day of film and large format cameras, but I feel just as fortunate to be capturing imagery with everything from digital slr's to a camera phone (like today's post).

I guess at the end of the day they are all just tools to help us capture the world around us. Tools with benefits and liabilities, each suitable for different occasions and artistic statements. All useful and fun!


© Dwayne Brown

Cat Manners!

Considering it's Friday and it feels kind of like Spring (both good)! I thought I'd share a fun image I shot last week. My cat Polly tends to have a mind of her own and perhaps not the best of manners. Apparently she didn't know I was looking when she thought she'd help herself to a little water. And yes, she had plenty in her bowl, but I guess it just tastes better right out of the tap. ;)

Happy Friday!


© Dwayne Brown

Photo Blogging about Blogging

Last week the NACO hosted an interesting evening for a handful of bloggers to attend. It was an entertaining show called Mysterioso. I thought it was a cool evening/event in-regards to the way the NAC invited the bloggers gratis and also had complimentary food and wine for them before the show. Unfortunately I couldn't attend, but Lindsay and Brent went to capture some images of the event as well as some informal portraits of the fellow bloggers.

Does this creative approach help share/spread the NAC word? Not totally sure, but I do love the creative effort and idea. The NAC has such great entertainment that really needs to get out to more than the usual patron's ears and hopefully the 'word of mouth nature' of blogging will help.

Thanks to Bent and Lindsay for heading out, snapping and enjoying the fun. And thanks to the NAC for the invite!


Jack Everly - National Arts Centre Orchestra


Robyn Paton - mintyfresh


Kym - RELISHING / Ryan and Katie - Apt.613


Brent Gervais and Lindsay Ralph - Dwayne Brown Studio


All images - © Brent Gervais

Best Supported In Town!

A creative director friend of mine the other day was saying that he thought I must be the busiest photographer in town. It was nice of him to say (I think), and I'm not sure if I am or not. Not that it matters anyway. But it got me thinking.....

Busiest or not, what I do know for a fact is that I'm the best supported photographer in town - no question!

I have two awesome assistants, Brent Gervais and Lindsay Ralph (who don't work for me, but work with me). Each are so different than the other, but both bring a special talent and energy to each shoot. I literally couldn't do what I'm doing as well with out them. My clients and I are so lucky to have them as part of the team. :)


Lindsay Ralph - © Dwayne Brown


Brent Gervais - © Dwayne Brown

From Kochu to Keturah.

I just got in from a really cool evening out, which started with eating some incredible Japanese food for dinner with my good friends Brent, Lindsay and Lucia. Brent was right, some of the best sushi in town - and some pretty fabulous Gyoza dumplings too. :)

A really simple small Japanese place on Elgin called Kochu.. Fast, super friendly and delicious!


© Dwayne Brown

Then we were lucky enough to see an amazing young artist named Keturah Johnson. down at the Rainbow Room. She was playing along side a cool young band called the 'Northerns' who were also pretty fantastic (as well as a line up of other independents). But this young girl Keturah is well.......one of those musicians you see, and you just know will go onto to do great things. An amazing voice, great energy, super humble and lyrics worth hearing.

The evening tonight reminded me of an evening a couple lifetimes ago, seeing k.d. Lang perform in a small club in Edmonton before she became famous. Keturah was truly a treat tonight and totally on her way!


© Dwayne Brown

Adventure Ride - Trés Taxi

© Dwayne Brown

You can't go to New York and not enjoy the rich and adventurous experience of a high spirited taxi cab ride.

Saturday night my 10 yr old son Alex and I had just such a ride.

Our driver didn't have to drive us far, just from Greenwich Village to Little Italy. But apparently Saturday nights cause a bit more traffic than other nights, causing our driver to get a wee bit impatient with the other drivers in front of him, causing him to do a little.....okay a lot of honking while stopped at an intersection. This didn't sit well with a pedestrian standing on the curb beside us. The pedestrian shouted at our driver to stop, causing our driver to share some fairly colorful language (of which I'm sure my son has already heard in the school yard). And.....this caused the pedestrian to hit the side of the taxi with his fist, making the driver even madder. He figured the best thing to do was to jump out and prepare to fight. Good thing the pedestrian was a fast runner! Faster than a taxi though?

I guess that's what the taxi driver wanted to prove to the fist heavy pedestrian, when he started chasing him across the intersection with his car while almost running over a woman on a bicycle. Yikes! Good thing I guess, that the driver just wanted to scare the man and not really run him over. Yikes again!

After more expletives (some in a language I didn't recognize) and more furious fist shaking, he drove us to Little Italy and overcharged us. All part of the 'Saturday night New York taxi' experience, I told Alex. Alex wasn't totally convinced. He just said the driver was crazy. The wise words of a 10 yr old. :)

Precarious Progress

This is one of the last shots I took while I was in New York City this past weekend. I loved how this new building construction looked more like a precarious stage assembly for a Cirque Du Soleil show. No matter how many towers this city has or how congested it already is, it seems like they still find room for one more. Is that progress? I'm not totally sure. But it sure is a cool town, and I can't wait to return. :)


© Dwayne Brown

The Uptown Big Apple

Yesterday we went to check out the big uptown Manhattan Apple store. And like the countless devote followers and newly converted, we entered the massive above ground glass cube then descended below into the cathedral-like underground store using the beautiful translucent (and most likely over photographed) stairs.

Cool store. Super busy. Very friendly staff.

Alex played on a huge iMac while I watched people. I think the place was mostly full of newly converted Mac users. I could tell because if you're like me and most of you, you wouldn't be so excited to play on the computers - we do that enough on our own.

All in all, it was a cool place. I was mostly impressed by how many super helpful (dressed in blue) Apple staff there were.........and of course the cool stairs. :)




© Dwayne Brown

Greenwich (not so) Mean Time

Greenwich Village. That's where Alex and I are staying for our Spring Break get-away. Not your typical neighborhood for a dad and 10 yr old to stay, but Alex likes an urban experience (and I just love the color, the liveliness, the eclectic fashion, and the cultural buzz). It's just so visually fun!


© Dwayne Brown

Weekend Free Download - Uptown Façade

Here in the city of New York you pass such an array of faces - all shapes, sizes and colors. Young and old - rich and poor. But today I was focused on architectural faces, the elegant and stoic façades of the historic buildings of the upper east side. It could literally be an endless study, the city has so many incredibly beautiful buildings with so much detail. So this Weekend's Free Download is an image from a series of façades, that I shot earlier today just off of 5th Avenue close to Central Park.


© Dwayne Brown

Please use this 'link to download the file'. Feel free to print and frame it, just please don't use it for any commercial applications.

NYC Street Stories

As we walk the streets of New York, we pass thousands of people, all with a different story. There are just so many interesting people and faces. I wish I could just stop and find out more - there is such an honesty and sense of intrigue with folks you pass on the street here.

Time to get back out there. Heading uptown today. :)


© Dwayne Brown


© Dwayne Brown

Liberty

Liberty means different things to different people. It means freedom of course. But to a 10 year old I think it means freedom to be happy and freedom to be yourself. Yesterday was one of those days when my son Alex was in his element - visiting and exploring a city he loves so much.

It's hard to know why he has such a connection with New York, but he does. Yesterday was such a treat to walk the streets with Alex and then to take the ferry over to the Statue of Liberty. He knows with such intimate connection, the history of the buildings and landmarks - it's almost like he's lived a life here before.

For me it's just such a wonderful opportunity to spend the time with my son in a city that makes him so happy and curious.

The Illusive Holland Tunnel - The Tunnel to Adventure.

Who knew the Holland Tunnel would be so hard to find! Alex and I thought we'd spend the last bit of his Spring Break back in New York City, so we decided to take a different route into the city than we did last time (under the river).

It looked simple enough on the map, but we got lost and a bit turned around. But as my 10 year old navigator says, "it's part of the adventure Dad".

And that's exactly why we're here. Adventure. It's so good for us!


© Alex Brown




© Dwayne Brown

Free Sunday Download - Beechwood

This Weekend's Free Download is from my visit to the Beechwood Cemetery yesterday. It's a detail of the entrance to a raised pedestal to a very old grave marker. I was just so taken with this place yesterday.

So much history, and calmness.

In a world where on the weekends, folks pack their families up in new mini vans and head down to buy new big-screen TV's and the latest new technology toys, I'm so drawn to capture the old and the forgotten. The oxidized - the decaying. So much visual character.



Please use this 'link to download the file'. Feel free to print and frame it, just please don't use it for any commercial applications.

Dignity Art

I spent an hour or so today with my friend Robyn Paton exploring Ottawa's most beautiful and historic Beechwood Cemetery, doing a little photo research for a possible upcoming photo project.

I was so pleasantly surprised by what I found. ART...... Everywhere. Dignified - symmetrical - formal. Art. Including loads of lovely typography and interesting decorative detail.

Today was such a perfect day for the visit. Grey enveloping skies - dark and heavy light. Cemeteries always have such somber reverence, for obvious reasons. But this one was extra cool because of the historic significance. So many of the names on the markers were the the same names as Ottawa's prominent streets. Without knowing all of the history, I imagine a great many of the folks that helped build our city and perhaps help shape our country are buried there.

I'm anxious to head back to learn more and to spend more time recording the details and the history of this wonderfully calm place. Although admittedly today, I did kind of feel that I was taking something away that wasn't really mine to take. Perhaps, by posting these images I'm not just taking away but also respectfully sharing. I hope so.
















All images © Dwayne Brown

Promenade du Matin

One of the things that I really enjoy about getting away to Toronto, is the opportunity to walk down some streets for the first time. I just got back from a grey/wet morning walk. Ipod, camera, clear head, open eyes and thirst for coffee and imagery.

I really enjoy the city's grittiness - a grittiness that unfortunately Ottawa is missing. It's funny how as a photographer I am often hired to make 'silk purses out of sow's ears' (polish up the regular and the normal), but I'm so drawn to the raw beauty of the tarnished and overlooked for my personal work.

The good news is, I was amply rewarded this morning by finding this cool little café called 'Jet Fuel.' I had a delicious steaming latté and a 'fresh out of the oven' blueberry muffin. Yummm. :)












© Dwayne Brown