Moonroom Muse

Yep, back at the Moonroom - back to the sounds of busy conversation, martinis shaking and the heavy base of electronic lounge music. It's a dark and enveloping scene - an interestingly inspiring place. It's become my place to come hang out on my own, eat a little dinner and quietly capture another side to the Moon.

Fifty - Fifty

Good or bad idea to mention an ad agency in my photo blog? In my opinion, great idea! FIFTY is a small Ottawa agency with Sarah Roncarelli and Clare Brennan at the creative helm. Super good folks doing cool work, and I'm fortunate to be working on a bunch of great business for them - Boy Scouts to Funeral Homes.


© Dwayne Brown

Café Time

It's cool that time in a café is usually time to think and time to reflect - no matter what city you're in. I also love that the café has become the virtual office for so many, including myself. So often for me it's a time to catch up on emails and production, and time to be inspired. The café, where I'm writing this post is in a suburban neighborhood in the east end of Toronto - it's pretty simple, kind of granola and has a nice inspiring edge. :)


© Dwayne Brown

The Ultimate Gift

It's easy to say you'd do anything for the person you love, but I'm not sure everyone would selflessly give an organ away to ensure your partner would get a much needed kidney. I just photographed Rob and Kate Pattison in Toronto for The Canadian Blood Services, and Kate proved that she would!

They participated in the new Living Donor Paired Exchange Program, allowing Kate to donate a kidney to a stranger she will likely never meet. That allowed Rob to receive a kidney from the loved one of another kidney patient. What an incredible gift!


© Dwayne Brown

Just a Little Bit of Weather

It's been awesome shooting winter camping imagery for Scouts Canada. The kids hardly even notice how cold it is - 'it's just a little bit of weather' they tell me. What's been fun is that I get to create a library of imagery that is natural and authentic, no commercial glossed up models. Just real kids connecting and having fun! :)





© Dwayne Brown

Sunday Afternoon at the Office

Digital office. Digital phone. Digital darkroom. Analog Guinness. :)


© Dwayne Brown

Gothic Moon

You never know where it is. The intrigue. The beauty. It's often under foot or just above you veiled in darkness. I was struck by the looming Gothic front tower of Saint-Jean Baptiste Church bathed in moonlight last night, as Brent and I took in a cool classical guitar concert at the church. Beauty isn't always right in front of us, but it continually surround us. Open eyes and open heart!


© Dwayne Brown

Cats and Dogs - Ottawa Interiors Magazine

The new Ottawa Interiors Magazine was just released the other week, so I can now post a couple of the shoots I did for the magazine - and it just hit me that I included animals in both editorials. :)


Unique paint finishes by Sarah Moffat - © Dwayne Brown


Kim Johnson (passionate interior design blogger) - © Dwayne Brown

Creative Assistance

Every successful commercial photographer will tell you that he or she couldn't possibly create the images they do without the help of a great assistant. As I finish another super busy week, I'm again reminded what amazing support I have from the city's two best assistants - Brent and Lindsay. They both bring different strengths to the party, but they both bring creativity, focus, technical support and friendship to this very unique and creative craft we call photography. Thanks to you both!



© Dwayne Brown

Happy Birthday - Province House

Tomorrow marks the 192nd birthday of Province House, home of Nova Scotia's legislative assembly. I always love getting to shoot in Halifax, it's such a warm and inviting city - and it's just so rich with history. I was lucky enough to have a bit of time between shooting to get to wander around Province House, as it's noted as being one of North American's oldest and finest examples of Palladian architecture. I loved the building's openness and elegance of space - and in what seems to be true Nova Scotian style, it was elegant in a somewhat understated style.





© Dwayne Brown

Economy Shoe Shop

You can't shoot in Halifax without dropping by the Economy Shoe Shop for a bite to eat and drink. I'll have a order of heels and fries! :)


© Dwayne Brown

Departure

Photographers love airports - imagery of airports and planes. I find airports and flight kind of inspiring. Sort of introspective or reflective. Time to think, maybe that's it - not to mention just going somewhere new or different. Time to head to the gate.....


© Dwayne Brown

Robert Baden-Powell

I spent the day yesterday out at a Scout Camp west of Toronto photographing kids at a winter camp - a really cool day full of great faces. At the end of the day we were getting warmed up in this old cabin where this great old painting of the founder of the scouting movement (Robert Baden-Powell) was hung over a large fireplace.


© Dwayne Brown

Futuristic Architecture from the Past

I've never been quite sure how I felt about Toronto's city Hall. Without a doubt it's such a recognizable and iconic Toronto landmark, but I think I now have more respect for the building and it's modernist style after researching it's history a bit - (a Finnish architect designed the Canadian landmark). I think that's also part of the gift of being a photographer - taking notice of things, capturing them, then finding out more about them.

Also looking at architecture at night totally changes it as well. The two looming curved towers looked so cool when I was up close last night while doing our shoot on the skating rink at Nathan Phillip's Square.


© Dwayne Brown

'Be Prepared' - Have Fun!

When I was a kid I was a Boy Scout like most kids I knew. We learned about camping, tying knots, the outdoors and we always seemed to be meeting in the basement of a community hall. Today's Scouts, as I'm finding out from this cool new gig I'm shooting for Scouts Canada, is more dynamic and fun - and might I say, even a little more 'cool'. More importantly than the differences between then and now - the kids I got to photograph and hang out with tonight in downtown Toronto were so awesome and so fun! :)




Scouts Canada © Dwayne Brown

Snow Day

The kids have the day off from school, drivers are slipping and sliding, downtown folks are bundled up as they trudge through snow covered sidewalks. Some people like it, some people don't.

At the end of the day, it's just weather - very pretty weather. :)


© Dwayne Brown