In Front of the Screen

Movies are magical in that they bring out emotions, thoughts, and feelings that you wouldn't have if it weren't for the two hour alternative reality they provide for.  I, personally, am not a huge fan of horror movies, with the last one I watched being "Scream" in sixth grade. However, this week, I attended the much anticipated release of the film Kept at the Globe Cinema, downtown Calgary for the Calgary International Film Festival. 

Approximately 2 years ago, I had the pleasure of stepping onto the Dalmatian Coast Productions set of Kept, which was my very first behind the scenes experience.  It was actually my dog who got the initial invite, and who starred in the film (proud moment), but I got the pleasure of watching and learning.  From the point of view of someone who is not in the industry, it was an eye opener to the time and effort that goes into a film, and as Josip Condic mentioned at the screening; the work that goes into a film AFTER the filming is even more-so.

Even having been there during some of the filming, and having an idea when/what was to happen, it was hard to not get sucked into the intensity and suspense in front of the screen, thanks to the quality of the acting, directing, and cinematography.  I also figured that seeing as my long time friend (Condic) was the lead actor, I wouldn't be affected by the 'horror' aspect.  But I was, and must admit I spent a good portion the movie with my eyes closed.  

Sitting in front of the screen, two years later, I couldn't believe the magic they created, and am super excited to have shared in such an exciting event with everyone!  I am sure that Kept is just a taste test into what will come in the future, and I hope to be able to watch the team grow and succeed. 

One last photo of the Director; Kruno Malnar, as he gives Zada a pep talk prior to her highly important scene.

San Francisco, CA

I am finally able to indulge in my favourite past time of editing photos and creative writing.  It has been a delightful break from school over the last 2 weeks catching up with friends, getting back on my horse, and travelling. 

We headed down to San Francisco last week, and rented a house for our stay.  It was a whirlwind trip, like most of the adventures we embark on.  We saw the typical tourist attractions such as Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge, Napa Valley, and Fisherman's Wharf.  We also saw things that most people would likely not encounter on a 5 day trip to SF, including the ghetto, a deserted surfing beach in the middle of an old, deserted army barracks, and frequented a hole in the wall breakfast establishment; Eddie's Cafe. 

The city itself was everything I imagined it would be with its huge hills and intricate, colourful houses.  It had a small town type feel, and the people were friendly wherever we went.  The boutiques had clothing, purses, and shoes you would likely not find anywhere else! And the quality of the items was delicious almost.

 

This was our corner breakfast stop... The owners were delightful and got excited when the "Canadians" arrived.  It had a similar feel to Nelly's in Calgary, but seemed cleaner and the food was warm.  On our last day, they gave us all Canadian cups that they had collected.

Alcatraz was surreal.  That is the only word I can think of to describe it.

 

 

 

We stumbled upon Alamo Square in our search for the bus, and stared at the Full House houses, trying to decipher which one it was... still not sure on that one. 

 

 

Not sure if we stumbled on this, or if it was planned? But we went to Muir Woods... an enchanting redwood forest that reminded me of FernGully. This particular photo had the perfect natural sunlight coming through the canopy, and the short stump in the middle, if you can see it - was the original tree, with the 5 surrounding trees growing out of its roots when it burned down.

 Despite my protesting, we drove down Lombard street in a full size suburban.  The street is directly below the car window at the bottom of the frame and is one of the famous streets in SF because of it's narrow, steep nature and 180 degree turns.

 

 

Napa Valley was some of the warmest sunshine, and a welcomed re-charge of vitaminD.  We went to a castle that finished being built 5 years ago by an Italian guy who decided to create a working winery as a hobby... so why wouldn't he make it a castle. 

 

SF at night.  The city comes alive.  That is Lombard street again, although you can't actually see the road, as it is hidden in the steep hill at the bottom of the photo.  The cable car ride was a great experience, and on my 'bucket list' for SF.  

 

 

The "beach". While it was freezing cold, and we were bundled from head to heel, this was one of my favourite parts of the trip. It was dusk, the fog was settled, and there was no one in sight. We did walk further down and find some surfers in the freezing waters enjoying the crashing waves. Footprints in the sand my friends.... 

 I have almost a thousand photos from the 5 days, but these highlighted the trip for me.  We won't be going back to SF, but the memories will be cherished and the city remembered for all that it is. ♥



Back in Action!

Aloha!

Went to Hawaii... got accepted into a Masters of Arts in Counselling Psychology program, returned from Hawaii, started said MACP program, fell off a horse, had a birthday and here we are today! Life has been an unreal rush of excitement and new beginnings, and I feel like it's all making sense all of a sudden. A wise friend once told me that happiness is a skill.  If it is, I've certainly developed some new skills over the last month... none, however, to do with the field of photography.  Sadly I haven't picked up my camera much since Hawaii and have missed my creative outlet while my brain gets pumped full of delightful psychobabble on a daily. 

My favorite photo from Hawaii...

Today I had the opportunity to take a trip out to K country with the horses, and dispite the stormy skies, we had beautiful weather, and sane equine partners (ALWAYS a bonus!). I find that days like today make for the best photos, with unpredictable skies and high contrast colors.

Above - My partner in crime, most of my life.  She is a 5yo registered paint, but we call her Ms. Molly J.  Don't mind her hair-do, somehow she has bed head.  She was a bit overwhelmed with the idea of a mountain ride today, and decided to gallop full tilt for a good 20 minutes prior to departure.  In the process, she took a good chunk of skin off her foot by over reaching, of course being the one she nearly sliced off last summer.  All was well, after some expert doctoring and we headed out anyway! :)

 Kananaskis Country - Alberta, Canada.  We are so fortunate to have this right in our backyard (ok, an hour away).  The trail was a perfect combination of hills, mud, and wildlife.  I have never seen so much wildlife out here as I did today - Moose, elk, deer, "stereotypical squirrel" with an acorn in his mouth. It was great exposure for the horses!

 Spring time... the grass and trees were insanely green, and the contrast with the wet ground was beauty.

The end............ :)

I have a few photoshoots booked for June right now.  Trying to keep them to a minimum at the moment, only due to time restrictions due to my textbooks' high expectations.  I am looking forward to them! Two areas where I have yet to explore... should be interesting :)

Easter Love, Short & Sweet

Not too much time to write this time around but wanted to share some photos that melted my heart this past weekend.  It really is amazing how people come in and out of our lives, always stopping in for JUST long enough for us to learn something or change in some way.  Every interaction is like a social experiment waiting to happen.  One of my favourite things to do is meet new people, and I always try to take something away with me whenever I do.  I had the pleasure to meet an Iranian man in Houston last year who had been working in Kuwait.   He was a researcher with the government and had recently been let go due to the completion of a project.  My short time with him prior to his interview we discussed life, the world and of course how to get oil out of the ground using today's technologies.  His humble nature and intellectual ability to explain something so foreign to me was awe inspiring.  I think of him often and hope that one day I am able to bestow the same impression of humbleness and knowledge on someone through my own life experiences.

Today I went to starbucks and had to wait 20 minutes for my weekly coffee (Wednesdays are starbucks days! Best day of the week!).  By the time I got up to the front I was rather grumpy, and I knew deep down that it would be the same girl that was there that was there every Wednesday morning who is so cheerful and sweet.  I, for whatever reason was determined to remain grumpy (ever heard that song 'I just wanna be mad for a while'? - it's a country song.. youtube it!) but by the time I left the window I had a smile on my face and was ready to take on the day.  She likely had no idea how she impacted my morning but I was grateful. 

Now back to the photoshoot... The lovely lady in the first photo, I have known since we were about 10 years old. We grew up on the same street and our families were very close. Today she has three beautiful children and in the last few years I have seen more and more of her and her family. There was a time when life took us separate ways, but I am grateful to have had the opportunity to capture a piece of her and the kiddies in the Easter photo shoot! I can't wait to continue to watch these kids grow up.

There was one more thing I wanted to share before I move on... Earlier last month I did a photo shoot for the first person to email me on International Women's Day with the proceeds going to the Calgary Emergency Womens Shelter.  This is what we came up with...


That is all for now!! Off to Hawaii in the morning!!! .... Gonna take you for a ride on a big jet plane.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFTvbcNhEgc&ob=av2e

PARKSHOW 2012.

The fact that I was raised in suburbia Calgary was magnified this past weekend when I attended my first official fashion show.  I was invited by my dear University friend Ashley of Lions_Lace_Lattes  fashion blog and had to take her up on the offer.  She put a ton of hard work into the show and it most definitely paid off!

I went with my sister in law - a small town girl, and as we arrive to the event there are two sparkling Mercedes outside with a beautiful girl in a ball gown I would wear to a red carpet event.  Slightly intimidating to say the least, seeing as I was wearing pants and boots, looking as though I was headed to a local pub.  We convinced ouselves [or maybe it was the wine?] to make our way inside and everyone was very friendly!  We viewed the art that was being exhibited and took in the runway.  Due to my procrastination we purchased the more expensive seating and were surprised to find fashion magazines with cupcakes on top on the seats in front of us.  Felt like there was some irony to that, but it made for a nice decor.

It was amazing how many photographers were there to cover the event.  Lights, many cameras and action - the show began.  It was interesting to see first the clothing, and then the designers who would pop their heads in to say a little hello to their fans.  Being a fashion noob, I don't think I was able to appreciate the design of some of the items as most of the cultured fashion goers, but it was very exciting to see everything live in action. 

I must admit, my favourite part of the experience was observing the attendees!  I concluded that the main ingredient to fashion is confidence.  Some people were wearing items I could only picture in Indiana Jones' movies, but once you watched them interact or even just float around the room, it became obvious that it was not about the clothes they had on, but how they were wearing the clothes.    It is truly amazing how beauty originates from the inside - even at a fashion show, where everything is about what is on the outside for that moment. 

Fashion allows people to express their individuality, and if they are able to express with confidence, that is when you're able to turn the unexpected into the exceptional. I enjoy fashion. And I enjoy the fact that fashion comes in all diverse colors, fabrics, textures, shapes and sizes; just like humans can have different nationalities, shapes, sizes, features, styles, interests, beliefs and experiences.  As I mentioned in the Rustic_Edge blog post, I hope that one day my brand in the photography world will be bringing out that confidence in ANYONE and creating a story that makes them feel like they're stomping out a cat walk on their own runway.

I have many tangents that I would love to fly off on, but for now I shall leave it at this... I enjoyed PARKSHOW 2012, and highly recommend it for next year!!

To be Inspired

Since the excitement of the last official photoshoot I have found myself in the midst of a photography rut.   Talk about peaks and valleys.  I generally like to capitalize on creative moments but they have been few and far between.

This weekend I did some self psychoanalyzing to figure out what exactly I tend to draw on for inspiration.  I came up with a long mental list, but of course never wrote it down (a lot to be said for external cognition!! - note to self).  I will continue in congruence with the saying you only remember the important things, so here is my categorized list;

People. Obviously? It's people who stay in your lives that really impact who you are and where you're going, whether it be your deranged family or new mentee. There are always relationships being made and if you pay enough attention there is at least one thing to learn from others' life experiences. That alone is inspiring, and makes me want to tell life stories through photos.  I also find those people who are closest to me, and provide constructive feedback very important and always try to include some of their perspectives into my future shoots.  A photo for you of my Grandmother and I, and one of my recent photos she inspired... Always looking for photos of old buildings as her painting inspiration!

Professional photogs.  If there's anything I have learnt from my other half, it is that you can always improve.  There is always someone, somewhere doing something a little different to get a better shot.  I love looking at National Geographic photos that people have taken around the world.  The awe inspiring landscapes, human character or natural elements never fail to put my camera in my hand.  You can follow their photos on twitter @NatGeoPhotos .  I also enjoy looking at Nigel Barker's work ("noted fashion photographer" for any ANTM fans).  His blog / life in general, and his devotion to a cause is something to aspire for - currently wrapping up a shoot in Moscow, Russia.

Writers.  Photographers and writers have a lot in common, just their medium of presentation differs.  A photo is worth 1000 words, and 1000 words is worth a photo - a mental one, but they have the ability with the power if their pen (or computer nowadays) to put an imagine into your mind.   The more I read, the more creativity I am able to harvest.  Must get my nose back in a book - current book on the go is one of Bruce Perry's books - highly recommended!


"Seasoned" things - people, places, inanimate objects etc. has years of experience and a lifetime (or more) of a story to tell.  As stated in my Static Momentum blog post, I enjoy, and draw inspiration from anything that is aged.  Where has it been? Who were they 30 years ago? How did it get where it is today?  What is/was the purpose? All these questions inspire me to make my own story through the photograph.

Gratitude helps to inspire.  Be grateful and you will always have something that you can turn to for inspiration.  Must count my blessings this week and stick that camera in my hand!

Rustic Edge

To have the best of both worlds is to eat chocolate and stay fit. It is to party and still graduate. It is to travel to a home away from home. And for me it is to combine equines and fashionable art.  What most don't know about me is that I have am a closet fashion lover, although you would never be able to tell from my own closet filled with corporate attire, wranglers and carhart jackets.

In this photoshoot; Rustic Edge, we compiled elements of urban fashion into a rural adventure.  Our equine models (Cash and Trigger) became somewhat of a prop as I continued to shoot my fashionista of the day Ms. J.L.  Together, the four of us created an artistic melody of fashion, horsemanship, and ingenuity that was overwhemingly inspiring.  From hair & makeup to headstall and reins.

Growing up on horseback, I always thought that equine photography is where my passion would eventually take me. I have now discovered this whole realm of human emotion and mood through the lens of a camera that I can freeze for a moment in time.

My goal is for this Rustic Edge theme to blossom as my personal brand in the photography world.  Making the ordinary into something extraordinary and allowing people to explore their artistic inner model.  Rural and rustic can be edgy and fashionable... Add a horse and you've discovered rustic edge.

To be inspired is to have the world at your fingertips. Can't wait to get my hands dirty with the next project!

For the full album: AmberAliPhotography on facebook!