A Photo Shoot with Rupali Yeast

When my cousin, Rupali sent me a message about doing some photo shooting last weekend, I thought it sounded like a fun idea. Some of the family was coming down from Calgary, and my Saturday hangout with Rupali seemed like a good chance to kid around and bond over shared interests. I really didn't have any expectations for that afternoon, but then I never thought that we'd get on such a creative kick either. 

Rupali has been pursuing a professional modeling career for the last couple of years. In addition to bookings around Calgary, she spent three months in Shanghai exploring opportunities set up by her international booking agent. Lucky for me, Rupali, having seen some of my photographs, seemed as enthusiastic to let me experiment as I was to have the chance to photograph her. 

I decided it would be fun to try blending some of Medicine Hat's stereotypical backdrops (that I'd already played with in Around the Hat) with Rupali's youthful look and style to create a contrast that I thought looked original. My goal wasn't just to capture a nice portrait, but to create a scene that made the various locations as interesting as my subject was. As a result, not only did Rupali look amazing, but I felt that the images had more depth, detail, and character. 

I loved the challenge of making the Hat seem overtly trendy in some instances, and almost dreamlike in others. Rupali glowed in these surroundings. Even just as snapshots, I think all of our images tell a cool story about the series of brief adventures we had that afternoon around the city.

I would also be remiss if I didn't acknowledge just how talented I think Rupali is. She was continually giving me a variety of looks to play with and didn't hesitate when I brought up ideas for us to try. In the end, I feel like we played off of each other's strengths and came up with some really cool stuff. I look forward to doing it again sometime. Hopefully sooner than later.

Salt Kiln Firing at Medalta

Of all my explorations around the clay district, it's been especially exciting during the last few weeks to get an up close look at the Artists in Residence facility down at Medalta Potteries. Having undertaken a few new contract projects with Medalta, I was in the right place to get a first hand look at a salt kiln firing last night.

Salt firing is a process where packets of salt are added to the kiln at high temperatures, where it then vaporizes and creates a glaze on the pottery. I watched as some salt was added, causing flames to momentarily roar from the kiln. I was also shown how test pieces are removed from the kiln to see how the firing and glaze is looking. If I remember correctly, this batch of pottery was in for about 14 hours.

It's some pretty amazing stuff, and a very cool scene to witness. I can't wait to capture more of the energy around the site as I try and contrast the old and new methods of pottery making in an upcoming video for Medalta. This is such an iconic location in Medicine Hat and a brilliant historical resource for the community. I'm really happy to have the opportunity to be involved in showcasing it.

Glazed test piece removed and cooled out of the kiln.

Grandma's Last Roll of Film

Having shared a number of my Grandma's old cameras, like her AGC folding camera and GAF 880, this Pentax Espio 105G was the last (and newest) camera she had. What actually made it most interesting to me was that there was still some film left in it, and she'd taken a couple of shots. I told myself that I'd use up the film when the right opportunity came along and see what was left on the roll.

My cousin made plans to do some photo shooting with me last weekend and the urge struck me to use the camera as we explored a bit of the clay district. I shot a lot of the painted walls and various textures, as well as my cousin capturing a few shots too. After I got them developed I thought my pictures turned out alright, and what was left were three images that my Grandma had took - likely the last pictures she ever snapped.

On one hand I was thinking there might be nothing on that roll of film. But then, I also let my mind race with the promise of some great mystery, like the pictures would start me off on another journey of discovery. The reality was that at first glance these last three pictures were nothing much. I was a bit disappointed. And then I looked at them a few more times, and it struck me how fitting they actually were. In their own simple way, they were very much my Grandma's.

The glare of a setting sun on the wall, a stormy night sky, and the flowers on the table were the focus of her last shots. They were all taken from her seat at the kitchen table. As my Grandma's mobility declined, it was from this seat that she'd explore the world through magazines and newspapers, and perhaps it's what struck me as being so genuine about these images. In a very humble way, she was still fascinated by the world just outside her window. 

Looking at these shots now, all I can think is how much she always loved the beauty in nature. She was keen to share pictures, talk about a sunset she saw, or mention how strangely the light was reflecting off of something. It seemed to come out of nowhere sometimes, but it was certainly an appreciation. It's perhaps a bit poetic then that I finished off this roll of film on a warm spring afternoon, photographing exactly the kind of random details of an old Medicine Hat landmark that I know she would've loved to talk about. Sometimes pictures really are worth a thousand words.