Israel and Gaza

Disturbing photos of conflict in the Middle East. Death knows no holiday.
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/12/israel_and_gaza.html

2008 Round-Up

I can't help myself from hopping on the nostalgia bandwagon and reflect on the year that was. Without further ado here are snippets that struck me as photographic highlights taken from my blog over the past year.

Looking back to last January I didn't post many photos for some reason. But there was one post about the United States Library of Congress which uploaded a small chunk of its photo collection onto flickr.com. There's only 5000 + images out of 14 million... It got me thinking that the Portrait Gallery of Canada should do the same thing. I still believe it would be a great idea.

February was cool because I did some freelance work and photographed some Winterlude concerts. April Wine was one of them! It was also very cool, as in freezing, too, as the concerts were outdoors. I also had a photo published on the cover of a college text book, The Little Brown Reader. I didn't get a sample copy as the going rates of college texts are astronomical, like $60 or $70. Wow! ...and they didn't want to send one either.

March. What I can I say about March 2008? It was all about the freaken snow. Tons of it. In photo related posts, I liked my photos of Mike Blouin, Rhonda Douglas, and the Tibetan Protester in Ottawa. By the time March was over I posted a great tune by The Breeders and was looking forward to warmer temperatures.

I think April was a great month for me this year. I did an author photo of Stephen Brockwell on his latest book, which was one of the best books of poetry I have read in a long time. Call me biased but it is a great read. The comedic photo of Steve Zytveld turned out really nice. I haven't printed off a copy yet but it would really look good printed large, I think. Pearl's photo in the mirror really has a crisp look to it as well that I like. Oh, and jwcurry's photo really left an impression on a lot of people who've seen it. So they tell me anyway.

May was much, much warmer. The 'best', as in my most enjoyable, book launch was Monty Reid's launch of The Luskville Reductions (I also contributed an author photo to the book as well) I thought so much of that evening that I wrote a post "10 Steps to a Successful Book Launch". My favourite photo of the month was of John Stiles. Perhaps it's in my top 5 favourite photos of 2008. It was a typical photo shoot for me: "Hey, can I take your photo?" Click-Click-Click and it was done. Easy-peasy.

Rolling along in June I did a lot of walk-abouts, shooting what ever was in front of me. It's hard to pick a highlight as there were so many. As for reading events, The Throwdown in O-Town was hilarious! I believe I got a great number of fun shots from that evening.

July is always a fun month for photography as it begins with Canada Day and it closes out with my son's birthday. Then, I predicted that this photo of Canada Day fans was one of my favourite photos from 2008. I still think that it's true. They were all fans of Paul Brandt who was performing at the evening show on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.

August continued to be a great time to photograph. I was hired to shoot a family reunion and had a great time. I want to do more awesome family events like these and shoot more weddings! I also stumbled onto photographing some Bike Polo games throughout the month, just for fun. My event photo of Maher Arar at Kerry Pither's book launch (Dark Days) was eventually published in Quill & Quire.

September was quite interesting as I was in Nova Scotia for a couple of days to drive back my father's car back to Ottawa. My September photo highlights for the month were of Stephanie Gibbs and Susan Olding, among several others. I really like the light in these photos. They were both ambient light photos and very different. Stephanie's photo was done outdoors in lovely light on the steps of Swizzles Bar on Queen Street, and Susan's was just inside the front door of the Library & Archives Canada on Wellington. Fluorescent lights - go figure.

October was all about the twins! Kelly and Megan were born! Yet, I continued to photograph some literary events at the Ottawa International Writers Festival. It was a busy month in this regard and I made a few photo sales to boot.

Midway through November I started posting larger photos on my blog. I think I'll keep it this way. There was a trend on the net this year which some media sites like The Big Picture published large photos for public consumption. Of course, photobloggers have been doing this for quite some time. I thought it was time for me to do it large, too.

Being quite occupied with the new twins I didn't send out any Christmas cards per se, save for a birth announcement. December is wrapping up pretty fast, isn't it? So, with getting 3 or four hours sleep each night since October, I posted some interesting photos from the past year. If I can further toot my own horn, I was interviewed on Don Denton's site, The Literary Photographer.

And that's about it for 2008. Hope to see you all soon and I want to take time to thank my readers, friends and family for all your support. That being said, support the arts and buy a photographic print... or two; go out to a literary event; buy some poetry; read a novel; go to an art opening, etc, etc. In the meantime, be safe and have a Happy New Year!

Notes on a Day

Imagine a photo here.

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Thank you for your continued support through your words and your patronage. Whether you bought prints, had a photoshoot with me, posed for me, appeared on my website, read my posts, or left a comment or two, thank you very much! See you out and about town soon. Remember, don't drink and drive and have a safe holiday.

Quoted

I saw this morning that I was quoted in Mark M. Hancock's blog, PhotoJournalism. Apparently I have a good eye in spotting talent as I wrote a June 2008 blog post about stumbling on to Tim Hussin's weblog and the pleasure of discovering a talented photojournalist online. Hussin eventualy went on to win The 63rd College Photographer of the Year competition last month.

Mark M. Hancock is an associate editor of books at Squadron Signal Publications and a Dallas-based freelance photojournalist whose interview with Tim Hussin appears here: Tim Hussin interview - Part A. Parts B & C are forthcoming. Hussin provides some insights on his wide-angle technique and his patient approach to getting the photo he wants to capture.

As College Photographer of the Year, Tim Hussin is offered an internship at National Geographic magazine. View Hussin’s photo entries here:
Portfolio, Gold
Kids with Guns, Gold, Individual Still Image/Audio Story or Essay
Starting Over, Silver, Individual Video or Mixed Media Photo Story or Essay
Caught in the Chaos, Award of Excellence, Spot News
Moving On, Award of Excellence, Feature
Starting Over, Bronze, Domestic Picture Story

Snow Shovel

Like anything on the internet this ain't no original "concept photo". I was inspired by this photo photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=3314264

I had seen this one last year and it's been on the back burner in my mind since. I thought today would be a good day to bring it forward, so to speak, and snap a pic with my own spin on it. It's utterly grotesque, huh?

Over the Top 3

Matthew and *ugh* the dreaded pacifier.

Over the Top 2

Matthew and his toy car.

Over the Top 1

Matthew attempts another crib escape. He was successful in his first try last week.

ALS

Maple Tree Literary Supplement

As the (honorary) photo editor of the online magazine, Maple Tree Literary Supplement, I have submitted photos from previous reading events that appear in the Festival of Life Section for the first two issues. Feel free to contribute your photos. As it states on the website, "We can't be everywhere at once! If you have images of a recent literary event, and would like them featured here, please upload them in our Submissions section." Issue #3 Deadline is March 15th, 2009.

The magazine's editor and founder Amatoritsero Ede made some interesting notes about me in the bio blurb which reads:

"John W. MacDonald is the unofficial photographer of Ottawa’s literary scene. Although not a writer like Carl Van Vechten, he is still to Ottawa what the former was to the Harlem Renaissance in terms of visual arts. His lenses are indispensable to the archiving of Ottawa’s unfolding scribal history. "

I thought that was neat, at least the phrase "unfolding scribal history" was pretty cool. Kind of rolls off the tongue, huh? And, oh yes, I also had to wiki search Carl Van Vechten. He seemed a likeable chap, too.

After The Match 3

Nathaniel G. Moore

After the Match 2

Nathaniel G. Moore

After the Match

Nathaniel G. Moore

The Genius of Photography ep1 pt1

Some holiday youtube viewing for you. More here


BBC4 Series in 6 episodes a documentary of the history of photography.

Programme 1: Fixing the Shadows
"This tells the story of the inventions of photography and the way in which it became an integral part of the modern world. It describes the remarkable achievements of the pioneer photographers, the revolution that took place when George Eastman made photography available to the masses with the invention of the Kodak brand and the story of Jacques-Henri Lartigue, the child photographer and ultimate amateur."

Flame 4

flame

Can You Afford Annie Leibovitz?

http://www.pdnpulse.com/2008/12/read-the-annie-leibovitz-lawsuits-disney-invoices.html

I am sure the above link to the actual invoices (used in a lawsuit) for a photoshoot involving famed photographer Annie Leibowitz and a stylist will spread through the photoblogosphere like wildfire. "If you're curious how much a wardrobe stylist bills for a Leibovitz photo shoot, read on."

Makes my charges for a photo session pale in comparison. By pale I mean really pale...white, almost translucent, see-through, invisible? For example, I don't charge wardrobe expenses, nor stylist fees, nor Pre-Light Days billed at $6000.00/day at the present time.

Toshiba Timesculpture

the ad...


and the making of the ad...

Boot to the Head!

Alex Neve, O.C.

Alex Neve, O.C.
Ottawa, Ontario
Officer of the Order of Canada

A lawyer who now heads Amnesty International Canada’s English branch, Alex Neve is at the vanguard of the drive for a safe and just world. Admired for his ethics and commitment, he has helped bring positive change to law and policy at home and abroad. In the 1990s, he helped persuade the Tanzanian government to end the deportation of Burundian refugees, many of whom were being killed on their return. He has fought for the rights of Native peoples internationally and, in Canada, has shone a light on violence against Native women. As well, he has drawn critical attention to individual human rights cases such as that of Maher Arar, helping to precipitate government action.

Brad Elterman

Mallory Gilbert, C.M.

Mallory Gilbert, C.M.
Toronto, Ontario
Member of the Order of Canada

Mallory Gilbert has played a pivotal role in the existence of a vital local and national theatre scene. With indomitable passion, she served as general manager for most of her 34 years with Toronto’s Tarragon Theatre, an institution known for its development of Canadian playwrights, and which she helped to flourish. She has also been a key player in the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres and the Creative Trust, and helps to steer numerous other theatre groups. In addition, she is sought after by colleges, universities and municipal government to serve on advisory boards relating to theatre and the arts.

www.gg.ca/media/doc.asp?lang=e&DocID=5584

David Suzuki in Progress

A fellow photographer on flickr.com, Kristina, asked if she could have permission to turn one of my David Suzuki photos into a art piece. I had no problems with that and was quite pleased to give her a high-res photo from which to work. Today, she just gave me an update and here is the work, done on pine wood, in progress. Here is a link to another photo on her flickr photostream to give you a sense of scale (and a photo of her christmas tree "student style" to boot!)

The MacDonald Twins - Announcement

Megan & Kelly MacDonald

Paul Shaffer

Paul Shaffer, C.M. with Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada
Bedford, New York, U.S.A. and Thunder Bay, Ontario
Member of the Order of Canada

As an internationally renowned musician and band leader, Paul Shaffer proudly showcases Canadian talent to the world. For more than 25 years, he has been the musical director and comic foil on the Late Show with David Letterman. He has shared his time and talents with a variety of organizations from across the nation, including Epilepsy Canada, the Kiwanis Music Festivals of Canada and Lakehead University, and has organized and performed in numerous benefit concerts throughout North America.

Walter Gretzky, C.M., O.Ont.

Walter Gretzky, C.M., O.Ont.
Brantford, Ontario
Member of the Order of Canada

Canada’s best-known hockey dad, Walter Gretzky is also a man who consistently finds ways of giving back to the community. Always generous with his time and energy, he has helped a myriad of charitable and non-profit organizations as a volunteer and fundraiser, including the Canadian National Institute for the Blind and the Heart and Stroke Foundation. He remains committed to supporting numerous civic and sporting events, and, with dedication and generosity of spirit, he continues to strengthen his community.

Paul Shaffer, C.M.

Paul Shaffer, C.M.
Bedford, New York, U.S.A. and Thunder Bay, Ontario
Member of the Order of Canada

As an internationally renowned musician and band leader, Paul Shaffer proudly showcases Canadian talent to the world. For more than 25 years, he has been the musical director and comic foil on the Late Show with David Letterman. He has shared his time and talents with a variety of organizations from across the nation, including Epilepsy Canada, the Kiwanis Music Festivals of Canada and Lakehead University, and has organized and performed in numerous benefit concerts throughout North America.

Jacob Scheier - Governor General’s Literary Award 2008

2008 Governor General’s Literary Award for poetry, Jacob Scheier.

More to Keep Us Warm invites the reader into a world of hope, pain, laughter and forgiveness – elements that reconcile the human drama through the power of love and sheer poetic invention. With deep affection for his work, Jacob Scheier manages his debut collection with precision, grace and stunning metaphor.
www.canadacouncil.ca/news/releases/2008/ep128714281236840...

Familiar Faces at the GGs

Just a few familiar faces, among many, who were in audience at the 2008 Governor General’s Literary Awards held at Rideau Hall, Ottawa, notably Gil Adamson, Roy MacSkimming and Greg Frankson.

Nino Ricci - Governor General’s Literary Award 2008

Nino Ricci, award winner for Fiction for his novel, The Origin of Species. Alex Fratarcangeli, a modern Prufrock, must survive in the multiethnic complexity of Montreal in the 1980s. The Origin of Species is written with great humanity, realism and wit. Told in windowpane prose, this story reads as if it has come up through our collective memory. With the shock of recognition, we gain a new understanding of our fragility and our strength.
www.canadacouncil.ca/news/releases/2008/ep128714281236840...

Christie Blatchford - Governor General’s Literary Award 2008

Non-fiction winner, Christie Blatchford's Fifteen Days: Stories of Bravery, Friendship, Life and Death from Inside the New Canadian Army is a dramatic and vivid chronicle that proves reportage and the language of common speech can rise to the challenge of literature. Blatchford's writing allows the soldiers and their families to speak to us in their own voices, without adornment.
www.canadacouncil.ca/news/releases/2008/ep128714281236840...

Kinsella on TV

Doing some channel surfing on TV the other night I see Warren Kinsella on the tube giving an interview about the latest Liberal Party leadership 'race'. Nothing special about that, he's been on TV before.

Then it hits me. Hey! That's *my* photo of him that they're using! A quick email to the news station and they instantly become a client of mine. That is the thing about images on the internet...they're so ubiquitous and easy to lift without anyone noticing. However, photographs have value. I like to think my photos do anyway. Like any commodity they can be bought and sold. Please don't steal. It's not nice.

His Highness the Aga Khan & Inaugural Ceremony of the Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat Photos

I have posted five contact sheets of photos of His Highness the Aga Khan and the Inaugural Ceremony of the Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat in Ottawa, Canada on 6 December 2008. I have also placed one more file with seven (7) thumbnails of the Aga Khan's visit to Rideau Hall in November 2008.

http://johnwmacdonald.com/agakhan

These are proofs, not intended for commercial use, but are available for prints and media-related use. Contact John W. MacDonald for usage and rights.

Literary Photographer - Interview

My long-time favourite photographer and recent facebook friend, Don Denton, interviewed me for his online magazine, Literary Photographer: A literary magazine of photography, interviews, news and reviews. Please check it out if your so inclined to read what makes me tick.

The People Have Spoken

...Though I don't think Sensquatch counts as a person.

Pierre

I think he represents my riding.

I Follow Jesus and Then Stephen

A supporter of Stephen Harper's minority government marches to Parliament Hill at the December 6th rally against the proposed coalition. I guess Harper's more Powerful than we think...

Char Bagh & Flowers

Ottawa -- 5 December 2008

Orchids and other flowers overlook the char bagh, or four-part garden. In keeping with the Aga Khan's desire for openness, the two ends of the garden enclosure are glass.

Architect: Fumihiko Maki
Key features: The asymmetrical glass crystalline dome with shade structure inside. Surrounding the atrium is a cast aluminum jali screen which partly encloses the space above.

"A secular facility, the Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat will serve a representational role for the activities of the Imamat including its development agencies which constitute the Aga Khan Development Network."
(from the media release)

Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat

Ottawa -- 5 December 2008

Architect: Fumihiko Maki
Key features: The asymetrical glass crystalline dome with shade structure inside. Surrounding the atrium is a cast aluminum jali screen which partly encloses the space above.

"A secular facility, the Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat will serve a representational role for the activities of the Imamat including its development agencies which constitute the Aga Khan Development Network."
(from the media release)

Coalition Yes

City of Ottawa Councillor Alex Cullen gives a thumbs-up for the recent idea of an opposition party coalition as he stands beside Green Party Leader Elizabeth May.

Paul Dewar & Julian Armour

Paul Dewar and Julian Armour engage in a conversation after the "Stop the Cuts' presentation to Ottawa city council, 1 December 2008.