Elina Hirvonen

Elina Hirvonen at the Ottawa International Writers Festival. Her novel,
When I Forgot, is "the most translated debut novel in Finnish history." It was also shortlisted for the Finlandia Prize. Unfortunately the Ottawa audience did not get to hear her charming accent as she had her host, Nichole McGill, read an excerpt from the book.

Ian Rankin

Ian Rankin at the Ottawa International Writers Festival.

ReLit Award 2009 Winners

2009 ReLit Winners (LtoR)

SHORT FICTION: The Night is a Mouth by Lisa Foad (Exile Editions);

POETRY: Fear Not by Maurice Mierau
(Turnstone);

NOVEL: Chase & Haven By Michael Blouin (Coach House);

Founder: Kenneth J. Harvey, http://therelitawards.blogspot.com

Talking Heads

John Lavery

John plays a light night set at the Ottawa International Writers Festival. Music and poetry. Great stuff.

David Byrne

David Byrne, the renowned musician, visual artist and author, lead a discussion on urban living and alternative transportation, featuring Marie Lemay from the National Capital Commission, author and urban theorist Jeb Brugmann, and Roger Plamondon from Montreal's innovative bike sharing system BIXI. The event was at St. Brigid's Centre for the Arts & Humanities, Ottawa International Writers Festival.

Marcus McCann - 2009 John Newlove Award

Marcus McCann wins 2009 John Newlove Award
http://marcusmccann.wordpress.com

Andrew Steinmetz - Ottawa Book Award

Andrew Steinmetz is the 2009 Ottawa Book Award for "Eva’s Threepenny Theatre" (Gaspereau Press)
Here is what the jury had to say about his book:
“A compelling and unique blend of fiction and memoir, Eva’s Threepenny Theatre explores the life of Steinmetz’s great-aunt Eva through her tumultuous childhood in Germany before the Second World War, to her involvement in Brecht’s The Threepenny Opera, to her life in post-war Berlin and her old age in Canada. In an extraordinary feat of form echoing content, the story is told in shards, like glass shattered during Kristellnacht. At times devastating and poignant, at times hilarious, this book is brilliant and profound.”

Kerry Pither - Ottawa Book Award

Kerry Pither receives the 2009 Ottawa Book Award (English Non-Fiction) for her book "Dark Days: The Story of Four Canadians Tortured in the Name of Fighting Terror" (Penguin Group Canada).

David O'Meara - 2009 Lampman-Scott Award

The three finalists for the 2009 Award were Brenda Leifso for Daughters of Men (London, ON: Brick Books, 2008), David O’Meara for Noble Gas Penny Black (London, ON: Brick Books, 2008), and Monty Reid for The Luskville Reductions (London, ON: Brick Books, 2008).

The winner of the $1,500 2009 Lampman-Scott Award was announced during the Ottawa Book Awards on October 20th, 2009. For more information on this event please see www.ottawa.ca/residents/arts/funding_awards/book_awards/i..., and for more information on the Lampman-Scott, or any other Arc Poetry Society projects please refer to www.arcpoetry.ca.

Rick Mercer - Spread The Net

Here's a pic from a couple of years ago shot on a press conference at the University of Ottawa for the 'Spread the Net' campaign.

More info here: Here's a pic from a couple of years ago shot on a press conference at the University of Ottawa for the 'Spread the Net' campaign.

More info here: www.spreadthenet.org/default_en.aspx

Happy Birthday, Kelly & Megan!

Happy Birthday to our daughters, Kelly & Megan with much love, Mom and Dad and all the family. The girls turn one year old today! (16 October 2009)
[Photo as seen on Ottawa's A News.]

Matt as Eeyore

Barbara MacKinnon - Children's Aid Society

Here are some tearsheet examples from a recent photoshoot at the Children's Aid Society in Ottawa. This is Barbara MacKinnon the President of the Board and the Executive Director of the CAS. She was named one of the top 10 people in the Capital. There is another photo of her in their Annual Report seen online here:
www.casott.on.ca/news/88.pdf

There are other photos that I shot in the Annual Report, too.

This photo was used on the cover of the October 2009 edition of Ottawa Life magazine and on the inside.

www.ottawalife.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=...

www.ottawalife.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=...

Thom Fountain Light Test

You may remember Thom from a post I did back in January 2008. www.flickr.com/photos/johnwmacdonald/2169919647/

Thom did a photo session with me last week for a head shot for his new career in real estate. I may post the photo he chose later.

This was a lighting slash colour checking shot to get an accurate exposure and white balance. Love this little strip of paper. Expensive little sheet of paper but love the results in post processing. It also reminds me of a web site dedicated to such lighting tests. Coincidentally, it's called http://light-test.com/

A Little Nick Cave for your Wall?

For sale: Print of Nick Cave

measures 11" x 14" centered on 13" x 19" paper. Poster-style frame included (plexi-glass)
cost: $100 US or 100 CDN

Cash, cheque or paypal to: john@johnwmacdonald.com
shipping extra: contact me for rate.

Options

Framed $100.00 Print Only $75.00