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Biographical Information
"Every day that I wake up I have a wish: 'Please God, open my eyes so that I can see.' " Malak Karsh
Who am I ?Sometimes
I think that’s a darn good question. But, discovering the answer would be the subject
for another website. I
was born in Nova Scotia on June 10, 1949 and have spent most, but not
all, of my life in the province. Currently, I reside in Hillaton, N.S. with my
wife and one of my two great stepdaughters. In
1970, I began my professional career as a fisheries biologist with
the Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries but had a hankering to become
involved in the world of business and I finally made that move in 1980.
Eventually, I gravitated to the family business becoming its president
and major shareholder. An exceptional opportunity came along in 1987 to
sell our business and we decided to do so. For the most part, I have
been retired since that time. On
the Photographic Front
I
first picked up a camera in the early 70s, but it was not until 1995 when
I was introduced by a friend to Miksang (Society for Contemplative
Photography) here in Halifax that I became an avid photographer even if I don't take my
photography too seriously. When I first saw the work of Michael Wood, I instantly connected with his
images and knew this was
how I wanted to see the world. He teaches a contemplative approach to
photography called Miksang and has developed much of its form.
Michael has been very influential
in helping me open up to perception in ways that I had not previously
found possible.
There's no quick way to describe Miksang, especially for a non-Buddhist like myself. And, to some extent, it has different meaning for each person who pursues the path. For me it has been a way of connecting with the world around me and, of course, finding interesting imagery in the world that I regularly inhabit. When you open your eyes, look and see, you can discover that many ordinary things can suddenly be extraordinary. I enjoy traveling and use photography to enrich my experiences while away from home. A great deal of what I shoot, however, I find within the fifty blocks or so that I traverse daily here in Halifax. Wherever I am - in Halifax or on the road - my process is to try keep an open mind and to shoot what comes up during the normal course of what I am doing whether that be walking downtown for a coffee, or strolling the streets of Sante fe. My camera is never far from my hands. Photography is very much about place for me. When photographing in the city (Halifax) my eye was drawn to urban abstracts with a heavy emphasis on colour and graphics. Since moving to the country in 2002 my eye has shifted primarily to landscape and florals. The move has been quite a transforming experience both photographically and personally. Miksang still influences but the influence of other photographers has had considerable impact on the development of my current style. Let's Get Technical I photograph exclusively with a Canon 1Ds Mark III digital camera equipped with a series of lenses including: Canon 50/1.4, Canon 17-40/4.0, Canon 24-70/2.8, Tamron 90/2.8 macro, and Canon 70-200/2.8 IS. I have two Canon 550ex flashes
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