New blog location - 52clicks.ca

Hello all.  We created a new site for the blog, one where we had more control over the content and interaction. It now supports Facebook commenting. Please visit 52clicks.ca

Thanks,
Peter and Bill

Road to the Alberta Legislative Building - Peter Verboom

I've been taking my camera with me when I go biking through the city. I tend to go in the late afternoons to evenings hoping for some good light for photos. I originally wanted to do a silhouette of the dome on the building but it wasn't looking great. I noticed the road was glistening with this angle of sunlight so I shot a few frames of the road. I liked all the red lights in this shot too.

Stay tuned for a new website launching hopefully by next week. There'll be a post here with links when the time comes.

Here's two more photos from this week:

  

My First View of the Aurora Borealis - Peter Verboom

Good to see Bill posting, I know he's a busy guy what with all the crying from me leaving ;) Right back at ya too!

I'm not normally this blunt but wow it was pretty easy to pick a shot for this week. Went 30 minutes north of Edmonton until we escaped the city light pollution. Unfortunately it was also one day before a full Moon so it was pretty bright once your eyes adjusted.

A lifelong wish come true. 59 seconds at ISO 640, 18mm, f7.1. I've often remarked that I have three favourite things: Northern Lights, Airplanes, but I forget the third... I think it is Volcanoes. I have this website bookmarked for when is best to go see the Aurora Borealis. They also have an automatic email service when it's above 50% chance of seeing the dancing light, so expect to see many more shots in the future. It was so surreal waiting for the Aurora Borealis to appear. It was only a 40% forecast strength this night but was enough to be amazed. At first we didn't see anything appearing, but out above the trees we saw what looked at first like rapidly moving clouds appearing from nowhere but we quickly realized what we were seeing. They were not as green to the naked eye but when doing a long exposure the green colour was captured vividly. I can't wait to see what a higher strength night will look like.

Here's what I had to choose from this week:

      

p.s. I tried posting before Midnight but with the Time Zone change I just missed the cutoff :)

The Pink Bike - Bill at Bmcvisuals

It's been a while, but I'm back!  I hope you have been enjoying all of Pete's great images.  I love seeing his shots over his 5 day drive to Edmonton, even though I'll miss him while he's gone for the next couple of years.

Tears aside, here is this weeks shot.

I was walking up Yonge St on my lunch when from 5 blocks away I could see this pink bike chained up to a lamp post.  How odd I say!  The paint looks so thick I don't think the bike actually rides.  Low and behold I found an article about 2 people from a school here in Toronto that go around creating these artistic bikes to be placed in different parts of the city.  A way to colourize things I guess you can say, make for something fun and appealing.  After the year of the Moose, and most from Ontario will know what I'm talking about, the bikes are a much needed addition!

Drive Out West - Peter Verboom

I'm stuck using free wifi in the lobby at my apartment for a while so I haven't had as much time to post content as normal. I've added a ton of photos from the 5 day drive to my Picasa/Google Photos account.

I've chosen one photo from each day, as well as a link to the rest of the shots from that day.

https://picasaweb.google.com/peterverboom/27August2011Day1?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCPaYkOGGi96DQQ&feat=directlink

https://picasaweb.google.com/peterverboom/27August2011Day2?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCPjVvIa1pJ_gxAE&feat=directlink

https://picasaweb.google.com/peterverboom/29August2011DayThree?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCI-PhKrtn53EMA&feat=directlink

https://picasaweb.google.com/peterverboom/30August2011DayFour?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCI2k1ZCa0OioDw&feat=directlink

https://picasaweb.google.com/peterverboom/31August2011DayFive?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCKuK_vrtyqW1PQ&feat=directlink

Three Horkers - Peter Verboom

There were three kids sitting here chewing tobacco and horking it out like crazy between their legs. What a mess. Taken in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

This is just a quick post for this week. I'll upload all my favourite photos from my drive out west next week. Too many to sort though and too much to do right now while getting settled.

Five - Peter Verboom

Taking a break this week to spend time with family before leaving to go to Edmonton this Thursday. Also, I'm busy packing so not many chances to take photos this week. I'm posting an old photo from last November taken in Winnipeg, Manitoba on a drive back home from Banff, Alberta.

I was browsing some images from our previous trip out west and I remembered this image Mandy took while we were looking at a print studio in downtown Winnipeg. There are five fire escape doors on this building which got me thinking about our drive to Edmonton how it will be five days long. I'm excited for all the photo opportunities I'll have so stay tuned for new pics next week! Assuming I find WiFi somewhere ;)

Suture - Peter Verboom

Slow week this week due to a procedure I had done on Thursday. I had a "Dysplastic Nevus", or in other words, an odd looking mole which could be on it's way to a Melanoma over a period of time. While I do not wish for this to become a common procedure for myself, I somehow think it will not be my last. I won't post pics of all of them ;) I chose to keep this black and white to draw attention to the tiny (2) amount of stitches I had. You can also see a mole above which was the approximate size of the one removed.

4 more shots on my Flickr from this week.

    

Raven's Swing - Peter Verboom

Here's Raven taking a sweet swing at her softball game. 1/40 of a second here to show the bat and ball in motion.

Here are the other shots I took this week posted to my Flickr.

    

Sister Driving Brother Crazy - Peter Verboom

Here is my Niece Kaylee pretending to drive the pickup truck while it is parked in the driveway. All the while her brother Tayden is itching to get his turn at the wheel. I swear she intentionally keeps driving long after the fun was lost just to annoy him.

I have 3 more shots on my Flickr.

   

Burning Through the Rain - Peter Verboom

Didn't have my DSLR with me much this week but I did have my pocket camera, Canon S90. I was with Mandy visiting some of her family near Bolton. We were on a porch relaxing through a rain storm and I thought it was cool this torch was burning through the rainfall.

I've posted 3 more shots to my Flickr.

       

Brushing Paper - Peter Verboom

I'm posting a day late this week. Great shot from Bill this week and a touching write up. A subject like Quinn always makes for great photos. I've also noticed a change in my Niece and Nephew where they have become wise to the camera and start turning away. A sad day for a photographer but makes those captures I do get even more special.

I spent most of last week at my Cottage with Mandy doing artwork. She's using one of those huge lawn roller drums which is filled with water to smooth out lumps in grass. It's essentially the same as a printing press and it works surprisingly well.

This shot is of her preparing to tear a piece of paper. Mandy brushes water along a ruler line in order to soften a piece of paper so it tears easily.

6 other shots from this week posted to my Flickr.

My One and Only - Bill at Bmcvisuals

As a photographer, there are some things you just can't take your lens away from.  Since the day she was born, my daughter has been in my lens radar daily.  It got to the point where I think she thought the camera was a growth forming on my face.  I always have it with me to take pictures of her.  Her first spoonful of cereal, first tooth, wiggling toes, hair cuts, with pets, at the farm, spaghetti faced, laughing, crying, you get the idea.

Well one day, she was done!  She learned my tricks and knew when I wanted or tried to take her picture.  She simply turned away.  Until last weekend.

Last weekend, I got this.  A picture that would make any proud father cry with joy and out of ever-lasting love for his child.

They grow too fast, this I know, and when she's thirty I can always look back at these pictures and see my one and only girl I've loved forever.

I can't wait to hug her first thing in the morning just so she knows I love her.

Till next week, good night,
Bill

Television Magic - Bill at Bmcvisuals

Okay, so I missed last week, I'm sorry.  I'll do what it takes to keep our 1 follower!  Come on people, 1 follower.  I know you can do better than that.  Help us reach the masses.  Do you know we have audience members in Singapore, the UK, we love you guys!! ha ha.

Anyway, happy Tuesday all.  Did you check out Pete's wedding shot?  Great work again by this up and coming camera rock star.  Be sure to review his Flickr page, he has many images not seen here that I know you would like, so check them out.

As for my shot this week, ta da, another on set image from this past Sunday's film shoot with the Nocturnal Emissions team.  I wanted to post this one to show a little on screen magic when it comes to makeup.  The most generic household products lend themselves well to what it is we're trying to accomplish, and might I say, that if you stood next to this actor, the smell alone would have you hanging around, not just his good looks.  Let's just say it has something to do with the making of the blood!

Till next week.

Bill

Bridal Party - Peter Verboom

My friend Sameena had her wedding ceremony this past weekend and I was capturing a few photos of her day. This shot is of her preparing to come outside to the crowd with her Bridal Party doing their final adjustments to her Lengha.

I've added two other shots to my Flickr as well.

What's That Mom? 2 - Peter Verboom

I have another angle of this where there's a little child looking down at this Racoon and I titled it "What's that Mom?"

I suppose this Racoon could be asking it's Mom the same question. Although, the group of these looked like they knew seeing people meant free food as you can see with the half eaten apple below.

There's three more shots this week on my flickr.

Ode To American Gothic - Bill at Bmcvisuals

Although Pete has seen this shot, many of you may not have.

I volunteer as the audio tech for a production team and now shoot the still work when on set. When in between scenes this past Sunday, two of the actors thought it would be great to pose as the characters in American Gothic. This is what came of it.

It's been a very long time since an image of mine got me going, and this one has. It's helped me realize that I have the experience and the eye to know that what I'm capturing is great in many ways, lighting, framing, pose, etc.

More are visible on my Flickr page as is the full extent of the copyright.

Cheers everyone,
Bill

Iconic Niagara Falls Binoculars - Peter Verboom

I went to Buffalo this week and on the way home stopped at Goat Island which is the park where you can view the edge of the American side of the falls. It was a tough choice for my favourite photo this week but as always I like to have Mandy curate with me. This is what we chose for this week.

I particularly like the different levels of contrast this photo offers. I tried to show an over the shoulder view of what somebody would be viewing through the binoculars.

I experimented with two other angles for this shot which I've posted to my Flickr feed.

Soccer Players Fly Together - Peter Verboom

I took my camera to my sister's soccer game this week so she'd have some nice Facebook pictures to post. I saw her leading a "flying V" formation of players walking back from a play and quickly snapped this shot. The title is a nod to the great movie The Mighty Ducks.

I've posted 3 more shots to my Flickr this week. Please excuse the short post this week, I'm watching Game of Thrones right now and it's very hard to post and watch so I'm out!

In The Key of Z - production still - Bill at Bmcvisuals

Okay, firstly, I need to get the following out of the way.

This image is © Bill McIntosh of BMcVisuals shot for Nocturnal Emissions.  The photo may not be used under any circumstances without consent from the creator or the managing team for Nocturnal Emissions.

Great!  What a weekend folks!  A full day on set capturing not only the audio for the shoots (I volunteer as the sound technician I guess you'd say) but also shooting stills of the production.  The entire team for this has it down, from the person that does make-up, to the actors, extras, writers, producers, DOP, families of the crew (there have been some killer sandwiches!), you name it.  I am thrilled to work with this bunch and can't wait to continue.

I'm thrilled even more to show all of you a still shot from this past Sunday's filming.

As I work on other images in post, they will be updated on my Flickr page.

This is going to be one bloody mess when it's over, but a great bloody mess!

Till next week, enjoy.
Bill

Her First Time Bowling - Bill at Bmcvisuals

I'm late this week, I know.  It's been a tough one.  Work, illustrating, home life, a hiatal hernia, you name it, I was involved in it.

The image below was taken this past weekend at Neb's in Oshawa.  My wife thought it would be a great idea to take our 3 year old so she could try bowling and their huge bouncey castle.  She loved the castle enough for me to purchase 4 tickets for her to go on it, bowling, not so much.  She liked it to the point where my wife got her shoes on.  She did throw a ball or two but wasn't thrilled by the activity.  She liked it more when the picture appeared onscreen from my wife or I bowled a spare or strike.

I was working with 3 light sources in this shot and am not sure I like the colour that was done in post.  I may take a look at it tomorrow and readjust.

Thanks for dropping by as always.  Bill

Snapping Turtle - Peter Verboom

Spotted this little dude (or dudette) on the shoulder of the road just after it crossed. Mandy lightly kicked in the butt to help it along and we were shocked to see it raise itself up quickly in protest.

I've posted 6 more shots to my Flickr of a Poppy, a Todler, a Lighthouse, a Kayaker, and a different view of this turtle, and also some Lightning Bolts

On a related note, I'm participating in a neat project call A Million Little Pictures - Photomobile which is put on by www.arthousecoop.com. I picked a theme and they sent a disposable camera for me to take photos with. I've also added a set to my Flickr of the ones I'm submitting.

Glenora Ferry at Sunset - Peter Verboom

This is the Glenora Ferry which connects Loyalist Parkway from the Bay of Quinte region to the Napanee/Kingston side of the water. I took this shot from an elevated spot at Lake on the Mountain conservation area. I like how perfect the flags are flowing in the wind and how the lighting from the sun makes them glow red.

I've also posted 3 other shots to my Flickr from this week. Here's a map of where this photo was taken.

Long Exposure of the Metis Cement Boat Passing By - Peter Verboom

I was at the cottage this week trying to capture pictures of the lightning which I was too late for. I kept the camera on the tripod and switched to Bulb mode to capture a passing cement carrying ship called the Metis. This shot was the result of 179 seconds of exposure. The ripples in the light trails are from the waves on the lake this night. The light in the center of the frame must have been when they flipped on an interior light onboard the tugboat for a second or two.

This ship can be seen at the Cherry St docks in Toronto. It's easy to spot because it's basically a barge with a tugboat behind it. Here's a daylight photo of it leaving the next day.

I snapped a few other shots this week which you can view on my Flickr.