Dubai [Day 6]

'What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from.'
-T. S. Eliot

Day 90 - Mar. 31

First Quarter Complete!

Finishing the first three months and an exciting nine to go, I couldn't be anymore motivated to take photos. Spending some time today reflecting on my journey, I can definitely see an improvement in my photography. That being said, I still have a lot to learn- but moving forward everyday is something I strive to do. 

Being self taught, discovering my passion for photography has been an awesome learning lesson. The ups and downs, along with the mistakes and errors have all helped with the process along the way. I want to reinforce one important lesson I've taken away from these last three months and that is- 'Always bring your camera with you'. As mentioned in previous posts, this was something I struggled with before this project. Now, my camera comes with me everywhere. 

Being able to reflect on my progress thus far, there are still improvements I would like to make. That being said, I would like to publicly set a goal for the halfway point. Behind the scenes I've been struggling to write these blog posts. Improving both the length and the quality of my writing is something I would love to do, so I think I should address it here first. For the next three months I'm going to make a conscious effort to work on my writing skills and of course improve my photography. 

Hopefully you've enjoyed my blog so far and I definitely appreciate the feedback! 

Dubai [Day 5]

                             Festival City - Dragon Boat Training Venue

Day 89 - Mar. 30

Yesterday was a hectic day and as a result I am late posting my blog entry. The day began with training in the early morning followed by errands until lunch. Knowing that this would be my only down time for the rest of the day I managed to sneak in a quick yoga class before our afternoon workout. 

Once our training was done for the day, we were then required to move a dragon boat into the city for repair. This was time consuming as the enormous boats are difficult to move with limited people. Being exhausted, but happy to be here, we were thrilled to know today would be a rest day. 

*with limited access to computers, my blog posts will be a little bit shorter (until April 25th)

Dubai [Day 4]

                            Burj Khalifa - Dubai Skyline

Day 88 - Mar. 29

Today I had the opportunity to coach an energetic high school dragon boat crew. We had a blast learning the basics of technique and practicing for the upcoming competition. After the training session I had a few minutes alone to enjoy this beautiful sunset as the sun ducked under the horizon. Taking a couple photos before being rushed off to play basketball, I definitely appreciate moments like these.

Dubai [Day 3]

Day 87 - Mar. 28

After an early morning training session I was lucky enough to have the rest of the day to myself. With Brian headed to his first day of substitute teaching I spent the the day recovering from jet lag. Deciding once Brian returned home that I needed to get out of the house, we made our way down to the beach on our longboards. Exercising my creative side I set up my tripod and captured this moment as the sun went down.  

Dubai [Day 2]

    Dubai Metro Station

Day 86 - Mar. 27

Sunday has gone and past in this part of the world and as expected today was relatively laid back. Brian and I relaxed for the most part of the morning, then headed out on a longboard adventure to the beach. Upon our arrival home we grabbed some food and made our way to the competition venue, Festival City, for dragon boat practice. For my second time on the water I felt pretty good and enjoyed the cool breeze. Nursing a bit of a sore back from the day before, I still managed to take some good strokes and feel comfortable in the boat. 

Before I wrap this blog post up I wanted to address the direction the blog is going. Before I left on my adventures I was writing this blog to solely to work on my photo project. Over the next month or so I will continue to update the photo of the day, but will be writing more about my daily life rather than about the photo itself. That being said make sure to keep checking back and if you have any comments or feedback be sure to send them my way!

Dubai [day 1]

It feels good to be back.

Day 85 - Mar. 26

Dreading the overwhelming city and the harsh desert sun, I'm actually happy to be back in Dubai. Yesterday wasn't too stressful, however there was some work to be done. Sanding and replacing some seats in a dragonboat was Brian and I's first task together. Making the mistake of sanding fiberglass, then rubbing sun screen on myself I enjoyed uncomfortable fiberglass splinters for the rest of the day.

After working for a bit, we traveled over to one of my favorite places to train. Doing a two hour work out with a handful of familiar faces, it was nice to be back on the water. With only one practice tomorrow night, it looks like we'll have a bit of free time tomorrow to relax and catch up on some much needed sleep!

Travel Day

Day 84 - Mar. 25

Not much to say here. Spent the day in and out of airports, finally landing in Dubai. Tired and exhausted from travel. Check back tomorrow for more from the desert and my adventures in the UAE.

hey beautiful day

I bought a journal the other day and decided to write my blog post at the beach this morning as I witnessed a beautiful sunrise. The following is what I wrote during my moment of solitude.

Day 83 - Mar. 24

'This morning I woke up early to watch the sunrise at one of my favorite places. This is something I would always take for granted. Discovering the beauty of it in a recent trip to the beach, It's now one of my favorite moments to share or even spend alone. It just so happened that while the sun slowly peaked over the horizon the chorus 'hey beautiful day' from 'When the night feels my song' played out on CBC radio 2. It's moments like these that I live for and enjoy the most in life. 

Still tuning into CBC radio 2, my favorite morning host Bob Mackowycz Jr. played another fitting song as the sun departed behind the clouds. This time the chorus rang out - 'Enjoy it while you can'

The moment faded.

*from now on journal entries will be written in italics 

Guses Pub

Today I used a spell to trap Taylor in my beer.

Day 82 - Mar. 23

Just kidding, I would never consider using magic in the muggle world. Then I'd have a huge problem with the Ministry of Magic to deal with. On a serious note, we checked out an awesome performance by Declan Martin. To view his myspace follow the link here:  http://www.myspace.com/declanmartin

Make sure to check back later today, as I have a handful of pictures to share from this morning. Thanks again for following along!

No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow.

Day 81 - Mar. 22

With the arrival of spring finally here, I wanted to share my thoughts on the change of seasons. The weather is something that has so much power over our emotions that it's hard to believe. Finding it difficult to express myself through writing I often look for quotes to help with my blog posts. It just so happens that I've found two quotes that describe my thoughts perfectly.

It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold:  when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.  ~Charles Dickens

Springtime is the land awakening.  The March winds are the morning yawn.  ~Quoted by Lewis Grizzard inKathy Sue Loudermilk, I Love You

Food for Thought

 Pollution is something we tend to turn a blind eye to.

Day 80 - Mar. 21

Because we don't think about future generations, they will never forget us. 

 ~Henrik Tikkanen

The above quote really hits home and was something I wanted to share today. The general thought is we won't live to see the repercussions of the decisions we make today, therefore allowing us to slowly destroy the planet. The focus of this post is to bring these important issues into the spotlight and generate conversation amongst each other. 

Selfiez

“Where's your will to be weird?”

- Jim Morrison

Day 79 - Mar. 20

Taking a moment to reflect on my project thus far, I realized I have yet to produce a self portrait that really captures who I am. I guess that's a daunting task though, as it really is difficult to portray ones personality through a single photo. [maybe that's why I've been avoiding it for so long?]

I see myself as someone who is fearless and outgoing and I'm sure some people may say I'm weird or outlandish. It really depends on the day or mood I'm in. This photo captures my immature side, quirky and odd. 

'Friend - Ship'

Day 78 - Mar. 19

Todays photo is more of a snap shot into my personal life. Taking pictures of things in passing or places I normally spend only fractions of my day has been a common theme for my project. Wanting to share a more important side of my life, I spent the day shooting my friends while we worked on a school project.  Nyssa, Plum, Allie and I had an adventurous day learning about the Halifax Explosion and the history of the city. It was definitely an awesome day and one I won't forget!

Small But Mighty

One man is equivalent to all Creation. One man is a World in miniature.
-Albert Pike

Day 77 - Mar. 18

Stop, Look, and Listen

The goal is not to change your subjects, but for the subject to change the photographer.  

~Author Unknown

Day 76 - Mar. 17

In an effort to explore portraiture and work with unfamiliar faces I decided to stop by and engage in a conversation with this complete stranger. A jolly man who has a passion for what he does, I enjoyed a lengthy chat and spent some time taking photos while he worked. Having an vivacious personality that was highly contagious I could have easily spent all day listening to his stories. 

March 16

Really Dennis... another night time photo?

Day 75 - Mar. 16

I know, I know.

I confessed in one of my earlier posts that I struggle with creativity, but that's not the case. I've been in a routine over the last week, which has limited my opportunity to shoot during the day.

That being said during a soggy adventure home from work I took this series of photos. The heavy rainfall made it difficult to stay dry and even an umbrella didn't seem to help the man in the above photo. Below, I found an advantage point on the fourth floor of a parking garage. Safe from the downpour I snapped photos of two people running for shelter.

As for me, I was also a casualty of the wet weather. Soaked and tired, It's definitely time to call it a night. Make sure to check back tomorrow and thanks again for following along.

'she took the midnight train going anywhere'

I often think that the night is more alive and more richly colored than the day.

~Vincent Van Gogh

Day 74 - Mar. 15

I love starting my daily blog post with a quote. Especially one that seems to fit so perfectly with the potd(s).

Last night I was out practicing with low light and experimenting with a couple different settings. Unfortunately I didn't have a tripod with me, but I'm still satisfied with the outcome. The photo above was a bit of a struggle to capture due to a large wooden fence. After finding a better vantage point, (on top of an unstable bus shelter) I managed to create this photo.

The series of photos below were all taken on one of my favorite streets in the city, Spring Garden Rd. The retail heart of Halifax, this is one of the only streets in the city that never sleeps.

Tea Time

Each cup of tea represents an imaginary voyage. 

~Catherine Douzel

Day 73 - Mar. 14

Feeling a bit creative and in an effort to mix things up a little bit I decided to experiment with photoshop today. As some of you know I only have one camera and one lens to use, so variety is something I tend to struggle with. I rarely have time to edit the photos I post for the potd, but in this case I had little to work with yesterday. 

Hope you enjoy my artistic side and make sure to check back tomorrow for Tuesdays potd.

Spring Forward

First, I want to apologize for such a late blog post. To those of you that have been on my case about posting Sundays photo- thank you. 

Day 72 - Mar. 13

Since we turned our clocks forward yesterday I thought it would be a good idea to share one of my favorite possessions with you. My Nixon watch is something I rarely leave home without and only take off to do yoga. That being said, I wanted to share a quote I discovered today from Aaron Siskind.

"Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever... it remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything."

Not really pertaining to the POTD, but more so to my 365 project, this quote sums up the reasoning behind this blog. Documenting my adventures over the next year, I'm sure it will be exciting to look back on.

Thanks again for following along and check back tomorrow for the next POTD

Late Night Adventures

Day 71 - Mar. 12

Most people may not know this about me, but I would definitely consider myself a shy person. That being said I managed to break down a barrier today and did something I normally wouldn't do. While out on a solo adventure downtown I noticed some guys skating at the Halifax Commons. I decided to step out of my comfort zone and approach the guys, offering to take a couple photos. This was my favourite photo from the collection.

March 11, 2011

Day 70 - Mar. 11

I ended up getting in late last night after a long day at work. While adventuring home I decided to pit stop at a popular intersection downtown to take a couple long exposure shots. The photo above is my favorite from the series because of the apparent speed captured in the traffic trails.

The two images below were also taken during my adventures in Halifax.

 

Movie poster for 'Hobo With A Shotgun' produced by Dartmouth's Jason Eisener

Open Mic

For those of you that have been following my 365 project daily you're probably tired of the monochrome photos. I promise I will bring some color to this project soon, but for now you have to deal with this.

Day 69 - Mar. 10

Todays photo isn't technically well done and a more experienced photographer may point out the poor lighting or awful contrast. That isn't the reason I chose this as the photo of the day though. I decided on this photo because of the emotion captured between these two lovers during a heart felt performance at open mic tonight. As this musician introduced himself he told the audience about his recent marriage and love for song writing. His wife sat close by mesmerized by his lyrics, which were undoubtedly about her. 

I also wanted to share a couple other photos from the night. With the new blog format there's no reason why I can't post more than one photo a day.

The Bird Lady

I've always wanted to write a comic book.. and I think I've finally found the inspiration to do so. 

Day 68 - Mar. 9

On a serious note, I witnessed this woman feeding pigeons on my way to work today. The way she captivated the attention of the hungry birds was fascinating. The weird thing is it seemed like she had loaves and loaves of bread to feed the little guys. I guess you could say they were.... pigeon out.

Lessons Learned

Taking a photo everyday isn't easy. 

Day 67 - Mar. 8

Posting a photo everyday is not only difficult in practice, but also tough mentally. As I continue to learn about photography I've become more and more critical of my work. One thing I have learned over the last couple months is I won't always take an amazing photo, however that isn't the idea behind this project. The idea is to enforce the fact that as a photographer I always need to be ready for the next opportunity. Since January I try to never leave home without my camera and that in itself is a personal victory. I think the following quote by Lewis Hine really describes what I learned today.

'If I could tell the story in words, I wouldn't need to lug around a camera.'

Busy Weekend

Hey everyone,

First I want to apologize for keeping all of you in the dark. I know I haven't posted since Saturday, but that doesn't mean I haven't been taking photos! With a hectic weekend come and gone, these are the photos from March 4 to March 7.

Day 66 - Mar. 7

Day 65 - Mar. 6

Day 64 - Mar. 5

Day 63 - Mar. 4

As for the blogging portion of this project, I will be writing more over the next couple days. Make sure to keep checking back and send me your feedback!

-Dennis

New Layout

Hey Everyone,

For those of you that have been following my 365 project I want to send you a big thank you! I really appreciate the feedback and having you follow me as I grow as a photographer.

I was having difficulties running my flash based website with such a large photo album, so I'll be resorting to this for now. It's exciting to have the challenge of not only producing a photo everyday, but writing about my daily adventures in this unpredictable world. With the new layout I expect to be adding more content and more photos over the next year, so stay tuned and keep checking back!

Wish me luck,

Dennis

ps. Please bare with me as I edit the site over the next couple days and get this blog off the ground! 

365 Photos (Jan.1 - Mar.3)

Day 62 - Mar. 3

Day 61- Mar. 2

Day 60 - Mar. 1

Day 59 - Feb. 28

Day 58 - Feb. 27

Day 57 - Feb. 26

Day 56 - Feb. 25

Day 55 - Feb. 24

Day 54 - Feb. 23

Day 53 - Feb. 22

Day 52 - Feb. 21

Day 51 - Feb. 20

Day 50 - Feb. 19

Day 49 - Feb. 18

Day 48 - Feb. 17

Day 47 - Feb. 16

Day 46 - Feb. 15

Day 45 - Feb. 14

Day 44 - Feb. 13

Day 43 - Feb. 12

Day 42 - Feb. 11

Day 41 - Feb. 10

Day 40 - Feb. 9

Day 39 - Feb. 8

Day 38 - Feb. 7

Day 37 - Feb. 6

Day 36 - Feb. 5

Day 35 - Feb. 4

Day 34 - Feb. 3

Day 33 - Feb. 2

Day 32 - Feb. 1

Day 31 - Jan. 31

Day 30 - Jan. 30

Day 29 - Jan. 29

Day 28 - Jan. 28

Day 27 - Jan. 27

Day 26 - Jan. 26

Day 25 - Jan 25

Day 24 - Jan. 24

Day 23 - Jan. 23

Day 22 - Jan. 22

Day 21 - Jan. 21

Day 20 - Jan. 20

Day 19 - Jan. 19

Day 18 - Jan. 18

Day 17 - Jan. 17

Day 16 - Jan. 16

Day 15 - Jan. 15

Day 14 - Jan. 14

Day 13 - Jan. 13

Day 12 - Jan. 12

Day 11 - Jan. 11

Day 10 - Jan. 10

Day 9 - Jan. 9

Day 8 - Jan. 8

Day 7 - Jan. 7

Day 6 - Jan.6

Day 5 - Jan. 5

Day 4 - Jan. 4

Day 3 - Jan. 3

Day 2 - Jan. 2

Day 1 - Jan. 1