“Wow,” I gasped.

Iceland Photo Adventure - HarryNowell.com

I added “I know I keep saying ‘wow’ but it keeps being true!”

That sums up most of Iceland and especially the waterfalls. It seems everywhere you go there is water falling - sometimes thunderous, sometimes melodic.

Iceland Photo Adventure - HarryNowell.com

Iceland is a photographer’s paradise. Everywhere you look there is something pretty spectacular. The weather changes so much you can shoot the same subject many different ways on three very different days.

Iceland Photo Adventure - HarryNowell.com

Stay tuned for more photos and stories all week.

Harry

This week I will be highlighting the trip to Iceland while it is still very alive in my memory.

Trip Summary

I have wanted to go to Iceland for almost twenty years and I proposed the idea to my wife - she was excited! We traveled together for ten days while I stayed longer for some stock photo work and researching future trips. Iceland was fantastic.

The Agenda

We divided our time between Reykjavik, Snæfellsnes peninsula and south Iceland. We traveled by car, bicycle and bus.

Gulfoss waterfall

Weather

True to Iceland’s unpredictable nature we had a wide range of weather:

• 27C and sunny
• 12C and rain
• wind
• fog

Some Highlights

This week I will be recounting some of the adventures of the trip:

• eating fermented arctic shark
• spectacular waterfalls
• more spectacular waterfalls
• glaciers, earthquakes, and lava flows
• the wonderful Icelanders
• Icelandic horses
• Vikings

Stay tuned this week for pictures, stories and the possibility of photographing there.
Harry

We are back. The R&R involved 10 days of holiday in Iceland. My wife returned home and I stayed longer to do some work.

Iceland is stunning. And don’t let the name fool you! While there was certainly some rain and mild temperatures we did have some beautiful blue sky and warm temperatures.

Thorsmork - south Iceland 

I arrived late last night and am getting back up to speed with life and work. There is a lot of catch-up to do! Next week I will be posting some photos, stories and opportunities from Iceland.

Did I mention it is a stunning place? It is a photography paradise. The people are generally friendly and welcoming - the weather is mild and there are no snakes!

Stay tuned next week.

Harry

I have some work and play coming up that will consume much of my time. Alas, my blog posts over the next two weeks will be sparse. I will likely post a couple of notes but want to limit my time in the office to charge my batteries!

Perhaps in my relax time I will get a chance for a ride in an old roadster:
Blur action in an old roadster - ChelseaGallery.ca

The Photo Story:

I developed this idea of highway summer photos in Chelsea, Quebec. I scouted the highway and found a nice background with a safe spot beside my car to get the fun perspective. Within minutes I was lucky enough to catch this classic roadster on the highway. I added the hint of motion with a slow shutter speed - slightly blurred roadster - that adds to the fun.

A police officer ‘moved me along’ a few minutes later! He was quite nice - no ticket - but a little perplexed at my project!

H

I will be handing in the first installment of a stock assignment with the Canadian federal government. The shooting has been very fun - right up my alley - it involves people and motion.

Stock Photo @ HarryNowell.com

Shooting stock is what brought me into this business of photography. Naturally, my business has progressed to include other elements of work. The freedom and creativity shooting stock is what makes me smile the most!

I have an intriguing photo adventure coming up later this week. I’ll be smiling…

H

I just shot Ottawa Bluesfest for a couple of different media outlets. The festival has grown into an extravaganza of international music festival proportions.

Wyclef Jean 

For the last night of the fest I was hired to shoot and file the headline show. I got called in the afternoon to see if I could cover more. That meant twice the work. “Yes,” I said and asked for a larger budget to cover the extra work. “No,” they said.
I stood my ground and said for the original budget I’d shoot the original assignment. Their freelancer’s rates are very low already. They changed the show I was to cover. Fine - same work but I was done earlier.

I saw the staff writer covering the event. “What?!” he exclaimed! He phoned the media outlet - my assigned photos wouldn’t match his review. The office spoke to me again and asked if I could shoot more - “Yes,” if there was a larger budget!

They ended up hiring a student on site at the last minute for the extra work. The student told me he was paid $40 to shoot. Apparently he borrowed a laptop to file the work. Another photographer told the student what just went down. “You just took Harry’s work!” …and accepted almost nothing to do it. The student was a little uneasy! I am not upset with him - but he has some learning to do!

Crowd at Bluesfest 

There are many people who see shooting Bluesfest for a paper a great opportunity with great exposure that could lead to great things. With an attitude like that it will likely lead to low, unsustainable wages.

“But he got $40! Better than nothing.”

No! With the amount invested in photo and computer gear, the price of gas and the cost of doing business the student would be far better pursuing other jobs that paid a realistic wage.

“But it’s Bluesfest!” (ie fun). The media outlets know there are many ‘wanna-be’ photographers with stars in their eyes! This scenario often leads to low, unsustainable wages.

I filed my assigned work, enjoyed the show for twenty more minutes and went home to my wife. I filed my invoice and said I was interested in other work “… if the rates were reasonable.” I may never get another call from them. That’s fine - I’ll be working for better clients!

Sam Roberts 

If you have a new creative business BE CAREFUL OUT THERE! There are few clients who will pay you a penny more than they have to. They know there is a far greater supply of new photographers (or other new creatives) than there is demand for their services. They can often get away with paying low $. Saying “no” to low $ can get you further in the long run.

How can you learn the ropes of a creative business?

• Consider a professional organization. I started a network group for “Working Creatives” in Ottawa.
• Work as an assistant in the field.
• Go to school!
• Also consider my Creative Business Seminar November 1, 2008

I will be photographing a Canadian Olympic athlete, Sarah Boudens, as part of a feature for a magazine. She is a slalom whitewater kayaker - a very fun sport!

See these photos from a low key slalom race last summer.

Harry

Bluesfest continues - looks like I may be shooting for the Ottawa Sun again this weekend - Donna Summer and Wyclef Jean.

Another of the new photos at ChelseaGallery.ca:

Thundering Horse at ChelseaGallery.ca

I love shooting motion but horses and show jumping were new to me! I was invited to travel to Kingston, Ontario for a stock shoot centred around the world of horses and jumping.

My photographic style has always drawn me close to the action with wide angle lenses. After many jumps and discussions we were all feeling pretty comfortable with each other’s technical abilities.

The idea of a photo from beneath the horse was discussed. After some safety and technical discussions I planted myself under the a substantial jump. Timing was, of course, an issue but the thundering hooves vibrating through the earth gave me a clear indication when shooting time had arrived. My new friends soared beautifully above me as I caught the slightly blurred hooves of my magnificent new equine friend.

H

Our monthly newsletter, ‘Exposed!‘ is going out today - we discuss “Passion in Portraits“:

“… Many of my Natural Light Portraits students fall into the same trap. They are so stressed about getting the right light, location and composition that they forget they are working with a living, breathing, emotional creature. Their portraits often mimic a lifeless boulder in a desert landscape…”

The article illustrates pitfalls of portraiture with tales from the studio! To receive ‘Exposed!’ automatically - sign up above, right.

There is also new work at ChelseaGallery.ca - some renovations going on at the site, too!

Football at ChelseaGallery.ca

Have Fun,

Harry

Herbie Hancock - another great name in music appeared at the Ottawa International Jazz Fest this week.

Many performers shy away from the media spotlight and photographers working in the media pit. Bob Dylan was enormously restrictive in last year’s performance - no photography.

Mr Hancock was welcoming and played to the crowd and photographers. He came to the front of the stage and talked to the audience while photographers worked hard. I was so close I could have touched his shin if I raised my arm.

The Photos:

Herbie Hancock greets the Ottawa Jazz Fest crowd

Hancock talks it up

A large crowd came to see Hancock perform

Hancock doing what he does best

Hancock brought the Fazioli piano from Toronto

Have a great weekend,

Harry