This is the last picture of my wife taken the first year we were married. Friday the 13th August 2010.

This is a photo of the Vancouver Library on a summer evening. I like the light that filters through the windows and casts long sweeping shadows over the curved architecture. I shot this in colour and decided to finish it as a B&W.  There seems to be more drama in the light and the photograph as a whole in B&W. Maybe one day I’ll revisit the colour one and think otherwise.

The alley behind the school where I teach has been getting cleaned up lately. The tenants are changing and the alley is looking a whole lot different.
Tonight, as I was riding down the alley before class, I encountered a new tenant telling the old ‘tenants’ that they could no longer sleep in the entrance way to the building.

The man under the blanket grumbled something at the man.
I don’t think his words were so kind, nore do I think they were his last. 
His choice sleeping area is just left of this, now covered, NoGraffito.

this is the truth.

Sometimes people don’t say the things they mean.
Truth lies in the shadows.

Did they know how the shadow of the fence and the barbed wire would comment back?

“I feel trapped, But I still love you.”

I love moments when random words and light play together nicely.

Danger Bay 10 took place during the long weekend in May, which also happens to coincide with my birthday, May 24th. This a longboarding race that my friend Bricin has hosted in Pender Harbour for the last 10 years.

I raced the first few years. I hurdled myself downhill with minimal equipment on, standing side by side with 3 others making high-speed 90 degree turns while trying not to lose my shit.
This is on the top of one of the more infamous roads on the Sunshine Coast that the riders call “Jake’s Rash”. It’s broken its fair share of bones and shaved off plenty of skin!
This is the last shot I took that weekend. I was just showing my photo partner Loren the wicked road when at the top there were these porta johns or outhouses.

I never would have expected to find a NoGraffito at the top of Jake’s Rash, but I’m happy I did, in more ways than one.

This one is for my daughter, and a little bit for me. Hanna & I share the Month of May for Birthdays. Hanna was born on mother’s day, May 10th, 2009. It changed our lives.

I was born May 24th & I married Taryn who’s birthday is April 30, almost May day. We wed on Friday the 13th of last year. We found out around valentines day of this year that we are expecting our second around Halloween.

I guess I have a thing for Holidays.
Happy birth May to all you other May babies out there. It’s a great month for a bithday.

My ideas are just like music, there are a lot them that I don’t like the sound of. On the other hand, when good ideas start flowing it’s like good music, and I can’t get enough!
Currently, the music is on loud, and it sounds great!

What sound track do your pictures have?
My ideas are just like music, there are a lot them that I don’t like the sound of. On the other hand, when good ideas start flowing it’s like good music, and I can’t get enough!
Currently, the music is on loud, and it sounds great!

What sound track do your pictures have?

Well, in case you readers haven’t read through other social networks…

Taryn & I are expecting our second child.
We seem to be getting a lot of snickers from our friends that currently have two kids. Is this meant to be some sort of hidden warning?

(for Taryn’s full discloser of this news, www.fetuspanda.com)

I knew that it would eventually happen. Time after all doesn’t slow down or change direction. The other day I was singing into on of my many online accounts and I was welcomed with my age… 37. Then I was going to submit some photos for a competition, however the cut off was 35. Ouch.

I don’t usually photograph anything but writing for this project, however, this needed to be shot. I took it on Tuesday. Let’s see what tomorrow brings.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to meet up with an old friend in Toronto for a photoshoot and a little hangout time. It was nice to unwind for a few hours without the children while stressing my brain with a little photographic challenge.

Josh Lindley is currently mixing up some new concoctions at Campagnolo in Toronto. He has been the subject some of my portraits in the past, and it’s always great to be able to update photos of people when I can. I like catching them at a different moments and stages in their lives trying to create photo that will mark that point.

Geek talk – I brought along a few flashes and a bit of gear from Vancouver. With this shoot I used the good old D3, 3 flashes (SB910, 900, 600) a few CTO gels, an umbrella, and a Joe McNally Lastolite Ez-box. I shot the camera in a manual mode f5 @ 1/400 ISO 200. White balance was set to auto, with the 910 system, it was better at telling my camera what the correct balance was based upon the gel that was attached to the main flash. This is new to me and my shooting workflow. I was a bit more DIY with my other flash systems, so I still need some brushing up on the specifics of this CLS.

Needless to say, everything went pretty smooth considering I was by myself and only traveled with 2 stands and I still only have 2 hands. I’m sure it looked like a weird twister game for everyone watching. Here is the graceful result of the ugly dance I was doing behind the camera.

Oh yeh… the reason for the title is the drink he made for me. Here he is, in action, making me an Admiral McCutcheon, an amazing scotch, Cointreau, sherry & bitters.

Bartender, I’ll have another!

Well here it is… high speed sync flash in action, capturing some great family moments. And yes, that is the flash off the camera, cuz it just plain looks better!

These are the two Hanna’s in my life. The first Hanna is my grandma. This is the best photo I think I’ve ever taken of her. She was laughing so hard and playing it up for the camera. It was awesome! My family has gotten so much better with my camera constantly in front of my face, and this is the only way to get these photos!

The second Hanna as most of you know is my beautiful daughter. She just turned 3 on Thursday and I can’t tell you just how kill the day was. Here is Hanna in some cool sunglasses that her Aunt Tina gave to her, and this honestly captures how she was the whole day, all smiles and sass!

For a full account of our trip thus far and a huge number of photos, please check out my wife’s entry on her blog:  ”A Photographers Wife“ (aka Fetus Panda) for a killer update!

Thank you Taryn for the beautiful family that started with Hanna’s smile just 3 years ago. I love you.

I stayed late at the studio last night, printing some of my photo sets to have for sale in Ontario & Newfoundland. First I have to thank Madhava for all his help and hard work. It’s nice to be able to depend on a someone to know everything about the printer itself and as well he has an amazing eye for colour.  (In case any of my readers are not “in the know”, my eyes are all messed up with colour blindness, so a printer like Madhava is a necessity in my case!) Madhava is also responsible for all the printing that we do at PhotoHaus Gallery.

The printing didn’t go without it’s bumps. Trying to figure out why one of my prints came out pink sent us on a bit of a goose chase. We checked the file, the setup in Lightroom4, and made sure we were printing on the right side of the paper. We finally found out that there was a second profile being added on output by the printer properties inside the printer dialog box. Basically, in laymen’s terms, it was getting double profiled and that was messing up the colours.

We printed a few strange colour prints in the beginning, then we moved to the B&W prints to save a headache while we were trouble shooting. Once it had all been figured out, things went reasonably smooth, hand feeding the paper one by one to the finicky printer.

So… Here’s the product:

3 sets of 6 prints (8.5 x 11 Epson Velvet Fine Art Matte)
each containing an artist statement and project statement.
The sets include: NoGraffito, Once I was a Camera & Ontario Landscapes.
Each set of 6 prints will sell for $100.

I’m really excited about how these prints turned out and I can’t wait to share them with you all. Here’s a quick peek from my instagram. If you’re interested in any packages, please let me know- there are only 3 sets of each series available.

NoGraffito || Once I was a Camera

Good day everyone, I’m happy to announce a new print contest.
All the details for the contest, can be found in the new “STORE” section of www.syxlangemannphotography.com. There are a few things you have to do to qualify.

1. “LIKE” my Syx Langemann Photography facebook page

2. “Follow” @blackframesyx on Twitter
(don’t unfollow and refollow please)

3. Tweet this message:
Check out @blackframesyx’s new store on www.syxlangemannphotography.com
for details to win a #free print!! #photography #creative #streetphotography

• The Tweets will be put into a database where the winner will be chosen using a random number generator.
• Contest closes May 24th at noon EST
• Winner will be annouced May 25th.
• Choose from NoGraffito & Once I was a Camera
• Your order must be made by May 27th.
• $50 value including shipping

ALSO… I’d really like you to check out the store and share it with your friends, so I’ve discounted the postcard and greeting card price on these series until May 25th by 25%.  Also if you buy 8 or more cards you get an additional 20% off!

I’ve been working on a Redbubble profile for the last little while and I thought that there’s no better way to roll it out, by giving something away. I hope you all enjoy it, please leave me some comments on here or the Redbubble page to let me know what you think.

I finally got all of my pages and registration links ready to share with you all.

Below are some upcoming classes that I’m offering at Vancouver Photo Workshops. I think there is a little something there for everyone!

I’m super stoked to be offering some nude workshops this year is some great places, be sure to read to the end for all the details.
Please click on the title of the link which will take you to registration page where there are more details about each of the offerings.

I am currently working on my Intro & Intermediate schedules for the summer, including weekend intensives, so please stay tuned for those.

Here are all the classes that just went live today!

**Reminder** Lightroom intensive weekend – 2 days – End of April
I think this class is almost filled up! If you are thinking about Lightroom4 or have recently purchased it, then you really should check out this workshop. Learn things about the program that not even the manual doesn’t tell you.

Once I was a Camera – 6 classes – Tuesdays & Thurdays in June &  July
This class is aimed at all levels of photographers that want to flex their creative eye shooting street photography. “Street” photography means different things to different people. I’ll be working on my photo series by this name “Once I was a Camera”. Everyone can benefit from a great project, start yours with me!
*note these are two classes offered in both the AM & PM time slots.

Lightroom Complete – 8 weeks – Monday Nights in June
This is the ULTIMATE in Lightroom4 classes! We have just expanded the class to 8 weeks to include the new modules introduced in LR4 as well as showing how to use plugins. This 8 week workshop is for any Lightroom user that wants to get the most out of the program with less time spent infront of the computer!

Intermediate photography – 8 weeks – Monday Afternoons in June
If you’ve taken an introduction to DSLR class then this is for you. Focused on the concept of low light and flash photography, this class expands upon the basics of shooting with ambient light.

One Light – on & off camera flash – 8 weeks – Wednesday Nights June
Learn to sync you flash up with your camera wirelessly. Use flash positioning and modifiers to add drama and impact to your photos. This class will teach you what you need to know to confidently use your flash to consistently produce great photos.
Looking to take your flash photography to the next level, this is the class for you!

Nude in the Environment : Gabriola 2 day – July
Nude in the Environment : Mexico – 3 day – November
I am looking forward to shooting the figure in some great environments this year. Pushing beyond the studio we work to give you inspiring views  and great models in our semi-private workshops. From shooting to critiques to dinners, these workshops are like no other!

The New Nude – 2 day – August
I have not yet planned the location, but I assure you that it will be amazing. Past workshops have been held in Ginger 62, The Rickshaw, The Narrow as well as some modern studios. If you’d like to explore the nude in new and interesting locations then keep an eye on this workshop.

If you would like to see an photography workshop that is not being offered, please feel free to leave a suggestion in the comments section. Thanks, and happy shooting.

For all the classes and workshops that I’m offering, please see:
http://syxlangemannphotography.com/VPW.html

Check out my friends the Great Orbax and Sweet Pepper Klopek (www.theMonstersofSchlock.com) in this month’s issue of Retro Magazine. (pages 40-42) I shot these photos at Playland’s Fright Nights a few years ago.

We had the entire park to ourselves for a day, and it made for some fantastic scenes.
I took an Elinchorm Ranger with me in order to keyshift the photos. I used a large strip box to contain the light and try to make these nice, (tough job somedays).

I’ve known these guys for years and have shot them about a hundred times but no matter how many times I take their picture it never gets old. They are great characters with great personalities that show through in the shot every time. Like here, when they get sick of posing and really tell me how they feel.

I like this off shot… I looks like Orbax is about to pee his pants!

And here is one of Joey. Orbax’s lesser known, but better looking,  brother.
Joey just moved back to Leamington from Vancouver. I miss him, but really happy to be able to spend sometime with all the Ontario folks in just a few weeks!

Oh yeh, you should all check out what my wife’s saying about these guys. Her post is awesome!!!

On April 12 we kicked off the first of my free photo walk series in Gastown. We had a great turn out and it was awesome to see some friends and students of VancouverPhotoWorkshops out to show their support and snap some great photos.

It’s always such a great time walking around and shooting with other photographers. I not only have a chance to share some of my knowledge and passion for street photography but I get to keep learning at the same time, and sometimes see things I might normally not see if I was by myself, or look at things from a different angle.

Here are a few of my own favorites from the walk:

I’d like to thank everyone again for coming out and making this walk such a great success. Stay tuned for more free photo walks when we get back from our East coast tour!

In support of my teaching tour of south western Ontario and eastern parts of Newfoundland, I’ll be hosting a few PhotoWalks to share passion and knowledge of photography to photographers of ALL levels.

I’ve just booked in PhotoWalks for: Vancouver, Windsor, Leamington, & St.John’s NFLD
These photowalks will be an exciting way for me to see the local sights as well as share a few tips and tricks for better photography along the way.  I can’t wait to meet the photo communities in these areas. Vancouver has been so supportive and such an amazing group of photographers to be around, I can only imagine what these other communities are like.

Here is a full list of the PhotoWalks. You can click on any of the banners to get all the details and register for these FREE PhotoWalks.

If you know a photographer in these areas, have connections to the camera clubs or the photo geek subculture of these areas, please pass along the word. I’d meet new photographers and photograph new things.

Thanks for taking an interest in my blog & my PhotoWalks.
Please “share” this post and spread the word.

Well I decided to try it again this year. Northern Voice 2011 was such a great experience presenting with Morten, that we thought we would do another presentation together this year, if they accept us after last years performance. I also thought I would give it a try on my own this year, all by myself, all “grown-up” like.

So I’ve just submitted my very own proposal to present at the Northern Voice 2012: ”
Use your camera for Good, not Evil – Taking better pictures of people”
I’ve got a pretty good idea up my sleeve for this presentation, so, fingers crossed, you’ll all be able to read about it in the future. I hope they accept me.

Morten and I are planning a presentation called:
“Logical Lightroom – The integration of Lightroom4 & WordPress”
I honestly can’t tell you how much I love the new Lightroom (come listen to me talk about it at VPW for a 3 hour seminar about how awesome it is) and how stoked I am about the WordPress plugin for Lightroom.

If you are a photographer/blogger this is the program for you! Check out all the fun stuff coming up at Northern Voice 2012, and please check out my 3 hour seminar coming up next week at Vancouver Photo Workshops.

This is last year’s pin, it’s still on Hanna’s sweater. She thinks the moose is cute.