Finlayson/Maize...Ivey Mairi...the legendary Jeff Bird

Lee Harvey Osmond (Tom Wilson)...Ivy Mairi...select Skydiggers

Photo Course Update

Well it's only a week away. Lucid Musings annual workshop for beginner photographers. I am looking forward to spending my Monday evenings with a new group of individuals hoping to get a grip on their digital cameras and better express themselves visually. If you have been thinking about taking the popular course, I am happy to let you know that there are still 3 spaces just waiting for you. Get up, get out and get shooting by giving me a call at 519-284-0858. Fun is guaranteed:-)

New Bakery and a New Gallery

It is with the greatest congratulatory excitement that my good friends opened their new retail venture this weekend. Named the "Harvest Bakery and Cafe", located on Water St. in downtown St. Marys, and owned and operated by Dave Ford, Claire Pickel and Sam Santandrea, this is bound to be a positive and unique facelift to downtown St. Marys. Selling fresh baked breads and pastries and coffee and grounded in the values of the "100 Mile Diet" , selling only "Fair Trade" coffee and using eco-friendly compostable coffee cups (disposable waxed cups has always been something that has been a thorn in my side with all major coffee chains in Canada), they are a young trio that not only have a dream, but a purpose. All 3 have a background in the restaurant industry, all 3 working their way through the Westover Inn, with Claire holding the position of Patissier, Dave being a prep and appetizer specialist and Sam just completed his Chef's papers only a year ago, so knowledge behind the scenes is anything but lacking. With their families behind them from the design process on up, bundles of youthful energy and ambition to spare, one would hope their success is secured. Most of all, a desire to support the local and global reaches of the economy by breaking down the pattern of globalization that has damaged and exploited the poor. By bringing the vogue of old is new, local is cool and adding a singular bold effort in St. Marys to reverse the process of small town knee-hacking by the megastores is more than duly noted. To me it also adds a taste of hip-YAY!-and a snapshot of the city based neighbourhood bakery/cafe that are their district's meeting place, beating heart, and part of a network of equally connected local producers...just what I needed. I give a big hat's off to Dave, Claire and Sam and wish you the best in bringing some genuine flair downtown...all the best!

The Scene

Although I had been asked to have showings of my work at other establishments in the past, when Dave, Claire and Sam asked me if they could purchase some of my festival and live music material for their new bakery, I felt a special connection in having the opportunity. Not only did some of my personal material get to make the print, but I felt that in my own way I am a part of this "most awesome" venture. Thanks for having me along for the ride:-)

As in the past any fine art purchase inquiries can be made by emailing me Sean@lucidmusings.com . If your looking for something special, or would like to schedule a viewing, call me 519-284-0858, or toll free 1-866-680-0858.

Live Performance

April Course Information

It is with great excitement that I will be offering again my popular course for the digital photo beginner. In the spirit of getting those images you see in your mind, but have trouble realizing with your camera. A 4 session course, not only a follow-up to my level 1 'Into the Digital Age' which I offered in 2007, but a great starting point for any SLR camera (manual function/interchangeable lens) camera owner wanting to become more familiar with their camera and improve their photos. This course will get you using your camera on-location, help you visualize things in a new matter, give you projects that will get you out shooting independently and inspire open interaction. I created this brief, fun, unimposing and hopefully inspiring course in the belief that the digital camera is best learned if you get out and use it. The instant results a LCD screen gives and the freedom of a digital card to capture and capture again until we get it right has changed our opportunities to learn photography. With this in mind and my belief that learning is not only gained by ingesting information but by actually using this knowledge in an open forum that becomes knowledge itself. Get up, get out and join me this April for 'Into The Heart of The Photo'-you won't regret it:-)

What: Into The Heart of the Photo
4 session interactive course to better photos

Week 1 (April 6)

In Classroom instruction/discussion of:

-Manual Functions
-Depth of Field
-Metering
-Composition
(review for those who took level 1)

****April 13 will be an off week due to Easter Monday****

Week 2 (April 20-6pm-field trip)

Location Shoot #1

-Composition 'On Location'
...take what you learned in Week 1 and put it into action

-Homework Assignment


Week 3 (April 27 6:00pm-field trip)

Location Shoot #2

-Candid Portrait Shoot and Low Light Fun

...will help you learn...

-metering
-Shutter speed and Aperture

...in a practical setting...

Week 4 (May 4)

Back to the Classroom

-Photo Showing
-Review
-Open Discussion

Where: Stone Willow Inn (St. Marys) http://www.stonewillow.com/
When: classroom sessions 7-9pm, this time around, the location sessions will be earlier evening 'field trip' style shoots and, if everyone is agreeable, the immediately following Tuesday nights will be used if the weather is a complete wash-out. Last year it was beautiful, so keep our fingers crossed:-)...you already know the dates
How: To enroll, or for more details, email me Sean@lucidmusings.com , call me at 519-284-0858, or come in and see me at the studio 147 Queen St. E., St. Marys. Course fee is $150.00.

Sean

Hillside Inside Review

Last weekend the Sleeman Center in Guelph was once again greened and gleened in an attempt to bring a little of the Hillside magic indoors. Rachel Thompson, Sam Baijal and team once again collected a group of Canada's best. In its sophomore year, Hillside Inside is slowly becoming another important part of Guelph's ever fruitful cultural scene and sitting comfortably in Canada's musical front seat.
Always a difficult feeding ground for the mega-festivals that are so popular South of the 49th, Hillside's summer edition has sold out for a number of years running with thousands dancing, chilling, swimming and dining and learning in a setting as idyllic a chunk of land can get on the fringes of North Guelph. That being said, it is 25 years young and its humble beginnings are well documented. To take a stab at a winter festival in Canada is an even more brave and risky maneuver, than attempting the logistics behind a summer event with the risk of bad weather and bumping up against Canadian's hibernating habits. That being said, if there was a group of people to do it it is those at Hillside. They not only have there feet grounded... no emmersed... in the ever growing Earth movement, they have their fingers on the pulse of Canadian Music in the sense that Superfly Productions has on a massive scale with their powerhouse Bonnaroo festival, held in Tennessee. They are able to grab several bands that are simmering just below the surface (and some deeper gems) and bring them in front of a crowd of truly appreciative music lovers that appreciate new sounds and music for music's sake. Throw in a drawing headliner, or 2 (this year's double header was Sam Roberts and Stars, last year Xavier Rudd/Dallas Green) and the festival experience is solidly there. The winter installment lacks the location, the wealth of workshops, the children's programming (which makes the Guelph Island event a truly age-free experience), the exquisitely balanced food booths (although the Inside edition has a micro-version of the summer spread), the sunshine and the showers, and is a one day event only. That being said, it is these lackings that separate Hillside Inside from his older sister, and makes it a success in its own right. Taking bands as diverse as Belle Orchestre and K'Naan, as smooth as Great Lakes Swimmers and as outright mind-blowing as That One Guy, the heart is indeed strong and the life blood that keeps the entity as a whole moving, swaying and jumping is pure Hillside. It is just a younger, individual, rebellious teen looking to etch out its own space, and it's a good space to be:-)

Fashion Forward Attitudes

As part of Lucid Musings move to becoming a unique, driven and exciting portrait specialist, fashion inquiries have begun to become more common place and I recently had another day out with a fashion industry hopeful, wanting to enter the world of lifestyle modeling. Kendall's desire to enter the youth advertising market was something I thoroughly enjoyed having the opportunity to have a hand in.
The first challenge in working with someone like Kendall is to simply break the ice and make this a fun experience and introduce a comfort level that helps bring out a liveliness and energy that makes the pictures "jump". The natural "what should I do"//"where should I look" feeling that anybody not accustomed to professional photo sessions has needs to be tossed aside and a personal interaction and closeness developed between the model and photographer. Only now can the photos start to happen, the rest is left to vision (and a little CS4 magic), and the end result is completely reflective upon this.
After getting over the initial jitters (and shivers) Kendall played the part perfectly and with good interaction, the photos paint a confident, fun and refreshingly real portrait of a young girl with fashionable aspirations.
If you are interested in having a portfolio with Lucid Musings fashion forward "look", have a look at more samples on my main website portrait page, and call me at 519-284-0858/1-866-680-0858 to book a portfolio session. If you are in the Stratford/London area, consider Elegance Modeling http://www.esimodels.ca/esimodels/ for your agency needs.

Free as a Bird-R.I.P. Billy Powell

Another of the members of the legendary powerhouse of 70's Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd has died. Although I have no photos, I have many memories of this band, (seeing them in their re-configured "reunion" line-up in 1987 and 1991) their eternal music and the one and only Billy Powell. Beginning as a roady for the band in 1971, Billy officially joined as keyboardist in 1972, adding his rockabilly style to the triple guitar sound Skynyrd became known for. A solid player, Billy was more then just a backing harmony to the all out raw sound produced by front members Billy Powell, Gary Rossington, and Ed King (later replaced by fated guitarist Steve Gaines). He became a prominent and essential part of the Skynyrd sound and his passing not only writes another page in the history of the the age of the monster bands, it also adds another black stain on one of the most tragic musical outfits in the history of rock. Loosing lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines and backing singer and sister Cassie Gaines in 1977, the classic era of the band ended, taking a 10 year hiatus until their return in 1987. Guitarist Allen Collins ironically was paralyzed in a car accident the year prior and was only able to be part of the grand return as a side show token honour, wheeled out just before Freebird to a somewhat shocked and saddened applause. He died of pneumonia in 1990. Bassist Leon Wilkeson was found dead of emphysema and chronic liver failure in 2001. Of all the members of the "Golden Era" of Lynyrd Skynyrd, now only Gary Rossington remains to hold the Confederate flag high. Billy, may you enjoy playing those opening notes to Freebird again...up there...back with the good ol' boys.

Michelle, Cory and Owen

Michelle, Cory and little Owen where guests for one of my studio "Expressions Sessions". A new offering since the cold weather settled in back in November. Although environmental/location portraits are still the specialty of LM, the larger studio environment I now have allows me to expand to offer this service to small families and children. Attempting to bring life into the smaller studio situation and not become static, relying on a repeated set of standard "poses" is the number one goal for me. By keeping the light, fun air LM is known for and using obscure camera angles and cropping, I think the "Essence" of the family can be brought indoors and not become a Sears Studio cut-out. What do you think?

The Return of the Dead

Say the name The Grateful Dead and blank stares from young or old are few and far between. The hardest touring band in the history of music have become not only a household name, but a myth, a legend and a culture of timeless proportions.

























Beginning from a psychedelic heritage painted by the equally legendary Haight-Ashbury and Ken Kesey's (One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest) Merry Pranksters. Spearheading the Hippie movement in the fertile backdrop of late 60's SanFrancisco, their communal home at 710 Ashbury became the seed that grew into a devoted following unheard of then, or now. Since iconic singer/guitarist Jerry Garcia died in 1995 the remaining members have carried on the together, and apart and through conflict, separate projects (Ratdog, Phil and Friends, etc.) and 2 new names (The Other Ones, in 2002 and now simply The Dead). Hoisting the embers of the euphoric celebration that was and is the tie-dyed, high flying, free expression exploring, group hugging and openly caring community of Deadheads of all class and creed from coast to coast. To attend a Dead show is like entering a kaleidescope, a beautiful, condensed escape from the day to day. Embrace it, or criticize it, just attempt to understand it before you pass judgement and, on this historic Inauguration Day, remember, everybody's number 1 man is also a fan. Hey, if Barack digs them, then that says something:-)



With so much good music, these two choices are more perspective than objective..,Enjoy:-)

The Parkinson's

As with many of my location portraits this somewhat unforgiving winter has blessed me with, the Parkinson's outing was a second kick at the cat, having to re-schedule from the blizzard like conditions the previous Tuesday. In between, we had a major freak thaw, flooding streets, homes and making it questionable whether we would get 'stuck in the mud' a second time around. Well, as you see, that didn't happen. Yes, the absolute knee deep winter wonderland surroundings of the previous week had gone down river, so I focused on less landscape driven shots. Like a nod to the success of yet another winter portrait, the snow began to fall during the session and we got some great pics. Thanks so much to Heather (my long time ad rep, former student and familiar face) for getting the "Fam" out and being good sports:-) Oh ya, and thanks for grabbing my one camera body when I went through the flood ice..couldn't of done it without you!

To Blog, or Not to Blog?

To Blog, or Not to Blog,

that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler
in the mind to
suffer the slings and arrows
of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms
against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them?







Since I began this blog back in 2006, my efforts have seemed to wane

From an excited high of 101 posts in the first year, to 59 in 2007 and only 39 in 2008, the fun, controlled chaos initially intended, as a lighthearted aside to my formal website www.lucidmusings.com has slipped. Blaming busy conditions as an out, as many photographers (and bloggers, in general) use to push aside complacency in their efforts, is not something I want to use. I feel I have to look at the reason for carrying out this often time consuming venture and bring it back into a regular production and consumption asset to Lucid Musings.
It's official...we're back...
and I intend on making this blog even better than first intended. In 2009, I will be not only blogging about my numerous shoots and business developments, but also adding my personal flavour with anecdotes of music, travel and family, making the experience once again a regular event and whats more, a celebration of the passion that drives Lucid Musings Photo.

Stayed Tuned...