February Update by Gord Barker

     So it's the end of February, possibly the most uninspiring month of the year. I mean let's face it. The only good thing about February is that it's the shortest month on the calendar. But despite the cold and gloom of being in the dead of winter, I have to admit that some cool stuff has been happening in the photography aspect of my life.

    To begin with, I've started displaying my photos at Under the Oak Tree in The Gem Marketplace here in Paris Ont. (The Gem, 51 Grand River St. N. Paris, Ont.) Under the Oak Tree is a small studio/gallery operated by my friend, artist/photographer Rachelle Laurin. It features an eclectic blend of artwork by Rachelle and others as well as art supplies and photography by both myself and Rachelle. If you're in downtown Paris, check it out if you can.

Rachelle Laurin and myself opening my display at
Under the Oak Tree, Paris, Ont.

      

My photos at Under the Oak Tree

     In other news, my son, Greg has been working hard at mastering the new masking tool and other features in Adobe Lightroom. So much so, that he has been hugely helpful in passing on some his skills to his aging, somewhat technophobic father. It has resulted in major differences in how my images are finished before presentation and/or printing. For me, it really is a game changer. Now I want to go through my back catalogue of photos and do some major upgrading on my images. As I commented in a Facebook post on the subject, "Sometimes when you acquire a new hammer, the whole world starts to look like a nail!" 

Old bank building in Hamilton before Lightroom processing 

                                                                                                                            

Same photo after Lightroom processing by Greg and myself

                                                         

 

    Greg has also recently acquired a new iPhone 14. The camera on that phone is amazing! He has been shooting some video content with it and has recently acquired Adobe Premier Pro to further advance his video editing capabilities. I intend to put his skills in video editing to work as I branch out into that realm of image making myself. Greg has been promoted to head stills / video / copy editor for Barker Imaging. The blog that you're reading right now was not  posted until he spent some time on it, suggesting changes and checking things like, spelling, format and punctuation. (My father is correct on this) The job doesn't pay much, but I'm keeping a roof over his head! We've got a few ideas in the works for upcoming projects. Interesting times ahead!

    And last but not least, I've been spending a fair bit of time in Hamilton, Ont. That city is a street photographer's paradise. You get architecture that includes everything from Victorian and Classical Revival to Art Nouveaux and Modern. The scenery can be anything from beautiful tree lined streets to the grit and grunge of a tough industrial section. For the most part, The people are kind and usually amenable to having their picture taken. It can make for some interesting street portraits. and general street photography.

                                                    The city has a great arts community with quite a number of private galleries and cafes exhibiting interesting work. It also has the Art Gallery Of Hamilton where I have viewed  several photography exhibits including the current exhibit ''Chai'' by Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky. https://www.artgalleryofhamilton.com/exhibition/edward-burtynsky-chai/ 

      

So, overall, I would say that I've managed to beat the February blahs rather well. I'm enjoying my time and making as well as presenting photographs that I like. Ultimately that's what the love of this craft is all about.

            ...more later