Steve Allat: Photo Speak

formspring.me

2010-02-06T20:18:00.001-08:00

What is the air speed velocity of a laden swallow?

That depends on whether or not this is an African or a European swallow, of course, in accordance with the Python code of answers

bird or fish?

Flying fish.

Recently, a gamma burst was detected in the sky from a star about 13 billion light years away. Would it be possible for a detection of a gamma burst from a star 13 billion light years away in the exact opposite direction with respect to our galaxy? If yes

Absotively positutely.

Now when you say gentleman, is that a lifestyle or a characteristic?

A gentleman is a man of character and distinction, by choice. Many a man can lay claim to a gentlemanly characteristic or two, but to live a gentlemanly lifestyle is a lifestyle choice.

Ask me anything

formspring.me

2010-01-12T21:23:00.001-08:00

Ask me anything http://formspring.me/SteveAllat

Oh Behold What Beauty in the Sky!

2009-12-11T13:34:00.000-08:00

Even though I love the photo below, taken while driving over the Lion's Gate Bridge a couple of weeks ago, I keep on thinking about 'the one that got away'.
The clouds and the sky and the sun were playing in 3-D so beautifully this day, and around the time I snapped this photo I was looking over in awe at the scene.
I was very lucky to stick my camera out the window, blind (yes I still prefer watching the road to getting a good photo), and capture this much.

The photo doesn't do the scene justice, as photos sometimes do, but I think you get the idea.

Dew, Log and Mystery Photo

2009-12-04T21:19:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone!

Enjoying a frosty week here in Vancouver and starting to take some photos again after a little hiatus while I've been 'focused' on other things.

I'd like to throw this first photo in and ask if anyone can take a guess at what it is!? (I don't think it's that hard, but I thought the shot turned out pretty cool for what it is)

I've gone for a few walks as I like to do this time of year and happened upon a Pieris shrub with some morning dew and a nice, serene log floating in the pond at Stanley Park. I hope you enjoy.

LAS VEGAS - Allat Style

2009-09-20T10:03:00.000-07:00

The dynamic duo of Steve and Nila were lucky enough to have a weekend in Vegas last weekend. It was a gift from family and turned out to be our honeymoon! We didn't count on that and are fortunate to have such nice folks around us. : )

In the end, 3 days in Vegas was fun, but really re-iterated that all the glitter and shine of the western world isn't really in our field of vision anymore. For most that know us, we still long for the old country and I'd take a stroll down one street in Paris over anything I can think of doing in North America at this point . . . sigh.

That doesn't mean we didn't have a good time, it just isn't the same as everybody else would do in Vegas, I'm sure.
Here is a brief overview and a few photos . . .

Overwhelmed by heat the first 2 days and thankful for $1 water bottle street vendors

Saw Cirque de Soleil's 'Zumanity' show - fuckin' awesome!!
(no pics allowed)

Stayed at the only hotel that caters to kids *_*
(I had a vasectomy 12 years ago why?)

Had a REALLY big margarita!

Saw Llama's, Lions and Dolphins!

Bright Lights, Neon Girls and a woman's favourite Shoes

and, of course, VEGAS AT NIGHT

Thanks Mom and Al!

Hummingbird on Lantana

2009-09-20T09:49:00.000-07:00

While Nila and I were in Las Vegas last weekend, I wasn't particularly inspired to take very many photos.
I will post a little montage a little later, but here is one of my favourite photos.
Of course, there is no way you would really know it was even taken in Vegas, and that isn't really important.
It was just a beautiful surprise on a nice day.

Of course, with my current penchant for 'ttv' photos, I did just a little photo manipulation to give the shot a different context. Enjoy.

Steve Allat: OVEREXPOSED

2009-07-25T23:29:00.001-07:00

I've been selling on Etsy for just over a month now, and am very happy to have been chosen to be featured in a few 'Treasuries' so far, with this one offering the most lucrative 'Exposure' to date.

The things I won't do to become a world famous photographer.
You can check out the featured Treasury here: http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=72583
My Etsy storefront is available here: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6754209

Any special requests? ; )

Thunder and Lightning in Vancouver

2009-07-25T23:21:00.000-07:00

Wow. It's been so long.
Being from Ontario, where thunderstorms are part of the summer season, it's been a long, long time coming.
Since living on the coast, I can only ever remember a few claps of thunder and a couple bolts of lightning over the past 10 years.

Tonight, however, after going outside after an afternoon matinee to discover it had rained, Nila and I decided to walk the 'long' way home in hopes of some more rain.
Well, we got a little sprinkle, and about 2 hours of thunder and lightning!!! What a show. 1000x better than the movie could have ever been, and that's the non-ugly truth! (hint hint)

We were drenched when we got home - we didn't have/or want an umbrella and strolled happily along the whole way. It's a pleasure to welcome a warm summer rain onto yourself.

This photo doesn't do the evening justice, but I was excited to even capture one shot at all!!

Another old 'new' photo

2009-07-17T21:35:00.000-07:00

I love looking through old photos I've taken.
This one was actually taken about 7 or 8 years ago with my first digital camera - a 1.1 megapixel Olympus Stylus.
Of course, it didn't have the moon in the background at the time, but that's the beauty of the digital age!
The photo of the moon is just a few years old, but I think the two blend together quite nicely.

Longing for Paris

2009-07-17T21:33:00.000-07:00

The CITY of course! *whiew*

And, getting into photo manipulation a little more in Photoshop.

A Winding Road

2009-07-12T22:07:00.000-07:00

It may sound cliche, but life is a long and winding road. OR a short and twisty path, depending on the day and time. And, of course, you may sometimes encounter a smooth surface or a pothole-filled obstacle course.

On this particular Saturday morning, I was early for an appointment (which went very, very well,) I found myself in this beautiful and peaceful forest just off of Mount Seymour parkway in North Vancouver.

Put Up Your . . . Pinkies?

2009-07-06T20:48:00.000-07:00

Nila and I had the pleasure of styling and shooting two lovelies as they engaged in a mock battle for the camera.

In this corner . . . Precious Metal!

The above shot is a little photoshopping by me.
Nila is working on a series of the ladies in Photoshop and what I see so far is amazing.

The Tree is Dead, Long Dead the Tree

2009-07-06T20:10:00.000-07:00

Alright, an opportunity to not display a great photo but instead to put up for display something that bothers me to no end, and that is - our culture's inability to let go, to see the big picture.
This poor, pitiful excuse for a former tree is in the process of being 'saved' and 'restored' in Stanley Park - Vancouver, British Columbia.

I see an empty shell of a tree. I see compost. I see deadwood in a form with no redeeming aesthetic quality. I see a beautiful forest, acres of chlorophyll making oxygen surrounding a former historic landmark.

Seriously, would you prop up your dead grandmother for 100 years after her passing, simply because she WAS an important family figure???

Waste of freakin' time and money. Life is all around. Open your eyes.

Steve Allat Digital Photo Art on ETSY.COM

2009-07-05T21:27:00.001-07:00

I've recently become enamored with Etsy and the beautiful items for sale there - mostly from Nila, who I believe has about a thousand favourites and numerous favourite sellers of vintage items, curiosities, and things of beauty.

As a result, I've added Etsy to my small but growing arsenal of outlets for my photography and will post photos there that I think will cater to the niche market that is looking for artsy, pretty and perhaps even edgy photography and graphics.
I have to say, I'm having a blast trying so far, and the outlay is minimal, making it a worthwhile venture.

I invite you to please check me out!

Over the Bridge

2008-09-25T18:29:00.000-07:00

So, I'm walking over the Cambie Street bridge the other day and I notice these new(?) signs painted on the sidewalk all the way across.

Well, I'm happy to say that I made it across, despite doing it completely wrong!
Apparenty, after severing my hands and feet, I should have then attempted to mount the bicycle in this new-fangled manner - balancing precariously with one foot on the seat and one on the handlebars. I'm sure I could have done it, if I'd wanted to . . .

But seriously, what the hell kind of stupid-ass sign is this? (rhetorical)

I'm just going to have to ignore it and continue walking in my normal fashion.
It does get me where I want to go.
: )

PhotoSho . . . fo, sho!

2008-09-16T20:24:00.000-07:00

To all of you appreciators of fine photography, I have a great resource.

I discovered this magazine in the Gift Shop of the Vancouver Art Gallery and simple fell in love with it. And it's Canadian to boot (not something I always support when it looks, well, TOO Canadian, for those who know what I mean).

The magazine is PhotoSho and is very well published, printed and produced. I enjoyed every square inch of it and that doesn't happen very often to this guy.
I urge you to check them out - www.photosho.ca and subscribe or find a place where you can buy a copy.

Support Canadian art, photographers and a high-quality print publication.

Remember Enoch Bolle & Vargas?

2008-09-04T14:27:00.000-07:00

Pin-up poster masters from the 30's, 40's and 50's.

Well, Nila and I did a photoshoot the other day, and from it, achieved this . . .

I'm not going to reveal how it came about, but it was actually toooo easy.

This may be the best thing I've ever created! (of course, I think that every week with each new set of pics)

Photo Sizes for Web

2008-08-22T08:59:00.001-07:00

(photo size - 11.5 kb)

I'd like to plug a great little program I came across a little while back while searching for ways to 'protect' my photos.
With photos on my website, flickr, facebook and a few other places, it can be a slight concern that others will want to take your photos and use them.
While it is actually impossible to completely protect your photos from being downloaded or saved to another's computer, it is possible to make them of a lower quality so that they won't be usable for print and will be less usable online.

That search led me to: Visualizer Photo Resize, which I'm extremely happy with.
It takes a 4-5 mb file and reduces it to an average of 40 kb.
When friends we know do download these photos and print them, they usually follow up with an email saying that they didn't print well - looking fine from a distance but really blurry up close.
My response is, "I KNOW!".

(photo size - 45 kb)

One other point in all this is - bandwidth.
A huge pet peeve of mine is folks sending full-size photos via email directly from their camera. This unecessarily uses up way too much bandwidth, email space and my time.
Even without this handy program, you can easily resize your photos for emailing in Windows by: picking all the photos you want to send (hold 'ctrl' to select more than one) then right click and 'Send to . . .'. Windows will then ASK YOU to resize them for e-mailing, to which you will of course answer, YES!

Switzerland and Back

2008-08-15T13:41:00.000-07:00

Over England

with Nila's parents

the country

the city

the ladies Roux

a boat ride

food & drink

homeward bound

Walk in the Woods

2008-07-31T11:24:00.001-07:00

Sometimes I arrive early for an appointment, which on the North Shore means opportunity to find somewhere nice to go for a walk.
Sometimes . . . I'm even early on purpose, thus creating the opportunity.

It was super quiet on this woodland path the other day, and I had the feeling that there may even be a bear lurking about, but alas, no such luck *_*

You can see the path I took, however, nice and crunchy under the feet . . .

Sun Sun Merciful One

2008-07-24T22:29:00.001-07:00

So I introduce The Sunflower and Guest with a lyric from a Live Song - 'Sun', from the album The Distance to Here.

The Eyes

2008-07-18T21:12:00.000-07:00

Of a Woman. Wow.
I 're-discovered' this image while browsing through some shoots from a few months back. I had forgotten about it because the thumbnail of it doesn't look like this. Luckily, Microsoft makes such an awesome product that it doesn't automatically know to update thumbnails in Explorer when you modify a photo. That way, I can be surprised every now and then.
This is Nila, as you may have guessed, in a photo taken when she was done up to go to a Holt's Gala. All I did was put it in photoshop and adjust the contrast and brightness (that's all I usually do - secrets out!) until it looks like what you see.
I took the pic and did the adjustment, and I am still in awe!! I love when that happens.
You should see it as a desktop background . . .

DUCK!

2008-07-16T20:53:00.000-07:00

But don't run.

Now how cute is that?

Climbing the Walls?

2008-07-08T09:52:00.000-07:00

Well it's not just you!
My altitudinally challenged friend, Parthenocissus tricuspidata (Boston Ivy) is also climbing that cement wall to heaven.

Steve the Landscaper

2008-07-04T09:14:00.000-07:00

Did a nice little planting job on Bowen Island about a month ago and was sorting through the pictures today.
Thought I'd leave a little evidence of what I do with an overview of one of my favourite jobs in years.
Too bad it was only 5 days, as it was such a peaceful setting to work in.

Look Up!

2008-07-03T15:31:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful tree, the Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia).
I don't really need to say anything else . . .

An Anomaly

2008-06-28T21:33:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while you see something unusual and very beautiful. As I was walking through the park I noticed, amongst the plethora of foxgloves flowering, one which had a most unusual flower - at the top.
I'd never seen this before so I took a few pictures.
Upon returning home I learned that this is a fairly rare genetic mutation, one seen mostly in gardens where a couple known varieties like this can be planted on purpose from seed.
Doesn't matter much to me, though, as a beautiful flower is a beautiful flower any day of the week.

Ants Love Peonies, too

2008-06-28T21:29:00.000-07:00

I was waiting for a client to arrive onsite one day and, as usual, got to looking around the garden, camera in hand.
As many folks know, ants can often be seen on Peonies when they are in bud. What a lot of folks assume however, as is often the case, is that there is some nefarious reason for their presence.
Poor little ants - all they want is a bit of the sweet nectar that the Peony bud offers up, and on this dewy morning, all the better.

To Crow or not To Crow

2008-06-18T03:04:00.000-07:00

As an irreligious, apolitical, pacifist vegan I rarely think about being anyone or anything but me . . .
but whenever I watch the crows I wonder what it might be like to fly above the fray, free from human thoughts and self-consciousness and just BE a crow.
Despite what anyone may say, we can learn a lot from these creatures just by watching them with good intention.

Reflections

2008-06-12T14:37:00.000-07:00

I haven't been posting any photos recently because I haven't been taken many!

I've been reflecting.

I don't answer my cellphone when I'm driving . . . but I am guilty of snapping a picture or two.
Thing is - I don't really look . . . I just sort of aim and fire and let lady luck determine if I get something special.
Like life - you have to at least try and take a chance for something to happen.

Burlesque

2008-05-02T14:16:00.001-07:00

So I was one of 3 photogs at the Vancouver International Burlesque Festival's show last Saturday at the Cobalt.
The Cobalt - first and last time ever in that joint. If you know my lovely wife, then you'll know why - such a place is no place for her classic beauty, not to mention her slight germ phobia.
In any event, got some nice shots with my humble camera, after learning the ins and outs of getting the most out of 'er in low light conditions.

It's not the equipment . . .

2008-05-02T14:00:00.000-07:00

it's how you use it! ; )

For as long as I can remember, I've always done well with what seems like lesser.
As a youth I had an old second (or third or fourth) hand set of golf clubs, but always seemed to manage a good drive and a respectable score.
Growing up I rarely had brand new skates or hockey equipment, but managed somehow to score enough goals to be a threat on the ice.
When I got my first computer, I added to it myself and tweaked it to make it run just so. When Windows XP first came out, I was told when I purchased it that it would never run on my 'old' computer. It did and continued to perform well for quite a few years.
This has been a constant theme, and it continues to repeat itself. I use a fairly simple point and shoot camera - an Olympus SP-510UZ - to take all my shots, indoor and outdoor, close-up and far away. As you can hopefully see, I think I get the most out of 'er.

I don't need fancy things, I just need to know how to make the most of what I've got . . .

How Could You?

2008-04-23T21:21:00.000-07:00

I rarely rant or preach or even tell, so I will digress from doing all these things as long as I can simply ask . . .

How could anyone eat these friendly, beautiful, docile creatures?

After I drove past and saw them in their enclosure I had to stop and say 'hello'. It's been a while since I've visited any animal friends and those who know me know why - seeing any animal enclosed, contained, restrained or otherwise harmed breaks my heart every time.
Today, though, I just felt like being near them for a minute.
Of course, after I noticed that the tag in their ear indicating that they were all named 'Angus', I knew their destiny had been determined and I thanked them for allowing me to be with them for a moment, capture their beauty and said my goodbyes.

Narcissus Dew

2008-04-14T11:43:00.000-07:00

Had the opportunity to go to Bowen Island this weekend to scope out a landscaping gig and was lucky enough to have time to snap some more up close and personal shots with one of my favourite subjects - flowers.

Not Quite Lemmings

2008-03-12T21:41:00.000-07:00

It's springtime, and so it must be time to get all of your ducks . . . in a row.

And in case you're wondering - no, not a single duck was harmed in the taking of this photo.

Swan Song

2008-03-07T13:03:00.000-08:00

Again, Nila and I had the chance to take a walk to Stanley Park to watch our foul, fowl friends.
The geese honk at each other, and at you if you get too close.
The ducks were flapping about, the boys trying to impress the girls, and much quacking ensued.
The odd gull would fly by, screaming about something.
Another small bird that I couldn't identify made a deep and loud grunt!

But, the swans, in all their glory took the prize. The made such a contradictory 'cough' that we both cracked up.

But they are beautiful . . .

Triptychs

2008-03-06T09:03:00.000-08:00

I LOVE Triptychs. There is something about groups of three that feels right. My mother always told me things happen in threes, and as I keep my eyes on things I have noticed that it's true.
Pictures in threes tell a story, or at least that is my aim when I put three images together.

I caught this dude at Stanley Park a couple months ago. When I took the pictures, I just saw a beautiful heron, enjoying the day as I was. But when I got home, sifted through the shots and deleted those that didn't turn out, I was left with these three, and together it's just too funny.
I like to call this one . . . 'OVER THERE!'

Ms. Allat-toinette

2008-03-04T08:49:00.001-08:00

This past weekend Nila and I did a couple photoshoots of ourselves, for our portfolios.
Nila and I love many periods in history, for the fashion and style, the art and architecture, and also for the lifestyle or a part of it.

This is one of MANY photos that turned out beautifully. Of course, you're going to have to send in the big money to catch a glimpse of me up here (just kidding, they're on Nila's portfolio site already). I hope you enjoy.

Summertime Flower

2008-03-01T09:53:00.000-08:00

Here in Vancouver, this tropical flower is a summertime beauty. It's is known now as Brugmansia (formerly Datura) and goes by the common name Angel's Trumpet.
You can see it in white, yellow, and various shades of pink for the most part.
Everyone marvels at it and asks what it is when they see it.

I snapped this picture early one morning (7 a.m.) about 5 years ago and have always loved it.
Being the good photog that I try to be, I got down on my back for that special perspective.

Alstromeria

2008-02-29T11:09:00.001-08:00

I love taking pictures of flowers, especially close-up. I'll never cease to marvel at the beauty of nature, with all of it's colour and intricacy.

Smooth Sailing

2008-02-27T15:02:00.002-08:00

This picture was taken off of the West Coast of Florida, near St. Petersburg a couple weeks ago.

Wishing myself an open adventure on smooth seas as I put myself out into the blog world.