Empirical Photographic Arts

We recently photographed a few of Al Dente’s signature dishes for their new menu. Al Dente Pizza, Pasta, & Grill was established in 1988 in Brantford Ontario and has a reknowned reputation for  excellent food and a relaxed atmosphere. It was a pleasure working with them and sampling their fare

Toni and Derek met us in Paris Ontario for their engagement shoot recently. They will be getting married at the Paris Golf and Country Club in August 2010.
These guys swear they haven’t done any modeling. Between you and I, I don’t believe them! Here are a few of the images from their engagement shoot in Paris. More to come later this month after their wedding.

Banging on the “Cone of Silence”

When I was ten my favourite TV show was “Get Smart,” that 1960′s spoof about the adventures of the bumbling super-spy Maxwell Smart. In the series, “Agent 86” fearlessly investigated threats from KAOS, and while he often got himself into trouble, he never failed to save the day, typically thanks to his own dumb luck. When I grew up, I wanted to be Maxwell Smart.

Funny, but it seems like I got my wish.

One of the biggest running jokes on the show was a device called the “Cone of Silence.” Whenever two people wanted to talk about something secret, they would call for the Cone of Silence to keep their discussions private.

The joke was funny because the device never worked. Max and the Chief would sit across from each other, yelling and unable to hear a word, while anyone outside the Cone could talk to them and hear their conversations perfectly.

Eventually, the people inside the Cone of Silence would realize how unproductive their efforts at secrecy were. After a lot of shouting and struggle, they’d lift the Cone and have an open conversation like mature and reasonable people.

I know what its like to be stuck in that Cone of Silence. I know because City officials have put me there. From what they’ve written and said to me its clear they don’t want to talk to me, they don’t want to hear from me, and they definitely want to keep me from asking questions and talking about what’s going on at City Hall.

I’ve been under that Cone for quite a while now. For the last few years, every chance I get, I bang on the sides of it, hoping that someone outside will lift the device and help me talk to these guys. At City Hall there’s a conversation we need to have, decisions we need to make and problems we need to fix and this has to happen out in the open.

But I figure these guys keep using the Cone of Silence on me because they like the veil of secrecy it gives them. It helps them to get on with things without interference from pesky elected officials who ask a lot of questions and want information. It relieves them from the burden of accountability.

People say that “knowledge is power.” That’s true. Controlling access to information is the key to that power. If you control what people know, you control the decisions people make. That’s what’s happening at City Hall, it’s been happening for years now, and I’ve been fighting to stop it. Its that fight that keeps me under the Cone of Silence.

Here’s the latest example. About a month ago, someone told me there was a land deal that happened a few years back under the previous Council. There was something that smelled fishy about that deal, questions were raised about it by the Council of the day.

When I was told about it, I immediately brought what I heard to the attention of senior City officials. Now, thanks to the Cone of Silence and Council’s rules of confidentiality, I can’t tell you what happened next.

I can’t tell you what I told them about the matter, and I can’t tell you what they did with the information. I can’t give you any details about the issue at all, not even the questions I asked or what information I asked for. I can’t tell you what Council considered at our in-camera meeting on June 21st, and I definitely can’t tell you why they voted to close the matter and apologize to a City official on my behalf for even raising the matter in the first place. In fact, I’ve probably told you too much already.

Think about what this means. Suppose you’re an elected official, a member of Council, and someone tells you something is wrong, that maybe a City official even broke the law. The moment you ask for information you get threatened and shut down hard. Instead of looking into it, other City officials ask Council’s permission to consider the matter closed.

The whole matter starts to stink to you like a cover up, but because of Council’s confidentiality rules, you can’t speak about the matter or tell anyone what you think is wrong or what happened. You could go to the police if you had any information for a complaint, but no one’s given you any. In the meantime the original complainant gets scared off.

Even if you wanted information to put the matter to rest in your own mind you would have to file a Freedom of Information request with your own staff at the City Clerks Office. That’s a process that takes months, will cost you maybe hundreds of dollars and will likely go to appeal after appeal in the hopes that you’ll give up trying.

I have to think I’m not alone in seeing something’s wrong with that picture. I can’t believe it represents the kind of community or government we should have, and I can’t believe that anyone wanting to be an elected official can defend that process.

As a citizen, maybe even as someone running for office in this municipal election, you need to realize that City officials can lower this Cone of Silence on you or anyone at any time. They can lower it on any elected official or any member of the public, and if you’ve got a reputation for asking questions people would rather avoid answering, Council might even support them in doing that to you.

So I need your help. The people on the other end of this Cone of Silence can’t and won’t hear me. The question I’m hoping someone outside the Cone of Silence will ask them is “why?”

Why would City officials move to silence me? Why would they stop my requests for information about a land deal with a well-known local developer? If nothing wrong happened, why are they fighting me and holding back information that will clear the whole thing up?

As an elected official I think I have a right to know the truth of the matter and be satisfied with information I have a right to ask for in any case. And as a member of the public I think you have a right to be satisfied that everything is fine and above board in your City and with your property. But someone at City Hall thinks what’s best for you is ignorance. That is the Cone of Silence. That’s how it works.

And make no mistake, it does work… for them. Its a devious and effective means to keep you ignorant and keep them in control. City officials have gone on record about how effective this Cone of Silence is. It’s clear how they use it when they don’t want people to know what’s really going on in this City.

Not that long ago the press reported that, in another land deal, senior City officials discussed withholding information from Kingspan Insulated Panels about possible protests by Six Nations ‘land protectors.’ They didn’t want anything to interrupt the sale of land and joked about how this information would be kept under a “cone of silence.” Now we’re being sued by Kingspan for ten million dollars. Whether our insurance will cover that settlement is a question I’m still waiting to have answered.

I think it’s time to smash this Cone of Silence and clean up a broken process. It’s time to realize how extensive and unproductive our secrecy is, how wasteful and destructive it’s been. It’s time for an open conversation on the risks we face and how the Community’s Corporation should be run.

The costs of the Cone of Silence system are obvious. These costs can be measured in multimillion dollar lawsuits, lost jobs, broken government and a fatally toxic climate at City Hall. The officials responsible for this system should be held accountable for creating and perpetuating this chaos. This October 25th, elected officials like me will certainly will be held accountable for what we tried to do to fix it.

James Calnan

133 Peel Street, Brantford ON

N3S 5M6

It’s funny how things seem to happen for a reason. So we met up with Vince and Andrea last week at Dundurn Castle in Hamilton to start out this great venture to various locations for their engagement shoot. Well, what was suppose to be this really nice day turned into a dark and gloomy night reaaally quick so we finished up at Dundurn with this wicked shot out front (first image) and decided to meet up again another day. Off to Stoney Creek we go for some more shooting and scouting for the wedding day yesterday. We finished off back at Andrea’s family home and after meeting the family and neighbours we start looking around….Andrea’s neighbour has been generous enough to offer up his antique cars for her wedding day so we go next door to have a look and….OMG!! Goldmine!…..that’s it, now you have to come back in a few weeks to see what we found! hahaha

I started up with climbing again this year and finally found a couple of climbing partners  so it has been a much more enjoyable experience. I’ve actually known Karen and Tae for quite some time just never knew they liked climbing….who knew!
Tae and I went outdoor climbing for the first time last week and had a blast. Below is a little video from our first outdoor outing at Rattlesnake Point in Halton Hills, Ontario. I’m a little camera shy so I stick to behind the camera for the most part! Thanks to Tyler and Tandi for this awesome experience, definitely looking forward to more.

We met up with the Paris Port Dover Pipe Band at the 24th annual run for light in Brantford a couple of weeks ago. The band is once again going through a growth spurt so new photographs were required. Below are a couple of images from the shoot, this is only a portion of the band!
The Brantford run for light is an annual non-competitive run that raises funds for the W.Ross MacDonald School for the Blind fitness programs and athletes. Every year between 700 – 900 people turn out for the night run and can be seen from afar as each participant is given a glow stick. These efforts have raised over $40 000 since 1994.

We got together with Frank & Brigitte last week for their engagement session and did some shooting around the Brantford area. Most of the time when we ask to use someone’s property for a few shots they are thrilled and take it as a compliment….this wasn’t so much the case this time but never the less,  after a little reassurance and chit chat, we were able to pull it off.
We started off just outside of Brantford and worked our way back into town. The engagement session is always a good chance for us to learn a little more about the bride and groom to be. We now know that you can take the boy out of the city but you can’t take the city out of the boy! Just kidding Frank, we’ll be sure to keep you clean on the wedding day!

Frank and Brigitte will be tying the knot on July 10, 2010. Looking forward to the big day!

As promised, here are a few images from the third photo session with Darshan. Halfway through his first year already! In trying to keep each shoot looking different, I opted for a studio style set-up for most of this image set. During this shoot I witnessed him transition from a military body drag to a full out hand and knee crawl! Looking forward to the next shoot at their new place in Toronto.

As I mentioned before, I’ve had the honor of photographing little Darshan every three months during this ever-so-precious first year of life. Nothing makes you realize how fast time flies as watching children change and grow. Below are a few of the images from his second shoot at around three months old. I’ll be catching up this week so stay tuned for a few more images from the Darshan collection, take three, coming soon.

The other night I was out with Sam Tavernese and James Calnan to do a few shots at a Brantford bus stop. After learning about Sam Tavernese’s solar & led company, James Calnan connected the Brantford company with Pattison. With the direction from James and the cooperation of the city, ProQuip International installed a solar powered lighting system at the bus stop in front of Western Waffles in Brantford, Ontario.

While at the shoot, I took the opportunity to get a couple shots of James kids who had also come to learn about solar energy.

I have been photographing little baby Darshan every three months since the beginning of his life and it is so cool seeing how much he has changed each time. You might not believe me but this is one super baby, in fact, I should really get a cape for the next shoot! The first time I met Darshan he was only a couple of weeks old. Like a lot of parents, his were saying ‘hold on, I’ll get him to smile’. It usually brings a look of disappointment when you remind the parents that the child is too young to be smiling but he was actually smiling! Not JUST smiling, smiling on demand! That smile is there every time and it is so contagious. If it is a sign of what life will be like with Darshan then Jenna and Rishi are in for such a treat. Below are a few images from his first shoot.

Thanks so much for asking me to be a part of your first year as a family of three. I am looking forward to seeing him at nine months with all his chub!

An off camera flash to the right of the scene turns this normal, flat photo into a interesting image with much more depth. Pocket wizards are used to fire the remote flash.

Well, I don’t know about where you live…but in Brantford today it is going up to 14 degrees! Yes folks, spring is here. Time to get the shorts out, spark up the BBQ and crack a cold beer!

A friend told us about the KISSFM contest and we decided to submit this little diddy! Completely NOT what they expect but what the hey! Let’r rip!  This image is from Bre and Daves engagement shoot at the Brantford Train Station. We traveled to South Carolina to photograph their wedding.

Holly is  one of five contestants competing to be host for a show on Bite TV.

She needs as many people as possible to vote for her every day until January 29th.

Here’s the link:

http://www.bite.ca/show/The-Short-Bus/

You can watch a clip from the episode she filmed there, too. Please vote for her and get as many people as you can to vote as well!

Thanks for your help! D’Arcy

After the fallout, a struggle to find safe shelter is an ongoing battle. I took a trip to Toronto with our masked avenger friend to see what we could find. All seemed well until we reached the seventh floor of an abandoned factory…out of breath, cold, thirsty, and hungry, we noticed a shimmering light in the far corner. A lone candle, lit not long ago, provides a little light, a sense of warmth, and also fear…we have invaded someone’s home.

Quite often we are asked by other photographers and people wanting to learn more about photography in general to show them some lighting techniques. Back in the old studio we had the pleasure of working with Stacie Kae and some of her friends as volunteer models a few times.  So after a little sabatical from lighting workshops I found Stacie Kae on facebook recently and somehow came across some youtube videos of her playing guitar and singing. I had no idea she had such a great voice! Below are a couple of images from one of the last shoots, and of course…Stacie Kae, live in your living room!

OMG…I have just had a piece of heaven. I make pizza and panzarotti’s all the time. In fact, I get requests for my pizza. But ya know, sometimes you just gotta take a break and order out. So we came back from the Hamilton wedding show tonight, tired, hungry, thirsty, and a couple drinks later we secured the decision that cooking was just not in the plans! We’ve heard that Gigis in Brantford does a good pie so we gave it a shot and I must say it was, well, orgasmic! The dough was just like our ‘doughnuts’…deep fried goodness just like home, what else could one ask for? Oh yeah, fresh ingredients, great sauce, did I mention great dough?! We will see you again oh great Gigi’s…..

D’Arcy was on a shoot with fellow photographer Daniel Banko (Banko Media) recently and took the opportunity to explore a little of what New York has to offer. A jammed pack couple of days meant walking the streets at night was required. Below are a few images from the series ‘Manhattan’ by D’Arcy…you can see more at his new personal website, www.darcyelliott.ca.
We are so looking forward to taking a trip to New York together for some personal shooting and a few cold beers under the Brooklyn bridge! Be sure to check out his new site, it just went live!

I used to laugh at the phrase ‘shoemakers son syndrome’, swearing up and down that that would not be us! Well, 12 years together and I hate to say it but my family still doesn’t have a shot of D’Arcy and I together! Even worse….I have two amazing nieces (the best little girls in the whole wide world!) and a gorgeous new nephew…and a harddrive full of images that have not been shared or shown. This is my solemn vow to the world that this nonsense will now come to an end! Below are a few images of Daniel, my little nephew that is out numbered by two older sisters. As for a shot of D’Arcy and I, well…one thing at a time alright!

D’Arcy and I headed over to the Kneale family home on Christmas Eve for a few family portraits. The holidays are always a great time for this as family members quite often travel from different areas to be together. Thanks to the Kneale family for a great start to the holidays, cheers and happy New Year!

We photographed this guys wedding a while back, before the fallout  of coarse. Now, it’s taking what you can get and dealing with it. I will keep his identity secret for know…the living dead seem to have memories. I’m not taking any chances.

I have had the pleasure of photographing Lindsay and Jack’s children over the last couple years so it’s neat looking through old shots and seeing how they have changed. Lindsay and I go back a ways and after our little stint in the WNBA it is great to see her again back in our home town again, lol! This last Ronson family shoot I got to meet the rest of the gang….dogs included. We got lucky with the weather and had a great shoot at Mohawk Park in Brantford Ontario.

I’m including a couple shots from our first session together….the one and only time Talia was ready and willing to be photographed.  We’ll get you yet Talia!

  Once and a while, Ang and I like to do some Urban Exploration. This image was made in the old MasseyFurgusson Plant and made with a Canon G10. To view more images made with this camera go here.

Had a lot of fun with these two. Have fun in Hawaii!