Author: David Kempton

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Bookbinding Course

I have started an online course through Domestika.org on bookbinding. The instructor makes an interesting distinction between books bound and in an artistic manner, including blank books and books that are of themselves artistic artifacts, and binding artworks in a way that presents and protects them. I am interested iin both making artifacts and presenting my work in book form..

A few years ago I did make a book, Signature 1.

Continue reading “Bookbinding Course”
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Time & Motion gallery

I was recently asked by Jeff Nye to “lend” some images for use by a student interested in representing time and motion in photographs. The student curated a nice little online 3D gallery, which you can enjoy by clicking here. (Hint: Best way to view an image and get its title is to click on it. Zooming around the room is nice, too. Calm ocean view outdoors.)

Most of the text is the student’s, with some quotes from me.

My galleries are here. I think you’ll agree that seeing them in 3D is pretty cool.

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Orphan Black

We’ve been bingeing on Orphan Black the past couple of weeks – combination of COVID-19 pandemic and the regular TV not working.

Of course, since it was shot in Toronto, we have spotted places we recognize.

When we got to the Season 4 Episode 1 (actually the season premier) we found that a critical scene was shot in the back alley and stairwell where I shot a number of my graffiti pieces. It was fun to see Grenade and Ten in passing, as well as where others that are there (or were… I haven’t been back).

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Banksy on Grafitti

Toronto Star: Gardiner Expressway, near Dunn Avenue, March 25, 2020, p2

“GRAFFITI IS ONE OF THE FEW TOOLS you have if you have almost nothing,” writes the street artist Banksy. In the alleyways of the poor, kids spray-paint against injustice or to assert their spirit or maybe just to get a laugh where laughs are scarce. in trenches, soldiers mark the walls to protest impermanence. And in a pandemic, too, it seems, those with almost nothing, who now have still less, make their pleas where they can.

My graffiti galleries are here, here and here.

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Night Streets

Ottawa night cafe

I’m not out much at night, but when I do go, I like to take photos. I am lucky to have very steady hands, so I can take clear images at unusually low shutter speeds. I do have a tripod – good one, too – and a monopod, but I rarely take them with me. My new Fujifilm XT5 has a f1.4 16mm lens.

You’ll notice that there are not many people in my photographs, and this is true at night as well. Somehow I’m just inhibited about that (but I’m getting over it).

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Modernism and Colonialism

Photo of a steam engine's driving wheels

Modernism asks us each to take our own lives in both hands, to accept responsibility, to make change in the world. I believe that initially it was understood that if you shed tradition and became modern, the changes you would make in the world would be for the better. While some wonderful things have come out of that, there have been problems, too. Modernism and colonialism have been a particularly toxic mix. Continue reading “Modernism and Colonialism”

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A Day in the Dump

Three Fridges Outside Orrville Ontario

At the cottage near Orrville, we have to take our own recycling & trash to the dump ourselves. There’s even a Dump Store – a local attraction.

I recently talked the guy working the dump that day into letting me go in & take some photographs. Here are a few. You can see that I had fun, seeing the usual as unusual.

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Newmarket Graffiti

Graffiti freestyle with metallic paint

I actually found some graffiti in Newmarket that I could enjoy! Most of the graffiti around here is really poor – kindergarten stuff – runny tagging, boring, blech!

What I found actually has some freestyle along with layers other work. Even the setting is interesting – much as I dislike litter, the discarded spraycans add to the image.

For more of my thoughts on graffiti, see my earlier post: Photographing Graffiti

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Digital Primer

A few years ago I wrote up a Digital Primer to help one of our nieces learn how to use her new camera. In it, I explained the camera in terms of various Components, explaining what each is, and what factors have to be considered for each.

Here’s a sample:

Component: Lens

What: That glass thing in front that forms the image, just like you study in science class

Factors:

  • Focal length – measured in mm
    • a longer focal length brings objects closer (telephoto) but takes in a narrower view
    • a shorter focal length is the opposite – smaller objects but wider view
    • telephoto lenses have less depth of field, meaning there is more in front of and behind the subject that will be blurry. You can use this to isolate the subject e.g. portrait in focus with flowers etc soft-focus in behind.
    • A zoom lens has a range of focal lengths, usually from somewhat wide to somewhat telephoto – good all-purpose compromise
  • Quality – almost any modern name-brand camera will have a good-quality lens, and you can upgrade over time

You can download the complete pdf here: Digital camera primer

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