Mike Hodson Photography

Proof of Life

2012-02-06T13:43:00.000-08:00

Yes, I'm still alive and capable of creating new blog posts. But with the Twins still not sleeping through the night, a pet dinosaur (3 year old Son) and a steady amount of teaching photography classes on evenings and weekends....I just haven't been able to scratch up the motivation for a blog update....until now.

These are a selection of images from the last year or so. Enjoy!

Twins Update

2011-09-15T11:56:00.000-07:00

Wow...if anyone ever tells you that raising twins is twice as hard as raising a single child...slap them. It's at least 4 times as hard. It may be a lot of work, but when I see those two little faces smiling at me, it's all worth it.

It's hard to find the time to photograph them, besides quick shots with the family P&S (point & shoot) camera. But I recently got a new professional camera, and what better way to test it out, than to shoot my twins (and their big brother, of course).

So here are a few new photos.

We lovingly refer to them as our 'Toe-headed' children. Hopefully the girls will be able to grow a nice head of hair, but judging by their brother, it's going to take a while.

Meet the Twins!

2011-05-02T12:16:00.000-07:00

It is with great pride that I announce the birth of my daughters; Marie and Zoey Hodson.

They arrived on April 15th and have been happily eating, sleeping and pooping ever since. I haven't had time for a proper photo shoot just yet, but here are some quick shots that I managed to take during our stay at the hospital.

How to use a Grey Card

2011-03-29T13:20:00.000-07:00

Getting back to the origins of why I started this blog, here is a photography lesson

The importance of metering and how to use a grey card.

One of the keys to great photography is understanding exposure and knowing how to create a properly exposed photo.

The first thing we need to understand is that our cameras have built-in light meters, more to the point, they have 'reflected light' meters. They measure the light that is bouncing off of the scene and then give us the exposure settings (shutter speed, aperture & ISO).

The problem with this, is that the things we photograph will reflect different amounts light, which we see as different tones and colors. The camera doesn't know what it's looking at, it just knows how much light is reflecting off of it.

For this system to work, the cameras have to be programed for a certain amount of light...we call this middle grey. The camera assumes that the average reflectance of the scene will be the same tone as middle grey, so it gives you exposure settings that would work if your scene was actually middle grey. Fortunately, this is often the case, which is why many of the photos you take, don't look too bad.

However, when our scene (or the part that we meter on) isn't middle grey, we end up with under-exposed or over-exposed photos. This is because the camera is still assuming that our scene is middle gray, so the exposure settings it recommends are likely going to be wrong.

In the example above, the scene is mostly bright white snow, which is a lot brighter than middle grey. The camera doesn't know that it's seeing snow, just that it's bright. Therefore, it recommended settings that caused the photo to be underexposed. This is what you would get in any of the 'auto' modes on your camera. I got this in Manual mode by adjusting the settings (shutter speed, aperture & ISO) until the 'needle' on the camera's meter/scale got to zero (...0...).

One of the best tools to ensure that you do get properly exposed photos, is a grey card. They can be found in most photography shops for about $20. The are specially made to reflect exactly middle grey....which is what the camera is expecting to meter off of.

To use a grey card, you place the card under the same lighting conditions that you are shooting in (that your subject is in). If your subject can hold the card, that's great. You then meter off of the card. To do this, you basically fill the frame with the grey card and see what exposure settings you camera is recommending.

Now you need to lock your exposure at that exposure value. With an SLR type camera, you can use Manual mode and adjust the settings (shutter speed, aperture & ISO), or you can engage exposure lock (check your user manual). With a point & shoot type camera, you should be able to lock the exposure as well. If you are using exposure lock, be sure not to accidentally re-meter the scene once you back up again. That's why it's so much easier to just use manual mode.
The exact combination of settings that you choose, will depend on your artistic goal, which is another lesson.

So now that you have locked in the settings that you got from metering on the grey card, back up and compose the shot how you like and take your photo.

Do you see that my subject is now properly exposed? Also notice how the snow actually looks white in the photo, like it does in 'real life'. In this case, some of the snow is even blown out, which is because it's just that much brighter than proper exposure for my subject. Given the choice between an underexposed photo or a bit of blown out snow, I'll choose the one that gives me a properly exposed subject.

With my camera in manual mode, I now have proper exposure locked in. So I can continue to shoot without having to re-meter for each shot. Provided, of course, that the lighting conditions don't change.

So there you have it. How to get proper exposure using a Grey Card. This will work in any lighting situation, just keep in mind that if you change your lighting (shooting in another direction or moving to the shade etc), that you will have to re-meter to get new exposure settings.

Forrest Update

2010-10-26T20:31:00.000-07:00

Here are some more recent photos of Forrest.

In July, we took Forrest to Capital X (I still call it K-days). He was still too small to go on any rides but he got to play the ducky game and he won himself a stuffed cow, which became the first stuffed animal that he became attached to and needs for bed time. He already knows the value of something earned, now that's good parenting....;-)

He loves trucks and I found this cool jeep at a garage sale for $1. He loved it so much, he wouldn't be parted from it, even during nap time.

Standing outside the house with the flowers that he helped his mother plant.

Safe at home!

Just about two years old!

He knows that diaper cream feels good, so when he managed to get his hands on it, he took full advantage. I found him like this, hiding behind the chair in his room. He was crying because he knew he'd be in trouble...but I couldn't keep a strait face and so neither could he.

He loves his Mommy!

Auditioning for Trailer Park Boys?

Being silly with Daddy.

First trip to Rexal Place...went to Oilers Training Camp.

Helping Daddy wash the floor.

He loves the big field by our house.

He doesn't want to go home yet, even after the sun goes down.

Diedo being silly at Forrest's 2nd birthday party.

"Look me, look me"

A very artistic friend drew this on the envelope for his birthday card.

Yummy! Birthday cake.

He had been practicing his candle blowing technique for weeks.

Home made sushi with soy sauce....mmmmm.

Waterfalls

2010-09-13T13:51:00.000-07:00

How's that song go?...'Don't go chasing waterfalls....'

HDR Landscape Photos

2010-09-13T12:16:00.000-07:00

I truly love landscape photography. Sometimes I wish I could just go live in the wilderness and do nothing but shoot landscapes. I could let my beard grow out and befriend a grizzly bear...it would be awesome.

I've been experimenting with a technique often referred to as HDR (high dynamic range) and here are some of the results.

This first one was shot just off of QE2, very early in the morning, while I was on my

way down to Kananaskis. The rest are from right in Kananaskis country.

Natasha & Malachy

2010-08-28T21:31:00.000-07:00

Here are a few sneak peaks from the wedding of Natasha & Malachy.

Senior Photos

2010-06-01T07:16:00.000-07:00

What do you think of when you hear the term 'Senior Photos'?
If you are like most Canadians, you probably envision a nice portrait of Betty White.

If you ask a typical American though, they will tell you that Senior Photos are what you get when you are graduating from high school. Of course, everybody has their photo taken for the yearbook, but senior photos are something more. It's a chance for them to have a photo shoot of their own, it's a chance to show their personality, it's a chance to show everyone that they are grown up and are ready to take on the world.

The best part about Senior Photos, is that there are very few preconceived notions about it, so we are free to take it where the imagination leads us. An athlete might want to do a shoot with their sports gear, or maybe someone wants to include their favorite pet. How about a shoot with your first car?
They can be dramatic & edgy. Do you want to look like a rebel? a rockstar? or maybe a model? It's all possible.

Here are some shots from a recent senior photo shoot. This sweetheart has Turner's Syndrome, a genetic physical & learning disability...but we're proud to announce that she's graduating from high school and will be attending college next year.

Pics from the Pink Camera

2010-04-21T07:33:00.000-07:00

Not long after Forrest was born, we bought our first P&S (point & shoot) digital camera. It's a pink Canon Elph, just like Avril Lavigne had on that commercial.
I, of course, had my professional cameras but we wanted something to have handy so that we could get snapshots of Forrest growing up. Last night I uploaded the memory card and picked out some of my favorites from the last few months.

More Forrest

2010-03-30T10:45:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to get these photos for a while now. Firstly, I wanted to get at least one good shot of Forrest with our dog Muffy. Muffy used to be my grandmother's dog and when my grandmother passed away, we bought the house and inherited the dog...or as I like to tell people, we paid a few hundred thousand dollars for the dog, and got a free house out of the deal.
Anyway, Muffy is very old...over 17 years I think. The only way I remember her age, is that we have a photo somewhere, of my little sister with my grandmother's previous dog, when she was about the age Forrest is now. That dog lived to be something like 21 years old and died not too long after that photo was taken, so with my sister being 18 years old, I extrapolate that Muffy is around 17 because my grandmother wasn't without a dog for very long.

It took me until now to get these photos, because Muffy isn't really fond of kids...not unless they are up in a high chair and dropping food down onto the floor. She won't sit still for them to pet her, she even snaps at them if they corner here and pull her hair etc. So when we finally taught Forrest to be 'gentle' with her, I knew I had to get some photos before it was too late. This 'old lady' is still full of life, but she's deaf, almost blind and can't smell very well anymore either. She's had plenty of problems with her teeth, and probably can't handle another operation.

Another thing I wanted to capture in photos, is Forrest with his green bucket. This little prankster is really developing a good sense of humor. He sometimes puts the bucket on his head, then calmly walks up and stands beside you...waiting for you to notice him and laugh (or say "Where's Forrest?"). Only then does he pull the bucket helmet off and laugh. Fast forward 18 years and he'll be the guy at a party with a lamp shade on his head.
I didn't really get the bucket shot I wanted, but these are still funny.

And here are a few more shots from the same shoot.

The 2001 Vancouver Olympics

2010-03-08T14:47:00.001-08:00

The Vancouver Olympics are over and what a wild crazy time it was. I wish I could have been there to experience it, but I was happy to watch it from the comfort my own house.

Bad Start
From the sad and unfortunate death of Georgian luger, Nodar Kumaritashvili, to the overtime heroics of Sidney Crosby, it was an emotional roller coaster, which is really what watching sports is all about.

Mogul skiing
On the first day, I watched Jennifer Heil compete in woman’s mogul skiing with eager anticipation. I clearly remember when she won the Gold Medal at the last Olympics and now she could become the first Canadian to win one on home soil. Her run was amazing, with only one little hiccup, but the American skier was practically perfect and Jen came away with Silver. It’s a weird emotion that accompanies a Silver Medal. The immediate feeling is more of ‘loosing the gold’ than of being the 2nd best in the world. That soon passes and it’s very easy to be proud of the great accomplishment that is a Silver Medal.

Of course, the big moment came the next night when Alexandre Bilodeau captured the Gold Medal in the men’s mogul event. Canada finally had its first Gold Medal on home soil. I didn’t really think that was much of a problem, until the Canadian media mentioned it every 26 second for a solid week, leading up to it. Thank goodness it happened early on, or we might have had to put up with it a lot longer. Not to mention the pressure it put on the actual athletes, although, I think they are so focused by that point, that media chatter doesn’t even enter their world.

Own the Podium
Speaking of pressure on the athletes, there has been a lot of talk about the Canadian Olympic Committee’s ‘Own the Podium’ campaign. The COC allocated 117 million dollars in funding for Canadian Athletes, leading up to these games with the bold mandate to ‘Own the Podium’ (with the highest number of medals). During the first week of the Olympics, members of the media were insinuating that this mandate was putting too much pressure on the athletes, and they may have had a point, considering the number of 4th & 5th place finishes that we had.
Maybe the COC should have called the campaign ‘Finally giving our athletes funding on the level of athletically successful countries’.
At the halfway point of the games, the COC actually came out and admitted that they were going to fall short of their goal to ‘Own the Podium’. Maybe that was to alleviate some of the pressure or the athletes of maybe it was just so they could say “I told you so” when the media started to question them on the $117 million investment.
Thankfully, the medals started rolling in, especially the Golds….and by the end of the Olympics, Canada had won 14 Gold Medals and a total of 26 Medals in all.

Speed Skating
I didn’t realize just how many speed skating events there were. It seemed like there was a different one every few hours during the games….and they featured many of the same athletes. That is such a contrast from an event like moguls, where the athletes only get two official runs (one to qualify), each lasting less than 30 seconds. One day I was sourly disappointed to watch the Hamelin brothers finish 4th and 5th in a 5 man heat for the 1000m short track final. But I also watched Charles Hamelin win Gold in the 500m and the 5000m relay.
There were highs and lows on the long track as well. The highlight being the Canadian Men’s team wining the Gold Medal in the Long track pursuit.

Skeleton
A very memorable moment was when Canadian Jon Montgomery won the Gold Medal in the Skeleton. For those that don’t know, Skeleton is where the athlete slides down the bobsled track on a small sled…face first. The image I will remember about Jon Montgomery is seeing him walk the streets of Whistler while reveling in the euphoria of winning a Gold Medal, and also while drinking beer directly from a pitcher. He really seemed to represent the ‘average Canadian 30 year old guy’.

Hockey
Of course, Hockey was the big attraction for most Canadians. After all, we do eat, breathe, drink, sleep and poop Hockey.
The women’s tournament is always a two horse race. Everybody knew that the Canadians and Americans were far, far better than any other team (Canada won its first game 18-0). So it was no surprise when the two best teams played each other in the finals, the Canadian Women taking the Gold Medal with a 2-0 win over the Americans.

On the Men’s side, things weren’t so simple. The Canadian team (maybe one of the most impressive teams ever put together) had a great start, beating Norway 8-0. But things started to go downhill from there. They needed a shoot out to defeat the Swiss team 3-2. Then they lost to the Americans by a score of 5-3. The entire country was all abuzz about the play of ‘Team Canada’. The incumbent starting goalie, Martin Brodeur, was ousted for Roberto Luongo, who’s played the rest of the tournament.
After the round-robin games, Canada was left in a situation where they would have to win 4 games in 6 days, or else face the immense disappointment that would come from not winning the Gold. They took out Germany 8-2, which set up a date with a Russian team that read like an NHL all-star roster, including Alexander Ovechkin, the most explosive hockey player in the world.
I will always remember the first period against the Russians as one of the best periods of Canadian hockey that I’ve ever seen. One of the Russian players said it best when he said that they came out like wild animals. The final score was 7-3 and now Canadians everywhere suddenly started to strut, rather that walk, wherever they went.
Just about everyone expected that the Canadians would have to go through the Swedish team to advance, but it turns out that the team from Slovakia beat the Swedes for a chance to play Canada in the Semi-finals.
Canada didn’t come out hitting like they did against the Russians. Maybe because the Slovaks had a deadly powerplay, or maybe their performance against the Russians was something that just couldn’t be repeated. Still, the Canadians took a 3-0 lead in the game. It didn’t last however, as the Slovaks scored two goals and came ever so close to tying the game in the final seconds of the third period.

We now had the dream rematch. Canada vs the USA for Olympic Hockey Gold.
I can feel my pulse rising just thinking about the game. The very spirit of our entire country was riding on the outcome of this game. There were reports of people lining up outside of their local watering holes, starting early in the morning, just to ensure they had a good seat to watch the game. I hunkered down in my basement, filling the room with tension and fight-or-flight pheromones.

Canada came out playing pretty physical, almost like they did against the Russians, but the Americans were moving and passing very quickly which made for a very exciting game. The Canadians built up a 2-0 lead, but as any true hockey fan can tell you, a two goal lead is the most dangerous position to be in. It’s a big enough lead that you can’t help but fall into a defensive posture, but it’s small enough that it can disappear very quickly, leaving you tied with a team who now has the momentum.
The Canadians seemed to be playing no-to-loose, rather than playing to win…and sure enough, the Americans scored to make it close. It was a seemingly harmless play but the puck was tipped and sneaked though Luongo’s guard.
I remember looking at the play clock, willing it to count down. 10 minutes left, 5 minutes left, 2 minutes left, one minute left….that last few minutes was sheer terror for me. The Americans were pressing and all the Canadians could manage, was to occasionally get the puck to centre ice before the attack resumed. It would have taken a miracle from the all-mighty Gretzky, for the Canadians to keep the puck out…and the Americans scored with 24 seconds left.
It was like all the oxygen has been sucked out of Canada. The game was tied and the Americans had the momentum. I was seriously scared for the last 24 seconds.

I tired to remain calm during the break before overtime started. I was a nervous but very exciting time. This is what sports fans live for. Along with all other Canadians, I was so very close to either the exultation of victory or the crushing agony of defeat.

The Canadians came out and did what they had to. They took back control of the game and in what seemed like another harmless play; Jerome Iginla got the puck to Sydney Crosby who immediately shot it past the American Goalie, tournament MVP Ryan Miler. It happened so fast…the camera angle wasn’t great…I couldn’t even tell what had happened….I just knew that everything was going to be OK.

As you probably know, Sidney Crosby is widely touted as the 1st or 2nd best hockey player in the world. For him to score the ‘Golden Goal’ was like a script writer’s dream.
Those of us who had been paying attention, knew that he had been largely invisible during most of the game, and several of the other games as well….but that doesn’t matter. He scored when it counted and has firmly cemented his place in Canadian Hockey History.

And thank God the Canadians won. If I has to hear one more mention of America’s ‘Miracle On Ice’ (winning the gold in 1980) I was going to puke.

Figure Skating
I’m not much of a figure skating fan but with Canada’s Scott Moir and Tessa Virtue winning a gold, it’s worthy of mention.
A bigger and much more memorable story is that of Joannie Rochette. He mother passed away in a Vancouver hospital, after a sudden heart attack. Joannie could have resigned from the competition and nobody would have blamed her in the least….but in a tremendous display of courage and spirit, she did skate and won a Bronze Medal.

The Opening & Closing Ceremonies
Overall, the games seemed to be a huge success, so I don’t want to criticize too much, but I just have to get this off of my chest. Who the heck was in charge of the opening ceremonies and what were they smoking? Well, as we’re talking about Vancouver, I don’t have to ask what they were smoking…maybe just how much?

On paper, the ‘show’ part of the opening ceremonies probably looked pretty good. They had some ‘first peoples’ walking into the Great White North, the ice split apart, there was an ocean, some orcas swam by etc. (The orcas were really cool). They mixed in some Canadian talent like Brian Adams & Nelly Furtado. There was a guy on a wire, running through a wheat field. There was a grove of huge trees (Cathedral Grove maybe?) with ballet dancers below; there was a mountain range with skiers and snowboarders all around it. Each aspect was fairly impressive, and to whoever was in charge, it probably looked great…on paper. But I wonder if they actually ever did a complete run-through….because each of those ‘acts’ was like 20 minutes long! Add that on top of all the other stuff, like the Parade of Nations and the official speeches…and it must have been 4 hours long. I wanted to stop watching, but I kept holding out for something better, a big ending or something.
I can see that part of the goal was to showcase Canadian talent. I’m not sure why we Canadians feel the need to constantly point out talented Canadians when we have a world audience….maybe it’s because we don’t want the rest of the world to think that K.D. Lang and Avril Lavigne are American. Anyway, K.D. Lang came up and belted out a soulful rendition of broken hallelujah. On its own (and on paper) that looks great. But it was dreadfully slow and didn’t really embody the spirit of the Olympics.
That was my main problem with the whole thing. It felt like it was just a bunch of separate acts pieced together and it didn’t seem to have a common theme. OK sure, the common theme was Canada…but the ceremony as a whole could have had a much more uplifting theme. This is the Olympic Games…it should be about Stronger, Higher, Faster! It should be about the triumph of the human spirit and pushing yourself to the limits in an attempt to be the best. It’s about people from all over the world, coming together in sporting competition with honor and respect for one another.
I expected more energy, or at least something that built to an exciting finish. Instead we got broken hallelujah, and some French lounge singer.
Then there was the torch and the lighting of the flame. There were hydraulic problems and one of the torch legs in B.C. Place didn’t rise. Then they had The Great One, Wayne Gretzky take the flame outside to actual location of the Olympic flame. The problem, once again, was timing. He ran outside, then hopped onto the back of a truck and was then driven to the location, which took 15 or 20 minutes. Again, on paper it’s “Gretzky takes torch and lights flame”…but in real time, it’s 20 minutes of bad TV. I love the idea, but it just seems that it was planned out by a bunch of guys who had no concept of time…probably because they used the itinerary for rolling papers.

If they had cut each event’s time down to 30% of what it was, it would have been so much better. To the viewer, it would go from one cool thing to the next. If they could have built up some momentum and maybe finished off with a bigger bang (Think the 2008 Olympics in China)…then were really would have had something.

The closing ceremonies were more of a party, which was good. Once again, they showcased a bunch of Canadian ‘talent’ performing some of their ‘hits’. Would it have killed them to mix in some continuity with the Olympic spirit?

Oh ya…the one thing that really pissed me off for the opening ceremonies…was the singing of out “national anthem”. I put that in quotes because what was sung, was not our national anthem…it had most of the same words, but that was it. It was performed by Nikki Yanofsky, 16 year old singing sensation from Montreal. I don’t know if it was her idea, but she butchered the Canadian Anthem in the way that Americans constantly butcher their own. It didn’t have the tune or tempo of our anthem…in essence; she put her own spin on it (including adding an ‘Oh Canada’ at the end). I don’t want to blame her…but it was someone’s fault and it was terrible.
I will say that I did really like her singing of ‘I Believe’ which seemed to be the anthem of the Canadian athletes for these winter games.

Conclusion and Photos
Wow, I didn’t mean for that to be so long…but it sort of got away on me. I guess when something stirs the passion within you; the words just come flowing out.
All I really wanted to do was show of these pictures I took of my son Forrest, only a few minutes after Sidney Crosby scored the Golden Goal.

Forrest in the Wild

2010-01-15T21:18:00.000-08:00

How cute is this guy?

Google

2009-12-29T13:25:00.000-08:00

Rather than watching the news to get my current events...or even loading up a news site, I like to let Google's "auto complete" feature tell me what is current in today's world.

Simply typing "Why" got me this...

Good Grief.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-18T14:24:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas Everyone.

Forrest Turns One

2009-10-21T11:15:00.000-07:00

My son Forrest is now one year old. I'm sure every parent says this, but the time flew by and it's hard to believe that it's been a whole year already. On the other hand, he's grown so much and come so far, it's hard to believe that he's changed so much in only a year.

Here are some shots from a quick photo shoot I put together.

Forrest loves this truck. He pushes it all around the house making engine sounds and saying "tuck".

Laying down on the job.

He got the 'Bee Bop Band' as a birthday present from his Baba.

Forrest and his proud Papa ;)

Kananaskis Landscapes

2009-09-01T19:45:00.000-07:00

It's been a fairly busy summer...well, at least it seems that way. It's September already and it feels like it was June only last week. Lucky for me, we did get a couple chances to get away and do some camping...my favorite was the week we spent in Kananaskis Country. We had a couple really nice days but then the rest of the week it rained quite a bit...including very loud thunderstorms.
I was determined to get some landscape shots while in the Mountains, my trip just wouldn't be complete unless I managed at least one good landscape.
Now while it's nice to shoot landscapes in good weather, with bright blue skies and fluffy white clouds...I think it's more challenging and thus more rewarding to create landscapes that have some drama, some moodiness. Here are some of the shots I came up with...let me know if I pulled off my goal.

I'm imagining that these first three would look good if they were hung on the wall as a set.

These next four shots were taken at Wedge Pond.

and in black & white...

This one is a little more....abstract.

This is a shot of my father-in-law's truck. I thought it would be a nice gift for him, as he lent it to us (along with his 5th-wheel camper) for the trip.

These sheep were quietly grazing by the road...a little too close to road for the Ranger that showed up. He shot a noise flare at them, then chased them with his siren on and honking his horn. I wasn't a big fan of that, but I guess it's better than getting hit by a vehicle on the road.

Slave Lake 2009

2009-07-29T13:04:00.000-07:00

Every year, we make a trip up to Lesser Slave Lake and camp with a group of friends & family. The fishing is pretty good and the lake is...well, it's a lake. As a photographer, I much prefer the grand vistas of the Rocky Mountains...but there are still some good photographic opportunities to be had if you are creative.

This is Canyon Creek, also the name of the village and campground.

My Wife loves these tree shots, I must say, I like them too.

And of course, the obligatory sunset shot. Life is pretty good when it's July and you can set up your tripod, sit back and have a beer while waiting for the sun to go down. At that time of year, that far north, the sun doesn't set until after 10:00pm. I may have had time for more than one beer. ;)

More photos (for friends & family) can be found HERE.

Forrest likes his new house

2009-06-19T08:25:00.000-07:00

As some of you may know, we recently moved into a new (older) house. We are a lot closer to friends and family now, which is great for us and will be even better for Forrest as he gets older.
The downside to buying an older house (in our price range) was that it required a lot of work to make it livable for us. It's been a long month of painting, laying new flooring, replacing lighting and plumbing fixtures etc. It's still a long way from done but we are finally getting settled.

Forrest has been a little trooper though the renovations...he's had to spend a lot of time 'trapped' in his exer-saucer...but now that we have gotten rid of the rather disgusting living room carpet he is free to roam about...which is perfect timing for him now that he can 'army crawl' like a champ.

Anyway, here are some new photos of Forrest at 8 months old.

Lightning

2009-05-10T19:12:00.000-07:00

Out at the farm one night, there was a big thunderstorm heading east toward us...so rather than running for cover, I grabbed my camera and captured these shots.

Hair Models

2009-05-10T17:58:00.001-07:00

I've been sitting on these for a while and now that the competitions are over, I'm finally allowed to show off these photos I took of hair models. These were done for a high end hair salon, complete with professional makeup artist and fashion designer.

Portraits

2009-05-10T16:54:00.001-07:00

Here is a selection of portraits I've shot...I won't say recently because I've been lax at updating the ol'blog...but here they are.

Not really a portrait...but I thought it was cute.

Birthday Party

2009-05-10T15:38:00.001-07:00

Here are some photos from Forrest's cousin Reid's 1st Birthday.

My wife made these great (and fully edible) 'Shark Cupcakes'

Forrest doesn't crawl yet...but he's very good at getting around via the log roll.

Outside in the sun, he had to borrow a hat...it's a little big.
This one is still big but it looks a little cooler.
Piggyback ride from Uncle Mike.

Six Months Old

2009-05-10T15:17:00.001-07:00

I took these shots on the day that Forrest was six months old. He is in his Jumper...he loves jumping....and thank goodness because it keeps him occupied and out of trouble while we make meals for him and ourselves.

Easter at the Farm

2009-05-10T14:54:00.001-07:00

We celebrated Easter out at the Farm with plenty of family, which always makes for great photo opportunities.

This is Buddy, a very old Black Lab...the prototypical Farm Dog.

Go Fly a Kite...
It wouldn't be Easter without a few card games.

Here are some wide angle shots around the farm...with some experimental processing applied.

Window Light

2009-05-10T13:21:00.000-07:00

Another assignment for my Portrait Lighting class was to use window light...so I got the best looking model I could find and put him in front of a window. I give you...Forrest and the Window.

Sometimes it helps to add a reflector to bounce some light back onto the other side of your subject.

My Sister

2009-05-10T12:53:00.001-07:00

I took a class called 'Lighting Techniques for Portraits'. I needed a subject to shoot my assignments so I asked one my sisters to pose for me.

Of course, while I was at my sister's house, I did a portrait of her extremely photogenic family.

Winter Light

2009-05-10T12:26:00.000-07:00

Photography. Photo: meaning light. Graphy: denoting a process or form of drawing.
So Photography is literally 'drawing with Light'.
As a Photographer, I'm always looking for photographic opportunities. Not necessarily things that look good...I look for light that looks good, then I find things to photograph in that light.
We arrived at the In-Law's farm, one cold winter's day...it must have been -30C...but the light was so gorgeous, I just had to find something to shoot.

Night Shoot at the Legislature Grounds

2009-05-10T11:53:00.000-07:00

I had a shoot scheduled for dusk one night, but it had been canceled (unbeknown to me) . Luckily I had my younger sister for an assistant that night and she became my model so I could practice my off-camera flash.

Calgary

2009-05-10T10:24:00.000-07:00

In September of last year, I made a trip down to Calgary to meet up with some Photographer friends of mine. We spent the morning at the Calgary zoo.

After lunch we didn't have any plans, so we eventually made our way over to Princess Island where we came upon something very interesting...a group of guys practicing Parkour/free running. It's sort of like outdoor freestyle gymnastics. Here is just one example of the type of stuff they were doing.

The Magestic Rocky Mountains

2009-05-10T06:10:00.000-07:00

In August of last year, we went down to Banff National Park for the weekend. A nice short camping trip with some friends. With my wife being 7-8 months pregnant, I couldn't resist incorporating her into a landscape shot. Here she is in front of the familiar (but still spectacular) Lake Louise.

Tree with mountain background.

If you want to see calm water (and avoid the tourists) at these mountain lakes, you have to get up early in the morning. So one morning I drove to Morain Lake before breakfast.Competition for prime flower real estate.

You don't always need to shoot at wide angles for landscape photography. The following shots were taken with my 70-200mm lens.

Forrest

2009-02-04T19:55:00.001-08:00

Is this the best looking baby you have ever seen? I think so :)

Happy Holidays

2008-12-19T09:20:00.000-08:00

Happy holidays from me & mine to you and yours. All the best for 2009!

On the Job

2008-12-03T14:12:00.000-08:00

I haven't been updating the ol' blog as much as I should be...babies take up a lot your time, don't you know. :)

Here are a couple shots of me 'on the job'. These were actually taken on my birthday.

Yes, I know I have a bird house growing out of my head...what can I say? I didn't take the shot. :)

Forrest Hodson

2008-10-23T20:39:00.000-07:00

Well the big event has come and gone. On September 16, Forrest Hodson came into this world at 9lbs 8oz. After a very long labor, he still required 'the' operation before he came out to say hello. Mom and baby are both doing well. Without further adieu, I give you Forrest Hodson....

Belly shot

2008-09-08T14:43:00.000-07:00

I finally got it together to get a shot of my beautiful wife and her belly, in all of her maternal glory. Less than a month to go!

Why Hire a Professional Photographer?

2008-08-14T14:03:00.000-07:00

I ran across this article and thought it was worth putting it up here.

Digital technology is brilliant. The digital revolution has brought amazing flexibility and amazing amounts of control for the photographer, the hobbyist, the professional, the amateur. With flexibility comes a price though. Camera equipment is still considerably more expensive when you factor in its’ lifespan, the need for additional resources for processing those images, the time it takes to get a usable image and the effort that goes into all of this.

Even though you pay $1.99 for a print at your local drugstore and paying for film is pretty much a thing of the past (although you still pay for memory) you may be wondering why you may pay upwards of $40, 50, 70, 90 for a custom photography print. Some photographers hear this statement every once in awhile:

"How in the world can you charge $60 for an 8×10 if it costs me less than $2 to print at the local drug store?"

The answer is multifaceted and has a lot to do with the time, aforementioned equipment costs, artistic vision and reputation of the photographer, expertise and the usual costs of running a legitimate business.

TIME of the CUSTOM PHOTOGRAPHER:
Approaching it from a time standpoint, for instance let’s imagine if you will that you have hired a photographer who has work that you love and that is travelling an hour to your on location session. Time break down:

session prep time (30 mins - 1 hour, includes equipment and back up equipment checks + vehicle checks)
one hour travel time TO session
15-30 minutes prep time at client’s home
90 minutes-2 hours with client photographing subject
one hour travel time FROM session
30-45 minutes uploading time from digital cards from camera to computer
30-45 minutes time spent backing up the original images
2-5 hours editing time to present you with a diverse gallery of edited images
1 hour prep time getting ready for ordering
2-3 hours time with client for ordering images
1 hour sorting through and checking order
30 minutes-1 hour prep time for delivery
30 minutes-1 hour getting order shipped
any additional phone time or time needed for add on ordering, shipment issues, quality issues
As you can see, average client time for a session ranges from just under 13 hours to 19 hours dependent on the photographer’s level of service. This is time dedicated only to your session. When the photographer charges $150-$300 for the photo shoot you are not just paying for the two hours of session time, you are paying the photographer for 12-19 hours complete time for your session.

COSTS of the CUSTOM PHOTOGRAPHER:
Regarding equipment costs, a good quality professional camera with a selection of good optical quality lenses and digital storage mediums and computer set up can run from $10,000-$30,000 costs dependent on the photographer. Even though you can purchase a really good quality digital SLR for about $2100 there are still other costs related to photography. A good lens for portrait photography can run up $900 to $2500. A dependable computer system with software loaded for business and creative usage can run $2500 to $8000 dependent on the photographer.

Then come lab costs for specialty products. A good photographer knows the lab is integral to their success. Photography labs dedicated to the professional photographer often cost more and offer a range of products that allows the custom photographer to continually offer new, innovative products for you, the discerning client.

Discussion other costs of running a photography business could take awhile so we’ll skip the intricate details. There is of course much more: including costs of running the business, taxes, studio rental/mortgage if the photographer has ownership of a dedicated studio, vehicular costs, costs of advertising/marketing, costs of sample pieces that the photographer will likely bring to your session, etc.

APPLES to ORANGES:
Often times clients will mention to their photographer that X studio in the mall/department store only charges $25 for an 8×10 or they may mention other things related to discount photography chains. The fact is those discount chains make their money on volume, not on customized 1:1 service. According to several articles at the time, did you know that in February 2007 a rather well known discount department store that started in Arkansas closed down 500 of their portrait studios across the nation? The reason is simple, you cannot make money on 99¢ "professional" prints if you do not sell enough of them. Interestingly enough - those same studios that offer the loss leader packages often charge much much more for their a la carte pricing (as high as $40-50 for an 8×10). The whole reason the big department stores began offering portrait studios in the first place was to get you, the savvy consumer, in through their door so that you could spend more money with them in other departments. Your "PORTRAITS" are considered the true "loss leader".

Going to a chain studio, as a consumer, you don’t have the benefit of 1:1 attention for 2 hours at your home where your child is allowed to explore, play and be comfortable in their home environment, nor do you get the experience that many custom photographers are known for or the lovely captures of natural expressions. You simply get a bare bones, "SAY CHEESE" experience. Keep this in mind when selecting a photographer.

REPUTATION/EXPERTISE of the PHOTOGRAPHER:
Being in demand, being well known for quality work, having a good reputation often costs time on the photographer’s part. Their expertise comes at a cost, their time learning their craft and learning the intricacies of lighting and the commitment put forth on their end to create a persona about their business that oozes professionalism. A great number of photographers go a very long time from the time that they purchase their first good camera to making money at the business of photography. Many photographers, when first starting out, rush in thinking that the business will be easily profitable in no time, how expensive could it be to get a camera and use it to create their dream? They often neglect to factor in the cost of business, the cost of equipment, software, back ups, etc..

Being of sound reputation, a better professional photographer knows that they must always reinvest in their business to create the reputation of being top notch. To create good work good equipment, reliable equipment, back up equipment is a necessity. The photographer who desires to be known as better/best/unparalleled reputation-wise knows that the most important thing they can do for their business is reliability and dependability. This is how reputations get built. Good work often is a wonderful side product of building that good reputation.

I hope this (lengthy) article helps shed some light on WHY a custom photographer is a better choice for your family’s memories. The photographs that are produced as a result of the professionalism and dedication that your photographer has will be cherished for a lifetime (or more) and great thought and consideration should be placed into hiring who is right for your family’s most precious investment.

Article from HERE

2008-08-08T15:18:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy summer with plenty of weddings to shoot. Here are some shots from a wedding which fell on my birthday, July 12.

The guys, just before heading to the ceremony.

Here is the backdrop to the ceremony location and we can see the groom and his parents before he walked down the isle.

The wedding was at the Devonian Gardens, and as you can see, it was a beautiful location.

Jump!

It was a beautiful day with nice blue skies and white clouds. It was a little hot though.

The canola fields were in bloom, so I insisted that we stop for some photos. Kudos to the bridal party for actually getting into the field, even though it was a little muddy and uncomfortable.

At the reception, I used a combination of off-camera flash and on-camera flash.

All in all, it was a pretty good day, even if I did have to spend my birthday working. After leaving the reception, I raced home just in time to get there while it was still my birthday for a few minutes...and my wonderful wife was waiting for me with a birthday kiss.

Twins

2008-07-17T21:49:00.000-07:00

A while back, I had the chance to shoot a set of nine month old twins. They are related to my wife somehow or another...those Ukrainian families are huge. I was actually working with my wife's cousin, who is a professional painter. I help him out and put in a days work, painting houses...every now and them. One day, we were painting a house that belonged to some relatives of his, I had heard of them but had never met them. I knew that they had recently moved back to Canada and had twins.
Before long, they came home to see how the painting was progressing. I introduced myself and let them know that I was a photographer. Before leaving for the day, I made sure to put one of my fridge magnets on their fridge. It wasn't long before they called me to shoot their '9 month' photos.

They had a large house so there was room to set up my studio in the 'bonus room'. I got everything ready and we got down to business.

They were at a perfect age and developmental stage for baby portraits. They could both sit up very well on their own...but they had not yet learned to crawl. This meant that we could plop them down into position and they didn't crawl or run away...if only all children's portrait shoots would be that easy.

Well it turns out that shooting two babies at once is as tricky as you might imagine. I made the mistake of having both parent behind me on either side. This meant that the kids were often looking in different directions. A fair number of shots were wasted because they were looking all over the place.

I did manage to get some pretty good shots though. The little boy was great. I don't remember shooting such an expressive baby. In every shot, he would show me a different expression. The little girl wasn't into it as much, but she played along nicely.

I'm hoping to shoot these twins again, there were great to work with and who doesn't love twins?

Blake Portrait shoot

2008-06-13T12:35:00.000-07:00

It was my nephew's 2nd birthday last week. His parents wanted photos to mark the occasion and it just so happened that we booked the photo shoot for a few hours before his birthday party...so it made for a long day for both him and me. ;-)

I bought some fabric from work to try out as a white backdrop. I think it worked out fairly well.

He's a snappy looking little guys, isn't he? His vocabulary is so good, it's hard to believe that he only just turned two.

He seemed to like having his photo taken, which makes my job a lot easier. Or maybe he just likes hanging out with his Uncle Mike.

Upside down!

He still likes his Bumbo chair.

He loves his books. No wonder he's such a smart kid.

Here he is with his new little brother. The little guy wasn't in a great mood that day...and Blake didn't want to get too close. This was about as close as I could get them.

Did I mention that the little guy wasn't in a good mood?

Eventually he calmed down a bit...well, for about 10 seconds.

Wedding Photos

2008-06-10T10:50:00.000-07:00

These are from my first wedding of the season, which I shot with another photographer. Having two of us, really allowed us to get great coverage of the wedding and it allowed me some time to get creative.

The weather on the day of the wedding was great, it reached 30 degrees that day, which is amazing, considering that it was the May long weekend. There could easily have been two feet of snow that day, so we were very happy with that.

My day started at the Groom's parent's house where I was able to get a few detail shots.

We headed to the church quite early because we had planned to shoot the formals before the ceremony. Many people don't like doing it that way, because of the common tradition that the groom shouldn't see the bride until the actual ceremony...but it can make the day go a lot smoother and give us more time for photos.

Still, I did stage a 'first sight' for them by hiding the groom outside the back of the church and having the bride on the other side of the door.

They had booked City Hall, so that was our first stop. It's a very grandeur venue for photos and it has an enormous stair case and many balconies, not to mention a glass pyramid for a roof.

After the formal family shots, we tried a few fun shots like this...

After City Hall, we went to the Ledge Grounds, which is the most common location for wedding photography. It was early in the year and early in the day...so it wasn't too crowded but if you show up there at 2:00 on a Saturday during the summer months, you will have to fight for your shooting location.

This spot is a favorite of mine.

From there, we rushed back to the church for the ceremony...a little late, but none the worse for wear. The ceremony was short and sweet (my favorite kind) and then they greeted their guests with a receiving line.

We took a few more shots with some family who hadn't made it out to City Hall and then we took the Bride & Groom to the U of A campus for some more private photos.

This is just outside the Arts Building. I wanted a Gothic feel for this photo to go along with the old architecture. Do you like it, or did I over do it?

This was a nice little spot we found on Campus. I wish the sun flare wasn't right on their faces but it looks pretty nice otherwise.

By the time we were done with the photos, we were all getting hot and hungry. We headed to the reception, a little late (again) but in good shape.

One of the obstacles of being a wedding photographer these days...is that just about everybody and their dog has a digital camera and they are constantly snapping pics. When you can't beat them, join them... :-)

RIP Canada Mug

2008-05-15T11:56:00.001-07:00

Today is a sad day. Today I broke my favorite coffee mug.

It was an unfortunate accident...it fell from the kitchen counter onto the floor. It didn't shatter, so at first I had hope that it was OK, although the sounds it made gave me a sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach.

I quickly snatched it off of the floor and had a look...maybe it would only be the handle, and I could glue it back on. Well, it was the handle...but the handle was so solid that the mug itself cracked on either side of the handle.

It was a good mug.

It was over sized, so that I could cook a 'cup-o-soup' or a package or Mr. Noodles (Ramen noodles for you Yanks). There were a lot of lunches eaten from it...we have made it though some lean times, me and that mug. It could hold a full cup of coffee without being too full, which meant that I never spilled coffee on the way back to my office from the kitchen.

I got it from my Sister Alia and it's been with me for 10 years and at least 4 different jobs.

You will be missed...Canada Mug.

First Photos

2008-05-13T12:22:00.000-07:00

Check this out...the very first photo of my kid. Actually...'photo' means light and this is an ultrasound...so it's the first 'picture' of my kid. Still...how cool is that?

We went in for the ultrasound this Monday...was an awesome experience. We could see the little guy (or girl, we didn't ask) moving around and opening his mouth like a fish. We even saw him hiccup a few times. It was really neat how the ultrasound tech could alter the depth of the scan and we could see different parts of the baby. The spine & neck would show up really clear, then he would change it so we could see some ribs. We saw his hands, feet fingers and toes...it was really cool. It even looked like he gave us a thumbs up at one point.

It was all over, far too soon...but we did get to have a couple pictures...although, we had to pay for them. I joked that this was the first and maybe only time that I would actually pay for pictures of my kid. Like any parent...I plan to take tons of photos of my kids and I've got some great ideas that I want to try out...he's just got to come out first.

Baby Portraits

2008-05-01T14:28:00.000-07:00

After my photo class last Saturday, I rushed home to pick up my wife, my portable studio equipment and my camera gear. Then we went to Russell & Megan's house for a photo shoot.

We had to move the furniture around to make some space and I set up so that I could use the large living room window for light. Window light is great because of it's soft quality. I also had someone hold up a reflector on the other side, to fill in the shadows.

Aidan was a perfect little dude for the photo shoot. We started with a shirt & diaper but quickly went to the artistic nude shots. He was in great spirits and didn't even pee on anyone, what a gentleman. Just like with any baby portraits, the hard part is getting them to look where you want them to. Aidan couldn't stop staring at me when I first got there and when I was setting up...but of course, I wasn't as interesting when I had a camera in front of me. He's a smart little guy, so it really wasn't too hard to get his attention though.

The real problem was posing him. He can sit up on his own, but he just didn't want to...Mom and or Dad had to keep him from falling over and off of the table. There were no accidents but Megan's heart skipped a few beats now and then. When we tried to lay him down, he was very adamant about showing us how well he could roll over...and over and over. Lastly, I tried to get some shots of his feet...but then he was showing up how fast he can kick and punch. Eventually, he figured he would taste his toes, and was able to get the last shot.

Anyway, here are a few of the shots from the session. What an adorable kid, don't you think?

Photo Class

2008-05-01T12:20:00.000-07:00

So I had a photo shoot booked for the morning of Saturday April 26th (last Saturday). We also had an appointment for a representative of ComFree to come over to the house on Saturday afternoon.

On Friday I got a reminder, via Microsoft Outlook, that I had signed up for a photo class on Saturday. Oops...I had to reschedule the photo shoot and the ComFree meeting.

The class was at Metro Continuing Education. I've taken a few classes there before, they are usually pretty good...this class was 'Family and Group Portraiture'. The instructor for this class was Tracy Grabowski, a professional photographer.

Tracey was a real spark plug. She was full of energy and enthusiasm...even though she admitted to not being a morning person. She was full of great stories that helped to illustrate the point that she was trying to teach up. She did tend to get off topic, but based on how fast and how much she was talking, we certainly got our money's worth for the class.

We were supposed to have a test family to practice on, but they cancelled. That was too bad because we (the students) had to be the people in the group portrait, which meant that it was hard to see what Tracey was seeing and doing, to get us set up nicely.

Overall, the class was pretty good. As with the other classes I've taken there, I didn't really learn too much technical knowledge. I don't claim to be an expert (or do I?) but I usually know most of the material that is being taught. The real benefit of these classes are the instructors. They are working pro photographers and they have a lot of great knowledge, the stuff that you don't find in books etc.

Tracy took a few shots of the group, we even had a little girl (a ballet student who walked by) take a shot, so that Tracy could be in the shot. She said that she would E-mail the shot to us...and I was going to put it up here. If it shows up, I'll be sure to post it.

Stuck in Calgary

2008-04-22T20:26:00.000-07:00

I had to get up very early to fly from Edmonton to Calgary. There were a few delays because of planes having to be de-iced. By the time I got to the terminal, I had to hustle to get to my connecting flight. I made it just in time as was one of the last passengers boarded. When I landed from Edmonton, it was just starting to snow in Calgary. Now that I was waiting to take off...it was snowing very hard...I mean really hard.

The pilot said that we would have to wait it out, so we sat there in the plane. It was snowing so hard that snow was sticking to the outside of the plane and we could barely see out of the windows. About an hour or so later, they turned on the TV system for us. I tried to watch Juno, but it wouldn't load so I settled for 'There Will be Blood'. It seemed like a pretty good movie and Daniel Day-Lewis is always a good actor. About half way into the movie, with the snow still falling as hard as ever, they canceled the flight and let us off the plane.

With most of the flights delayed or canceled, the airport was chaotic. I quickly called Air Canada to see what my options were. Rather than spend all day waiting to see if any flights would get out, I took a seat on a flight to Houston the next day. With the airport so busy, it was hard to get something to eat, but I waited in line for half an hour and got some grub.

I called my Aunt and asked if I could stay at her place for the night. She lives in South Calgary and the airport is on the north side. The cab cost me $70 and the roads were treacherous...but I finally made it there.

Here are a couple photos from the airport.

Well, it turns out that we set a record for the most snow to fall before noon...the previous recored was from 1920. It stopped snowing for a while, and even warmed up above zero but then it dropped to -10 just as quickly and started snowing hard again. I don't know how much snow fell that day, but I heard it was as much as 19 inches in some parts of Calgary. By the next morning, it was all melted off of the roads and about half melted everywhere else. Crazy.

So by the time I got to Houston, rented a car and found a hotel it was Friday evening rather than Thursday afternoon. A little behind schedule but still do-able. I found a Mexican fish restaurant to have dinner and ordered 'Catfish and Shrimp'. I was scared to order catfish but I figured 'why not?' It actually tasted like any other fish...not to bad.

The next day I made my way to the job site and met with the people I needed to. I had a look at the rig but couldn't actually go onto it because they were doing a crane lift and it was all roped off. The project manager said that we would send me some drawings (so why did I come all the way down here?).

I finished up at the rig and drove around the Houston area. There sure have a lot of freeways. Someone has since told me that they have the biggest interchange in North America. I probably drove over it and didn't even know. I didn't really want to get too lost so I headed back to the hotel, got some grub and settled in to watch NHL playoffs.

The trip home was pretty good and I was back in my car around 3:00pm. Funny enough...the weather in Edmonton was as nice as it was in Houston....25 degrees and sunny. All the snow that was still hanging around when I left was now gone and it looked like Spring had not only come...but had passed into summer.

Fast forward a week later and Edmonton has been in a 'Winter Storm Warning' for 4 straight days and we now have several feet of snow...don't you just love it here?

Houston, we have a problem.

2008-04-09T11:01:00.000-07:00

I'm going on a business trip to Houston tomorrow. I don't get to go on many business trips, so I'm pretty excited. I've never been to Texas before. Hopefully I'll have some time to take some photos and maybe I'll be able to check out the area.

Should I bring my coyboy boots and hat? (yes, I actually own those) I'd probably look like a tourist who shows up in Edmonton with a parka and dog sled team.

I wonder if I'll be able to watch hockey playoffs down there? Probably not, they seem to prefer watching bowling, fishing and poker.

The last two times I've flown in and out of the US, I've had long flight delays and was even stuck in Salt Lake City for a night. Let's hope for better luck this time.

Mike out...

Beer Darts

2008-04-03T21:18:00.000-07:00

Tired of the same old outdoor games? Looking for something with more kick than badminton?

Beer darts may be for you

Overview
Best played outdoors with four players (two teams of two), Beer Darts, is fun for both participants & spectators. The object of the game is to make the opposing team chug their can of beer by puncturing it with a dart.

Equipment
You will need four lawn chairs, a standard set of darts and a case of beer.

Set up
Set up the lawn chairs to form the Beer Darts court as seen in figure 1. The teams sit facing each other with their target beer between them. The target beer must be shaken vigorously prior to being to being placed into position.

Figure 1

Playing the Game
Players take turn throwing all three darts at the opposing team's target beer. Players must remain seated while throwing the darts. See figure 2. & figure 3.

Figure 2

Figure 3

If a player's dart punctures a beer can, the opposing team must immediately chug their punctured beer. The beer must be finished before play can continue. See figure 4. & figure 5.

Figure 4

Figure 5

After finishing their first beer, the team replaces their target beer with a freshly shaken beer and continues play. Once a team has punctured two of the opposing team's beers, they are declared the winners and may taunt the loosing team. See figure 6.

Figure 6

Variations
Variations to the game may be necessary depending on player skill and amount of beer consumed.

If players are having trouble hitting the target beer, move each players chair 10cm closer each time that player misses with all three darts.

Another variation is to place both of a team's target beers out at one time.

Welcome

2008-04-03T20:53:00.001-07:00

Welcome to my blog.

I've been told that you aren't anybody unless you have a blog...so in my lifelong quest to become somebody...I'm creating this blog. The primary idea is to fill people in on what is happening with Mike Hodson Photography...but you can expect to see plenty of other stuff here as well...like photography tips and explanations, road trips & parties, general musings and family updates (my wife & I are expecting out first child this year).

Anyway, welcome aboard and check back often. I'll try to update the blog as often as I can and if I don't have anything exciting going on, I'll try to dig up some old favorites.