Come on Blog! Keep up!

Looking down the southern side of the mountain with Lake Tremblant below us.

Top photo: black and white
Bottom photo: altered black and white

Daylight version: Cathédrale Marie-Reine-du-Monde, Montreal. ID courtesy of John... what teamwork!

And again, ladies and gents, I will end up much farther behind on this blog than I'd like. Hmm I haven't even posted anything from Mont-Tremblant. And yes, I'm off again.

This time overseas and leaving the computer at home. Truly an experiment of disengaging.

Photo walk on our way to get dinner. In this case dinner meant fondue and, more specifically in my case, a ham/swiss/spinach crêpe doused in maple syrup. Heaven in my mouth.

As a side note, lighting in most of these establishments of deliciousness was less than ideal, which explains my choice to pair architectural photos with words longing (I repeat, longing) for regional cuisine. I'm very sad about it too.

When I refer to this "side-by-side" shooting, what I mean is one's compatibility in shooting next to another dude/dudette with a camera. Sometimes it's a major fail and sometimes the dynamic takes some time to grow - almost never is it an immediate success. Generally fearing the worst in this realm of professional observation, I've only tried this a few times - John being my 4th, I believe. What frustrates me the most about it is conversation, because it's the best part about it too. You don't want that person to stop talking, but you swap the facts you should be collecting for his/her thoughts. A fair trade, I suppose, but then the writer (me) looks like an asshole. Honestly, I wish I had three more ports in my brain to process all of the information to take a photo of something you know nothing about in a place you know nothing about. You are all at once trying to digest your thoughts, your technical decisions, your buddy's thoughts, your collected information of subject and worst of all, your stupid back-burner brain that loves to heat itself up from time to time.

Like every good relationship - and I consider my photo partnerships to be very important relationships - usually all it takes is time and a desire to watch how someone else is seeing the world in the exact place and at the exact moment you are. If you think about it, it's a completely awesome experience. Just takes some Effort. Capital E, my friends.

So here we have another photo about which I know nothing. Yes, yes, of course I'm annoyed, but not really in a bad way. All I know is there are some sharp lines, some high contrast, a nice moon and a solid conversation all in this photo.

Freezing our butts off to get some solid night shots in Montreal - the side-by-side shooting experiment continues.

Coooppppyyyy cool construction in Montreal on our quest through the city to find what we were told was the best poutine on the planet.

Again, way to go with the interactive art, Montreal.

Sweet mural, Montreal.

Finally got the clip below up and running thanks to John's Vimeo account. Many apologies for error. Check it out.

Sequence 1 from John F. McClellan on Vimeo.

Annnnd I'm on another train. This time northbound to Montreal and this time, with a buddy! Big steps for me... this travel with someone thing. I'm a pretty laid back traveler, but let me tell you, John takes the cake. Ahh haaa...ugggh... I'll explain it to you someday when you are older.

Though we will be spending a night in Montreal, our main expedition lies in Mont-Tremblant, a gem of the Canadian ski scene. Now, I am a proficient and experienced skier, but my (currently passed out) partner in crime to the right of me here, is basically a polar bear with an insatiable desire for all things surf and ski related. Our skill sets in this instance? A bit different. Our goals? The same. Pop in the headphones and boogie down the slopes. Good times, good times and more good times.

And the above? I adore this love/hate relationship. So much passion! So much motivation! So much dedication! Oh, and quite funny too.

Video: One of my favorite silly clips from Turbo. Gorgeous ski film, by the way. Many thanks to said Polar Bear for introducing me to it and for cutting it to post to the blog.

Designed by American artist/architect/OSS member/silk entrepeneuer, Jim Thompson (I highly recommend clickling), this angel hails from a most unlikely place - Bangkok, Thailand. While I am unfortunately not in Thailand at the moment, this little love delicately traveled back from Asia with me in February 2008 to remain in its permanent home in Monessen, Pennsylvania.

Since I was unable to see my family over the holiday season and the show is now over, a lovely trip to Pittsburgh was in order to celebrate a very belated Lutheran Christmas, a slightly belated Orthodox Christmas and Russian New Year (also referred to as Old New Year).

And actually, Russian New Year is the reason for writing today. I spent the day in the angel's home yesterday, which is owned by an angel of other sorts. A 92-year-old woman who lives alone, cooks, cleans, bakes, trims shrubs, cuts her hair, knocks icicles off her gutter (with a broom stick) and says the rosary religiously 1-3 times a day. As you can imagine, these feats also come with the necessary amounts of stubbornness and determination. The woman still hand-washes dishes faster than me.

No part (to our knowledge) of our family is directly Russian, but we are primarily Eastern European by descent, which explains why my grandma met my grandpa at a Russian New Year dance on January 14th, 194_. The year, in this case, is irrelevant, as she was simply glowing all day on January 14, 2010. She had recently cut her hair to suit a left-side-part and placed a crystal bobby-pin on the right, not for decoration, but for efficiency. She looked beautiful. Just as you can hear a smile through the phone, if you missed the light in her eyes, you could taste her happiness in her pirohy* yesterday.

Oh pirohy, pirohy... heavenly pirohy.

My pap-pap passed away in 1997, truly a man with the heart of gold. One of the first stories she told me yesterday was his arrival to her house on that January day.

She smiles, looks at her latest batch of beef soup, looks up at me, smiles even brighter:

"When he showed up, I thought (groans)... he was wearing a sport coat and all the other men going to the dance had rented tuxedos. It was the new year! You were supposed to dress up!"**

This woman is a perfect example of why I don't believe in the description of true love that subscribes to one spouse passing soon after the second. Last time I checked, it was 2010 - thirteen years after his passing and she is just as wonderful as ever. Sure, her body isn't as strong as it used to be, but she has one of the greatest, simplest philosophies I've ever heard: "I'm just grateful I can get out of bed in the morning." - says the woman, who, when she can't sleep... bakes pies. Actions speaking decibels louder than words.

To get back to our friend pictured above, we didn't have a candle to light for Pap-Pap, but I did have my camera and we did have the angel. Very cool to think that I wouldn't have been sitting there with her if it hadn't been for yesterday, over a half century ago. You can say that about a lot of things and a lot of dates, but it just felt poignantly cool yesterday.

*Common to most Americans as pierogies, its singular in Slovak, piroh, is sadly as unknown as canolo/cannoli is to Italian-Americans.

**In relaying this story to my parents later that night, my mom knew it and my dad, haha, my dad just smiled a deep, soulful smile and said, "I loved that man."

One of the classiest joints in which I've set foot in NYC. I will not disclose the location online of said night-spot, just know that it is definitely open on Sunday nights and definitely a place one should keep on the hush-hush.

And to think, my day started with "Batman"! How does your wintry, non-snowy day get better from there? Elementary, my dear Watsons. Your partner in all things exploratory, wild and fun says, "Hey, I just bought a few rolls of film, I've got my Lomo, grab your baby (for new readers, 'tis nothing less than my camera) and let's go."

While it took a little more than that to drag me away from Batman (the lack of quotes is not an error, I repeat, not an error), I hopped the 4 to the J to meet John on the frigid corner of Delancey and Allen to begin implied photo journey.

It should be mentioned that I am on two very personal quests to be accomplished in the next five years. I partially agreed to this frolic in the frozen air to further one of the two goals to teach myself to not be ridiculously cold anymore. The other has to do with snakes. I'll keep you posted on both, not to worry.

Traipsing around the Lower East Side, we allowed the cross-walk man to guide every step. I like to pretend that I make choices on my own, but that little LED man has led me on more expeditions so far than any other single factor in New York. While he guided us in the direction of the Flatiron, I remembered that there was a delightful joint called the Rye House, which had garnered much respect from the New York circuit of Pennsylvanian transplants. Supposedly it was a suitable representation of some of our weird customs. Me being me, I knew of its existence and I knew the neighborhood, but had no clue of its precise location. Rather than dragging John across the universe, I made a wise decision in these modern times. What! Heck no! My good for nothing Blackberry browser? Nope. A phone call to the one and only GianCarlo. Not only did I get the cross streets, but I got him too! How about that!?! A 9-6 advertising guy hitting the town with two freelance crazies on a Sunday night!! Very few things make me as excited as this phenomenon... and tap-dancing elephants.

To proceed, as far as I could tell, the only PA thing about this place was their use of wood in the decor - but that was it and that's a stretch. I had a local beer (local Manhattan beer... meh) called Chelsea "Hoppy Holidaze" and some clam chowder. PA? I don't think so. Make no mistake, I love New York, but select Pittsburgh breweries could hop those holidaze to beer heaven! In fact, I can hear Penn Brewery call my name! As I write this!

Just for you, I shall ignore its summons and continue.

Next? Undisclosed location above, donated to my knowledge bank by Carlo. Personal inquiries will be honored.

Photo, photo, photo... diner, diner, diner. Hollywood Diner. Yes. Nothing in the world like a Monte Cristo at 3 a.m. Monday morning with two beyond wonderful dudes - photo/camera dudes at that.

Who knew things could be better than Batman on a Siberian winter night?

Photo: Racy wallpaper - what else do you want me to say?

Ok. I lied. Tomorrow is the day.

Until then, the only thing I can say is all I've ever really wanted is a tap-dancing elephant.

Happy, oh so very happy. I wonder what he charges for lessons.

Locomotive Breath. Jethro Tull.

Too much of a glare to edit photos on this westbound train. The stories of perfect Sundays shall resume tomorrow.

Headphones in, heater on (obviously I mean my overheating Macbook Pro), siesta - now.

Above? The German-made "Grand MA" lighting console, used by a majority of large productions all over the world. Complete mastery of this board means that you are one smart, well-trained cookie. Sadly, mastery is eons away from my skill level, but I was delighted to begin to learn its basics, separate from my work with the follow spots. If the show designers had wanted to, in addition to lighting and effects, they could have controlled all the projectors through this thing too - and trust me, that's a whole lot of expensive, high-tech gear channeled through one console. I would love to bore you with specifics, but I'm still learning myself.

I often wonder if Fisher-Price models their baby tables after lighting/audio boards with all the lights, buttons, knobs, levers, drawers, dials, colors, etc., etc., etc. perhaps with the intention we all will become board ops one day? If that is indeed their intention, Fisher-Price... I salute you. What a world of fun. What a gorgeous, gorgeous world of technical fun.

Photo: Grand MA, John's hand and Act II. My station/deck was just to the left of the board, so when I rolled my chair over to try and shoot this picture, I managed to get tangled in my headset AND get my chair wedged into the platform. Grace comes in many forms, my friends, but sometimes she goes on vacation.

Note: At the time, I liked this photo better with the show in focus, but now I wish I had shot it the other way around!

Two to three times a day... for two months... this angle... long, wonderful hours.

On that note, take it away Bing!

Where it's snowing all winter through, that's where I want to be
Snowball throwing, that's what I'll do!
How I'm longing to ski!
Through the snow-oh-oh-oh-oh...

(I can find "White Christmas" and/or Bing Crosby appropriate for most any occasion, at most any time of year. Try me in July.)