Jenna Thompson - Writing & Photography

1:39 PM

You may or may not know that I have been geocaching for a while now. It's a hobby that combines a lot of things I like--puzzles, gadgets, nerding out, being outside, finding hidden treasure, being in on something that other people aren't in on.

I guess I should explain a bit so those who aren't in the know can follow.

Geocaching involves using GPS receivers to find hidden containers, or "caches" all over the world. People like you and me hide them, and people like you and me find them. Really, they are almost everywhere. You most likely pass by them everyday without knowing it.

This is where my project comes in. Some people own "trackables"; that is, something that they release by putting in a cache for someone to find and move to another cache. Its movement is trackable on the geocaching website. People often attach items to the trackable tags, like figurines, which they call "travellers." I guess it's a way to "travel" without leaving your house.

So I decided as an experiment to make a disposable camera as my traveller. The instructions are for the finder to take one picture and to move the camera to a new cache for someone else to find it and do the same. Once all the frames have been exposed, I'll arrange to have it returned to me so be developed and for the images to be posted online.

There is a lot that can go wrong here. Here are just a few:
1. It could go missing. Trackables often go missing if someone decides not to move it, or hangs onto it, or just plain loses it.
2. It could get wet/too hot/too cold. Which may result in interesting exposures, or might ruin the film. I decided not to get the waterproof camera because I thought the quality would be worse and it didn't have a flash....we'll find out if that was a mistake!

I'm going to release it very soon in a cache nearby. I'm really excited to see where it goes and what the results will be. Remember the anticipation of waiting for your film to be processed? This is like that but 100x better because I have no idea what the pics will be of. I can't wait to see how the film turns out!

If you are interested in tracking the progress of the camera, you can do so on its geocaching page:

(TB486YK) Travel Bug Dog Tag - Strangers Click Camera

I'll post the pics on here, when/if I do get it back, so stay tuned! It might take a while though...

10:30 AM

from the passenger side.

11:23 PM

I can't believe I took these shots over a year ago (last Easter!), but I've been mining through lots of old stuff while looking for shots to display in my new studio space (!) and to put on the website I'm building in my latest class (Multimedia). So Mike and Annabelle should be happy to finally see these. They were taken shortly after their engagement, and their wedding is this August...I'm so excited for them!

8:31 PM

Rather than love, than fame, than money, give me truth."
- Thoreau

These are all shots taken over lunch. Normally these shoots are not all that productive for me, but having an assignment gave me purpose and I'm really happy with these. I'm still trying to figure out a way to make vertical shots look good on this blog.

8:49 PM

It's already mid-February and this is only my first post of 2011! Obviously I have been better at updating my birding blog recently than this one. I've been busy with a course I'm taking now and I've actually been shooting a lot, so it would be a shame not to share any of this stuff! I have shot so much more than I submit for my assignments, and sometimes it's hard to pick which ones to submit. Anyways, here are a few from the first assignment. I only submitted the panoramic ones of the Bank Street Bridge. The two "under the birdge" shots were outtakes that I still like a lot.

2:10 PM

12:34 AM

9:30 PM

11:26 PM

“To me, photography is an art of observation. It's about finding something interesting in an ordinary place... I've found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.” - Elliott Erwitt

9:53 PM

11:04 PM

there was an incredible moon last night...I didn't have a camera and had to get to class, but it was just coming up, was so big, there were these great clouds, and it had this orange tint to it. I hoped it might do something similar tonight so I would have a second chance....unfortunately it didn't do quite the same thing, but it was still a beautiful clear night. a pretty lady hung out with me for a bit (a doe in the field beside me).

moon rising through the trees

9:51 PM

jumped off the bus at bayshore, turned around and saw this. only had the point and shoot in the purse, but I actually kind of like the noise. handheld.

11:13 PM

I've been out on a few night shoots with the photo club at work and it's been really productive for me. I'm not sure why but I just seem to be in my element at night, even though the temperature can drop down and it gets chilly fast! I"m posting the second night's shots since I'm kind of more excited about them. I've been going out lots since sunset almost coincides perfectly with when I get off work...but not for long!

More on the way...

8:11 PM

Hallowe'en is hands down my favourite holiday. Who wouldn't love a holiday where you are supposed to defy social conventions and let out your inner *insert entity here* (devil, pussycat, monster, superhero, etc.)? I would have gone to shoot more of the neighbourhood, but wouldn't dare miss any of the trick-or-treaters at my own door. Had 29 this year...not a lot but up from previous years. Three very nice clowns admired my costume (a bumblebee that lost its stripes). I asked two kids if they were crazy-scientist-karate-kids, and they said yes, which leads me to believe that my guessing skills are quite good!

The moon...shot a while ago...but let's set up a mood here ok?

Oliver and Jack waiting for trick-or-treaters

Just for fun...the house. That's me in the top window on the left.

Jack...fractalized. A new toy I've been playing with.

My poor little netbook is vehemently protesting all post-processing (I can't imagine how powerful an "atom" processor is...). Speaking of post-processing, I have an assignment due for my Photoshop class on Tuesday, which I was given 7 weeks ago...gotta get started on that right about now!

Hope everyone had a haunting Hallowe'en!

10:28 PM

Hey guys...is anybody still out there reading this? If there is, I'll consider it a minor miracle (and owe you a huge thanks) since I've totally been neglecting my blog. Here's a composite I put together the other day--one shot from the garden and one shot from just outside my work. Nothing too special, but I've been thinking a lot lately about how I can make my work look different from the next person's. And I've set the bar pretty high for myself so that I won't post anything anymore unless I really like it.

I know I can't promise much....certainly not a photo a day like some people do...but I am going to try to be a little more consistent!

11:07 PM

Hmm...Well about a week has elapsed so I guess I am due for an update.

These shots are from immediately after the Prince Edward County trip. We were in Algonquin for 5 days. I saw some pictures of another route that looks just awesome and think I might try to do it for the end of the year...can't even wait for next summer!

I actually was hoping to get more great shots, but it felt like I always had the wrong lens on. It made me think I should have sprung for the 18-200 afterall. Nikon also has some new ones coming out, including a 25-300, that might be worth investigating!

The following morning.
I woke up really early, and fought the urge stay in the sleeping bag for a few more hours. Unzipped the front door of the tent and looked out at this! Guess it's worth getting up early afterall.

I have no idea what kind of growth this is, but it was HUGE. Like the size of, I don't know, 2 hamburgers or something? (Here's a little secret..it's HDR.) I just noticed it seems a little yellow...will fix that...

7:11 PM

Here are a few shots from my recent stay in PEC (the pictures don't really go together...). That place is so perfect....any place that combines birds, beach and wine is up there in my books.

winery cat (Hillier Estates)

the only thing better than going to Sandbanks is spending the night there too!

11:52 PM

unfortunately the cheese factory was closed. but a few mailboxes were open.

10:57 PM

Lightning is one of those things I have been wanting to shoot, but it's kind of hard to arrange, you know?
Last night was a bizarre night; there was lightning and huge clouds but not a drop of rain...perfect. I was a little worried about the camera getting a jolt (stand outside with a metal tripod and camera during lightning? smart?), but it was pretty far away. I would still like to shoot lightning again with some nice big fork lightning, since the one I got was just a teeny tiny little lightning bolt!

Sorry, I know the light trails are getting a little cheesy, but the foregoround was definitely less interesting without it.

10:50 PM

11:52 PM

Only 2 classes left of my lighting class. I'm taking a minute to post a shot I took last night for one of my last assignments. Sometimes (most of this time) you have this vision and find yourself scratching your head and fiddling with the camera until you get it just right, and sometimes it just doesn't happen. Other times (almost never), everything comes together almost too easily. I had one of those moments last night shooting this pic. I was anticipating having a hard time with it, but we got set up, I fired a test shot, and BAM! That was it. I was like, huh, I guess we're done! I didn't even bother taking any safety shots. Thanks to Matt for posing for innumerable shots this past week and not complaining (too much).

12:06 PM

It's the last few weeks of the course I'm in right now and crunch time so I've been pretty busy shooting, editing and printing. We've been doing lots of portraits in the studio and I've been loving it. It's a challenge, but it's so rewarding to shoot people because they can give you feedback and they really appreciate it when you make them look good! This particular shoot was very demanding. At one point there was 5 of them, including 2 kids, and it was a lot to manage, but I think I got a few good shots!

Thanks Rick for bringing in your beautiful family! It's great to work with you!