The Brown Knowser

When 2018 started, I didn't want to take any photos. I had just finished a daily photo project, and I was feeling burned out, almost as though photography had been a full-time job. Under other circumstances, that wouldn't have been a bad thing. But I had to come up with a completely different photograph each day, which sometimes left me scrambling. And so, I put down my camera for a while, although I did have a new project and still had images to capture. None of those photos made it to my year-end tradition of sharing the photos that gave me the most pleasure in composing, capturing, and processing. And though there were days when I just left my camera at home, there were days when I remembered why photography is a passion of mine. The following photos are my favourite of the past year. Whether I was snapping around Ottawa, on vacation out east, or in a studio with models, these events are memorable to me for the past year. By the way, one of the photos—possibly, thr...

I first posted this story in 2011 and have now made it my holiday tradition. If you haven't read it before, I hope you enjoy it. If you have read it before, I'm hoping that you make it your holiday tradition in reading it again. Merry Christmas, and all the best over the holiday season! At first, we did it out of excitement, unable to wait. Later, it became a game about how far we could go, how much risk we were willing to take. In time, it became a ritual. The first time we crept downstairs, anxious to see what Santa left us, my younger sister, Jen, and I faced an obstacle: each other. "Go to bed," I whispered, not wanting her to make any noise, thereby arousing the attention of our parents, who had only a half hour or less gone to bed after placing our wrapped gifts under the tree. Our older sister, Holly, was sound asleep, able to contain her excitement and curiosity. The first time that Jen and I met on the stairs, we got our parents' a...

He never cared for Secret Santas in the office, or anywhere, for that matter. He d id n't feel the need to pick a random name from a hat and then try to figure out something about that practical stranger ( he just kn e w that, as luck would have it, he would pick the name of someone that worked in a distant part of the office, someone that he d id n't know well), and he would then spend money and time choosing a gift that would not enrich the life of that individual , would not be something t hat would give th at individual anything that he or she would truly want. He used to participate in Secret Santa at work, feeling compelled by peer pressure. But over the years , he had become immune to peer pressure , would only participate in an office social activit y if he truly wanted to. And, usually, he d id n't want to. He wasn't a Grinch, nor a Scrooge, but especially, he wasn't a Secret Santa. It was Christmas Eve and, as with every ye...

This blog post was originally posted on December 20, 2011, and has become a traditional Brown Knowser holiday tale. If you have read it before, I hope you enjoy it again. If this is your first read, I hope it won't be your last. * On some level, I'm not a fan of Christmas. Not of the decorating, nor of the card giving (actually, the Brownfoots have pretty much given up on that front), nor, especially, of the shopping. I hate going near the malls and department stores at this time of year: fighting crowds, standing in lines, searching for that ever-elusive parking space. Not being religious, the spiritual side of Christmas is lost on a cynic like me. Our family doesn't go to church, participates in no rituals that have long ago been stolen from the Pagans. We have no manger on display, no angel on high. My participation in these year-end, winter festivities usually includes some shopping, taking the family to a farm to search for and cut down our tree, a...

One of the many trees in Centre Block, Parliament Hill. It's funny how this will be the last blog post that I write for 2018. Traditionally, I re-post Christmas-themed stories that have had a lot of viewership over the years. For those who are new to The Brown Knowser , I hope you enjoy reading them for the first time. And to my loyal readers, I hope that these tales still continue to please you. Those holiday posts return tomorrow, Thursday, and on Christmas Eve. I have a Wordless Wednesday that contains some photos that I shot on Saturday at the Centre Block on Parliament Hill and compiled the post later that evening. As many may know, Ottawa's jewel will close its doors to the public on January 25, 2019, for renovation and will remain closed for about 10 years. If you're able, get inside as soon as possible: when I was there, many paintings had already been removed from the halls and books had already left the library shelves. The final photos for my Black-a...

In September of 1997, DW and I had been in South Korea for six months, and we decided that we needed to do some more travelling in neighbouring countries. So, during the Korean holiday of Chuseok ( 추석 ), we took an extended long weekend trip to Beijing, China. Though all but a distant memory now, it was one of my highlights of our time in Southeast Asia. The Forbidden City, Tienanmen Square, the Ming Tombs, and my favourite destination, The Great Wall. Another stop in the northwest edge of Beijing was The Summer Palace, which dates back as far as the 12th century, with its massive man-made lake and ancient structures, including one of the world's longest covered, painted walkways. This is where we were when this photo was taken. One of the greatest outcomes from our trip to China was that we met two amazing people, Jami and Jason, who continue to be close to our hearts to this day. I can't think of this trip without thinking of them. Someday, hopefully soon, we...