One on One Plus One

KimE and I finally got out with Neil Zeller on a catchup photo workshop that had been cancelled last summer. COVID hit many with a bang and anyone like Neil, who has a service based business that relies on close contact with their clients got hit hard. This bang pertains to many of my friends in the Conference & Event industry as well, whether that be planning, sales, suppliers or support services. I feel for all of you!

We chose not to take a refund at the time and decided to make Neil work for it later – that day finally came. We have had a few hiccups leading up to our night out… cold weather, which none of us were keen on spending hours at night in regardless of how clear the sky was and then clouds clouds clouds.

Finally, we got out, got set up, and thankfully Neil went over all the things I had forgotten. This was KimE’s first outing with Neil and I think she got a ton out of it. Neil, bless his heart, is a very giving teacher and helped her through a myriad of night shooting tips and tricks.

I am still trying to work on getting a good timelapse movie of the clouds moving across the night sky but that is going to have to wait as I have a lot to teach myself with that…. maybe I will figure it out next week???

We started out on the side of the road near this abandoned farm yard. Of course, Neil, from previous experience, had already called the police to let them know that we were not terrorists and would be on the side of the road doing night photography. We did not go on the property at this point but, as you might expect, the land owner did come out to find out what we were up to. After some discussion and friendship forging Neil got permission for us to go out to the buildings.

WARNING: RANT AHEAD

The land owner had quite a few stories to tell of people who just walk onto his land with no regard for him and his family. Who are those people that think that they can just go out there and rip boards off the sides of other people’s buildings so they can make their DIY shiplap walls or crafty signs. If you are reading this and if that is you…. JUST DON’T! Do you not know that these beautiful buildings used to be someone’s home. They are a part of Alberta’s history for heaven sake!! (Okay, enough, I apologize to any that didn’t want to read the rant).

Thank you Neil for another great workshop! And if any of you are interested… all the PORCHRAITS photos that you saw throughout the first COVID lockdown taken in Calgary, that was Neil. He is gifted, resourceful, passionate and full of heart. You can see his book here!