Air Travel

PPOC just sent the following. If you are a professional photographer traveling at this time to the US (while carry-on is forbidden from Canada to the US), then you may bring your equipment in a dedicated photography container made for that purpose, and the following applies:

1. Ensure that you have some sort of Professional Credentials proving that you are a “professional photographer”.
2. Make sure that there are NO OTHER ITEMS in your camera bag. I am told that if you have a snack, clothing item or ANYTHING other than camera gear, your case may be considered “CARRY ON”.
3. Print the list of exemptions [to the prohibition, from the CATSA web site] and bring it with you as a reference in case of a dispute.
4. Arrive early. Persons who attempt to board a plane at the last minute fall under suspicious behaviour and may be given less consideration.
5. Ensure that you observe all size and weight restrictions with your bag. There are physical limitations to the size and weight of a bag that can be securely stored on an airplane. This may vary between aircraft.

So that’s nice. No snacks. Are my headache pills OK, or will the government now tell me how to pack a camera bag?

I have asked CATSA for a ruling on my equipment and I await (and await, and await) a response from their “customer satisfaction group”. Doubleplusgood!

Chiaroscuro

A word about a technique that has been used for centuries: Ciaroscuro. Or “light-dark”. Meaning the interplay of, often dramatic, light and dark in a picture.

This is not new; artists did the same in 1490. Chiaroscuro helps introduce depth, dimension, into two-dimensional pictures.

Traditionally, Chiaroscuro refers to any darks and lights introducing such modelling; in photography,  we more often take it to refer to strong contrasts between the dark and light areas.  But in essence, proper lighting is all about chiaroscuro.

And shadows do not only introduce dimension. They also introduce mood, and in contrasty pictures like the one above, drama.

Give yourself an assignment: in your next picture, play with light and dark a bit, and use them to produce depth, character, and mood. Consider using black and white.

And in response to the B/W request: