My mind is an interesting place. I have always had an unlimited capacity to learn, listen, watch, and experience. I enjoy being on the side, watching an encounter, and making decisions armed with the wisdom and clairvoyance that is gained by placing myself in the eyes of each and every side. The ability to observe has been coupled with my excellent spacial awareness, geometric knowledge in using reflective surfaces to literally see around corners, and uncanny attention to everything my sensory perception picks up. it is very uncommon for someone to get in close proximity with me, without myself being aware. Oftentimes I will note a persons approach long before I become known to them.

I see in this life, far too many talkers, expressionists, and attention-starved spotlight cravers. People with egos so hungry they dominate virtually every choice made. It puzzles me sometimes, the lengths one can go to in the name of vanity and reputation. It has been pointed out to me repeatedly, my noticeable lack of human presence in my photography, that for which, i'm pretty indifferent. I use the human form sparsely, sometimes only to serve as a sense of scale. Out of several thousand pictures I have taken, maybe 10% include a human element, myself or otherwise. I'm fairly content remaining in the shadows or behind my camera, rather than in front of it.

The skill of keep ones mouth shut, observing, and making informed decisions is incredibly overlooked in this world of favoring the loud, the flashy, the inpetuous, and boisterous. whish is all the better for those just wanting to go about thier business away from the spotlight. This would probabl also account for, when I actually decide to do a self-portrait, the most common trait it seems is full or partial obscurement of my face. It's not that I have any self-image issues, it's just that the desire to clearly personify myself in my photography isn't demanded by an ego thirsty for recognition and attention.

It's all right now, I'm still here

March 6th, 2001, that was the day i began my apprenticeship. I remember walking into a huge warehouse filled floor to ceiling with thousands of materials. the trepidation of my first "real" job. Up until then I had the typical flyer route, followed by refereeing minor hockey, but nothing that had set hours or an ever-present boss.

That was eight years ago. in that space, I've built houses, dug trenches, laid pipe, designed and built complex systems, fixed ancient pipes, and encountered asbestos on more than one occasion.
Four years of broke-ass apprenticeship, sharing quite possibly the best living quarters I will ever have the privilege of being a part of. Eating shit-ass ichiban, and KD because you can't even afford to fill your car with gas, much less decent food. I've gone from being the tool manning a shovel, digging trenches, and performing the bitch jobs that go along with being the apprentice, to having people listen to my advice and recommendations almost unquestioningly. The shaky incompetence has been replaced by a confident, analytical, creative, and troubleshooting mind.

Eight years. For a kid diagnosed with extreme ADD, that's four lifetimes. I completed the final course to my apprenticeship in October 2005, a month shy of my 22nd birthday, the youngest student in my class by seven years. Supposedly I'm incredibly intelligent, but for some reason I've never really felt that way. I go through life, seeing the strings that guide the actions, the physics and chemistry of the material world easily unravels in my mind, and being the only way I've experienced this world, I assumed it was the same for everyone else. More and more I'm realising that the world I walk through is nowhere near the status quo, and I'm accepting and confidently stride down the path I set easier and easier.

I just wish it wasn't a solo jourey.

Just try walking down a quiet urban street at 3am, while listening to Daft punk - Alive 2007 and not break into spontaneous dance. on the sidewalk and street. Too bad this city is comatose after 9pm, else someone might have seen me.