Perhaps the greatest attribute of a photograph is that it captures a moment in time, one that can never be repeated. Celebrating that aspect of photography is the purpose of this blog.
On here I will be posting some of my older images, from 2005 on, ones that are no longer featured on this website, and will be sharing my inspiration for them with you by including the artist statements that were written back when the images were created. Perhaps you will see patterns in my work, or an evolution of it over time, or notice something else that you might like to point out to me. Regardless, I hope you will enjoy sharing the images and statements with me, as we celebrate and explore moments from the past, frozen in time.
To view the image gallery showing all images used for these blog posts: Click here.
On here I will be posting some of my older images, from 2005 on, ones that are no longer featured on this website, and will be sharing my inspiration for them with you by including the artist statements that were written back when the images were created. Perhaps you will see patterns in my work, or an evolution of it over time, or notice something else that you might like to point out to me. Regardless, I hope you will enjoy sharing the images and statements with me, as we celebrate and explore moments from the past, frozen in time.
To view the image gallery showing all images used for these blog posts: Click here.
42. Blank Canvas
08/11/2024
Thoughts and images from Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, 2020/21.A lot of decisions go into the making of a creative photograph. One of the most important is deciding what should be inside the frame and what should not. ...more
41. 2020...2021
20/09/2024
Thoughts and images from Waterloo, Ontario, 2020/21.During this past year I have spent a lot of time walking. The physical exercise has been a necessity, but the long walks, especially in natural settings, have also provided opportunities to put pandemic-related emotions into perspective. ...more
40. See Me!
17/07/2024
Thoughts and images from Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, 2020.The last leaves of the year, selectively lit by the warm glow of November sunlight. Where once there were millions, full of life, now only a few remain. Wounded and scarred, they have survived, but not for much longer. ...more
39. Impermanence
03/06/2024
Thoughts and images from St. Jacobs, Ontario, Canada, 2020.We are always fascinated by change. It happens continuously, to everything, everywhere, making one wonder why we even have a word such as "permanent" in our vocabulary. ...more
38. Nuthatch
17/01/2024
Thoughts and images from Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, 2020.In my photographic work, I am constantly searching for different perspectives, new ways of seeing. For this series I have used a unique point of view, one that I call the “Nuthatch” approach. ...more
37. Fractures
19/12/2023
Thoughts and images from Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, 2020.Most people would not be excited receiving a message from a friend describing a patch of dried up mud. However, just such a message turned out to be the genesis of this series of photographs. ...more
36. Time Scars
11/10/2023
Thoughts and images from Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, 2020.I often find myself photographing small sections of larger objects. Ansel Adams used the term "extractions" to describe these types of images. Generally speaking, as smaller and smaller portions of the whole are photographed, the images become less and less recognizable or understood, and less relatable to the whole. ...more
35. A.R.A.T. (another rock, another tree)
20/09/2023
Thoughts and images from Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, 2020.I have seen articles that refer to present-day landscape photography as A.R.A.T. photography, using the acronym A.R.A.T. to stand for another rock, another tree. This description is meant as criticism ...more
34. Light in the Darkness
02/08/2023
Thoughts and images from Lagos, Portugal, 2020.These photographs were taken in Lagos, Portugal in February of 2020. At that time the cobblestones were full of feet that I needed to carefully work around so that I could photograph the empty walkways. One month later, the same precautions would not be needed. ...more
33. Look Up!
05/07/2023
Thoughts and images from Waterloo, Ontario, 2019/20.Leaves are down and the underlying structure of the forest is revealed. Look Up! Time to see what has been hidden and gone unnoticed for so long. ...more
32. Tree Spirits
07/06/2023
Thoughts and images from Valtellina, Italy, 2019.Tree spirits are embedded in the folklore of many different cultures throughout the world. The spirits captured in these images were found in Valtellina, Italy. ...more
31. Dry Stone
03/05/2023
Thoughts and images from Sifnos, Greece, 2019.On Nov. 28, 2018, the art of Dry Stone Walling, including its knowledge and techniques, as practised in Greece and 7 other countries, was inscribed onto the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. ...more
30. Sifnos Out There
12/04/2023
Thoughts and images from Sifnos, Greece, 2018.We have all felt it, that innate sense of pleasure when happening upon a vantage point that reveals a beautiful, far reaching vista. Beyond pleasure, feelings of awe and wonder and grandeur that make us feel small and very grateful for the experience. ...more
29. Faces of Reality
08/03/2023
Thoughts and images from Mijas, Spain, 2018.Reality is defined as the state of things as they actually exist, or the way things actually are. A metal lamppost that actually exists and has an actual form is an example of reality. Is a shadow of that lamppost real? ...more
28. Time-Out
05/02/2023
Thoughts and images from Waterloo, Ontario, 2017.In 1966, a dam was built across Laurel Creek in the northwest part of the city of Waterloo. At the same time, a 101 hectare section of forested land immediately upstream from the dam was clear cut, leaving only the stumps behind. ...more
27.Time-In
04/01/2023
Thoughts and images from Waterloo, Ontario, 2017.In 1966, a dam was built across Laurel Creek in the northwest part of the city of Waterloo. At the same time, a 101 hectare section of forested land immediately upstream from the dam was clear cut, leaving only the stumps behind. ...more
26. From Wind and Wave
01/12/2022
Thoughts and images from Lagos, Portugal, 2017."Wow!" was my immediate utterance as I stood atop the cliffs and surveyed, for the first time, the coastline along the southern edge of the city of Lagos, Portugal. ...more
25. Convergence
02/11/2022
Thoughts and images from Sifnos, Greece, 2016.I have always been fascinated with Sifnian architecture. Noted for its simplicity and cleanliness of form, the traditional white stucco cube and its accompanying cylinders, walls, vaults and domes form a stark contrast to the Canadian architectural norms of my homeland. ...more
24. Grand Motion
07/09/2022
Thoughts and images from the Grand River, Ontario, 2016.This project was conceived as I sat on the bank watching water flow over one of the numerous dams situated along the Grand River in southwestern Ontario. It occurred to me that the seemingly straight path of the water going over the dam and falling into the river below did not begin to tell the true story of the complexities of the churning and mixing that actually took place with the water. ...more
23.Wandering through Time
03/08/2022
Thoughts and images from Sifnos, Greece, 2015.The Greek island of Sifnos is crisscrossed with a myriad of footpaths that have existed for thousands of years. For many centuries the main transportation system of the island, these paths are still used by local inhabitants and their donkeys. ...more
22. the Community
06/07/2022
Thoughts and images from St. Jacobs, Ontario, 2015.Community: A group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common. ...more
21. Forever - in Trust
15/06/2022
Thoughts and images from Willemstad, Curaçao, 2014.Forever - what an amazing concept! Imagine, buildings being judged so significant that steps should be taken to ensure that they last forever. ...more
20. Grand Perspectives
04/05/2022
Thoughts and images from the Grand River, Ontario, from 2012 to 2014.The Grand River has existed in southern Ontario for 12,000 years. It is a treasured landmark, extremely significant historically, and a valuable resource for the entire watershed and beyond. Over the years, many artists have challenged themselves to capture and interpret the Grand in their own way, trying to be unique but true to the essence of the river. ...more
19. In the Beginning
30/03/2022
Thoughts and images from Sifnos, Greece, 2014.On the afternoon of my arrival on the Greek island of Sifnos, I ventured down to the centre of a small fishing village situated around a narrow bay that is sheltered from the Aegean Sea. Strolling along the concrete pier that runs along one shoreline, from the beach out to deeper water, I noticed what appeared to be black blobs floating in the water. ...more
18. the "Streets" of Venice
![](https://amazon.clikpic.com/jimblomfield/images/10_Couple_on_a_Dock_1.jpg "18. the "Streets" of Venice")
09/03/2022
Thoughts and images from Venice, Italy, 2013.Venice is a city unlike any other. Rather than occupying one large piece of land, it is a cluster of 117 small islands joined to each other by some 450 pedestrian bridges. ...more
17. Cultural Geometry
02/02/2022
Thoughts and images from Sifnos and Paros, Greece, 2013.With names such as Aristotle and Plato, Euclid, Thales and Pythagoras, Greece can claim a magnificent heritage with respect to the field of geometry. ...more
16. Azorean Edges
05/01/2022
Thoughts and images from Sao Miguel, Azores, 2012.Land, water, sky - three distinct entities, interconnected. When viewed as a scene, they form a continuous tableau of the three elements. ...more
15. Churches of Sifnos
15/12/2021
Thoughts and images from Sifnos, Greece, 2012.We are all familiar with the iconic tourist brochure image of Greece, the white Cycladic church, bathed in sunshine with its blue dome matching the colour of the distant sea. As impressive as this scene is, and many such examples really do exist, these churches are and represent much, much more. ...more
14. Sentinels of the Moraine
01/12/2021
Thoughts and images from Waterloo, Ontario, 2011/2012.While wandering through a forest-covered section of the Waterloo Moraine, I found myself captivated by its serenity and beauty. Many trees covered the landscape, but I was drawn to the larger ones. ...more
12. Bryggen
03/11/2021
Thoughts and images from Bergen, Norway, 2011.Bryggen, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a magical enclave of wooden buildings situated on the waterfront of Bergen, Norway. The present-day buildings are more than 300 years old, but their history reaches back much further. ...more
11. Alghero at Night
20/10/2021
Thoughts and images from Alghero, Sardinia, Italy, 2010.As night falls, however, the atmosphere changes. The streets come alive. People, young and old, spontaneously appear from everywhere and the sounds amplify. It is the time-honoured tradition of the passeggiata ... ...more
10. Vertical Spontaneity
06/10/2021
Thoughts and images from Cisternino, Italy, 2010.A road sign on the approach to the southern Italian city of Cisternino provided the inspiration for this collection of photographs. It read, “Centro storico (historical centre) - architettura spontanea.” ...more
9. Streets of Zurich
22/09/2021
Thoughts and images from Zurich, Switzerland, 2009.Street photography is not my forte, nor something that I practise very often. ...more
8. Beaujolais Villages
08/09/2021
Thoughts and images from Beaujolais, France, 2009.It has often been said that Beaujolais is “the most famous unknown region in France”, with locals lamenting the fact that few visitors spend much time there, preferring instead to “overnight” on their way to somewhere else. ...more
7. Reflecting on Waterloo
18/08/2021
Thoughts and images from Waterloo, Ontario, Canada , 2009.We all need time for reflection, to think about present situations, paths taken, and choices to be made, whether it be in our personal lives, career paths, or other pursuits. ...more
6. From Rock and Ages Past
04/08/2021
Thoughts and images from Sifnos, Greece, 2008.At the end of a six-hour ferry ride from the port of Piraeus, the Greek island of Sifnos rises majestically from the Aegean Sea. ...more
5. The "Perfect" Village
![](https://amazon.clikpic.com/jimblomfield/images/Calle_Carril008_1.jpg "5. The "Perfect" Village")
21/07/2021
Thoughts and images from Mijas, Spain, 2008.Paul Strand was definitely on my mind as my wife and I travelled to the village of Mijas, Spain in 2008. ...more
4. Held in Reverence
14/07/2021
Thoughts and images from Maui, Hawaii, 2007.On one of my earlier trips to Hawaii I purchased a guide book to hidden places, supposedly unknown to tourists. ...more
3. Kashuby i Kaszuby - Reunited
07/07/2021
Thoughts and images from Ontario, Canada and Kaszuby, Poland, 2007.In 1858 a group of immigrants, destined to become Canada's first Polish settlers, arrived in Ontario's Ottawa Valley from Kaszuby, Poland. ...more
2. From the Darkness
30/06/2021
Thoughts and images from Warsaw, Poland, 2006.A walk through Warsaw's Old Town reveals a city of rich historical heritage. ...more
1. A Place in Time
23/06/2021
Thoughts and images from the Czech Republic, 2005.When travelling through the Czech Republic, the rich architectural heritage of the country becomes evident. ...more
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