Hi folks. Just a super quick note to let you all know I've arrived safely in Bangkok, and will be heading north to Laos in the next day or so. I've had to do some major restructuring of my workflow for this website as I've not been able to edit the database that feeds all of these posts. I'll do my best to get it updated more regularly as I've been doing some neat photography and I'd really like to share it with you. Please bear with me as I'm also trying to get my new website www.joinjordan.com up and running. Currently it points to this site which clearly is not where it should end up. To those of you who have received joinjordan cards, my apologies for not having it up and going for you yet!

Cheers for your patience!

My latest photo assignment with Amy has been "overkill," something I found difficult to capture whilst out in the middle of a farmer's field.. Happily, I had only to look a short distance to see a yard packed with grain bins.. This photo showing half of the bins in the yard speaks to the massive quantity of grain produced by one farm alone, easily enough to satisfy the nearby small town of Provost for quite some time..

The real killer is I had only to look as far as my photo bag to see the real excess, overkill to the n'th degree. Clearly, I have a problem with excess myself.

And for the record I didn't have too much to drink! I had two glasses of red wine the other night that made me wish for terrible things mere hours after their consumption. Sadly, there was no overkill that night, just underyhydration!! (Great post though Amy!)

The last week has been filled with the tail end of our winter work season. "Spring Break-up" is a time for rest, recuperation and rejuvenation, and though I'll be rejuvenating, the potential for rest over the next few months is slim.

As you read this, I'm preparing for a trip to the US for an event-deee-luxe, a photo course, and then finally to visit with my Aunt and Uncle who are down there gallivanting with their motor home. We'll eventually make our way back to BC where I'll be visiting with Amy on the way back to Calgary.. More excitement follows, but I'll fill you all in on that later..

I'll do my best to post some updates, but please be forewarned that they'll be sporadic at best if things are as hectic as I'm expecting!

I've been pondering recently, the why smoke detectors will scream ignorantly at the slightest hint of burnt toast, or a mild char on grilled chicken, yet completely ignore the acrid, hazy output of a chain-smoker...

Leaving a job out near Bay Tree AB a few weeks back, I passed this wonderful little farm house it was bathed in the pink and orange of a rapidly disappearing sun.

Note for SuzieD, this one is also available as a desktop wallpaper. My apologies for taking so long to get a new one up.

The old building bore countless marks of time spent in the harsh Northern Alberta climate..

..and the neglect that invariably comes to possessions fallen out of favour in a society where new, new, new is better, better, better..

I took my imaginary dog for a walk today, and handed him the camera for a little dog’s eye view of our outing.

We started off with a game of fetch which didn’t last long.

We settled for a little bit of rough housing, and I put on my crazy human face to get things started.

I dropped my stance to gain a little balance, and immediately learned an important lesson about play fighting with toothy animals.. Always wear gloves.

There you have a terribly brief view of a walk, through the eyes of a dog… Since we're (again) both behind on our deadline, you can have a look at Jenna's contribution when she posts. Oh, and imaginary dogs don't snack on unmentionables..

As much as I don't feel like going 'to work' any longer, I was rather hoping I'd be back out by now. I've been paying bills like a madman lately, and save the house and a bit of the truck, they're all paid off. The only thing that remains is to save a bit of scratch for a summer of photography. This is going to prove to be difficult if I'm sitting at home.

On the bright side, I got an unexpected call from Ez~ for lunch yesterday which was a pleasant surprise indeed. We went to my new favourite restaurant in Calgary HIKARi on 16th avenue.. The food is an excellent mix of Korean and Japanese fare, and on the three trips I've taken there, is always of high quality. The little extras they include like side dishes and sliced orange for dessert make it one of the best dining experiences I've had here to date!

On the walk back home, I spotted this beauty and couldn't resist a couple of shots (and a bit of playtime in Photoshop)! The car itself remained unsullied by manipulation, though I did remove a company logo to protect the innocent.. Regardless, this brings a whole new meaning to "Rent a Wreck!"

I'm afraid this is one of the most anticlimactic submissions to date. There's not much meat for those of you awaiting the next instalment. I'll try my best to supply a few more shots on the next one..

Jenna and I have both been distracted by other projects (slacking) so the spirit has passed slightly, but the term "green" was suggested at the height (or low) of cold temperatures that had embraced the western Provinces. When these photos were taken, the outside ambient air temperature was a balmy -20ºC, (significantly warmer than the previous week's -48º low).

My thought was to bring a bit of summer in to our winter wonderland though surrounded by nothing but conifers, the potential to capture any sort of live plant was limited.. The porta-john though, that was intriguing. All I could think of is how awfully chilly the seat would have been at nearly fifty below!

Technically, this type of building is called a skid shack due to the large steel runners it rests on. Most on-site equipment is built in this manner to allow for smooth loading and unloading on trucks that move it from site to site. Secretly, I find volumes of childish amusement in the double entendre..

Hi folks, Just a quick note to let you know that I've not forgotten about updates here. Due to some major software issues and minor hardware problems on my laptop, I've been without the capacity to edit this website or my photos for the last several weeks. I've just reinstalled windows (sigh), and will be getting everything setup over the next few days.

I'm also looking to return to work shortly and will have a bit of downtime with that as well.

Upcoming are the short result of my "Green" project with Jenna, and some shots of a trip to Canmore with Big Rich..

Originally when Jenna set the topic for this assignment, I'd had in mind a tongue in cheek poke at the new healthy diet I've been goaded into adopting. This little slice of bread was ultimately destined to be a selective color bonanza depicting the same meal every day of the week.

Upon further exploration of the technique I realized that my Photoshop masking skills aren't as strong as I'd once thought and resulted in some rather unappetizing bread samples. (really who eats green bread?). Shortly after I got started everything here at work went loopy, and the beginning of our rig move was signalled with the abrupt termination of internet service (sorry Vicky!)..

Photoshop was set aside for other more pressing issues, and the bread was spared a fate worse than food coloring..

but the show goes on, and as I was the one suckered into staying to help with moving shacks (our little mobile homes away from home), there was plenty of time to sit around and take photos while they were in transit to the new site.

The process of drilling for oil is anything but routine from day to day where weather, mechanical and interpersonal factors impact even the tightest schedule. Timelines are at best a suggestion, but one thing holds true across every job I've done out here: nothing important happens on a rig in the daylight hours.

Yesterday, the routine of moving the rig began at 07:30, several hours before the northern sun was scheduled to peek above the horizon. To add to the general misery of the situation, the temperature had plummeted after a day of heavy snow, from a bearable -10 (Celsius) to -30 degrees, and the wind blew from several different directions drifting freshly fallen snow across roadways. The wind's bite was enough to numb the skin in seconds, and holding any metallic objects for longer than a minute with or without gloves resulted in a burning of the fingers that lasted several minutes.

The extremely low light, and my tired old camera give you a noisy peek into the routine of the average Canadian rig hand.

Equipment is designed to be moved in sections and reassembled on site where they fit back together like puzzle pieces..

and mysterious shapes reveal themselves in the harsh flood lighting.

I managed to get out for a quick photo safari with Jenna a little while back, and despite the ridiculously frigid temperatures, I had an absolute ball! For the first time I can remember in ages I was unrushed by schedules and deadlines, and felt like a complete kid again.

With that in mind, I think the following photos fit well with the first photo assignment Amy and I are doing entitled "Through the eyes of a child."

Taking these photos gave me a giant shot of nostalgia as I fondly remembered the joy of childhood discovery. As a youngster everything seemed so black and white, simple, it either was or it wasn't. Thus I was able to delight in the small details that make the world so complex.

Little discoveries that to this day still make me smile were cause for extreme excitement.

With a smaller frame of reference, children see distances where adults see a short trip.

They see shapes where we see vandalism

..and incredible adventure in unique finds.

Thanks to Amy and Jenna for helping me be a kid again.

A few years ago, I stopped reading. I didn't realize it either. I found a few ways around it, but reading for my own enjoyment, and my own education had completely ceased in about 2004.

It wasn't until about six months ago that I finally decided it was time to see an eye doctor. Simple tasks like reading labels and menus in low light had become next to impossible.

Technical drawings were an issue as well, I'd almost convinced myself that I was losing the knack for technical anything. The truth of the matter was, I simply couldn't understand what my brain couldn't process.

I began to ponder the fragility of the human body, and how we take something like clear vision for granted.

Simple tasks like laundry..

And basic personal safety are all impacted by cloudy vision.

Conceivably other every-day tasks may become difficult...

and navigation of a simple hallway becomes..

next to impossible.

Imagine a world where nothing

is what it once seemed to be.

Don't forget to see Jenna's contribution here!

The fading northern daylight provided an incredible backdrop for the countless miles of trees to the west of us on Wednesday. Thought I'd share.

Also, apple-pears are my new favourite snack. Their delicate flavour is brilliantly refreshing! That is all!

Today was a bit of a rough one. One of the business ideas I've had floating in my head for the last year has been grabbed by a group that I've worked with in the past.. While I'm glad the project is going to be running, I'm a bit saddened that I haven't taken the initiative to do it myself. This has however, strengthened my commitment to furthering my photographic goals this year. This is official notice, screw those other guys, I'm doing my own thing! :0) -J

I was in to Fort Nelson for a quick break between jobs the other day. Staying in town is always a bit of a treat, a chance to get a night of uninterrupted sleep, and decompress from the general chaos of rig-life.

I was picking some new work clothing from a small store the other day, and the girl behind the counter remarked that I was "the best customer" she'd had all day.. Naturally, I joked about how it must have been a rough day, and she replied "yeah, well most people that come in here are drunk or stoned." Drugs and alcohol are a sad reality of life in many small northern towns, and it appears that Fort Nelson is no different.

Okay, so this is the lighter (flakier) photo set I promised last week! I got inspired, though color correction could use a bit more TLC on these ones, sometimes it's just about the idea..

Don't forget to see Jenna's contribution too!!

The camp cook tends to provide us with a ridiculous quantity of sweets.. These ones are particularly messy!

This exercise has been a good lesson in thinking before acting. I had a few things that I wanted to catch for this project, however they were vetoed by the company I'm contracting to as a potential violation of hole security (after the fact). The other lesson was in missing the 'aftermath' of the ravens' feast on our left-out rubbish. Sadly, I cleaned it up and took it to the incinerator before I realized it would have made an incredible aftermath segment..

I'll leave you with my most original aftermath photo, the end result of the last photo project that gave my room the appearance of preparation for a brand new puppy..

I've a few more shots to post from a quick set-up I did after supper the other day, however it's awfully late (early in the morning) and I need a bit of sleep as we're done this hole and leaving site some time this afternoon! I'll try to post them today for you all!

Don't forget to see Jenna's contribution too!!

Well, another year is over.. I've been looking back over the past twelve months of posts, and I'm really pleased with the progress in my photography.

A number of plans are afoot, many of which will involve my camera accompanied by some travel within Canada, and around the world. I'm excited by the prospect of spending time developing my craft, and focusing on building it into a viable career.

I'd like to say a heartfelt thank you to all of you who have supported and inspired me over the years. Your friendship and kindness has kept me going through some unfathomably tough times, and I can't express enough, the gratitude I feel for having you in my life.

I wish you all health, wealth and happiness in the coming year.
~J