Jane Carmichael

Last week I had the opportunity to shoot the talented and lovely Jane Carmichael. For those of you fortunate enough to hear her smooth voice live it is a real treat. Jane recently released her debut album One Sided. I strongly encourage you to take a minute to check out her music. We worked together to update her photo portfolio and try to give her some visual options to complement her excellent music.

Korea At Night...

Sticking with the land of the morning calm, I'm putting up a few images of the bright lights of Ulsan. These images were all captured while I lived there over the span of 14 months from 2004 to 2005.


This is one of the main drags in Ulsan during the darkness of night...the florescent colours are everywhere, each light competing for your attention and ultimately your cash.

Random Fortune teller at night, giving his findings to a young couple. Behind him, the construction site waiting for the morning workers.

This image, is a copy of Dave Harvey's original - he is a fantastic photographer. I was just starting out and I saw this image in one of the Calendars he was selling in Ulsan. I bought the calendar, but when I started shooting my own memories, I wanted to have this image and I also wanted to test my photographic skills. His work continues to be an inspiration.

This Monument read - For the Brave Sons of Canada you will not be forgotten. This memorial looks over the UN Cemetery in Busan, South Korea and the final resting place for over 11,000 soldiers, including 378 Canadians

For those of you do not know, my Grandfather fought in the Korean War and was part of the heroic stand at Kap'yong where the Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry were awarded the Presidential Unit Citation. The citation is conferred on units of the armed forces of the United States and of cobelligerent nations, for extrodinary heroism in action agains an armed enemy. The unit must display gallantry, determination, and esprity de corps in accomplishing its mission as to set it apart from and above other units participating in the same campaign.

The only other Canadian unit to be so decorated by the United States Military is Canada's elite special operations unit as part of Joint Task Force 2's mission in Afghanistan from 2001-2002.


For the children...I love this image of these kids, looking at the monument that thanks all UN Nations that came to the aid of South Korea from 1951-1953. Their life, which for the most part does not include the destitute poverty and constant threat of starvation that continues to kill many in the North, is infinitely better because of the UN interevention. IN the Background, you can see the modern buildings and the large cranes, a symbol of continued growth and development in a country that already boasts some of the worlds leading businesses - Samsung and Hyundai to name but a few.

Brothers at War

Soeul, South Korea at the War Museum one of the most moving monuments is that of 2 brothers, one from the North and the other from the South meeting on the battlefield. It is a striking reminder of the more than 10 million Korean families that remain separated by the Korean War. It was common for Families to send one brother to the North and the other to the South to ensure that at least some part of their family fought for the winning side and with that a chance at a life after the war - Surely an impossible predicament for the families of the peninsular country.

For those of you interested, there is an excellent Korean film - Taeguki, that I'm sure you'd find in the international section of Blockbuster or Rogers, that deals with this very subject.

It's also interesting to note that even in such a moving statue, there is a message of the South's superiority. The older, perhaps wiser, larger and better equipped brother is from the South while the younger, smaller brother is from the North.

One Man's Journey - The Scottish Highlands

Folks, this is number 2 of 25 in my first series - One Man's Journey. It is a photo from the Scottish Highlands from when Shannon and I were in Scotland this past summer. As we were walking to see the ruins of one of Scotland's oldest castles, I noticed this scene and had to capture it. The sky, the bridge, and the mountains all reflecting in the perfectly still water that once acted as a protective moat for the 11th Century Castle.