2004 was a good year for picture-taking. I enjoyed it immensely but got a little burned out by September because I was also simultaneously taking zillions of plant photos for my book. Because I had to lug around the Nikon at all times, I lost a lot of opportunities. My love affair with medium format film, especially my Great Wall camera really took off at the start of the year followed by excitment for the Horizon panoramic. Someday (when I'm independently wealthy) I'd like to get a really good panoramic with less distortion.

In 2004, I also discovered that I no longer care for the 35mm aspect ratio. I prefer square or super wide but I tend not to know what to do with the extra width when using a 35mm camera (or the Nikon digital). Square just feels more intuitive and I prefer looking down into the viewfinder than holding the camera up to my face.

Here's a list of my favourite posted photos of 2004. I don't know if they're my best, but they're the ones that stick in my memory the most.

- Stuck on the Tracks -- 1, 2, 3. We were taking photos on set of a short film and one of the sets was an outdoor location just across the tracks from our place. On the way there we discovered this train that was stuck on the tracks. We had to walk all around it through massive snow drifts in the bitter cold but I got these three photos and I'm still alive to tell so no harm done.

- Laundry- This laundromat in our hood is a real dive but the picture possibilities are good.

- Yellow Chair - My fave of 2004 and the beginning of everything in yellow. Note that my best of 2003 was a photo of an orange chair. The yellow chair was another on-set photo taken on a brutally cold day on a rooftop. I shot this in between takes. The next entry shows my favourite Canadian character actor Jayne Eastwood sitting in the chair. A bigger version of yellow chair is here (looks too yellow though).

- Concession Stand, With Waiting Actor. I put these two together because they're both from another film location. This place was incredible. It was like a bowling alley set inside someone's 70s rec room.

- Jay with Beard - My first attempt with 35mm film in the Holga. I like this one because of the odd perspective.

- Lone Bike - I waited and waited for that instant between cars to get this shot.

- At the Beaver - The Beaver is our local. I like to call it our "Portrait Studio". "Jay with Beard" was also shot at The Beaver. Anyway this photo really wouldn't have been much but I stupidly left the film out and my cat, who has a fetish for crinkly things got a hold of it and had her way. An improvement I'd say.

- Wood Wall - By this point I had pretty much embraced the distortion made by the Horizon. I like the warmth, texture, and repeating pattern of this one. I had a thing for wooden walls but this was the only one I ever bothered to post. I like the next picture too but this is supposed to be a "Best of" not an "Every photo."

- Pinkies Truck and Film - I miss Pinkie's Truck.

- Taking Pictures - People photos aren't my thing but I like this one because it really captures Davin as he is when he "takes the pictures". Plus it's from my first foray out with the Mamiya.

- School with Dandelions - Should have posted this one bigger.

- Vesta Lunch - I pass by here once or twice a week and think of this picture every single time.

- Taking Pictures II - Here's what Davin looks like when he takes pictures fifty years ago.

Hometown Tour Series - Starts here. There are tons of these and I like them all for various reasons. There are still plenty more that may never make an appearance here. The Great Wall really served me well on this trip. Sadly I chose the wrong time to try using filters in the Horizon and fucked up dozens of potentially good photos.

Bigger and better versions of a few more and some that have never been posted on this site can be seen here.

- Balloon Game - I wanted to prove to myself that I could make black and white work at a carnival, especially at night. I was happy with "Balloon Game" and these two: 1, 2. These were all shot with the Diana which is a great little camera because it has a 'B' setting. The Holga does not which forces me to use a flash.

- Bumper Cars - I always seem to get lucky at the CNE and find that one empty corner devoid of human traffic.

- Chained Chairs - They're chairs. They're yellow. Here's the other one.

- The Light on the Door - I don't consider this to be a particularly good photo but it has a special place in my heart because I took it with the conscious realization that my photos had suddenly become more optimistic.

- Juice and Salt - Not only were they more optimistic but I was focussing more on smaller details and seeking out specific types of light.

- Dupont Subway Station - The light, the orange, more optimism.

- Untitled (downtown St. Catharines)

- 1255 - Damn this broken camera back. After this I couldn't get enough of curtains and windows.

- Behold Katsup - More light. And my new favourite camera the Kiev 88. Once that second working back arrives from the Ukraine I'll be rocking.

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