melma
PHOTOGRAPHY & PRINTS
humanity
Flint Island Lighthouse
Viewed from Port Morien, NS, Canada
2023
The current lighthouse was built in 1909 and has seen its share of keepers before being automated in 1985. The first was built by the province in 1856, destroyed by fire in 1864, rebuilt the following year. Read more about its history and its keepers here.
For All to See
Trevi Fountain
Rome, Italy
2018
This fountain is truly a sight to behold, though its scale is easily lost in photography. If you love art, you can only spend ample time admiring it. Though a testament to human achievement it's also surprisingly easy to miss, basically tucked away in a corner. Despite all that, I rather enjoyed the gelato
from the shop on the street to the right.
Pantocrator
Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood,
St. Petersburg, Russia
2016
This part of the world has been in upheaval for centuries.
I can't help but admire its accomplishments in art, music, and literature. It's all tied together too: the passion both enticing and tragic. It could tear you apart... no wonder.
As an appeal to peace, this mosaic is a wonderful metaphor that we're all part of the same immense picture not in spite of but by virtue of our differences. It's the hope that ambition in the world is channeled in harmony toward our welfare.
All-Seeing
Old Town UNESCO World Heritage Site
Tallinn, Estonia
2013
I love this image. The first night out with my camera when it was new.
Bought a couple of new lenses that night at a local camera shop and went out to shoot. I still use this same lens on a regular basis.
It was a great night, an opportunity I wish I could renew more often.
Clearly a moment that fed my love for the craft.
Men of the Deep
Wentworth Park Pedestrian Underpass
Sydney, NS
2021
What would little Sydney, Nova Scotia look like if Banksy hit some of its walkways?
Mining and steel were the main industries for decades and then it all stopped. Clearly we're concerned about the environment, as well we should be. But we should remember two very important things: the livelihoods that were affected by the immense change to the economic landscape of Cape Breton and the lives lost and continued living sacrifices made by those whose worked in the mines allowing life and industry to continue and soon evolve into something better for the world we live in.
Check out the miners choir Men of the Deeps here.
Precious Little
Highland Village Museum
Iona, NS
2021
This beautiful reproduction of a Scottish highland settlement was an eye opener. As North Americans we take wood for granted as a natural resource and yet, to our knowledge, it's something that exists nowhere else in the universe. What's more, imagine the gruelling labour it took to have a home where there was nothing but stone for walls and pitch or sod for a roof. The Island was clearly a whole new world for the Scottish settlers when they arrived here.
Prayers for Healing
Massabielle Grotto
Lourdes, France
2012
Something I'm grateful for in years passed were the opportunities for travel. Lourdes was not a place I was particularly keen on seeing, let alone France in general. But I count the experience a blessing in small ways. Despite the shops, restaurants and attractions lining the streets, there were some small sights and experiences of genuine humanity. These candles were one such instance.
Candles are a flawless symbol because of their universality: they represent welcome, love, kindness, compassion and hope. Their origin begins with the most humble and necessary creatures, accompanied with the sweetest substance to be produced in nature. Candle and lamp light are universal to all nations. Whether it was in Lourdes, in Bethlehem or Russia, seeing candles burn and melt was a poetic and reassuring symbol of humanity, intimately tied to our hopes, dreams and personal sacrifices.
Early Birds
Lake Simcoe
Orillia, ON
2017
A quiet spring morning with a fog rolling over the water.
I envied the man on that boat: out fishing, seemingly without a care in the world. Then a rush of birds flying by, nature interacting with humanity. This moment was simply a blessing.
It's True Everywhere
Viru Tänav
Tallinn, Estonia
2013
The few times I was fortunate enough to visit this country, my mind was on overdrive to absorb all the differences I might encounter. This photo reminds me of how similar we are, regardless of language, opinion, culture, or anything else that set us apart. The similarities noticed were the gifts these trips had to offer.
Night Increases
Fortress of Louisbourg
Louisbourg, NS
2022
A night out in a reconstructed 18th century French fortress.
Ghost hunters and a crowd of curious people
listening for bumps in the night.
What did I do? Brought out my camera and
waited for the night shots along the 300 year old streets.
Sadly I caught no ghosts among my photos but
it was a beautiful night out walking
those quiet old streets doing what I love.
Road to Where?
Via Rail Station
St. Catharines, ON
2019
There are so many times I could relate to this scene: looking down a set of tracks wondering where it was all going to lead. I loved trains growing up. Still do. But at moments when life isn't going the way you thought, quaint scenes like this seem to manifest our thoughts and struggles. This was a place I came often when I needed a break from work. Never thought I could relate to a place better than most people, but there you have it.
Surrounded
St. Peter's Square
Vatican City
2018
Bernini designed the colonnade of St. Peter's Square to represent arms open to the world, welcoming all people into the Basilica
to give thanks to God. I guess it's all about perspective.
This photo now carries an ominous note about it. When I took it some years ago it seemed a great opportunity to catch the silhouettes of these saintly sculptures. Now they're shadows of days gone by.
