Such is life in Canada when you have a best buddy who is a photographer. Recently we experimented with black and white film double-exposures at Keith's request. I wanted a Romantic Goth themed image for social media and suggested it to him to see if he might be interested in collaborating.
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| model: Michelle Christoffersen, photographer: Keith Cartmell |
My ask: “I have a photo shoot idea… Might you be curious? I would love to capture a photo in a snowstorm in all black-and-white. Me wearing black, the white snow swirling around and in the background, and just have my red hair being the only thing that’s coloured in the photo. Maybe lipstick to any idea how to technically accomplish this?”
His response… Yes he was! “YESSS!!!!!! Loving the black and white and red contrasts.” I love his willingness to experiment, jump right in and GO!
Logistics questions: “Is there a time, place, that you prefer and have time for? Sorry, it might be a sort of short turnaround if we’re trying to get it when it’s snowing because it’s not even snowing right now.”
Logistics worked out in no time: “So let’s plan on Friday, when snowing. Maybe in Fish Creek? I’m thinking doing some longish exposures, to accent the amount of snow. I’ve got a location that I think will work. I am at your photographic disposal for the day. I’ve got colour film in the camera, and I’ll do digital as well. Also thinking about lighting tricks, and will think more today.”
We pencilled in the first mutually available date knowing that snow was coming (third winter in Calgary). The snow had all melted but a snowstorm was coming. I described what I was hoping for a Romantic Goth look, all in black with a corset and flowing black skirt (actually multiple layered skirts), contrasted against the white snow on the ground, in the trees and falling from the sky. The only thing of colour to pop would be my red hair and maybe lipstick. I thought it would need an app or photoshop to accomplish. Nope. Just Keith’s creative talent and technical abilities. We did it! Romantic Goth Canadian Style… the photoshoot.
Based on my description, Keith already had a spot in mind. We hesitated for a bit wondering if we should wait for big snow flakes. My corset was already feeling tight so I wanted to just go for it and just do the best we could. We started at the top of a ridge with Fish Creek below and behind us. The wind was sweeping up the cliff behind me and tousling my hair. It wasn’t snowing much yet so Keith suggested I run toward the camera and kick up some snow. I love the effect.
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One thing I love about working with Keith is that he makes it super easy to visualize doing the thing. This is how he supported me in learning to swim and finishing an Ironman triathlon. My self-confidence was at an all-time low but he believed in me and so I leaned on him and borrowed his faith in me that I ‘could’ until I ‘did.’ This is one of the greatest gifts anyone has ever given me. Priceless.
Back to visualization here. He told me a story and I imagined myself as a character in it and projected the look and emotion on my face. This is important to keep myself from giggling and grinning in all the photos. You know that haughty self-confident model look you see in magazines? Here’s how he helped me recreate it:
“Imagine that you are a model, being paid by the hour, but don’t really want to be here and are freezing and impatient and just want to get home to warm up with coffee. You’re bored and annoyed.
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"Go stand there. Move to your left half a step. Now walk toward me. Turn to face the camera full on, turn for ¾ now turn for profile. Walk away from the camera dragging your coat behind you, look over your shoulder. Fluff your coat out behind you and swirl it around in a twirl. Gaze off into the distance and imagine that you’re going to have to fire an employee…” (that was actually for the rainbow themed photo shoot).
See how this works? Having a story to focus on really helps with feeling less self-conscious in front of the camera. I already knew the trick of looking through the camera lens to the photographer behind it. Just staring at the big round black circle of the lens can otherwise be unsettling.
At times, I would see something and ask if we could do a photo there, like this little clump of trees
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or feature my fun new platform lace up boots. He obliged.
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We drove to a second spot, clicked some more,
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| model: Michelle Christoffersen, photographer: Keith Cartmell |
featured one of the bridges in Fish Creek,
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| model: Michelle Christoffersen, photographer: Keith Cartmell |
then popped home, loosened the corset and warmed up over coffee wrapped in a blanket with Linda and Celina to look at the images on the computer and mark some favourites. There were a few where I was squinting due to the snow glare, and a few where my corset did weird things when I leaned forward and my ‘boobage’ was defying gravity at unnatural angles but this is how we learn. No wardrobe malfunctions occurred. I can 100% say that seeing the images on the computer completely exceeded my hopes and dreams. Later that evening while out and about I got the text from Keith that the edits were already done. This morning I showed Hubby and Bestie over coffee and they loved the photos! It’s hard to choose just ONE.
I’m so very glad to have a friend who is interesting and interested in so many different things. I met Keith virtually through a mutual acquaintance, met him in person at a post-run coffee, determined he was a safe person, and met up for a training run. This turned into regular weekly long runs together, even in minus 40 then beginning to bike and eventually into long bike rides, swim lessons and triathlon training. He let me do a guest blog for my first solo triathlon since I had deleted my running blog and wasn’t sure I wanted to get caught up in blogging again.
I instantly relaxed into the ongoing interesting conversations with Keith knowing that I could pause my hypervigilant tendencies while running for hours in places unfamiliar to me including along Deerfoot, the zoo, under bridges, overpasses, in valleys, along railroad tracks and in the woods. Those are not places I would have been comfortable running alone even bundled up in multiple layers in winter and even with a cellphone). Not only was an imposing tall guy running with me, but he was familiar with most of the pathways in the city because he biked or ran so many of them years before me. Once we even attempted to run new sections of the pathways and fill a paper map with highlighted paths we conquered.
During all those athletic years, Keith was often at the finish line taking photos of friends and often as the paid official event photographer. He was there as I attempted my first team relay triathlon before I could swim, when we did a half-iron together as a team with him as the swimmer, and me as cyclist and runner. He was at the finish line and let me guest blog my first Olympic distance tri. I swam for the team the next time with Antje as our cyclist and Keith as our runner for a change. I attempted to capture him running with both feet off the ground in return. When I was diagnosed with cancer, we did a photo shoot for May - Melanoma month using fairy lights with the zoo in the background and a pensive mood. He recently bought some retro film cameras including one that uses a really large high-quality film.
Since retiring from athletics (both of us), Keith has had more time to devote to another of his intense interests: photography. He taught me a lot about macro photos using magnification tubes on hair follicles and insects (an intense interest of mine) and let me wander about in Fish Creek Park holding and experimenting with one of his big expensive digital cameras. I got to tag along once when he took photos of the Calgary skyline at sunrise in the winter. Very beautiful.
Keith is well known for photographing the bridges in Fish Creek Park and is a regular there and in the south end of the city. You may have seen him in person. He’s easy to recognize and semi-famous for his moustache. You may have seen his photographs which are regularly featured on the cover of the Woodcreek Community newsletter or at local events. Unfortunately I deleted all my blog posts from my running and triathlon days and only blog sporadically these days but he still has all his posts on the blog.
Here is Keith’s blog on the experience from his point of view as a photographer. MC Winter Photo Session.
Find more of Keith’s work on Vero, on his photography blog Keith Cartmell Photography or his writing blog Keith’s Odyssey to Planet Fitness.
Thank you Keith!
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