LIGHT AND TRUTHAN INSPIRATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY & LIFESTYLE JOURNAL ISSUE 03 - SUMMER 2012

WHAT’S I

NSIDE

WELCOMEBeautiful, beautiful summer. This newest issue of Light and Truth arrives at the highest height of the

golden season, a time steeped in luxurious warmth and honeyed light, when days are long and nights

are filled with endless stars. Undeniably the season of expansion, the generative capacity of the earth

bursts forth in brilliant colours, sumptuous flavours, and sun-sweetened fragrances lifting on the slightest

breeze. Gardens are unfurling and trees are setting fruit that seems to ripen by the hour - all around us life

is moving, changing, opening, and striving towards the light.

For many of us, too, it’s our flat-out, full-on, busiest time of year, and we’re working hard. To reflect and

support the energy of summer, we’ve focused this issue on the theme of growth, looking at the many ways

in which we’ll reach beyond limitations to explore our full capacities throughout our months of summer

shooting. We’ve contemplated the role of teachers in our lives and talked with artists about their mentors,

hit the road to scout locations and compiled tips to get you organized, discovered extraordinary images

and touched upon the tender heart of inspiration. In short, we’ve gathered a collection of photo-essays,

interviews, and technical tutorials to hasten your own flowering as a successful independent artist.

Summer is lovely and hopelessly brief - explore, express, and flourish!

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TAPPING INTO SOCIAL MEDIA

WISDOM IS A GIFT

LIKE AN APPLE TREE

ICELAND

FILM & FLORAL PHOTOGRAPHY

MATT EDGE

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

SUMMER TEA

STEPHANIE WILLIAMS

RIFLE PAPER CO.

A SLOW EXPLORATION

SARAH MULLIGAN

LEARNING TO SPEAK

BATCH +

Defining what works.

An ode to our countless teachers.

Discovering our pathways of growth.

A photographic journey by David Macvicar.

By Heidi Murphey, White Loft Studio.

An interview with photographer Matt Edge.

Scouting the perfect location for your shoot.

A harvesting photo essay with Jessica Kerr.

An interview with Stephanie Williams.

A boutique stationary and design studio.

The rediscovery of craftsmanship in photography.

A photo essay with glass artist Sarah Mulligan.

Finding our creative voice.

Batching in a digital photography workflow.

ISSUE 3 | SUMMER 2012

Amy & Richard McDowell

FEATURE PHOTOGRAPHERS FEATURE ARTISANS

CONTACT US

ADVERTISING

Jessica Kerr

David MacVicar

Amanda K Rigiero

Shannon Wilson

Heidi Murphey

Photographers & Editors

David MacVicarMatt Edge

Stephanie Williams

info@redleafstudios.cajessica.leigh.kerr@gmail.com

Light & Truth is published quarterly by Red Leaf Studios Inc. All content in this journal is © Red Leaf Studios Inc. 2012. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is strictly prohibited.

Cover photo by Matt Edge

info@redleafstudios.ca

www.lightandtruth.ca

Rifle Paper Co.Sarah Mulligan

Writer & Copy Editor

Contributing Writer

Contributing Writer

Contributing Writer

Contributing Writer/Photographer

LIGHT AND TRUTH

Wisdom is a Gift

Tapping Into Social Media

AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT ISINSIDE ISSUE THREE OFL I G H T T RU T H

WITHIN A CULTURE OF QUICK CHANGEOVERS AND

NEW-MODEL OBSESSIONS, THE IMPULSE TO ABANDON

THE PAST AND LEAP INTO A GLORIFIED FUTURE IS

STRONG. AND YET RECALLING THE TEACHERS WHO

HAVE INSPIRED AND DIRECTED OUR CREATIVE GROWTH

CAN UPLIFT US IN UNCERTAIN TIMES, INSTILLING IN US

A SENSE OF CONNECTION TO SOMETHING LARGER

THAN OUR OWN INDIVIDUAL WORK. HERE WE REFLECT

ON THE VALUE OF REMEMBERING THOSE WHO CAME

BEFORE US, GETTING BACK TO OUR COLLECTIVE

ROOTS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND OUR LIMITLESS

CAPACITY FOR INDEPENDENT GROWTH.

WHEN CAUGHT IN THE TUMBLE AND SWIRL OF THE

COUNTLESS TASKS AND PROJECTS ASSOCIATED

WITH RUNNING AN INDEPENDENT BUSINESS,

THE THOUGHT OF PLUGGING INTO THE RAPID-

FIRE WORLD OF SOCIAL MEDIA AND STAYING

CURRENT WITH BRILLIANT UPDATES CAN MAKE OUR

HEADS SPIN. HERE AMY GETS TO THE BOTTOM OF

EFFECTIVE POSTING AND BLOGGING AND EXPLAINS

HOW USING SOCIAL MEDIA EFFECTIVELY IN YOUR

BUSINESS CAN BE SIMPLER AND MORE ENJOYABLE

THAN YOU EVER THOUGHT POSSIBLE.

&

Like an Apple Tree

EFFECTIVE GROWTH IS AN ONGOING,

ORGANIC PROCESS, A DELICATE BALANCE

BETWEEN HANGING ON AND LETTING GO.

IN THIS THOUGHTFUL ARTICLE WE EXPAND

UPON THE METAPHOR OF AN APPLE TREE TO

REVEAL THE IMPORTANCE OF CULTIVATING A

CLEAR SENSE OF DIRECTION IN OUR WORK

AND FINDING THE COURAGE TO SHED WHAT

NO LONGER SERVES US ALONG THE WAY.

IcelandIN THIS MAGNIFICENT SPREAD CANADIAN

PHOTOGRAPHER DAVID MACVICAR SHARES HIS

IMAGES OF THE HAUNTING AND POWERFUL

ICELANDIC LANDSCAPE, CAPTURED OVER

THE COURSE OF A TRIP THAT INVIGORATED

HIS SPIRITS AND CHANGED HIS LIFE. DAVID

SHARES STORIES FROM THE JOURNEY,

INCLUDING THE GEAR HE CHOSE TO TAKE

AND HIS DECISION TO PUBLISH A BOOK OF

THE WORK THAT RESULTED.

Film & Floral PhotographyHERE HEIDI MURPHY OF WHITE LOFT STUDIO

SHARES HER PHOTOGRAPHIC JOURNEY FROM

WEDDINGS TO STUDIO SHOOTS AND REVEALS

SOME OF HER OWN HARD-EARNED SECRETS

FOR CAPTURING GORGEOUS FLORAL IMAGES

WITH AVAILABLE LIGHT. HEIDI COVERS THE

BEST EQUIPMENT AND FILM FOR THE JOB,

CHEAP SOLUTIONS TO COMMON PROBLEMS,

AND JUST HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO STAY

INSPIRED.

Location, Location, Location

Summer Tea

PART OF CREATING IMPACTFUL IMAGES INVOLVES

SCOUTING THE PERFECT LOCATION FOR YOUR SHOOT.

AS WE CONTINUE TO SEEK OUT AND DISCOVER

ECLECTIC, UNIQUE, AND UNUSUAL PLACES FOR OUR

MANY DIFFERENT SESSIONS, WE’RE ALWAYS REMINDED

THAT A GOOD LOCATION IS SO MUCH MORE THAN A

MERE BACKDROP FOR THE ACTION. WITH THIS IN MIND

WE VISITED FAIRBURN FARM ON VANCOUVER ISLAND,

DISCOVERING NEW TERRITORY IN THE PROCESS AND

FINDING THE INSPIRATION FOR AN ECLECTIC OUTDOOR

BRIDAL SHOOT WITH A REMARKABLE VINTAGE DRESS.

TO CELEBRATE THE FERTILITY OF SUMMER WE HEAD

OUT TO A THICKET OF WILD ROSES AND GRAND

FIR, HARVESTING MATERIALS FOR AN IMPROMPTU

BACKYARD TEA PARTY. AMIDST THE FRAGRANCE

OF SWEET NECTAR AND THE DELICATE MURMUR

OF HONEYBEES’ WINGS AN UNCONVENTIONALLY

BEAUTIFUL PHOTO ESSAY UNFOLDS.

Matt EdgeAN INTERVIEW WITH L.A.-BASED LIFESTYLE

PHOTOGRAPHER MATT EDGE REFLECTS HIS LOVE

FOR THE GOOD THINGS IN LIFE – BEAUTIFUL

PLACES, GREAT FOOD, AND CELEBRATIONS WITH

FAMILY AND FRIENDS. AGAINST A BACKDROP OF

HIS DIVERSE AND TIMELESS IMAGES WE LEARN MORE

ABOUT MATT’S UNIQUE APPROACH TO HIS CRAFT,

HOW HE PROMOTES HIMSELF CREATIVELY, THE PROS

AND CONS OF WORKING WITH A STYLIST, AND THE

INESTIMABLE VALUE OF A GOOD ROAD TRIP.

Stephanie Williams

WEDDING, FASHION AND EDITORIAL PHOTOGRAPHER

STEPHANIE WILLIAMS SHARES SOME OF HER

GORGEOUS, DELICATELY FEMININE IMAGERY WHILE

OPENING UP ABOUT HER UNEXPECTED ENTRY INTO

THE PROFESSION, FRESH APPROACHES TO PHOTO

SESSIONS, HOW TO MAKE DUE WITH UNEXPECTED

WEATHER, DEVELOPING EFFICIENT WORKFLOW, AND

INCORPORATING THE INSPIRATION OF CINEMA IN

HER PHOTOGRAPHIC VISION.

Rifle Paper Co.

A DELIGHTFUL SPOTLIGHT ON ONE OF OUR

NEW FAVOURITE BOUTIQUE STATIONERY

BRANDS AND DESIGN STUDIOS YIELDS A STORY

OF LOVE AND AN ODE TO THE BEAUTY OF OLD

FASHIONED MAIL. RIFLE PAPER COMPANY’S

CREATIONS, WHICH INCLUDE HAND-PAINTED

ILLUSTRATIONS AND LETTERING, EVOKE A STYLE

THAT FEELS BOTH NOSTALGIC AND TIMELESS –

WHAT’S NOT TO ADORE?

A Slow ExplorationIN THIS THOUGHT PROVOKING ARTICLE WE EXPLORE

THE REMARKABLE PARALLELS THAT LIE HIDDEN BETWEEN

THE SLOW FOOD MOVEMENT AND THE REDISCOVERY

OF CONSCIOUS CRAFTSMANSHIP IN PHOTOGRAPHY.

IN THE CONTEXT OF SLOW FOOD’S CORE VALUES OF

PLEASURE, CULTURE, AND CONVIVIALITY, WE ASK WHAT

“SLOW PHOTOGRAPHY” MIGHT LOOK LIKE, WHAT

CHANGES A MOVEMENT LIKE THIS MIGHT INSPIRE IN

PEOPLE’S WORK AND LIVES, AND HOW THE RAPID

PRODUCTION AND THOUGHTLESS CONSUMPTION

OF DIGITAL WORK COULD GIVE WAY TO A WIDESPREAD

ENJOYMENT OF THE CAREFULLY CRAFTED IMAGE.

Learning to Speak

Batch+

WHILE VERY FEW PHOTOGRAPHERS ACTUALLY

START THEIR CAREERS WITH A DISTINCTIVE SENSE

OF STYLE, WE BELIEVE THAT THE TRUE JOURNEY

OF THIS ART FORM IS TO UNCOVER SOMETHING

UNIQUELY BRILLIANT IN EACH OF US. HERE WE

POINT OUT A PATHWAY TOWARDS FINDING

OUR OWN DISTINCTIVE VOICE AND SEIZING

EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO REFINE, DEVELOP, AND

EXPRESS OUR CREATIVE VISION ALONG THE WAY.

BATCH+ TAKES THE CONCEPT OF ‘BATCH

EDITING’ YOUR IMAGES TO A WHOLE NEW

LEVEL, BUILT FROM THE GROUND UP USING THE

COMMON TASKS AND FUNCTIONS REQUIRED

BY WEDDING AND PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHERS.

HERE DAVID MACVICAR EXPLAINS BATCH+’S

FEATURE SET AND ITS POWERFUL FUNCTIONS

THAT CAN OPEN UP A WORLD OF EFFICIENT

IMAGE PREPARATION FOR YOU AND YOUR

BUSINESS.

Sarah Mulligan

A PHOTO ESSAY FOCUSING ON ARTIST SARAH

MULLIGAN AT WORK DEPICTS THE BEAUTY OF

MOLTEN GLASS AND THE INDUSTRIAL TACTILITY

OF THE GLASSBLOWER’S STUDIO. SARAH’S WORK,

LIKE THE CONVERSATION SHE SHARED WITH US,

IS EXPRESSIVE, PLAYFUL, SURPRISING AND FRESH,

AND THE RESULTING ARTICLE BRIMS WITH INSIGHT,

HONESTY AND HUMOUR ABOUT THE UNEXPECTED

TURNS OUR LIVES CAN TAKE, THE SACRIFICES WE

OFTEN MAKE ALONG THE WAY, AND WHY DOING

WHAT WE LOVE IS SO INCREDIBLY CRUCIAL.

AND SO MUCH MORE!