Thursday, December 29, 2011

Ron Hay, Photographer

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My older brother, Ron is a photographer. He's also a husband, father and worked many years raising his family working  in the federal government ensuring that Canadians had safe health care.  After a science degree at University of Manitoba and a stint as a food and food production inspector he moved on to Ottawa.  I think my family was glad because his research into 'acceptable amounts of rat droppings' in local restaurants and such had turned the family off eating out.
He'd always taken pictures. A great love of our father's was making home movies so it was no surprise that the sons would take an interest in visual representation.  Now Ron's son, Graeme,  is a movie maker as well.  Check It Out Films. Having been my high school year book photographer I tend to carry a camera with me still.  Ron on the other hand has taken mere picture taking and recording to a whole other level. When I visit Ottawa  I am simply amazed at the quality of his photographs and their originality. It's not surprising that he has won awards, had his photographs chosen for museums and travel books such as Frommers.  I especially like his nature photography given our family love for the outdoors.  That said Ron's pictures of lights and cities and people are equally rivetting.
I personally get a camera and use it. Ron on the other hand has umpteen lens, knows every facet of lighting and colour and studies subjects scientifically and late into the night. He was much like this when we were kids, fascinated by science and physics, intrigued by mechanics, working on cars with Dad.  Both he and his son love to talk about comparisons of f stops with different lens and the pros and cons of different shutter speeds.  I'm generally happy with my iphone camera and usually only on a specific 'photography outing" carry along by Nikon digital SLR and even then think the lens are way too heavy and bulky. I prefer a camera that fits in my shirt pocket.   I can't even remember what number and letter my Nikon  is while Ron will ream off the pros and cons of different pro d series  of Nikon and compare them with Canons listing the advantages of each.  He also never leaves home without a camera and more often than not has a veritble back pack of cameras and lens slung over his shoulder.
He's also in an international association with other photographers with similiar interests and travels around the world meeting and discussing the arcane world of digital photography.  Basically he's a camera geek.
This last trip to Ottawa  I enjoyed snapping his picture. Photographers sometimes like to hide behind their cameras so it's fun to expose them.  I'm also huge fan of his blog too. (http://www.megapixeltravel.com/)
Often he takes our father out on his photography jaunts.  Dad, has macular degeneration so Ron ha taken to blowing up his pictures  to allow Dad to enjoy his nature pictures which please Dad immensely.  This Christmas he had me out photographing deer, chickadees and red breasted nuthatches. As always I had a heck of a good time. Oh yea, I used my Iphone 4S to take my pictures. Note Iphone 4S, not just an 'iphone".   IMG 0455IMG 0445IMG 0449IMG 0448IMG 0376IMG 0387IMG 0421

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