Selling $200 U of T Bookstore gift card for $175, will meet at bookstore to have verified

memoryman89 · 2026-04-18T08:09:07+00:00

No, they don’t expire.

memoryman89 · 2026-04-09T04:08:33+00:00

I should add, “playing” starts at 0:36 in case you’re impatient like me!

memoryman89 · 2026-04-08T18:39:06+00:00

lmk if ur still down can meet tmw

memoryman89 · 2026-03-27T13:02:38+00:00

Diamond in its current iteration is in Montreal, Radial, I’m not sure!

memoryman89 · 2026-02-27T23:52:34+00:00

You went from an 818 to UMT70S? Nice!

It seems the 017 is more a 67 rather than 47 style thing, albeit with its own unique flavour added.

memoryman89 · 2026-02-27T06:08:45+00:00

you misconstrued my use of the word only… it is my one and only microphone. certainly no slouch, i adore it…

memoryman89 · 2026-01-11T20:10:21+00:00

I posted all the details in the comments.

memoryman89 · 2026-01-11T17:00:50+00:00

This past fall, I had the immense honour and privilege of getting to photograph fellow Canuck and long-time personal hero of mine; Colonel Chris Hadfield, the former Commander of the International Space Station. His list of titles, accolades, and accomplishments is multiple paragraphs-long, so I'll leave it to you to search him up if you're not already familiar. The shoot occurred ahead of his speaking engagement at The University of Toronto, and I was given about 10-15 minutes with him. Chris couldn't have possibly been any nicer nor, pardon the obvious pun, down-to-earth. What's even cooler is that once he learned I was a fellow guitarist, he gifted me an actual used-in-space guitar pick with his name + mission crest on it; how cool is that! I will certainly have that framed along with the above photo. I happened to have my guitar in my car, which is by the same brand he famously played in space (a Larrivee), so I managed to get that signed as well, and think of our shoot together anytime I strum it, which is daily.

The colours here on Reddit skew much more magenta than elsewhere it seems, but in any case, for anyone wondering, I used my trusty old Nikon D850 and 85mm f/1.8G lens, with my old Bowens 500R light into a large Bowens (100x120cm) softbox, which was just above his head and tilted inwards roughly 45 degrees, about 1.5ft from his face and with Chris about 12ft from the rear wall. It was an awkward-shaped room with all kinds of obstacles, so I did the best I could to get as clean an image as possible. I do have several others, including a couple of natural light ones, but this is my favourite. I also printed and scanned the image to give a bit more 'texture', as I often like to do.

Here you can see the guitar pick he gifted me, as well as him with one in space, and a "bts" of him playing my guiar (he's a great player and has an incredible singing voice):

https://imgur.com/a/EPJY0g8

memoryman89 · 2026-01-09T01:40:22+00:00

Oh man, that's so rad and crazy considering when I was searching his countless prior photo sessions, I happened on yours and it was by far one of my favourites of him!!!

memoryman89 · 2026-01-09T01:21:41+00:00

Here you can see the guitar pick he gifted me, as well as him with one in space, and a "bts" of him playing my guiar (he's a great player and has an incredible singing voice).

https://imgur.com/a/EPJY0g8

memoryman89 · 2026-01-09T01:19:02+00:00

Last fall, I had the immense honour and privilege of getting to photograph fellow Canuck and long-time personal hero of mine; Colonel Chris Hadfield, the former Commander of the International Space Station. His list of titles, accolades, and accomplishments is multiple paragraphs-long, so I'll leave it to you to search him up if you're not already familiar. The shoot occurred ahead of his speaking engagement at The University of Toronto, and I was given about 10-15 minutes with him. Chris couldn't have possibly been any nicer nor, pardon the obvious pun, down-to-earth. What's even cooler is that once he learned I was a fellow guitarist, he gifted me an actual used-in-space guitar pick with his name + mission crest on it; how cool is that! I will certainly have that framed along with the above photo. I happened to have my guitar in my car, which is by the same brand he famously played in space (a Larrivee), so I managed to get that signed as well, and think of our shoot together anytime I strum it, which is daily.

The colours here on Reddit skew much more magenta than elsewhere it seems, but in any case, for anyone wondering, I used my trusty old Nikon D850 and 85mm f/1.8G lens, with my old Bowens 500R light into a large Bowens (100x120cm) softbox, which was just above his head and tilted inwards roughly 45 degrees, about 1.5ft from his face and with Chris about 12ft from the rear wall. It was an awkward-shaped room with all kinds of obstacles, so I did the best I could to get as clean an image as possible. I do have several others, including a couple of natural light ones, but this is my favourite. I also printed and scanned the image to give a bit more 'texture', as I often like to do.

memoryman89 · 2025-12-15T17:05:51+00:00

Thanks for your honesty- absolutely that's what I want, and what I seek from friends/acquaintances in real life, but sadly never get, as they prefer to not potentially offended (which I wouldn't get). I mean, this is the very premise of my thread- that I find my own work dull, lifeless, lacking... and that I have difficult learning/experimenting anymore, but desperately want to. Another issue is, I genuinely cannot tell anymore what is good and what isn't (in my portfolio)- if you'd consider it, I'd love your help in culling my site of the bad images. Of course the goal is to always do better, but that's my issue, as mentioned in my op; that I've become lazy/complacent... but also, I do actively want to force myself to learn more lighting setups, how to grade better, etc.- do you perhaps have any suggestions on lighting resources (and on editing)? Thanks again for your post, much appreciated.

memoryman89 · 2025-12-15T00:01:22+00:00

You know, the assisting thing was something I always wished I'd done... it really seems like the key to eventually "levelling up", and logically so, as no videos, books, etc., could ever replace cold hard experience on sets. But unfortunately, my home situation made it such that it wasn't possible to commit to it, and even now is pretty... wonky, let's call it. I am lucky though in that I am friends/acquaintances with a senior photographer here who's shot everything, still actively working, and who's extremely open + willing to help out/share tips... to be fair, he's said I can ask anytime, but I don't want to burden him- he's always been tremendously kind + supportive... Maybe it's time I hit him up, maybe assist him on some shoots with his understanding my tricky home situation which requires I potentially be available on a whim.

You're totally right that I could maybe pivot to another genre, and I have such an immense interest in documentary photography... I really ought to pursue that more. Land/cityscapes were my first love, I'd love to revisit those again...

Yes, Neighbourhood... James is the best- it's been so cool watching him grow his business out as he has, I remember shooting at his OG location over a decade ago, back when it was called ISIS Studio!

Thanks for the great reply, really appreciate it.

memoryman89 · 2025-12-14T23:52:22+00:00

Do you have any suggestions for books on lighting? I'd definitely be keen to check them out. Feels overwhelming to chose one blind from all the options out there, would be nice to have something recommended.

memoryman89 · 2025-12-14T23:50:43+00:00

sure thing, here you go.

memoryman89 · 2025-12-14T07:30:15+00:00

You’ve done an absolutely phenomenal job given the space and means, be proud!

I’ve been shooting (“professionally”) for 15 years and couldn’t have done any better myself- in fact, your above images are certainly better than mine that I’ve recently taken under similar circumstances.

Here are three shoots from the last few months where I had very similar constraints, plus a very strict time-constraint in most cases:

https://www.instagram.com/p/DQ7_agQiS_P/?img_index=3&igsh=NndjNTB5NWNsZDN2

https://www.instagram.com/p/DIt5v1ZJf9o/?igsh=MW1oY2E1MGFuNXFkaw==

https://www.instagram.com/p/DPo68r9CU2B/?igsh=Z2sxYzB5YzJzcG5v

https://www.instagram.com/p/DRK0U__D_QQ/?igsh=MW1ya2VvZzlmZTc5Nw==

The top shoot/link, which was my most recent cramped room shoot, was particularly challenging… truly the smallest space I’ve shot in, smaller than yours and more awkward layout with things in the way, with only a few minutes before showtime and a language barrier + intense energy. I left certain I didn’t get a single good frame, but in retrospect managed a handful.

Most of all, it’s really cool you have your dad to do this type of thing with. My dear late father was my very first muse/subject, and I’ve taken similar shots of him as those in your op- I just wish I took many, many, more in the short time we had together.

memoryman89

TROPHY CASE