Keeper of All Things Skookumchuck

Member since: Saturday, 24th August, 2002

Lives in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

"Loneliness is the poverty of self; solitude is the richness of self." May Sarton

"Fate steps in and sees you through." Jiminy Cricket

"No matter what you've lost, be it a home, a love, a friend. Like the Mary Ellen Carter, rise again." Stan Rogers

ME (mostly)

I'm the production cameraman or DoP (I don't mind if you add 'Electronic' and make me a DoPE) and occasional Field Producer for a Canadian network television affiliate, the source of the network's national newscast. What does that mean? I generally do commercial, documentary, and promotional work for the local station and the national news using a variety of digital cameras and devices like camera jib arms and pedestals. Along with a lot of out-of-town work which gives me a chance to get away from it all as it were. Basically I just try to make prettier pictures than the next guy or else pictures that mean much more than the traditional thousand words.

I collect post WWII 35 mm cameras, prewar Kodak and knockoffs. This includes copies of Kodak like the Baldur and Kodak copies of other things like their ill-fated *instant* camera. Also some vintage sci-fi books and comics- yes, COMICS! Not Illustrated Novels, comics. They were comic books then so I don't see a need to rename them now. I used to collect miniature books, but I got a little obsessive about it so I gave most away. Go figure.

Socially I am presently a bit of a loner, but I don't really mind that. My three daughters (don't call me Steven Douglas) and some good friends are most of the company I currently enjoy and even those in small doses.

Presently I am very much enjoying "flipping" condominiums (technically called "Strata Holdings" here) by now and then buying them, fixing them up and then selling them a year later. It makes for a messy home life but I enjoy the work as a profitable hobby. The last sale has allowed me to buy a few things that will make the work easier as well as a vacation in Europe. I hope the next one will allow me to "move up" to a much newer building but I'd be just as happy to stay in a place I had fixed up to my satisfaction.

I seek no steenken batches here, no record number of entries, no praise or damnation. Merely entertainment, information, friends, some (mostly) intelligent conversations, lots of humour and to share what little I have to offer.

What I've worked at.

I've been a gas station jockey, been an appliance delivering "Swamper", warehouse stocker, pulp mill worker, logging "Chokerman" and a carpenter's assistant, all before I was 23 while going to school. Since then I've been a stage hand, an apprentice camera operator, a camera operator (known as a "Cameraman" in those unenlightened days), a videographer and finally a Director of Photography. With my trusty camera(s) I have visited three continents and numerous countries including working at three Olympics.

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Yes, occasionally exposing silver but most often realigning rust or bits (film =/= video tape, hard drives or P2 cards)

2 + 0 + 0 + [ ( 8 - 3 ) X 8 ] = 42

(Thank you, six7s!)

Looks more like me ten years ago, add a beard, grey hairs, and a few laugh lines (although I would never dare to compare myself artistically to the creator of The Dialogues with Solzhenitsyn). Or look here.

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Gallery 42

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