Thailand - Bangkok

Obladee Wine Bar

Obladee is a wine bar on Barrington Street in Halifax, owned by siblings Heather and Christian Rankin. Their bar offers plenty of good wine by the glass options. The character of the place is warm and relaxing, making it an ideal spot for a drink after work or to meet friends before heading out to dinner.

There are a variety of seating options for larger groups and intimate parties alike, with fun little nooks and crannies tucked throughout the space. The bar has several unique features including two enclosed glass window seating areas, a spiral staircase and tables made from Glenora Distillery barrels.

Although Obladee focusses on wine rather than food they do have delicious cheese and charcuterie boards. There are also three good local beer choices on tap for those who prefer to sip a cold one.

Obladee is a fun spot to gather for drinks. The staff are friendly and more than willing to give suggestions. I quite enjoy the vibe here and the bar has quickly generated alot of buzz. The only downside to its popularity is that it can be challenging to find seats during peak times, so if you plan to meet a group for drinks it is best to arrive early. Another good option is to make your way there during the week when things are less busy.

The Film Rangefinder Experiment

Over the summer I was given an opportunity to shoot two rolls of film with a Contax G rangefinder camera. The camera, in near mint condition, was loaned to me by twitter follower Chris Jones (@betterlftunsaid), an avid black and white film shooter. Chris handed over his Contax loaded with a roll of Kodak TRI-X 400 ISO film, a spare roll and a promise to develop the images in his darkroom. Nice!

The Contax G series remains one of the most advanced, high quality 35mm film rangefinder cameras ever made. In the 90s it was marketed to the rich, but today with most people spending money on digital the G1 can be found used for an affordable price. The standard lens on this camera is the renowned Zeiss 45 mm f/2 planar, one of the sharpest lenses made for 35mm. This titanium beauty is built like a tank and the rangefinder design makes picture taking a simple pleasure.

I quickly became addicted to the simplicity of the camera and fell in love with the rangefinder design. The small size is easy on the shoulder and people are more relaxed as subjects when you bring the camera to your eye. Seeing the world through a finder vs single mirror reflex design is more immersive. Moments and expression are captured quickly, no fiddling through menus or buttons. The G series may just be the highest quality, easiest to use point and shoot camera ever made.

I forgot how fun it is shooting film. The creative process is different. Rather than the rapid-fire, machine gun approach one gets used to using digital, film requires a more intentional, reflective approach. A day of shooting often resulted in only a handful of exposures. In fact it took me most of the summer to get through a mere two rolls of film.

My favourite aspect shooting with this camera is its portability. After lugging around a heavy Canon 5D for an entire year as part of my daily photo project it was a joy to throw the rangefinder over the shoulder, wander the city and just shoot.

I would enjoy shooting regularly with the digital equivalent of this camera. Unfortunately, the only rangefinder design in digital format, that has a comparable-sized 'full frame' sensor size as 35mm film, is the Leica M9. At a mere $7,000 (without lenses!) the M9 is sadly out of reach. I am hopeful that in time more manufacturers will create affordable, interchangeable lens, full frame rangefinders.

A big thanks to Chris for loaning me this very cool camera. Check out his excellent black and white images on his website.

Splash of Fall Colour

Footsteps in the Sand

Boardwalk to the Beach

Cloudy Beach

Yoga Practice on the Rocks

Sleeping Baby

A friend's baby sleeping away the day. Sleeping babies are very peaceful. I wonder if they dream? I prefer them sleeping over pooping, screaming, barfing on me and so on.

Drunk on Pollen

This bee was moving very slow. It allowed for a clear shot.