Once again I find myself spending way too much time surfing the various social media options.
It's weighing me down.

There is so much nonsense, crap, advertising, irrelevant garbage no matter where you go. Facebook is probably the worst. I dumped it for a year a while back. Didn't really miss it except for the connections to family far afield.
I do have a phone mind you.
Facebook, you may see my shadow once again.

In the fast-paced world of digital marketing, capturing audience attention is more challenging than ever. Enter cinemagraphs—the sophisticated, subtle video technique that can transform your social media marketing strategy.
What Makes Cinemagraphs So Powerful?Cinemagraphs are subtle, seamlessly looping animations where most of the image remains static while a small section moves continuously. This unique format creates a mesmerizing visual experience that:

• Stops scrollers in their tracks with hypnotic movement
• Communicates brand messaging more dynamically than static images
• Generates higher engagement rates compared to traditional photos
• Appears more premium and artistic than standard video content

Practical Applications Across IndustriesWhether you're in retail, hospitality, technology, or professional services, cinemagraphs can elevate your visual storytelling:

• Restaurants: Show steam rising from a coffee cup or a fork delicately cutting into a perfect steak
• Fashion Brands: Showcase fabric movement or subtle model gestures
• Tech Companies: Highlight product details with elegant, minimal animation
• Travel/Hospitality: Create atmospheric scenes that evoke destination emotions

Engagement and Performance MetricsStudies show cinemagraphs can:

• Increase click-through rates by up to 60%
• Boost social media engagement by 40%
• Reduce ad fatigue through visually compelling content

Implementation Tips

1. Keep animations subtle and purposeful
2. Maintain high-quality, professional production
3. Align animation with brand aesthetic
4. Use strategic placement across platforms

By integrating cinemagraphs, you're not just sharing content—you're creating an immersive visual experience that resonates with your audience.

Have I mentioned how much I wish to move ?

Well it's true. I'm looking to make a change in my life and focus that change on where I can make a mark with my photography.

After doing a lot of introspection and sending out emails etc etc, I've decided that I'm going to make a move towards working in the museum, arts, govt and heritage sector in our fair country of Canada.

I like the idea of 1) shooting a variety of subject matter throughout the week and 2) being able to rely on a steady income for the first time in my life.
Am I crazy?  Am I making a huge mistake ?
Hope not (on both accounts)

It's been 23 years that I've been based in this town, and I have next to nothing to show for it. The same ol grind just isn't grinding anymore. I figure, I have another ⅓ of my life to go. I don't intend to spend it pushing the same rock up the same hill.

Thanks for reading this far. 
I'll probably have more to report in the near future.
Party on Wayne.

A number of years back I went on a foray into the world of experimental portraiture.

I had volunteer models, just regular folks, come in to The Tiny Studio Peterborough for an hour or so. 
We tested lighting, colours, textures, motion and all that sort of thing. Sometimes it worked as intended, and sometimes not.  But that's just part of the game.

I'm planning a revisit to experimental portraits. Portraits that mean something to me.

 Product photography, by it's very nature is the photography of a manufactured product. An item that is (probably) created to be sold. 
Your run of the mill socks, garden gnome, salt shaker, dump truck, airline hanger etc. You get the idea.

Having the skills to shoot images of said products usually (not always) involves years if not decades of learning and practice. Product photography can involve shooting in a dedicated studio space, and it can alternatively involve shooting in a separate location, more suitable to the product in question.

I've done most of my product shoots in a small studio space, but I've also had the opportunity to shoot in an airport hanger. It all depends on the subject matter and how much control is allowed. Kind of hard to photograph an airplane in my studio. I wouldn't even try. In most cases, not all, I try to shoot in a style that is unique to my vision as an artist. I want my viewers to ultimately look at my portfolio and say, "that looks like Mike's work". I want to be memorable. To be identifiable.  I think that is an achievable goal. I think that every shooter with an ounce of business sense, should strive to be memorable.
At the moment, I would describe my style as "dramatic minimalism".  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
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My foray into the world of product photography stems from my interest and desire to have control of the situation. It also helps that the products never become disinterested, whine or complain or feel the need to blink.  Have you ever seen a bottle of scotch blink ?  Me neither.

Studio photography is unique in that it gives the control to those within. I prefer it that way. It makes me the boss. And yet, it also makes me a collaborator on each project. I hope to keep collaborating for as long as I can here in Peterborough. As long as they keep calling, I'll keep shooting.

The book by Seth Godin.
Purple Cow.
If you are in any kind of business, especially if yours is similar to others in your area, you NEED to read this short and brilliant book.

You'll will be thanking me later. 
I've had my copy for a few years and I go back and read through it every 6 months or so. There is so much value in this little book, that I would not be surprised if it is required reading for every business and marketing curriculum across the world.
It should be.
Purple Cow. Go get your copy today.

A couple of years ago, something happened.

I discovered the wild and whacky world of the Cinemagraph.
Imagine if you will a still image you've come across while cruising your regular social media feed. You look briefly then before you can exercise your digit's right to  swipe, you notice that a small part of the image is moving.

That, my friend, is a Cinemagraph.  A blend of moving and still images.

It's different. It's unique. And people are starting to use them in advertising projects the world over. BTW, they're also a lot of fun to make even if they can be bothersome to conceptualize and pump through a computer program.
Sadly, that ol standby that is Instagram, doesn't allow GIF files. (Which are perfect for Cinemagraphs.) I'm hoping that will change in the near future. Until that happens, I will continue to load my GIF Cinemagraphs onto my Facebook page and everywhere else that accepts them. (You can't stop me Instagram!)

Watch for more Cinemagraphs from me as well as Stop-Motion Animations with a bent towards the commercial product world.
Peace be with you. 

Lately I've been looking at how much there is a growing demand for images that move. You know, videos, animations, GIFs and that sort of thing.

Over the past couple of years I've taken a growing interest in the making of cinemagraphs and stop-motion animations. I've dabbled here and there. Tested different techniques and in that I've found that I like the experience.

Should I offer these things to prospective clients ? Well, maybe.
Meanwhile, I'll keep experimenting and learning how still images can be converted into moving images. Images that grab attention while telling a story.

​I'll keep you posted.

Environmental portraits, or at least, portraits done in the location where the subject lives and or works, gives me a sense of creation and respect.
I enjoy making these portraits of people who are involved in an endeavour that gives them joy, and perhaps provides an income from which they rely on.
I've done a bunch of them a few years back. Driving all over Ontario, visiting people in their studios or homes.
Yes, it involved time and effort. I suppose that is part of the allure of it for me. I enjoy doing projects that take effort and that are rather unique.

I don't know of any other photographer who went around the Province photographing the same group of individuals that I did. If there was such a photographer, I don't know who it might have been.
I didn't do those projects for monetary gain. On the contrary, I did them for emotional gain.
I did them to satisfy a personal desire to make something that recognizes them for what they have achieved. In the meantime, I suppose I also did it for me.  Having the ability to say, "I did that" gives me a sense of satisfaction. If I can't do something now and then that gives me that knowledge, I would surely go mad.
I wonder what the next project will involve.

Always trying new things can be a rewarding experience. At least if they are with good intentions. 
My goal this year is to experience new ways of expressing my creativity with photography, and hopefully to find a new income source along the way.

Having taken the dive into product photography, I've learned some new techniques, made a few contacts and have indeed added some income to the coffers. So far so good.

Trying new things may work out after all. 
Better to experience life than to sit on your meaty bits and watch it pass you by.
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