There is natural occurring art all around us in life, each one telling their own story.  I am fortunate in my ability to see this, capture it, and share it while my family goes about their normal routine.

Many photographers focus on a style, the more common ones include nature, animals, landscape, architecture, street.  When asked about what I like to take picture of, I will tell you its ‘life art’… the things I see while doing normal things.

It’s common for me to come home with 700+ pictures from a family trip, and within weeks get that down to a healthy 100 of the best for our family albums.  We are always on the go, and not wanting to slow down my wife and daughters, I’ve learnt to see and capture what’s in front of us fast.  And this is what’s allowed me to develop the ‘life art’ style.

So what makes a great ‘life art’ picture?  First and foremost, it must tell a story.  It should pull you in gently and allow you to feel like you are there in that scene.  It is singular and focused.  And it’s an everyday moment that really happened.

I was 16 years of age when I took a class in photography in college, more out of wanting an easy period vs. trying to find a profession or hobby that I would enjoy!  To my surprise, I liked the experience and more important it helped me de-stress from the other curriculum.  And to this day, taking pictures, developing them in Lightroom, and running Life Art keeps me sane and enjoying life.

My first camera was a Nikon EM film that was grandpa’s.  Developing film in the lab was surely harder than what digital is today, however it taught so much about light, tones, and depth. I had this camera and used it well into the first decade of the 2000s, before having to go digital.

Switching to Sony was fluke… wanted Nikon, however could not afford a full system at the time. The a33 was first and then the a65, both good quality images but terrible terrible autofocus.  It was Sony’s move to the a7 series body that made me a believer and it’s been a true pleasure ever since.

All right… a little more… I believe in teams & people, family, the outdoors, and doing the impossible.  I like people who are humble, hungry, and smart.  Teams perform better than individual super stars.  We all have the capability to be extra-ordinary.  Photographs tell a story, and people love stories.

I earn my keep as a commercial leader and board member, and have worked for some of the most respected companies in Canada, USA, and globally.  I’m passionate about how people buy, building strong teams, and good return on investment.  Please hop over to LinkedIn to read more.

After hours, it’s about family and adventure, and capturing these life moments as art stories.  This photoblog is intended to inspire; a place to share the great photos taken as my family experiences life locally and around our wonderful world.

Toronto and Muskoka are where we call ‘home’.

Have a great day!

Jeff

Copyright – all photos on this blog have been taken by Jeff Haltrecht and are owned under copyright.  You are free to share via social media, however you may not use any photos for commercial benefit without prior written consent and/or compensation.  Thank you.