Bell Canada
Bell Canada customer operations division where dynamic workstyle and collaboration drives the design directive of this energetic workspace. Interior design by figure3.
Desjardins financial centre Toronto
Desjardins financial centre is a one-stop-shop at the heart of Bay street - designed by Ædifica architecture + design.
I had the pleasure of photographing this modern bank in the spring. The clean double height storefront beacons with a large digital display, surrounded by bottom-lit animated angled wood panels that convey warmth and fun, a fresh look not usually expected from a bank.
The angular theme is completed throughout the architecture and interior. Boomerang shaped reception desk adds dynamism in the front lobby while the perspective accentuating slanted wood bay on the left side houses the main service desks where warm wood surround and desk height clerks greet customers in the seated position that adds to the approachable feel. On the right side, a lounge is situated in front of a large clear meeting room which anchors a bank of offices with clear glazed fronts. Inside, trapezoidal felt panels in organic pattern and colour add comfort and energy while adjacent exterior facing windows are also covered in translucent film of the same pattern - which forms a large messaging area for the entire side of the building.
This branch design is refreshing and is clearly aimed at the urbanites of Toronto, I can't imagine anyone coming out of the branch without a smile on their face!
eyes in the sky
It is interesting the purist things in life always have the most emotional impact. We are drawn to the classic, the pure, and the simplest forms and ideas.
Environics featuring Haworth furniture
Environics Analytics office interior designed by figure3, features Haworth furniture to support various workstyles of this modern office.
A small office that features no dedicated receptionist, it has a small reception lounge next to the multi-function breakout / lunch / town hall area complete with branded feature wall and bar height counters that support cafe style work and collaboration. Small telephone rooms + meeting rooms provide privacy to support the open studio environment. Glass panels with gradated privacy film anchor the end of benching workstations which include storage pedestals with guest seating pads for casual visitors and mini-meetings at the desk or screen. Touch-down stations and soft lounge chairs opposite the hallway of the studio provide mobile workers / guests alternate space for short term work environments.
It is such a fun and efficient space which supports workstyles of this modern marketing analytics company. Environics was finalist in the 2014 REMMY awards for small innovative workspace.
Best of Canada Awards feature
Eli Lilly and Mediabrands designed by figure3 are winners of Best of Canada awards in current issue of Canadian Interiors. See more photography here:
Look out for SUITS season IV
Look out for my fine art abstract piece: "Still of my heart" in the SUITS season IV settings!
bridle path residence featured in interior design
Check out the current issue of INTERIOR DESIGN!See the featured post here:
Zoomfinder report
This is a mirrored post of an user report article published on Steve Huff Photo. For those of you that missed it, here it is :) Hello everyone, I have stumbled across an invaluable side benefit of a zoomfinder in my photography process and would like to share my experience with it. It is for wide angle application and architectural interior photography in this report, but hopefully it can be beneficial for other applications as well!
For those unfamiliar with a zoomfinder, it is an external finder with a zooming capability for compositional aid, typically used on a rangefinder or a non mirror-reflex camera. It mounts to the hotshoe and there are a few choices out there. In my case I use the Voigtlander Zoomfinder, Arca Swiss Vario Finder, and to a small extent the Alpa eFinder App on the iPhone.
Framing aid Apps on the smartphone is pretty handy indeed but the requirement of an external wide angle lens adaptor and the annoyance of dealing with electronic device where multiple button presses, non-instantaneous viewing, and concerns of battery life hinder the speed and usability for me so I am skipping it in this report.
Below are brief descriptions of the zoomfinders in use:
The Arca Swiss Vario Finder This is a clever device designed for Arca Swiss technical cameras. Here is my friend Silvia demonstrating the finder!
Along with different masks it simulates framing including rise/fall and shifted lens positions. Users zoom the housing to desired lens focal length marking and put a corresponding metal mask on the front which clips on by the recessed magnets in the front frame. There are 3 masks in total but for my use I only need 2 of them. My finder is an older design, newer finders have guided pin slots which is even cooler for keeping orthogonal movements.
The mask can be slid in both axis to show movement - each dot simulates 5mm of movement and can be seen through the viewfinder. Here is a view that simulates 10mm of rise and 10mm of left shift.
The image quality is nice and bright, with apparent barrel distortion, gets much better when zoomed in though. The image appear to be slightly blurry on the periphery if your eye is not in the right position or not square to the eyepiece which acts as a clever visual feedback to put your eye in the right position for accurate framing. The proportion is 4:3 which corresponds to medium format digital back sensor size.
Here is how it looks like when mounted on the technical camera, it has mounting foot for both landscape and portrait orientation.
Voigtlander 15-35mm Zoomfinder This a well designed and solidly-built finder which operates similar to a zoom lens. There are notched positions for focal length presets similar to aperture ring on a M rangefinder lens and has a built-in diopter on the eyepiece. Depending on the model it will also indicate equivalent focal lengths for various cropped sensors. In use on a rangefinder it is a bit of a dance as Steve explained in a previous post . Metering and framing are carried out by viewfinder on camera and the Zoomfinder separately. Due to the larger distance it mounts away from the lens, parallax effect is more exaggerated for closer distance subjects with the super wide lenses. Here is how the zoomfinder looks like when mounted to the M9-P.
The experience is similar to an SLR where views are masked instead of frameline overlay of a rangefinder, there is a dotted line on top to indicate close range frame edge. The images quality is excellent, distortion is very mild and zoom simulation works extremely well. There is slight fringing if you point at bright sources. The proportion is 2:3 which corresponds to small format sensor size. Here is a comparison showing 15mm and 35mm views, note the slight fringing.
Now to the main point of the article - how the zoomfinder can make our lives easier. For years I have looked for solutions that will help with certain challenges I encounter on a shoot - which the zoomfinder eventually solved for me.
Here are the benefits:
1. Scouting Aid Prior to the shoot, one can go around the space and preview contemplated scenes using various focal lengths in a very nimble fashion. For architectural interiors, one frequently gets pinned to confined space during framing, it is much easier to handle and preview with such a small and light device.
2. Visualization and Focal length selector For those of us sensitive to the compositional impact related to exaggeration of perspective inherent in various wide angle focal lengths it is sometimes hard to choose the proper prime lens without preview. The zoomfinder shows the effect in combination with the physical distance to the subject. You can quickly decide if you want to stand back and use a 28mm or get closer and use a 24mm along with the look of each lens. It is such a time-saver. The relatively low optical distortion in the viewfinder just makes the preview actually enjoyable and non-distracting compared to lower grade viewfinders.
3. Stitching Preview For those of us that use shift lens and stitching capture workflow it is hard to see the composition during the shoot. Through my own tests I have worked out equivalent focal length of the stitched focal length. The 24 PC-E becomes 18mm with cropped sides or 21mm safe frame. The 45 PC-E becomes 28mm with cropped sides or 35mm safe frame. Safe frame is for cropping out the corner vignette when maximum shifts are used. You can quickly preview the finished image with the zoomfinder. Here is an image that shows 3 images from capture and the finished stitch.
4. Camera Position Aid The effect of camera height is very important in interiors. With the viewfinder I can preview the scene and determine exact camera position very quickly. Once I identify the desired position, I will hold the zoomfinder in place with one hand and then drag the camera + tripod over with the other hand to match the optimal position quicker and then fine tune to suit.
For the benefits above, the zoomfinder has become so invaluable that I carry it on me during the shoot at all times. Previously I used a mini ballhead along with a tripod button and a safety noose.
Early on in the year I dug into my luthier roots and made a stabilized hardwood handle for it. A belt clip gun holster provides easy reach and secured carry. I often have to move furniture and arrange items in the scene so the belt clip is the best carry as it will not swing around during active motions.
I know this is a very specific application and a small camera with a wide zoom can achieve the same function. However the small size and simple, convenient use during a physical shoot just makes it so much easier for me. If there is a wish to make it even better… a 15 to 50mm zoomfinder would make it out right amazing although definitely not at the expense of distortion though! The experience is so important and can make your shoot enjoyable when scenes do not appear warpy like a Salvador Dali painting. I have considered a dual hot shoe that mounts both the zoomfinder and a separate 50mm finder but it will make the size much larger and stability would be of concern.
If one can make a custom precision mount that adapts the zoomfinder to a smartphone it can be used as a good quality wide angle zoom adaptor as well. Maybe it will be a project for the DIY crowd with a 3d printer out there!
Maybe in 5 years google glass will have a thought controlled view window that can zoom and crop to simulate a viewfinder - consider this a free idea if anyone wants to take this on with crowd sourcing!
Nocturnal Still
For those of you that could not attend the Contact Photography Festival to see this series in person, here is the story behind the project.
So I dreamed up this series while sleepwalking one night - well not really but the trees are truly in a world of their own at night! As urban dwellers we get increasingly less encounter with darkness and especially nature at night - perhaps for most of us in a half-buzzed state during a summer camping trip at night.
Many of us love trees - their life force is simply powerful and yet so organic and warm. I see them as gentle giants and our guardians. During the day, they provide shade, convert energy from the sun as well as produce Oxygen that sustains us all. After a hard day of work and when the night falls, they get their break, breathing in and out just like the rest of us while sleeping standing up - like an innocent baby. This is what I wanted to capture, a baby portrait of sort while they rest peacefully in an almost magical world of their own where most of us do not get to see. This series is meant to be experienced in person at a large format, an encounter face to face with these etherial giants in their realm, wrapped in the blanket of night.
The Nocturnal Still series is offered as limited edition fine art prints and posters.
A few photos from the opening night.
black's photography
Black's photography - the well know Canadian retailer, was looking to refresh its brand and place in the camera store landscape. figure3 conceptualized and designed a store that help customers immerse in the new playground for photography where different zones enable them to get inspired, create and share all things photographic, online and printed. Cool store features include welcome lounge area with a photobook table, warm and inviting furnishing, feature wall with magnetic panel for flexible merchandising and sliding display bookcases that reveal access to storage which maximizes small footprint retail stores.
This is such a fun store concept that is current and exciting. The cute furniture clusters just begs to be perched in and being surrounded by cameras + toys didn't exactly help with my concentration during the shoot either.
she never sleeps
My long time friend Doug heads up the progressive rock band She Never Sleeps. It was fun to capture their music and spirit at the Duffy's Tavern gig. Catch them at the next concert and enjoy the opus!
Nocturnal Still - Contact Photography Festival exhibition
Don't miss my Nocturnal Still series at the Contact Photography Festival this May, show info is here.
cotact festival page
home of genius - newton model suite
Ever wonder what a condo looks like as the resting cove of a genius? Concord Adex commissioned figure3 to design a space where a distinguishing couple comfortably calls home. It is a space that satisfies a genius scientist and his elite fashion designer counterpart. Sophistication and luxury is seen in the details and furnishing where organic warmth pairs harmoniously with a collection of objects focusing on scientific pursuit. The two washrooms – a his and hers - feature framed work by Newton and vintage Hermes scarf respectively. Glass top dinning table makes the kitchen feel light and spacious while classic furniture alongside the refined Bang & Olufsen TV creates an alluring living room that just begs to be lounged in. In the bedroom, gray silk wallcovering backdrops the headboard with subtle shimmering texture while polished doorframe and silver mirror engulfs the walk in closet, creating a semi-display and functional sparkle of a gem.
It is not an exaggeration to call it a sexy home - intellectually and stylistically!
apex toronto featuring mohawk curious modular carpet
If you weren't aware of carpet as a design element as yet, here is a great showcase.
Textile and carpet design is certainly not as easy as it looks. Besides controlled use as an accent or bold design statement, it needs to be a tasteful backdrop that doesn't overtake a space yet the texture and tone has a major impact on the experience of the space. For large application of carpet tiles as field carpet, it requires creative design to generate organic patterning so surfaces don't become dizzying pattern as seen on video game texture maps.
It is at the core of graphic design where elements such as lines, textures, orientation, negative space, pattern modularity, micro + macro appearance and three dimensional illusion all need to be carefully considered.
Mohawk's attractive Curious Modular Series under the State of Mind II collection demonstrates the creativity and design nicely in this commercial application at APEX office.
wine, cheese, and a mani
I had always wondered how it's like inside when walking by nail parlours. Presumably like most men, I had never set foot in one. (Aside from the few who take good care of themselves or the subculture of classical and flamenco guitar players who need nails on their picking hand perhaps.)
Well there was a chance to go to a wine, cheese and manicure event, the curious cat in me just jumped on it. Well, I have to say it's a treat and the bonding time while being pampered is quite fun and precious actually. On the technical side, wine glass with a straw is mandatory due to the temporary inability for precise finger use. I had to dig out a mobile phone deep in the purse for one of my friends before the delicate design is cured :)
feature for valentine's special
Valentine's - to celebrate the magical and intimate romance between 2 people in love - usually includes a dark and private setting with a candlelight dinner. We crafted images for a featured article in the Toronto Sun, creating the mood with suggestions and ideas for small condo lovers. Hopefully it helped some lovebirds write a memorable page in their storybook.
Vistek Mississauga
figure3 designed the Vistek Mississauga store as a new concept. It contains an inspiring gallery space with a presentation area at the back. It can be used for events, educational theatre with projection as well as demo shoot space with lighting and backdrop. Modular kit-of-parts fixtures provide flexibility and unified design for counters, back wall, and floor displays. The minimal and clean design presents products without getting in the way. The store design was rolled out to the Toronto rental portion and Ottawa store. Being part of the design team and heavily involved in the space and fixture design, this was like a kid in a candy store for me.
knoll holiday portraits
Knoll hosted a semi-private holiday portrait session. It is like a candy store for designers, you bring your loved ones and get photographed in iconic knoll pieces. Anita my portraitist wife who is addicted to capturing the best of her subjects had a blast directing and capturing the various groupings, there were a few pets that behaved better than some kids - just sayin' ;)
Some behind the scenes here - I rigged up an Octabank for wrap around lighting and hooked up an iPad mini with HDMI connection to a TV for a manual photo booth feedback for the sitters, a giant selfie screen of sort. It worked but became a distraction for kids as they kept looking at the TV. Now perhaps someday we can have floating screens that hover above our heads at the camera position, now that would be cool!
