Toad Hollow Photography

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Welcome to Toad Hollow Photography!

As featured in the November 2012 edition of Shutterbug magazine p.32.   Joe Farace included our blog in the “Shutterbug Reader Websites” column.  Here are some excerpts:

“The Toad Hollow Day of Encouragement is a day for giving encouragement and support to others, which is something that Scott Johnson, the Canadian proprietor of November’s Blog-of-the-month, does for visitors to his blog.”

“If you’ve got the blahs, the blues, or are feeling a bit down and out about your own photography, a visit to Toad Hollow will pick you up with Johnson’s informative posts and delightful HDR images.”

“If any of these topics are of interest and you want to see how a master of HDR photography creates these kinds of images, you should pop into this blog for a regular visit.”

~ Joe Farace – November 2012 Shutterbug Magazine p.32.

Growing up we were all subjected continuously to my Dad and his propensity to photograph anything that would sit still in front of his lens.  My Dad was a kind and thoughtful man who found himself immersed professionally in accounting and computer systems.  His photography was always a medium that allowed him to escape and express the other side of his personality, and as time went along he really proved to be very gifted in this field.  Even if we were the only ones to see his work.

As the years flew by, he lost interest in the practice but never stopped mentioning that he wished he had pursued a career in the field.  This was a lesson I would never forget and still reflect on today.

When he became seriously ill, we spent countless hours trying to find an activity that would take his mind off his troubles.  The one thing we shared was our intense love for still photography.  It was a natural choice.  Weeks went by as him and I went to store after store, trying to find the perfect camera for his style.  Eventually we did, however sadly he didn’t have very much time left to pursue this passion of his.

For me, photography was always a highly technical practice that seemed somewhat mysterious at times.  After my Dad passed away I managed to acquire the DSLR camera we had shopped for together, and I thought it was the perfect way to remember and honor him.  Countless hours were spent online reading technical documents on managing camera settings and in-depth discussions on compositional techniques.  From there, Toad Hollow Photography came to be.

We specialize in HDR photography techniques with a prime focus on several key areas:

- the diverse landscapes of Vancouver Island
- historic items and artifacts
- architectural studies
- conservation projects for both wildlife & architecture
- cars, trucks, boats, motorcycles and other toys

Some of our key accomplishments in the field include:

- attendance at the Fine Art Show in the Cowichan Valley in the spring of 2011.  Two of our best HDR images were enlarged and framed for display at the show.
- a print was sold to the Anglican Church of Canada for use in their annual fund-raising calendar.  Our image was selected for the month of December.
- attended a shoot to photograph an extremely rare sports car.
- commissioned to shoot the inside and outside of a local B&B for use on their website and in print for promotional materials.
- began our weekly article on Light Stalking where we compile a list of the best photography found during the week.  This article remains a key initiative for us that reaches an extremely large audience.
- asked to test and write a review for a new software application for the creation of HDR images.
- achieved close to 1,000,000 image views in the last year on our main gallery site online.
- we were granted exclusive after-hours access to 2 local museums due to our reputation and sensitivity to the subject matter.
- asked to participate in the overall revamp of a local heritage museum site by providing the majority of the photography.
- conducted phone interviews on emerging technologies.
- completed our first eBook “The Toads Tog Tips : The f-stops Here”.
- provide professional photography services for TLC The Land Conservancy of BC.
- provide professional photography services for the Victoria Corvette Club.
- provide professional photography services for Western Toad Migration Rescue Project, featured in the Times-Colonist and on CBC Radio
- “Blue Jet” print matted and framed hanging at the Fountain Diner restaurant on display
- featured as “Blog-of-the-month” in the November 2012 edition of Shutterbug Magazine in the column written by Joe Farace “Shutterbug Reader Websites”
- provided professional photography services for One Cowichan community meeting, a meeting scheduled with government and industry officials to discuss the drought and it’s effect on the Cowichan River
- won 1st place in the Professional category for the Land Trust Alliance of BC Fall Photo contest 2012
- won myPQB Photo Story Contest (My Parksville/Qualicum Beach) fall of 2012
- images of Vancouver Island train stations requested for use on Island Corridor Foundations website
- weekly article published on Light Stalking featured on “Cover Stories” of Flipboard
- conducted guest radio interview on Reinvention Circle podcast, now available online – “How Do I Know When Is It Time to Leave my Job?”
- photographs used and featured on the Facebook page for the Ross Bay Villa Society

We welcome you to contact us directly to see if we can be of service to you.  Please call (250) 510-7693 or email [email protected] to arrange for a complimentary meeting to discuss your specific photography needs.

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Testimonials

The more I read of your work and research, and the accompanying images, the more I realize how important ‘oral’ history really is, and how careless we are with it. My parents are long gone but we have inherited many items from them – many now older than a hundred years and I am sure that at some time (more than once) they told me about them: where they came from, their age, their history. And those facts went straight in one ear and out the other. And now it’s too late. Those facts cannot be reclaimed. It’s a sobering thought that if something has historical significance, even within the family, we should write it down.

~ Andy Hooker (LensScaper) – LensScaper’s Blog | LensScaper on Twitter

 

Blue Jet Owner;

As they say, all good things come in three’s or in layman’s terms, it was a “WIN, WIN, WIN” situation!

As the privileged owner of this iconic Corvette Grand Sport, I can say that having my favourite car photographed with a beautiful backdrop at the best time of day was an awesome experience. As you can imagine, a considerable time was spent in preparing the Corvette for its debut photo shoot, just a few short months after finding it, but where else… online!

I had been dreaming of owning a Corvette since my teenage years and with my wife’s blessing AND on her birthday no less, we made it a dream come true!! How sweet was that! But wait.. .that was my first Corvette 3 years ago. Since then, I had learned so much about the much admired and coveted Corvette that last fall, my wife again (after viewing my Corvette screen saver) gave me the green light and said, “Go ahead and buy that beautiful Jet Stream Blue Corvette. This time, the hunt was on. Knowing exactly the features, trim level and, of course, low km’s; I finally found it and quickly snatched this 1 of 252 Grand Sports manufactured in Bowling Green, Kentucky in 2011 with all the right stuff.

Then came the big day! I had dreamed of this day to come with the right weather conditions, right time of day and the right photographer for the job. As with so many others, I’m a photographer wannabee, but compared to the professionalism of Toad Photography© , well what can I say… the photographs speak for themselves. If ever a recommendation comes without hesitation, it’s all goes to him. What a privilege and honor it was to have the best photographer, take these awesome photos with the best backdrop and, of course, the best Corvette to shoot. Like I said, it was a win, win, win situation. Thanks so much for these one-of-a-kind photos.

~ Blue Jet Pilot; Wolfe