A New Type of Portrait

Sometimes the universe sends you a challenge that is just out of your comfort zone. It takes a creative mind to rise to the occasion.

A recent survey conducted by Trident (you know, the chewing gum company) discovered that 9 out of 10 Canadians said they find fun in the little things every day. I agree with 65 per cent of Canadians who believe that fun is all about discovering something unexpected like taking a spontaneous road trip (73 per cent) singing at the top of their lungs (49 per cent) or running through a sprinkler on a hot day (39 per cent). And a whopping 96 per cent of Canadians say it’s important to share fun things with others.

Then I was asked by Trident to write about what I do for fun. Hmm....Well, I work. That's my idea of fun. Pathetic, right? I can tell you when I go to Clevelands House Family Resort, it's about relaxation, not fun. I run to feel great. I shop when I'm stressed. But I wouldn't categorize any of the above as simply good old-fashioned fun. I'm kind of a curmudgeon like that. Ask Sharon DeVellis. She knows this about me.

And then I saw this fun video done by the Trident team, and was inspired.

Instead of lying on my back looking for animals in clouds, I took the concept one step further.

Here's what I did for fun this past weekend.

I sat down and asked people I really like to stand around me in a messy circle. I pointed my trusty iPhone camera up and shot their faces against the clouds. It looks kind of goofy but when we put a few of them together, it's not bad. In fact, I think I may have discovered a new genre of portraiture.

Here's a portrait I took of my clan who indulged me in some silliness. Freaky, huh? We look like Siamese Twins. For this my technique was different. I used the forward facing lens, and while I held my phone, my son pressed the button to take the shot.