Gregory Melle's Photo Resume

I am a somewhat talented amateur photographer. I like to think that I have a good eye for colour and composition.
While I will never be a real professional, I still thought that a photography resume might still be useful.

Summary

Having a camera ready and available is a large part of what it takes to capture good photographs.
My background in programming and managing software databases helps me keep my photos indexed and well-organized.
My photos can be found at CanadaGood on Flickr.com. 

Photographic Equipment Highlights

• My father had an old folding Kodak camera. I was allowed to tinker with it but I don’t remember actually using any film.

• In elementary school, I learned to setup the Bell & Howell movie projector and thread the film.
  I was given the privilege of doing this for different classrooms.

• May 1963: I received my first Brownie camera. Film and developing were always expensive
  so I learned to frame my shots and think before pushing the shutter button.

• Christmas 1968: I was given a Model 250 Polaroid camera.
  Many of my best Polaroid photos were unfortunately given away to family and friends. I would love to see what happened to them.

• About 1970: I purchased a Rollei 35 camera. It was a beautiful piece of engineering but had the awful habit
  of shredding the film sprockets if great care was not taken in rewinding. I lost two rolls that way in memorable circumstances.

• 1975: I bought my beloved Olympus OM-1 camera. I took it on an extended world trip.
  Unfortunately, this camera was left on a Honolulu city bus in July 1983. I was on my way to Japan.
  There I purchased an Olympus OM-10 which was the cheaper cousin of the OM-1.

• For a couple decades, most of my photos were captured on slide transparency film.
  I preferred Kodachrome but occasionally branched out to Ektachrome or Fuji Film.
  I eventually scanned every one of my 2900 slides two times.

• Starting in 1986 I experimented with cheaper film from Seattle Film Works.
  In the nineties my photos were taken on some cheaper cameras with less than perfect results.

• In 1997 and 1998 I took some memorable videos with a JVC VHS-C Camcorder.
  I eventually scanned them and used them as the basis for a number of short YouTube videos.

• In 1998 I went digital. Since then I have owned a variety of Olympus, Kodak and Nikon cameras.
  Many other photos were captured by a Palm PDA and several phone cameras.

• In 2021 I purchased a used Panasonic LUMIX Micro Four Thirds format GH1 camera.
  When I shop for more expensive cameras I start to think of all the trips that I could make with the same money. 

Photographic Experience

•  Lots of Travel and many Travel photos:
  I have made at least brief stops in more than forty countries: Europe, Australia, Asia and North America.
  I walked many miles carrying a camera. I have also travelled the length of Canada and touched on every American state.

• CanadaGood on Flickr.com since 2008:
  39,000 photos and videos posted with almost 20 million page views. They are tagged, geotagged and edited.

• CanadaGood on YouTube.com since March 2006:
  I have posted almost 100 videos on YouTube. Many are quite short.
  Many are based on my VHS-C camcorder tapes. I use Pinnacle Studio for editing. 

Photographic Exhibits and Usage

• An Anatomy of Influence (Amazon) book published January 2018:
  Author Thomas Daniell explains “the theory and practice of 12 leading Japanese architects”.
  My photo ‘gm_02507 Shinjuku Area Lights’ is reproduced full-color and full-page

• Inspired Eye online photography magazine issue L (June 2017):
  I was featured in a 19-page section titled ‘Japan 1980’. It contains 15 of my Japan travel photos and a short interview

• Slingshot Vancouver Agency campaign for Granville Island Brewing in October 2014:
  I was excited that my photo was getting blown up on the side of a bus;
  but by the time the advertising agency was finished editing, it was hard to make out any of my image!

• Oscar Brockett Theater of the University of Texas at Austin:
  projection design for Bacha Bazi: Boy Play in February 2012. It used several of my Afghanistan images

• Alberta Views Magazine:
  December 2011 issue – Eye on Alberta section featured photo (Page 20)

• Alberta Views Magazine:
  March 2011 issue – Eye on Alberta section featured photo (Page 18)

• Rural Councillor Magazine (Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities)
  April/May 2011 issue – Front cover photo

• Peugeot dealer sales poster “Are You Ready for Winter?”:
  featured highly-modified form of my edm09b63 Edmonton automobile snow photo.
  It was designed and produced by CMW Agency in London UK in late 2010

Photography Education

• I read some photography books and I have been to some fine museums.
  Exposure to fine art of any type helps in photo composition and editing

• I once bought a used 11 volume set of Time/Life Art/Photography Books.
  Also, for many years I collected and read old National Geographic magazines.
  I learned much from reading all of these

• I have taken no photography courses. I have never been in a darkroom.
  I have never been a member of a photography club. Nothing against joining, I just never had a chance.