Running On Empty
It is National Eating Disorder Awareness Week (#NEDAwareness), so a friend Natalie and I would like to share her intimate recovery story on bulimia nervosa over the next few days. We’ve been working together for many months now- going for coffee, talking on the phone, photographing on multiple occasion, and exchanging countless emails- in order to get this right. Natalie use to battle her own pressure for perfection with resistance, yet it was her passive mindful meditation that would give her the tools to start living a healthy life again. But it didn’t come easy.
From the "Running On Empty" story.
Tonight I'm gonna bury that horse in the ground.
Leica M2 | Voigtlander 35mm 1.4 | Ilford hp5
http://www.alexguiryphoto.com/buy-prints/ promo code: YYZ
15% OFF Print Sale!
For the next 7 days I'll be having a print sale and will be giving 15% OFF worldwide before I head to my homeland of Ontario for two weeks. I'd love to personal deliver as many of these as I can in the GTA- but first I need you to put your orders in!
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I got myself a keeper.
I am so proud of my girlfriend Rachel for getting accepted into Med School today at Bastyr University for Naturopathic medicine! Among many things, Rachel is my number one teacher when it comes to learning about the complex web of body, mind, and soul. Cannot wait to see where you go from here. Congratulations. xo.
My good friend Wild Bill moved back to Canada after living down south in his car for the past season. He's been sleeping under my kitchen table for the past month. Like many of my friends he's looking for a job to gain permanent residency. Glad to have you back.
Leica M2 | Voigtlander 35mm 1.4 | Ilford HP5 | Pentax Digital Spot Meter | Self Developed | Epson V700 Scan
Brit Yoga
Yoga, meditation, and zen philosophy, has play a key role in shifting my thoughts with anxiety and depression after losing my dad. I'm not alone when I say the reason I started yoga wasn't pretty. It has since been a stream of both frustration and inspiration toward my photography, whether it's visible or not. I owe a lot of love to all my teachers like Brittanie Firth Yoga and homies who've practiced beside, and in front of me. Jab Bless and Namaste Mother f(praisinghandsemoji)ckers!
Check out the rest of the shoot here http://www.alexguiryphoto.com/brit-yoga/
Emerging from anxiety to relief. Brittanie Firth Yoga
LeicaM2 | 35mm Voigtlander 1.4 | Ilford HP5 iso 800
I don't feel bad, just happy I'm not sad. Brittanie Firth Yoga
Leica M2 | 35mm Voigtlander 1.4 | Ilford HP5 iso 800
www.alexguiryphoto.com
Authentic
I was fortunate enough to have Britt Firth as my primary yoga teacher the past year. Thank for sharing your energy.
I've Only Heard of These Guys.
The other day Ryan Muirhead posted this portrait and said some beautiful things about my writing, work, and our time together. Like how it was nice to hang out with someone who could remove themselves from the photo scene. I agree, but the funny thing is after watching this guy shoot and talk about the science and math of photography, the zone system, and sunny 16, I saw a huge gap in my knowledge and was inspired to teach myself everything I shunned in art school. He is responsible for turning me on to buying my new equipment (#LeicaM2 my Digital Pentax spot meter) and he is responsible for me, pulling dozens of books out from the library to study classic photographers and technique. Watching a living master in photography do his thing, then nerd out and be able to talk about life and death is hard to come by. Real hard. I've never met such a well versed artist who is so open to life, I've only heard of these guys (I wanna meet more!) It was a pleasure hanging out with you. Please check out his portraiture work- he's right where I want to be.
Now working out West, Michael works in a lab testing drugs on his beloved rats in in the hopes of developing an effective treatment for gambling and addiction. While his friends out West scrounge for waves to surf Michael focuses on salmon fishing. Through getting out every weekend and the odd morning before work, Michael has taught himself more about the PNW geographically and sustainability in the last two years then most city folk learn their lifetime.
"Growing up in northern California, I noticed a parallel between fearlessness in the water and fearlessness on land. A lot of the big wave guys I grew up idolizing were notorious for getting into serious shit—meth, drunk driving accidents, just general mayhem. As the son of a psychologist, I began to wonder if there was something about the brains of these people that drove this behavior. I took my first research job in San Diego in 2009 and though the place has changed, my questions are still the same. I’m still looking for the biological reasons for risky behavior. I’ve learned a lot, but most of my questions are still unanswered and that lack of knowledge keeps me motivated." - Michael Barrus
Behavioral Neoroscience
Like the morning before, Michael is the first one out the door before the cold sun rises. With his leather boots, waders, fishing rod, net, and pocket size tackle, he walks down a live railroad track to a pool of water he's discovered on Google earth. Three years ago Micheal came across a crossroad choice in his life when he was offered a full time job at a big time surf magazine in San Diego and got accepted into a masters program North of the boarder. After spending a few months in Peurto Escondido, Mexico with some of California's youngest big wave riders Michael decided he wanted to do something more academic with his life then chase the natural and artificial, highs and lows that came with surfings culture, and enrolled in the Behavioral Neoroscience program.
Catch and Release
I've spent countless wild and educational weekends surfing, camping, drinking, and fishing with this friend. I've woken up many morning with him at my house, or the tent beside, drinking coffee talking shit about the night before. What's stuck most for me about Michael is his dedication, ethics towards fishing and his pull to share information with people who want to follow him around are. Like a cat fixated on a fishbowl, he'll stand for 12 hours in the same spot, while the rest of us give up, nap, or drink beers, he'll still be at the point off the rocks, up to his waist in cold water, waiting to hit his limit of fish.
Squamish BC | Leica M2 | Voigtlander | 35mm Ilford hp5
Ryan Allan
This year I quit my construction job. First thing I did was drive down the coast to San Diego with my partner. Along the way I reached out to three of the most influential photographers around me- Tom Nugent, Ryan Muirhead and pictured here Ryan Allan. I owe a lot to these guys for pushing me in the right direction through talking about their art, life, and creative process. Cheers, Big Love and Happy New Year to everyone else around.