What makes a beautiful portrait or nude?

To me, photography is not about equipment or technical skill, nor is it purely about aesthetics or composition. I love human beings, and as an artist and explorer, my goal is to connect with people and capture their strengths, their vulnerabilities, their relationships with one another, and their interactions with me. My images are born of real moments – they are expressions of both emotional and physical human experience. Whether I am photographing a mother and child, or a couple making love – this is the common thread.

For me, it is about trust and relationships.

Because of this, I feel it is important to remain aware of what it is to be the subject… to be naked, either literally or emotionally, to relax, to be directed and recorded by someone else. In keeping with this, I enjoy posing for other photographers, and last weekend I did a shoot with R. Ward Shipman. Here is one of the many beautiful images we made together…

Nude portrait

Photo by R. Ward Shipman at The Melanie Gillis Studio

This image captures trust and relationship as I have described. As subjects, we felt safe and comfortable and were able to express this as Ward both directed us and also worked with our natural body language. His sensitivity as an image maker is key here, and for anyone who photographs people, this is just as important as knowing which buttons to push on the camera. Often though, this is somewhat overlooked by people who are trying to achieve this type of image.

For those of you who are aspiring photographic artists, have you ever wondered how to create a comfortable shooting situation where you can capture this sort of intimacy and emotional presence? In just a few weeks, I will be hosting a seminar to address this topic. It will include a lecture, slide show, and Q&A period…

Warmth and Beauty in Bareness: demystifying the nude

Thursday April 16th, 7 – 8:30pm
at The Melanie Gillis Studio Gallery
126 James Street North, 3rd floor
$20 admission
Signing up early via phone or email is recommended as seating is limited.

905 297 7050
info AT melaniegillis DOT com

Posted by: Melanie Gillis, The Melanie Gillis Studio

Video about breast MRI

Here’s a good video about breast MRI.

It was made in 2007 so some aspects of the technology have already advanced. For instance, in the video they say that MRI can detect a tumor at 5 – 6 mm but we are now talking about detecting tumors of only 2 mm.

The video is brief (less than 3 minutes) and shows the breast coil. It also shows some images taken with the MRI.

Heartwarming story: breast coil software

I personally received my first donation for the software for the MRI breast coil last week. I know that other donations are going through the Running Room’s page for the Hamilton General Hospital’s running team, The Rack Pack, and through the Hamilton Health Sciences Foundation site.

You can learn all about the MRI breast coil project here.

The software for the MRI breast coil allows the radiologist to interpret the images from the MRI of the breast quicker and more accurately.

If you’re in the middle of figuring out what to do about a breast lump, you want to know if there are masses in both breasts, if there is spread to tissues around the mass like muscle or bone, and if there is spread to the lymph nodes in the armpits and behind the breast bone. This is the information that an MRI scan of the breasts will give you.

And if you are having an MRI of your breasts, you want the results as quickly as possible.

So having raised the money to get the breast coil, Kelly Arnott and I and everyone in the MRI department at the Hamilton General Hospital want to get this software as soon as possible.

The software costs $67,000.

The woman who gave me the donation last week is a pensioner, a lovely silver-haired woman who feels that her life has been so blessed that she gives back with her meagre income and her time and energy whenever possible. She insisted that I maintain her anonymity; she doesn’t want any praise or attention for her donation.

Here is what she said: “I was going to give you $50 towards the software but when I heard that you needed $67,000, I decided to make it $67. Now you only need 999 more people to do the same thing.”

Wow! When she put it in those terms, I really felt that we would achieve our goal.

If you would like to be a part of this important project, please click on the links above to donate via the internet or drop your donation in to the Hamilton General Hospital’s Diagnostic Imaging department or here at Advanced Rejuvenation Medical Spa at 425 Locust Street in Burlington, near Lakeshore.

Dr. Rose Jeans
Advanced Rejuvenation Medical Spa

One of the heroes of the Chilly Half Marathon

I’d like to share with you a great story about my friend Joan. The story came out from Joan (after some prying by me) when I tried to find out why Joan’s time wasn’t showing in the results.

The attached picture shows what is possible when a cause becomes greater than the task. One of the reasons Joan Jory entered the Chili 1/2 was that it was a fundraiser for the new breast-cancer MRI at the Hamilton General Hospital. She had received pledges for the race from friends, but why barefoot? Here is my friend Joan’s story in her own words,

Joan running barefoot

“I ran in to problems with my feet at 7 km, and took the insoles out of the shoes. It took me 1hr03 to finish the first 10 km because of the foot problems. At 12 km, I took off my shoes, ripped off the timing chip (don’t ask me how I know to do this – that’s another story related to Waterfront last fall), and threw the shoes on the side of the road at about 12.5 km. I ran the second 11 km in under 50 minutes, of which 9 kms were barefoot. The Masai would be proud of me .

I had the timing chip in my hand as I crossed the finish line but my friend told me it won’t read if the chip is above knee level (now he tells me!). So, no results. But I came in at 1 hr 53 odd, and we left 1.5 minutes after the race started according to my group who keep track of these things. I believe my final ‘chip’ time was 1 hr 51 or 52 odd.”

So Joan finished the race barefoot knowing that her pledges for the MRI breast coil equipment would now count. There is another reason too that she told me about. Joan promised someone close to her, whose health is impaired, that she would finish this race on her behalf.

An exceptional effort by an exceptional woman. This is why runners are the best, and running races are so important for the community at large.

Dan Little

[Ed.: I'd just like to remind everyone that it was a frigid -8C on March 1st. Most of us couldn't tolerate bare hands for any length of time, let alone running on bare feet.]

Here’s the HSBC Chilly Half Marathon video

Report from the half marathon

Over 3000 runners and walkers braved the cold morning under Burlington’s sunny skies and ran or walked 21K or 5k.

Many of them did so trying to raise funds for a much needed MRI Breast Coil for Hamilton General Hospital that will serve everyone in Ontario. With the efforts of all involved with the event $100,000.00 was raised and Hamilton General Hospital will receive their breast coil !!

With the help from run coach Nancy Hastings, from Second Wind Conditioning www.secondwindconditioning.ca, (Hamilton General Hospital’s Radiology Department team) The RACK PACK completed their first 1/2 marathon, with great success.

A Special message from Sandy Giles at General Hospital, MRI Department:

Hey Nancy;

Once again I wanted to thank you again for everything. 

 

 My goal was to finish under 3 hours and I did it!!! 

 

You’ve inspired a bunch of us to keep it up and continue to run. (perhaps not a half marathon but whatever).

 

 Everyone from the RACK PACK completed the race which is a major accomplishment for a lot of those who hadn’t exercised in years.

 

You got us through those cold,crappy  winter nights and we’re all  healthier for it.

 

Once again on behalf of all of us.

Thank you

xoxox

 

P.S. Both my daughters had so much fun, they want to keep running ( and Emily thinks your the best!)

 

Breast coil success!!!

I am very pleased to share with everyone that the MRI breast coil for the Hamilton General Hospital is a done deal!

We have had so many people doing fund-raising and pledging and donating — I’ll put up a complete list when I get it — that we were able to raise a significant chunk of the cost of the breast coil. The breast coil manufacturer, Sentinelle Medical, was so impressed with our efforts that they matched our pledges and made the breast coil a reality for us. Now we’re determined to get the software program for interpreting the MRI scans more precisely.

I can’t say enough words of praise for Sentinelle Medical. This is a very highly-regarded Canadian company.

From their website:

Cameron Piron, Founder of Sentinelle Medical® was awarded the 2008 Premier’s Catalyst Award as the Best Young Innovator of the Year. The Premier’s Innovation Awards are just one part of Ontario’s Innovation Agenda – a plan that is investing $3 billion over eight years to support research excellence – and ignite growth in the industries that will shape our future and create Ontario’s next generation of jobs.

Cameron was also honoured with R&D Magazine’s Innovator of the Year Award, 2008.

Not only did Sentinelle Medical match our pledges but they also put their own team in the HSBC Chilly Half-Marathon. They really got involved with and supported our project.

I also want to thank everyone who donated their time to this project. Eighteen people came and helped me at the medical tent, both in the tent itself and as catchers at the finish line. Everyone did a great job. We helped people with problems ranging from blisters to severe asthma attacks.

My thanks also to the Halton Paramedics, and specifically paramedic Adam, who brought their ambulances and medical equipment and provided on-the-spot treatments.

Many thanks to the St. John’s Ambulances staff who cheerfully dressed injuries, applied ice packs and helped out in various ways.

I have many more people to recognize and thank — you’ll read about them in the days to come.

Dr. Rose Jeans
Advanced Rejuvenation Medical Spa