I was raised on the edges of the Niagara River just outside of Buffalo. It was probably the campfires my dad built when I was kid that held the most engulfing memories of the contrast between light and dark.  Now finding a balance between the two is all I see.

Actively stuck in a constant state of observance – the contrast of light and dark… how they mix, how they transform or compliment one another.

…

At so many times in life  you  can be at too many places at once. The mind fills with ideas, notions or the feeling that you may need to be somewhere else.  The hard part is disconnecting from the main frame.  My mind right now is trying to connect with the me who wrote the above text 10 years ago. I was deep into night time photography which was proving to be an ever expanding world of light and dark and it(chaos) was all controlled by me.  This was it, I was creating magic.  Moments enlightened by flames then transcended into a frame that can hold the world in a space.    Ahh the good ole days.   It was all dark nights and bright lights, so good…. then I took a Job.

It was a photo job, the best local photo job I could have ever hoped for…. but it definitely changed some things in me. Like everything we do does.

-the affected are the ones who lived – sQm

Back to the start of  all camera crushes, an unaffected manor was the subject of my desire. Caught in a moment of unmasked expression or concentrated silence.  Snap! a Kodak Funsaver pocket camera shows up out of nowhere and captures a rare moment from a strange angle.  I can still feel and smell thoughts from moments in the past because I have had a photo of that time.

2005, my mother gave me my first non-disposable camera before I went to Australia to live for a year after college. For all the different reasons she gifted it to me it was sure to change my life. Well I can’t say it changed me because that is just the way it went there was no other path. It became something that was with me everywhere I would go for the next 15 years. Every day after she gave the camera to me it started to grow. It got bigger, brighter, it could do new tricks and it even started to pay the bills. Whooooo!

Way before it started to pay the bills, we(mr camera #2 and me) came back from Australia and then shortly after moved to Lake Placid.

The adirOndacks are simply amazing in so many ways… ask me)

Algonquin

Lot of things happened during the next 15 years spent in the Adirondacks.

Sold my first framed photo in 2006
2008 bought my first real camera Canon 5d
2009 -2014 Lived, played music, framing shop, large format printing @ Bluseed Studios, Saranac Lake NY.
Photos and stories in Adirondack life, shooting events and sports around the northeast.
Tried not to shoot weddings…
2012-2013 Operated and owned art gallery with friends  – Soul Roots Gallery – Lake Placid Alpine Mall

Lot of things were happening during this time photography this photography that, photographer they said I was. Seems I forgot more than I remember but I can say they always asked me to bring a camera.

Jan 2014 photo trip to Ecuador to document coffee cultivation and production.
Feb 2014 took photographer job covering the entire Adirondack park  for Roost in Lake Placid.
2015 launched AdirondacksUSA at the time it was the worlds largest interactive virtual tour.
2500 unique locations and lots with multiple versions.
Some virtual tour locations take lots of photos to complete, Dragon, Frozen Lake Biking.

2014-2018 over 1 million photos taken.  Each year 200,000 -350,000 photos made.

… And Then…. And Then

Boom or more correct It POPPED and I shot out!

Forced Freedom and into the space I went.

It was time for a change because I couldn’t stand to touch a camera. All I wanted was to  be at peace in my surroundings and see with my own eyes again and not a committee for lenses.  It was overload and download.

2018 purchased a Direct to garment printer and started a custom clothing and printing business.- ZDAKS
        other shops – esty pages – zdaks – customWood – custom masks

ZDAKS.com has had a few different locations and concentrations. Now settled in Wilmington Ny we are focused on printing art work for artists on wood and clothing. Here is a local artist Nick’s page Smage. Custom printing has always been a love and the desired occupation if I ever really wanted one or could repeatedly do something for any length of time.

Zdaks in Wilmington is a local art gallery, music studio, photo/video studio and wood shop.  All are welcome to create, shop or observe!

Now 3 years after the great purge feeling more and hurting less, the camera peeks back in under my direction.  Aside from the custom printing of others work I have had time to pick up the camera again for myself and have begun printing. Seeing the photos come to life brought me back to the beginning when you see your first high quality photo birthed and then hopefully purchased bringing fresh air or a squeezing intensity to someone.

Looking forward to the next 15 years of images and spaces the camera and I will explore.

Follow along…  Blog … someday i’ll update it )

InstaMe  @shaunondak
instaMydog – @wishDak
instaZDAKS – @z_daks

Youtube – shaunondak