Please don't come to us!

It may seems strange for any business to say that, but we sincerely mean it ... in certain circumstances.  In fact, by this stage you've maybe already decided that we're not for you - that's fine, move along!

This is something which is quite core to everything we do here at Ocean Optometry and has been part of our journey from our very earliest discussions.  When we started shifting from the pipe dream of, "We should do something", to actually saying, "We're doing something", we had to consider how our office would be.

From the outset there seemed to us that there are already plenty of optometry offices serving Halifax and Nova Scotia who do a good job, providing optometric services and a fair selection of eyewear to choose from.  If you want to get your eyes examined or want to get some glasses, they'll sort you out.

So why did we need to create Ocean Optometry?

We had a need to offer something different, something new and something exciting.  We wanted to create an optometry office which was contemporary, urban, relaxed, fashionable, friendly and fun to attend.

Initially we even thought that we would carry ranges from all the fashion labels and have wall-to-wall

brands covering our shelves.

We're so glad we didn't.

The more we looked into these ranges, the more we became disappointed!  Now, these are just our personal feelings, if you like branded eyewear and they resonate with you, wear them loud and proud, it's really important to enjoy your eyewear.

To our eyes, though, it became pretty obvious that these ranges very quickly appear somewhat generic ... blah, even, they are predominantly manufactured by one of three huge corporations.  They often have very little association with the actual brand they represent, in reality it tends to be a licensing agreement.

When the same few companies are manufacturing a huge amount of the eyewear, it's little surprise that they begin to appear "samey".  When these companies then have sales and distribution channels which means that they pervade virtually every optometry office and optical, while owning their own stores as well, you do really begin to wonder just how something so generic has managed to create the allure of something exclusive ... they're "designer" after all.  Or, at least we did.

Then we took a leap of real faith, we believed in our abilities and skills to do our work well.  Now it was time to put our belief into products which also represented our independent nature.  We sourced all of our ranges from independent companies, who deal mainly with the leading eyewear boutiques around the world ... and us!

Fashion's bleeding edge

What has been really surprising is how well this decision has been received, very pleasantly surprising!  There does seem to be a real desire to get beyond the consumerism of brands and have a genuine sense of providence over the purchasing decisions we make.  Eyewear is no different and folks are telling us the choices we are making are good choices!

A fortunate happenstance of this pinnacle decision is the eyewear we carry is actually at the leading edge of fashion trends.  The corporations produce eyewear to sell as a commodity and volume is key, they are duty bound to maximise turnover and profit for their shareholders.  Therefore they don't lead the fashions, they follow and try to capitalise on them.  Every company needs to make a profit, obviously, however, in our experience when dealing with independent companies this is not their driving goal.

When you come to Ocean Optometry you should find all of those features mentioned earlier, that we are contemporary, urban, relaxed, fashionable, friendly and fun.  If this appeals to you, come right in.  If you want to choose eyewear which says more about you than a corporation, then we're definitely for you.  If your sense of style is not generic, but you have an attention for detail and fine design and products then the welcome mat's right there.

If you're thinking that by writing this we've completely lost the plot and if you want a brand or label on your glasses, if you want a bargain basement deal, or a twofor proposition, then you are going to be disappointed.  If you want to be just a sheep in the flock, then probably best to avoid us.

Seriously, stay away, we're going to irritate you with our friendly cheerfulness, humour, cool musical vibes and desire to make the eyewear of the Maritimes that bit more beautiful one pair at a time.  You know what, we're not even apologetic about it!

As an aside, when I was penning this article I didn't realise where the phrase "pipe dream" came from - every day's a school day!

New frame range arrives @ Ocean Optometry

Kirk & Kirk - Vivarium

This may not come as a surprise to you, but we really do love our eyewear ranges here at Ocean!  We travel to the best international exhibits to meet with the finest creators of eyewear in the world.  At that point we then individually select the frames to bring back to Halifax for you to enjoy!

That may sound like quite the process, however, it makes a world of difference for our office!  It means that we don't just have generically styled and humdrum collections for you to choose from.

The arrival of a completely new collection is always an exciting event, and recently we had the great pleasure of opening up quite a special box from Kirk & Kirk.  Launched in September 2014 at Silmo, in Paris, these were a must have for us as soon as we saw them.

Kirk Brothers

Heritage

Jason and Karen Kirk have quite the pedigree as eyewear designers, so when they announced their
new venture, we knew it was going to be special.

Sidney and Percy Kirk first opened their workshop creating eyewear in 1919 in London, UK.  Renowned for their innovation and style, the Kirk Brothers soon became a benchmark to be compared against.  Three generations later, Jason and Karen Kirk are doing it all again!

One thing that we become quite nerdilly obsessed about, attention to detail - Kirk & Kirk has this in bucket loads!

Their inaugural ophthalmic collection is called Vivarium.  Vivarium is inspired by the Victorian obsession with science and nature, each frame is named after a famous scientist of that era - models include such great names as Curie, Fleming, Darwin and Carson.

Hand Crafted

Beautifully handmade in France, the frames balance a strong look, with contemporary styles and fashion leading shapes.  Kirk & Kirk have sourced an exceptional Italian acrylic material to create the frames with, allowing for a unique colour palette.  The metallic finish to the colours gives a warmth and depth which just isn't available in any other material.

The collection features blue, bordeaux, anthracite, brown, green and silver colours.  Describing them does not really do them justice, though, you need to try them on and see how the colour subtly alters as you move your head.  In some ways it almost seems like the frame is alive!

The idea of life is brought out in another unique feature that the collection has - decorative pins.  Each frame features two pins made in either 925 sterling silver or 9 carat gold, crafted with incredible detail by artisan jewellers in England.  Studying the workmanship that the pins features really highlights the attention to detail that Kirk & Kirk have used when creating this collection.

Intricate and whimsical, delicate and yet bold all at the same time you can be sure that you will be in touch with your inner Victorian Dandy when you choose Kirk & Kirk Vivarium!

The eye examination photo series - Part 1

We are always looking for new ways to share what we do at Ocean through our social media.  To kick off 2015 with a blend of style and information, one of our optometrists and owners, Dr. John Wilson, decided to create a series of Instagram images showing the eye examination in 10 steps.

We've already talked about what a comprehensive eye examination involves (see blog here), bringing it to life with pictures is lets us share it in a whole new fashion!  Great thinking, John.

Let's take a look at the pictures and give a little more detail as to what is going on.  This first series of pictures involves the steps that go together for our preliminary assessments.

Auto-refractor/keratometer

This machine may appear a little scary, however, there's really nothing to it.  We get you all lined up, one eye at a time, so that you see a picture.  The picture helps the eye to focus into the far distance, so usually they have images with items on the horizon, like hot air balloons or houses.  Once it is completely aligned you may see the image go in and out of focus as the instrument goes through a series of steps to gain a complete reading.

The information the instrument provides is an estimate of the focus of the eye and a measurement of the curvature of the front surface of the cornea.

The next instrument, the tonometer, is perhaps the one most people have concern over.  The tonometer measures the pressure of the fluid in the eye using a gentle puff of air.  It is definitely not sore or uncomfortable, however, our natural reflexes make the air-puff seem like quite the surprise.

Non-contact tonometer

It is important for us to measure the pressure of the eyes as part of providing a comprehensive assessment of the overall eye health.  For those that are really squeamish, however, we do have another technique for assessing eye pressure - just let us know.

The last of the trio of instruments used in our preliminary assessments is the digital fundus camera.

Digital Fundus Camera

This last step is very straightforward, just keep looking straight at the flashing light, keep your eyes nice and wide open and we'll take photographs of your retinas.  These pictures provide a great way to both initially  view the retina and also to monitor the health of the retina over time.

At each eye examination we can compare the newest retinal photographs with previous ones on file, either side-by-side or even overlaying them one on top of the other.  We also have filters and effects which can be used to enhance the images to assist with interpretation.

One last great feature of taking retinal images, that we love, is that it gives our optometrists the ability to show you exactly what they are looking at when they are examining the back of your eyes.

If you have any questions about any of these steps during the eye examination, do not hesitate to ask.  Both Dr. John Wilson and Dr. Euan McGinty are very keen to make sure that you have an excellent experience when you come in to Ocean Optometry.  Taking time during their eye examinations is definitely something that they will do.

If you are reading our blog and thinking, "Hey, I need an eye exam." then we would be honoured to take good care of your eyes.  You can call us directly on (902) 446-4470 or use this link.

To check out our Instagram feed, just click on the logo!

Ocean's Instagram

'Tis the season!

Seasonally named eye conditions!

We're sure that you've come to recognise our optometrists, Dr. Euan McGinty and Dr. John Wilson, are eye geeks through and through.  So for this holiday season, our eye guys thought they'd share some seasonal naming quirks for eye conditions!

All of these are real eye conditions ... well ... almost all, for a bit of Christmas fun we're throwing in a fake one - let's see if you can pick out the fake one.

1- Christmas Tree Cataract

Usually cataracts are a haziness or discolouration of the natural lens inside the eye, which sits just

Christmas Tree Cataract - (image Medscape)

behind the iris.  They can look foggy or smokey to look at and can cause a similar effect on our vision.  Christmas Tree Cataracts are slightly different, this cataract tends to form highly reflective particles in the eye, which significantly bend the light or refract it.  These refractive and reflective properties give the cataract a highly coloured, iridescent and sparkly appearance which is where it gets its name from.

Similar to other cataracts, we would monitor this for its affect on your vision and look for associations with medical conditions.  While it is very pretty to look at, its affect on your vision would depend upon how significant it was in size and its location in the lens.

2 - Frosted Angiitis

This uncommon condition gives an distinct appearance to the blood vessels at the back of the eye and can unfortunately lead to significant degradation in the quality of vision.  Perhaps due to its rareness, the cause can sometimes be a mystery (idiopathic); however it is thought to be associated with an immune response from the body.

Frosted blood vessel appearance

3 - Rudolph Vasculature

A normal and healthy eye, which has a slightly unusual presentation in the blood vessels entering and

Classic Rudolph Vasculature presentation

leaving the optic disc at the back of the eye.  The optic disc is the natural blind spot at the back of the eye, where there are no light receptor cells.  At this point the optic nerve leaves the eye to carry the nerve pulse signals to the brain and where the blood vessels enter and leave the eye.

In Rudolph Vasculature the blood vessels all leave going upwards, giving the appearance likened to the antlers of a reindeer, and due to the twisting of the blood vessels there appears to be a "red nose" in the center of the optic nerve.  No known side effects are associated with this condition.

4 - Snowball Vitreous Floaters

Snowball floaters (bottom-left) - (image Optos.com)

Floaters are not an uncommon finding and often we can be aware of them in particular lighting conditions or against blank backgrounds - a white wall or a blue sky.  As floaters can also be a sign of activity in the eye, they definitely should not be ignored and if you experience new floaters always arrange an appointment for assessment without delay.

Snowball floaters are usually inflammatory cells, which are white in appearance, and occur in a condition called Pars Planitis.  The presence of floaters may actually be the only symptom of this condition, which is generally benign and may only cause a small effect on vision, if at all.

5 - Macular Star

Macular Star (yellow star to the right) - (photo EyeWiki)

The macula is the central part of the retina, which is the most sensitive area responsible for fine detail and colour vision.  When we talk about seeing 20/20 vision, it is this part of the retina which is working for us.

A Macular Star forms due to leakage of lipid rich fluid leaking from the blood vessels into the tissues of the retina, often forming a classic star pattern around the macula. 

If seen, it is important to try to identify the cause, although sometimes the cause is unknown.  It can be related to hypertension or to nerve inflammation.  The nerve inflammation, when caused by infection, is most commonly related to cat-scratch disease.

Thankfully, for most of these conditions, they are quite rare to see!

Click here to give your choice as to which condition is our "Christmas Cracker"

This will be our last blog until 2015, we do hope you are enjoying them.

Many thanks to all our friends, followers, supporters, customers, patients who have made 2014 such a fantastic year for Ocean Optometry - we can't wait for 2015!

Happy Holidays from all at Ocean!

What's scary about choosing eyewear?

We have many wonderful interactions with people coming in to Ocean Optometry to look for eyewear, but in the eighteen months since we have opened we have come to realise that perhaps we do things a little differently!  I'm not sure if it's right or wrong; better or worse ... it's just how we do things!

Then I remembered - we have a blog!  What a perfect vehicle to explain how we do things here at Ocean!

So here's some things to be aware of:

1 - We don't bite!

Seriously, we don't!  I know some people are concerned about asking for help - perhaps we will pounce on them?  We won't!

Mike, our optician, going through frame options with Stuart

We always try to make sure that when you come in to Ocean you are acknowledged, even if we are busy.  It's nice to be acknowledged.  We may even strike up a conversation, and that's just being polite.

If this is your first time visiting Ocean, we will explain a little about the collections of eyewear that we carry and give you a brief idea of the layout.  This lets you get a feel for the lie of the land.  Some people at this stage will want to then have a look unaccompanied, and we will always respect this.

It's fun to be able to try on different frames, without feeling that you are being watched.  One thing to be aware of, though, is we have hundreds of frames to choose from and it can all get somewhat overwhelming.  This is when having expert assistance in selecting eyewear comes in to its own, and that may not be the family or friends that are with you!

Hana falling in love with an Activist frame

At Ocean we are expert in choosing the right frames for you both in terms of form and function.

The frames have to look fantastic and be just what you are looking for, but they also have to work with your prescription.

Especially with frame ranges like TD Tom Davies where we can make a one-off frame completely from scratch just for you, having expert advice is invaluable.

We are sure you won't regret letting us help you choose your eyewear!

2 - There are no boys and girls!

We don't have our frames displayed by "gents" and "ladies" or male/female; boys/girls ... however you want phrase it!  These are collections of fine eyewear, not washroom selections!

The collections of eyewear that we carry all have unique characteristics - this is one of the advantages of working with independent eyewear manufacturers.

The frames selections that we have are not mass-produced homogenized product with a brand label stuck on it through a licensing agreement.  The eyewear collections are all hand made, often in small production runs, by artisan craftsmen with years of skill, knowledge and tradition.  They are producing styles created by designers who are the very cutting edge of eyewear fashion and the creators of the trends that others follow.

Eyewear by collection

Often you may hear terms like "designer eyewear" and it has become, in many ways, an overused and somewhat meaningless phrase.  What would perhaps be more correct would be "brand eyewear" or "label eyewear", where an eyewear manufacturing company has either bought a company for its brand, or has bought the licensing rights for a well known brand.

These frames are then designed in house, produced by that manufacturer and using the added strength of the brand attraction.  In many ways, what was originally attractive, inspirational or unique about a particular brand may no longer be true.  Eyewear brands such as Oakley and Ray-ban are no longer manufactured by the original makers, but produced by the same company.  If all that is important is the brand, and this may indeed be the key feature you are looking for, then you will be satisfied with your purchase.  At Ocean, however, we would rather pay for quality than a name!

Having definite collections to choose between allows you to really get a feel for the different eyewear ranges, so have fun exploring to find out what appeals to your senses.

3 - Is your eyewear exclusive or one-off?

Well, yes and no!

Hand made, embedded with French lace

If we design a Couture TD Tom Davies frame then it's definitely a one-off frame. Some of our frames are made from or incorporate natural materials, so they are definitely one-off frames, you will never find exactly the same colouration or patterning again.

When we choose our frame ranges, we like to offer something different.  Generally we are the only office within the Maritimes to carry any of the frame lines we do, in fact, there may not be anyone east of Toronto with the frame collection, perhaps even all of Canada!

SALT. are handcrafted in Japan

As the frame collections are hand made in limited production runs it is also important to remember that it may not be possible for us to order in a frame again.  When we do order eyewear, we don't like to repeat frames models and colours, we always like to have fresh and new selections to pick from.

We do advise people looking at our collections of this, and perhaps some think this is just a sales gimmick, but we can assure you it's not.  If someone comes back in and asks us for a frame which has already been chosen, there is nothing that we would love to do more than sell it again - that makes our lives so much easier!  There can be huge element of disappointment, though, to find out that the frame you set your heart upon last week has now gone.

Our best advice is if you find something you like, go for it!

This way you avoid any chance of disappointment.  It is not feasible for us to put frames aside, this would not be fair on other people coming in to look for their new eyewear.

Drift - handmade with reclaimed wood from sailing ships

If we are able to order in a frame which has gone, it is useful to remember there may be additional costs due to single piece shipping/customs charges.  With hand made products, we also find that there can be slight variations even when we receive the same model/colour again - this is part of their beauty.  If a patient has also requested that we do not re-order a particular frame we will also always respect that.

What's the take home message?

1. Choosing new eyewear should be a fun experience, let us help you and it definitely will be!
2. Find out about the different collections, knowing the history behind them make appreciating the design elements all the more significant.
3. Don't be a commitment-phobe!  If you find eyewear that you like, then make that decision and order them.

We will always give our honest opinion when you are choosing eyewear as we want people to love you in your new glasses - that way they will ask you where you got them from!  It's not all about you, after all ;-) !

Mark coming down to his final choice!