30Jan/101
Fog in Kitsilano
I love fog in Vancouver. I love fog anywhere, but I can only photograph where I am. Lights and colours get thrown about and saturated in the mist and street lamps look like floating orbs that will float off into space.
28Nov/092
Rally Against Gaming Cuts
Wearing Bandaid For Cuts
Outside the Vancouver Art Gallery today there was a rally protesting the BC Government's proposed cuts to charities funded by Gaming (money from casinos, lotteries, Keno, etc.). Sectors affected by the cuts include the arts, sports, the environment, social services, public safety, and parents advisory councils.
There wasn't a huge turnout at the gallery steps on the dark, cold, wet day, but the message came across. Bandaids were handed out to show how everyone is affected by the "cuts".
You can read more on the Facebook page about event.
Arts Feed My Family
17Nov/090
Fallen Decade CD Release Show
Moshers grab their heads after being rocked so hard by Fallen Decade.
There was more metal at Pub340 on Saturday night than you could shake a stick at. Of course if you did try to shake a stick at any of the bands that played, they would probably tell you where you could put it, then show you, and then eat your first born. Seriously though, don't bring sticks to concerts.
Everyone was gathered to rock along with Vancouver metalheads, Fallen Decade, who were celebrating the release of their debut album, Under No God. And, considering they were competing with a KiSS concert the same night, it was the biggest turnout I've ever seen at little Pub340. Also making the moshers go crazy were Auroch, West of Hell (who played an amazing, instrumental set), and Excruciating Pain.
LIST OF BANDS WITH GALLERIES:
- Auroch - {GALLERY}
- West of Hell - {GALLERY}
- Excruciating Pain - {GALLERY}
- Fallen Decade - {GALLERY}
Enjoy!
17Nov/090
Gastown
gastown sign
Gastown is an old area of Vancouver named after Capt. John 'Gassy Jack' Deighton, the first settler of the Vancouver area in 1867. Today it still keeps an old town feel with stone roads and brick buildings, and is a popular tourist area and place to live. I walked around and took photos of the area the other week.
13Nov/090
Updated Galleries
I've updated the galleries with photojournalism and street categories because I have lots of those photos to share. They are in the portfolio section of the site.
Here are some marching photos from the 2009 Remembrance Day parade in Vancouver. More in the gallery!
Soldiers march in during the Remembrance Day Parade in Vancouver.
Soldiers march in during the Remembrance Day parade in Vancouver.
1Nov/090
Halloween 2009
Skulls on Halloween
I know Halloween is one of my favourite times of the year! If only we could dress up like ghouls and ghosts and slutty animals every day of the year. It's fun for children and adults alike. It's hard to believe that other places in the world do not celebrate it.
My mission this Halloween was to cover it like a photojournalism event, so I tried to fit in key items like Jack 'o' lanterns, children trick or treating, costumes and decorated houses. I asked permission from parents to shoot the children, something I don't normally do, but these days you can never be too careful. Luckily, all the parents were more than happy to have pictures taken, which is how it should be!
Enjoy the gallery by clicking on the photo.
30Oct/090
Marianas Trench Beside You Poster Photo
The guys of Marianas Trench look seriously into their futures...
I've photographed the awesome Vancouver band, Marianas Trench, a couple of times behind the scenes at music video filmings, but the shoot for the Beside You tour poster was the first of just them. I had the very small location of 604 Records to choose a room in which to shoot all four of them. The idea was that they were looking at themselves in a mirror or something similar, but the mirror side of them was doing something different than the other side. So, they were "beside" themselves for the "Beside You" tour. Get it? I only had 30-40 mins to shoot, so I lined them up in a row coming out from the wall and told them to look ahead as if they are looking at themselves. I set up two strobes with umbrellas, one in front and one slightly behind, the two lights barely fitting in the room. I wish I had more light on Matt's face in the foreground, but it worked out ok.
In this version, I've raised the white levels significantly to remove the background, a white sheet on the wall. In the actual poster they've decided to keep the sheet and go with the full body shots, which looks great to me.
19Oct/090
Without Mercy CD Release
Heavy Fucking Metal!
Saturday night marked the CD release show for Vancouver based metal act Without Mercy's self-titled, full length album. Six bands did their best to shake the foundations of the Christian church venue, named The Venue (formerly the Vineyard), in Langley. Some were asked not to swear in the venue - a tough request given Without Mercy's motto of "Fuck Pussy Metal" that is proudly printed on the backs of their t-shirt merch.
All the bands put on amazing, heavy shows. It wasn't a huge crowd, but the energy was there and mosh pits soon formed. With a stage only a foot high, it was an intimate and interactive night. Many of the band members are friends and joined each other on stage.
I hadn't shot a metal show in ages so I was excited to be able to shoot for Food4Music Events again. They were supporting the Langley Food Bank.
LIST OF BANDS WITH GALLERIES:
- Freedom in Fear - {GALLERY}
- Tribune - {GALLERY}
- The Order of Chaos - {GALLERY}
- Fallen Decade - {GALLERY}
- Magnus Rising - {GALLERY}
- Without Mercy - {GALLERY}
The lighting was really low during all the bands so photographs were tricky, but it wasn't a lost cause. Please check out the galleries linked next to the names above!
14Oct/090
China Town and Strathcona
Click to see a full gallery.
Last week my photo class went walking around China Town and Strathcona in Vancouver. China Town is pretty easily recognized by the large red arches at the beginning of the location and all the red street lamps, most adorning dragon gargoyles, all around. Strathcona is one of Vancouver's oldest neighbourhoods and is really interesting to walk around.
12Oct/090
Doin’ the Drive
Click on the photo for a gallery!
Commercial Drive sees an eclectic mix of people from business men having lunch to hippies and punks selling stolen good in the park and eating veggie samosas. My class went up and down "The Drive" (as it's perhaps known best in Vancouver) last week looking for interesting people and situations. Street scenes. We had to take a lot of these pictures by asking beforehand and by starting a conversation. I'm not a fan of this technique, but only because I'm not very confident approaching strangers. There were some definite shakes of heads in protest to having a picture taken; however, many did not mind a quick photo on the street. We also walked around Main St. for a bit.
Enjoy a short gallery of pictures from the day by clicking on the photo!
Portfolio Picks
Archives
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