The Start of Something New

The new year is just around the corner, and each time it rolls around, it always brings changes. In this case, this kick-ass lady decided accounting wasn't enough, and will soon be starting a course to become a personal trainer, too. On top of that, she's got a blog with an assortment of healthy living tips. For our shoot, we covered some of her upcoming blog post topics, for example: What you should know about coffee, Trail running 101, and Why you shouldn't use your weight to measure your health. You'll want to stay tuned for more from this pretty lady.

Hello, December!

Getting to shoot with this guy again was such a treat. He has such a fun personality, and a killer smile to go with it. He had just taken part in "No-shave November" and since our shoot was on December 1st, he was itching--literally--to get rid of his beard. Deciding to keep the beard for the first part of the shoot and lose it for the second part, we were able to get some very different looks. To mix it up even more, we spent some of the shoot getting some workout shots that came out looking really cool. The only thing I regret about this shoot is not having taken a behind-the-scenes photo of the workout shots. There we were, both of us lying on the floor of a dark and dingy locker room, clothing, bags and camera gear spread out all around us, with a spray bottle close at hand to make sure M continued looking "sweaty" enough. What a scene!

Oh Christmas Tree

This pretty lady has one of the best smiles I know. Whenever I see it, whether I've got my camera in front of my face or am sitting in front of my computer, I can't help but smile with her! (...Until I realise I'm sitting alone smiling at my computer like an idiot.) She's also one of the best sports I know, completely willing to dive into any situation I throw at her and effortlessly make it look like she belongs. She also shares my excitement for snow! We're both from the West Coast, so maybe that has something to do with it. It's always such a huge pleasure to shoot with her, and we always get such wonderful images. I'm looking forward to going through the rest of them (and smiling at my computer like a crazy person).

Snow Day

Now it feels like winter! These exchange students from Singapore, France, and the Netherlands don't often get to see snow like this, so we took full advantage of it and shot right in the thick of it. I had factored in dealing with the cold and keeping the snow off my camera gear, but I didn't realise my biggest issue of the morning would be the camera's autofocus. At one point, the snow was so heavy that the camera had no clue where to focus and kept focusing on the flakes in front of it! These girls were so much fun, and despite focusing troubles, we got some really fantastic shots which make the numb fingers and toes totally worth it.

Hair For Days

This was a shooting adventure that took us all over campus. From the most modern and fancy of buildings, right into the depths of a concrete monstrosity. You wouldn't know it to look at the photos, though. This pretty lady joined in on a shoot in April where her relaxed energy made everyone feel relaxed, too. This time around, the spotlight was on her (and of course her gorgeous hair). Not seen in these shots, we had a lot of fun playing with movement in her hair, so I'm looking forward to going through the rest of the photos.

Makeup by this talented lady.

Between Sisters

These two are so much fun. They're sisters I met earlier in the year when shooting with M, while E came along and assisted me during the shoot. I'm so thrilled that E decided to join in the fun in front of the camera this time around, and I know that each of them definitely helped the other relax and be a little silly. I had a great afternoon with them, and shooting together ended my weekend perfectly (not to mention, made me miss my sister!). Thanks for being so great, ladies!

Feels Like Winter (Still No Snow)

It was -8°C on Sunday morning (or 17°F, if you prefer). However you measure the temperature, it was cold. Really cold. Numb fingers and toes cold. Thank goodness we found a pile of embers on the beach that we were able to bring back to life. That gave us just enough heat for this lovely lady to be able to pull off some pretty impressive dance moves. This is our second time shooting together, and she never ceases to impress me with how comfortable she appears on camera, not to mention, she's just so darn nice to be around. Looking forward to going through the rest of the photos from our time together.

Ice God to Monochrome Man

This is another example of how working with someone on multiple occasions builds a level of trust needed to try something a little different. Last time I shot with T, we got some great casual and very lifestyle-y portraits together. This time around, we played around a little with a lot of makeup help by this talented lady. It's definitely going to be fun going through the rest of these. They are begging me to go wild with editing and see how far I can push them in post-production. I can't wait.

The Dark Side

When I first shoot with someone, we usually stick to a very casual and safe shoot plan. I will often keep my shooting angles fairly safe and we move quickly from one shot to the next so I don't lose their attention. Shooting with someone on several occasions builds a certain level of trust, and that trust comes in handy when wanting to try things that are a little different.

This is now the third time I've shot with J, and each time we get something even cooler. With the trust we've developed comes a patience (for my finicky lighting) and belief that, if we do it right, even a brutalist concrete building straight out of the 70's can look good. The moment our mutual trust was very clear to me was when she didn't look at me like I was (too) crazy upon asking her to wave around a piece of fabric while I shot 100+ frames. Worth it? You tell me.

(The dress shot below is a draft. It will need some work before it gets sent off to retouching.)

Friendsgiving

This awesome group of friends let me join in their fun for their Friendsgiving dinner. They were so much fun, and their festive spirit was contagious. By the end of the night, I was no longer dreading the oncoming cold of winter, knowing it'll bring more spirited evenings like this one.

School of Rock

This was a terrific shoot with terrific people. The people you see in these photos are highly creative and very talented, all having been accepted into a competitive college of music that gives them the skills to enter the music industry as professionals. It goes without saying that they all have a performer persona they can turn on when they want to. I've found that musicians (or performers of any kind) have a perfect balance of energy and patience that makes them great in front of a camera. I know they certainly make my job easier!

Last time I was in town, I shot with Y showcasing a sliver of her life as a pianist. This time, she introduced me to three other musicians, and took the reigns on getting them to relax and interact with each other in front of the camera. Despite an afternoon of tricky lighting conditions, and boldly coloured walls everywhere, we managed to get some really great shots putting their skills on display.

The Universal Language

Last time I was in town, I shot with a very talented pianist and we ended up getting some pretty spectacular performance images. This time, she introduced me to two other musicians: one is a voice major, and the other is an organist in the final year of her doctorate. I learned some fascinating things about organs (one of the most interesting things about this particular organ is that it is not in a church where you might expect it to be. This one is on a university campus, inconspicuously tucked away behind a door that looks just like all the other classroom doors in the hallway). The location made for some tricky lighting conditions, but we ended up with some pretty neat shots. I'm looking forward to going through the rest of them.

Jack of All Trades

Having shot together before, both solo and with others, I know this guy is superb at quickly making himself comfortable in any scenario you throw at him. Though the torrential downpour had subsided, the weather remained not entirely on our side. Not letting that affect him, in just three short hours he was able to morph into a runner, an outdoorsman, and a businessman. Shooting with him is always fun, relaxed, and laughter is guaranteed.

All The World's a Stage

This pretty lady lives and breathes theatre, so it seemed fitting to do our shoot in and around what is likely the most famous theatre in the city. The theatre has all kinds of beautiful rooms and windows providing us with several different looks to show off her wonderful smile and curls!

It would appear that I've yet again picked an in-between season to visit the Twin Cities. Last time I was here, winter had ended but spring had not yet sprung. The grass was brown, and only during my last few days did tiny bits of green began appearing on branches. This time, the leaves have all fallen, the temperatures have dropped, but the grass is still green, but as of yet, there hasn't been any snow. That's right: no snow. I added it into the middle picture below--my first attempt at creating digital snow. What do you think? Would you have known?

Fit as Fiddles

These girls kicked off what I know is going to be a great few weeks of photo shoots. It was a beautiful morning, but certainly not warm. They were jumping up and down, and jogging back and forth before I had even taken out my camera. I had done a shoot with S before, but this time she introduced me to B. Wanting to try something new, the girls gave it their all for a fitness shoot. After a morning of running and a quick how-to session about box-jumping, these girls were showing off their athletic skills making it look effortless. We ended the shoot perfectly by warming up with hot mochas in a charming nearby café.

Business Duo

Since my camera was returned to me from Nikon's repair centre in Ontario, I have noticed it struggling to focus. I initially tried to convince myself that there was nothing wrong with my newly repaired camera, if only to save me from having to deal with Nikon again and go through the expensive and time-consuming process of shipping my camera back to them. Alas, this evening's business shoot confirmed that there is a very real issue with my camera's focusing (there were no focusing issues before my camera was sent to have its mirror box repaired!). I was having to take dozens of pictures of the exact same shot, refocusing each time, hoping that one of them would be sharp. What a horrible experience to be in the middle of the shoot needing to do this.

Thankfully, these two were incredibly patient with me while we persevering through camera troubles, and we did end up getting some great shots for this very charming, clever, bright, and motivated entrepreneur.

Back to dealing with Nikon for me (oh joy). Stay tuned.

West Coast Trio

What a great evening this was! We started by spreading out articles of clothing from three peoples’ wardrobes for three different scenes until clothing options covered every surface available on the main floor. Having that many options to choose from was fantastic, even if it took a little longer to pack up at the end of the shoot. Once styling was coordinated, we were ready to go. We hit the road, only to find ourselves in the middle of an unbelievable downpour while driving to our location.

Mother Nature must have been on our side, because as we arrived and starting shooting the clouds cleared right up, the sun came out, and we were treated to a pretty neat (though earlier than anticipated) sunset over the mountains making for some great running shots. To cap it off, when it got too dark to keep shooting, we headed down to the beach and had a post-shoot picnic dinner. (I did set up my tripod for that, but with such low light, I will have to see what comes out of the mess of motion blur.) A great evening with great people. Looking forward to going through the rest of the photos.

Morning Routine

A few days after our shoot in the gardens with almost magical light, this shoot was a very different story. We had a small window of time when the light was falling into the bathroom just right. And shooting in such a small space meant we were fairly limited with angles. With some creative light modifiers and strength-testing stances by my model, we managed to fit in most of the shots we were after in a short time, with a special appearance by Lucy the lab who has been a great addition to many of my shoots over time. I'll have to feature Lucy in her own post another time.

In the Garden

I finally got my camera back from Nikon, and to be honest, was a little nervous to dive back into shooting. It had been a while, and I realised there's an element of "use it or lose it" in photography. When the mirror box in my camera broke and I had to send my camera across the country for repairs, it was rendered unusable for two months and I got out of the shooting habit. When I got it back, my sister was in town and we took my newly repaired camera for a test run in the nearby community gardens. It took more effort and time for me to find the right words to direct, and to really see light well. Thankfully, my sister was patient with me.

Looking at the photos after any shoot is how I force myself to see ways to improve. From the photos of this shoot, I can see that I could have been more creative with my angles, and brought in some more layers (foreground/background) to play a bit more with visual interest. Those are certainly things I'll have in the back of my mind during upcoming shoots. Luckily the model here is beyond charming, and provides a ton of visual interest without needing my help. It was a gorgeous evening for a shoot, with some great atmosphere created by the soft light in the gardens. I'm really happy with the shots we got, and it feels great to have my camera in hand and be shooting again!

The Tesla

My dad's friend recently bough a brand-spanking-new Tesla. We did a small shoot to celebrate the occasion, and then... he let me drive it.

If you're looking for more information about the shoot, you'll have to ask me. This post is about the car. It drove beautifully--beautifully, and silently. So silently and smoothly, it was almost eerie. Before getting behind the wheel, I didn't think it would be that different. I had driven a Prius before, and was intrigued by the silent start up and in awe that it only needed to be topped up with only 10 bucks of gas after doing 400 kilometres, but the Prius still felt like driving a car. Driving a Tesla was like driving a computer.

Driving a Tesla was like driving a really fast computer with acceleration that can thrust you back against your seat. It was awesome. It was a little strange to be accelerating so quickly with zero sound, and without the rumble of an engine I can usually feel under my feet. In fact, under the hood where you would usually find an engine, you find a "frunk". Yep, a frunk--a front trunk. Some other fun facts about the Tesla: the key/fob is shaped like a mini version of the car. If you want the trunk to open, you squeeze the trunk of the mini car in your pocket. Of course, if it's in your pocket, simply by approaching the car, the doors unlock and the door handles slide out of their retracted position to greet you. The console is a giant tablet that keeps GPS, performance data, satellite radio, a variety of apps, and a regular internet browser at your fingertips. When you take your foot of the gas--er, I mean accelerator--regenerative braking kicks in, and you don't have to even touch the brakes if you time it right. You can set your cruise control like you would normally in any car, or you can set it to follow the speed of the car in front of you. The Tesla was an absolute pleasure to drive, and maybe in another lifetime (or salary bracket), I could call one my own.

Black Bar of Death

I just returned from a great road trip and I can't wait to go through the photos. It was such a good thing for me to get out of the stock-shooting habit, and though I will still have plenty of images from the trip that I will add to my portfolio, they are refreshingly different from what I have been shooting, and on top of that, more personal.

However... half half way through the 5 week road trip, a big black shadow started appearing on the bottom of all of my frames. The black bar of death. I had seen this before, and knew what it meant: my shutter had reached its 150,000 click lifespan, and needed to be (expensively) replaced. The one thing that didn't fit with my dead-shutter diagnosis was that the bottom corners of the frame seemed to be getting a decent exposure, resulting in a not-quite-fully-solid black bar. I was only familiar with the solid black bar. It turns out my camera was experiencing the death of its mirror box--not its shutter.

I will post pictures from the road trip later on, but for now, I'm putting this out there in the hopes that it may one day help a fellow photographer in the same situation I was in, fervently digesting the information on every blog and forum I could find in the hopes of finding out what was wrong with my camera, how much it was going to cost me, and if there was a possible temporary solution that would last until the end of the road trip when I could finally take it into a repair shop. Some of the other symptoms of what I now know is a broken mirror box: black shadow in the bottom of each image, whose corners, if you look closely, are well-exposed. It occurred consistently zoom lenses, but only showed up every now and then while using a prime lens, and sometimes, just cast a low-opacity shadow on the bottom of the frame. Fixable by a local adjustment in a RAW processing software. I ended up shooting most of the trip with my 50mm lens.

The next lens I add to my collection will be a wide angle, and my need (want?) for that was very apparent on this trip. The landscapes were so expansive that I started taking several pictures of all the surroundings, with the plan to later piece and stitch them together to make the final images. In fact, that was also my temporary fix of the solid dark black shadow: shooting a lot of frames slightly up, slightly down, slightly left, slightly right, planning to stitch them together in post-production to be rid of that awful black bar of death.

Sunrise Love

It was spectacular to see the sun rising over a thick fog hanging on the ground this morning. It was a sight that almost makes me want to be more of a morning person. As soon as the sun rose, the fog cleared up and we got some great shots of S & F in that magical morning light before the sun lifted into the clouds and disappeared for the rest of the shoot. S is a model who has done a lot of fashion work, so a lifestyle shoot was new for her. It's a good thing F knows all the secrets to making her smile.

City, Park, & Ocean

I stumbled upon this location a few months ago and made a mental note to do a shoot here. Everywhere you look, you see city, park or ocean--what more could you want?! The morning couldn't have been better. Not a cloud in the sky, and the weather warmed right up as soon as the sun was up. Shooting with J was a great way to start the morning. She has a killer smile and is so pleasant to work with that it made waking up so early completely worth it. Thanks, J!

17 shoots and 22,500 files later…

What a month! April flew by with shoots almost every day of my trip to Minnesota. Between scheduling, organising, location scouting, planning, emailing back-and-forth, and shooting, I met a ton of great people, got to see some familiar faces, and I now have thousands of files backed up onto my hard drives ready to be developed over the next few weeks. 

With so many shoots concentrated into such a short time, I learned a ton about how to manage people’s expectations, and what people want to know beforehand and hear on the day of the shoot. Adapting along the way, I now have a lot of new material for a “what to expect when we shoot together” post that I'll put together soon and will hopefully be helpful to others down the road. If we’ve shot together and you’re reading this, I’d love to get some feedback (what worked well and what would help in the future) either as a comment or in an email. I'm looking forward to reliving the shoots as I now begin going through all the photos. 

If you need me, I’ll be in front of my computer, earphones in, for the next few weeks.

A Brush With Death

Shooting with these two was the perfect way to end my time in Minnesota. The weather couldn’t have been better, and these fun-loving, bike-riding, adventure-seeking, bubble-blowing best friends were a blast to shoot with. They are unbelievably comfortable with each other, they know how to make each other smile, and they’re not afraid to be a little silly. Other than a couple of near-death experiences (a goose gone wild and a fiercely rambunctious puppy), the shoot went smoothly with some beautiful photos to show for it. My cheeks are still sore from smiling so much.

Fresh-Faced and Fancy

I shot with J, a theatre student, last time I was in Minnesota. We had a great outdoorsy shoot and ended up with some beautiful head shots she can use for future auditions. Since I last saw her, she has started her own makeup artistry business, and to kick things off, we thought we’d get some shots that she can use to showcase her skills. Not only did she do her own makeup for the shoot, she lined up two of her beautiful friends and did their makeup too! For the photo nerds out there, these weren't done in studio--they're natural light only, and we were shooting in a stairwell! (You can check out J's new Facebook page for beauty advice and tips. Looking forward to seeing the photos from the shoot on there when they’re done!)

City Girls

These two ladies are simply outrageous. They are bold, curious, lovely, and know what they want. On top of that, they’re selfie-taking machines (which I may have encouraged). Laughing with the wind in their hair, these two were no match for the grey and rainy city. Everyone who passed us walked away smiling from their infectious carefree attitude.

Early Morning Sunshine

I've never been a morning person. Not that I'm grumpy when I wake up, just that it takes me a little while to get out of the fog and get the wheels churning. Something that can really help clear the fog is when I have an early morning shoot and I know I'm going to be treated to a spectacular sunrise. This was not that kind of morning. I was up and on my bike at 6am this morning for a 7am shoot. There was no sun to speak of, and the clouds looked heavy with the promise of rain. I met T who, with his great smile and sense of humour, helped bring a little bit of sunshine back into the day.

Mixing It Up

I shot with E last time I was in Minnesota, getting beautiful late-summer shots in a park. To mix it up, she suggested getting some city shots this time, and then combining forces with others for a group shoot. Like any metropolis, in the thick of downtown Minneapolis, there’s a real concrete jungle feel, and from the perimeter of the city, a nice skyscraper skyline to take advantage of. E and I met downtown and shot for a while before realising we'd be late to meet the other two if we walked. So, like the trooper she is, E hopped onto the back of my bike with bags, camera gear, monopod and all, and I cycled back to where we were meeting the others. We received several smiles (and confused glances) along the way. We met up with J, who I had shot with the week before, and R who you may think you recognise from previous shoots, however this was my first time shooting with him (though he is the twin brother of S, who I’ve shot with a few times before). R, J, and E, having only met for the first time, got along great, and together we got some fun shots that make it look as though they’ve been friends for ages.

Girl Strong

As soon as she finishes her exams next month, M will be spending the next 8 months working as an actress in Florida. She’s a top notch athlete, coming from a basketball family, and playing lacrosse with the university who are off Nationals next month. Things got off to an uncertain start when a friend of M’s who was supposed to join us for the shoot was no where to be found. M adapted quickly, and ended up being on her own for most of the shoot, though a different friend of hers did “jump" in for a small part of it. Good luck at Nationals, M!

Look Out World

In the final months of his university career, J is getting ready to take on the world by storm. His fearlessness comes out in his eagerness to work hard, but not taking himself too seriously. He can pull off some fantastic facial expressions (we ended up laughing so hard I had to stop shooting because I couldn't hold the camera still). J's a great sport on set and always willing to do another take to get an even better shot--a fun shoot with a fun guy. Look out, world.

Spring Has Arrived

I got to shoot with a really close family of three. They were great to work with, so comfortable with each other, and most importantly, they made each other smile. The wind wasn’t nearly as crazy as the last time I shot with S, and we had a wonderful sunset on the Mississippi River. It was the first day it really felt like spring. The sun was shining, the leaves budding on the trees, and you finally can be outside without a jacket on. Hopefully winter in Minnesota is officially over and it just gets better from here (no more freak flurries!). On a day like today, while shooting this loving family, it was hard not to feel good.

The Toothless Wonder

Last year, I shot S in the role of a businessman. Earlier this month, I shot him in the role of a significant other. This time, we put him in the role of a father and I think this one may have been the best yet! He’s a young actor with a mature look, so I imagine he gets cast in roles that are older than he is. If this shoot doesn’t show that he can be a family man, I don’t know what will! Six year old Q (who had lost a tooth at school earlier in the day), was an energiser bunny on set: dancing, hopping, climbing on logs, putting his hands in the cold river water, being distracted by every duck and dog that passed by. S was forced to match Q’s energy throughout the entire shoot and did so wonderfully. I bet they both slept well that night. You can read about the shoot from S's point of view on his website.

A Trendy Twosome

These two met while salsa dancing, and I gather that’s how they spend a lot of their time. They are very chic, and though they dressed up for the shoot, I like to imagine that’s how nicely styled they are all the time. I bet if you saw them dancing, it'd be hard to take your eyes off them! It took them a little while to relax in front of the camera, but once they did, we ended up getting some really sweet shots of the two of them.

My Sophomore Soulmate

Within the first 5 minutes of getting out my camera, I knew it was going to be a great shoot. Her studies focusing on musical theatre, E was very easy to direct and so comfortable in front of the camera. Normally during my first shoot with someone, I stay within the safe zone. I don’t ask people to do anything too strange or that might make them uncomfortable. There are not many people you meet that, only minutes after meeting, are willing to stand on a picnic table and lean over you, smiling wildly as you stand beneath them with a camera; or navigate their way into a dried up ditch filled with long grass and throw their hands back like they’re loving it. E is one of those people. Having that kind of immediate trust from someone is not only a huge form of flattery for me, but also lets us dive into the shoot, getting a ton of variety and some wonderfully free-spirited shots. I left the shoot feeling like I had a new friend. Her terrific smile, unruly curls, and overall awesome attitude left me smiling and energised long after the shoot.

Gouda Cheese

I had so much fun shooting with these two, who met a couple years ago at university. They showed up this morning ready to run, only to arrive in the midst of a crazy flurry--big, heavy, wet snowflakes. Change of plan: we decided to shoot indoors for a while to wait out the weather, figuring it was better than getting soaking wet and being cold and miserable for the rest of the shoot. Over the course of the shoot, the snow stopped, the clouds cleared, and the sun came out. These two are so charming, and the moment they look at each other, these big adorable cheesy smiles come out. Though the weather couldn't seem to make up its mind, when I can't help smiling from behind the camera, I know we're getting great shots.

Is That... Snow?!

After seeing heavy rain predicted for today's shoot, I emailed S asking if she wanted to move the shoot indoors or shoot in the rain anyway. There's not much more I could ask for than having someone who has never met me say that shooting in the rain sounded "super cool". And then, shivering and standing in the rain-turned-snow, be totally willing to "do that one more time" to get the shot. The snow was an unexpected surprise, but the running shots we got from it are pretty awesome. Dedication, drive, and commitment shine through whenever you're doing something in unfavourable conditions. S has been dancing her whole life. I'm so used to putting a concept to my images, and having them "make sense", so it was tough for me to throw that mindset out the window and say "sure! Let's have you leap over that group of people in a hall." Or "yeah, why not have you standing in the stairwell doing the vertical splits?". And of course: "dancing in the snow? Sure, who doesn't dance in the snow?!". But you know what, concepts aside, the shots look pretty darn cool, and definitely show off the skills of this talented girl.

Patient Pianist

Today's shoot was with a very patient composer. I say patient, because we ended up spending a lot of time patiently waiting for other students to pass by before carrying on shooting, or patiently waiting for her friend and professor to join us for the last part of the shoot. But I'm happy we waited because we ended up getting some really nice shots. I was spoiled to hear more beautiful music while I was shooting. Even though English isn't her first language, I can tell that Y has a great sense of humour. (From personal experience, I know that the nuance of humour is the toughest part of a learning a language--it was one of the last things I picked up when I was living in France some years ago.) Every now and again during the shoot I would see a little bit of sassiness come out; it was so nice to get a bit of that on camera.

The Off-Season

A few weeks ago, I visited the town of Harrison Hot Springs for the first time. Though we walked by the source of the hot springs (steamy, bubbly, and the distinct rotten egg smell of sulphur), we didn't actually spend time soaking in the hot springs (reserved to resort guests, or accessed at the public pool). Instead, we took advantage of the warming spring weather, and went on several walks and hikes around the town. The Harrison Grind (longer, but not even close to the sweat you'll work up at the Grouse Grind), the Hick's Lake trail, the Spirit trail (with mask adorned trees, sculpted by a local artist), and the Whippoorwill Point trail were some of the ones we explored. I had never been to Harrison before, and know it's a summer haven for many. Though the town wasn't as dead as I was expecting it to be, it was still nice to be there before the hoards of summer-goers arrive.

Take the Stage

Earlier today, I met with a lovely pianist who's in the final year of her PhD. For our shoot, she organised access to a concert hall on campus and we had the entire place to ourselves for an hour which made for some pretty unique shots. I felt spoiled: not only did I get to listen to her play in the theatre, but I got to listen to her play again near the end of the shoot when we stopped at another piano in a different building on campus. The second piano was in a lobby filled with students sitting in chairs on their laptops, reading books, or staring at their cellphones. It's great because no one seems to mind when someone is playing the piano, though that might have something to do with the fact that all the people I heard playing there play at a high level... you certainly won't hear Chopsticks.

City Girl

After five years in South Africa, who would have imagined that I would be in downtown Minneapolis my first time shooting a beautiful woman in traditional African clothes?! What was neat was that M is also a photographer/videographer so we got to talk about the differences about being on either end of the camera. She also brought her younger sister along who was a great stylist and assistant. It was incredibly nice to have an extra set of hands on set, especially when we ended up fighting against the cold wind on a rooftop. With a great smile and a great attitude, M was a pleasure to shoot with, and we moved swiftly through different scenes resulting in a lot of variation from the short time we spent together. I'm looking forward to reliving the shoot when I go through the rest of the photos.

First Shoot Back

With its bare trees and colourless lawns, I hardly recognise the place. The trees were lush and full of autumn colours last time I was here. I missed the whole of winter, and though you can feel that spring is around the corner (it was 22°C [72°F] yesterday!), the telltale signs of spring have yet to arrive.

I had a blast shooting L and S yesterday. They were both so relaxed, which makes a shoot a lot of fun. I shot with S last time I was in town: he's an actor who is looking to diversify his portfolio so agents can see him in different roles. We did a business shoot last time getting some great images, and since then, S said he's been cast in nothing but businessman roles! We thought we'd take a different approach this time, shooting him in the role of a significant other, and then later this month, in the role of a father. S and L aren't actually a couple, though a passerby stopped them to say congratulations while we were shooting. I guess that means they were really pulling it off, what do you think?

Back to the Twin Cities

I had such a great time the last time I was in the Twin Cities, and I can't wait to visit again. Though the moniker "Twin Cities" might conjure the image of an expansive concrete jungle, the cities have in fact placed an emphasis on their green spaces. With the Mississippi River serving as the divider between Minneapolis and Saint Paul, and the University beautifully bordering the two, it's a great place to shoot. From clever students, to charming businessmen, to fitness stars, to the best of BFFs, I met some really great people who were so much fun to shoot. I ended up with some great shots that have that cozy end-of-Summer feeling. I'm looking forward to heading back to Minnesota in the Spring!

Campus Life

Since I've left it, I admit to finding campus life pretty fascinating. I went to campus with V for a small shoot. The shoot was great--we managed to fit in a ton of different scenes in the short time between V's classes. The campus is filled with old buildings that look straight out of the 70's interspersed with newer buildings featuring a mix of glass, wood, light concrete, and even some indoor greenery--bonus. The students on campus seem to be the exact same ones who went to university when I was there (only they seem much younger now... strange). There's a distinct buzz of young life in every direction you turn, and you can feel that even the professors and administration personnel feed off that energy. It's an uplifting place to be an outsider, but it certainly doesn't feel like real life (even if it felt like the most real form of life I had experienced when I was attending).

Love Is In The Air

One of my closest friends from my childhood is getting married. Like I imagine it does for a lot of people, the news of a big life event like a wedding brings about the most reflection when it involves friends I've known seemingly forever. I start thinking about the friend (how grown up she is, how time has passed, the series of events that got her to this point, how cool it's going to be to attend her summer wedding in the woods) and of course, I start thinking about myself (wedding?! marriage?! life-long commitment?! ...ahhh!). Even though marriage brings about different feelings for us at this moment in time, I can't wait for her wedding, and am so happy I was in town and able to attend her bridal shower. Congratulations, J!

On The Water - Part 2

I spent another great evening on a nearby lake doing part two of a shoot with K. The lake was really quiet and we were able to get some great running shots with the last little bit of evening light. K, who works on the lake, told me that Spring is one of the nicest times to enjoy the lake, because along with Fall, the weather is nice but the hoards of summer beach-goers haven't arrived yet. I'll take advantage of the peace and quiet while I can.

Festival Du Bois

When I was a kid, my parents would take me to the annual Festival du Bois: the "largest francophone event west of the Rockies". I have fond memories of it mainly because of the silly frog hats, but especially because of la tire d'érable. It's called maple taffy in English, but that doesn't do it justice. La tire d'érable directly translates as "the pull of maple" and when you pour maple syrup onto a mound of snow to let it harden, you get a deliciously sticky treat that you can pull off the stick like you would stretch a piece of gum out of your mouth. That visual might not paint a pretty picture, but it's the closest thing to a piece of heaven-on-a-stick that you will ever get.

As an adult, the Festival du Bois still boasts a selection of funny frog hats and a myriad of plaid-clad festival goers. But of course, something I never noticed as a kid, most of them are adults, and most of them are there for the terrific music. They bring in artists from all over Canada who put on great shows over the duration of the festival. I got the chance to witness a more intimate performance, held in the living room of a house-turned-museum from 1909, where of a group of five artists played together for the first time! With standing room only, it gave the feeling of being cozily circled around a (vintage) coffee table with good friends.

Come Hell or High Water

I had a really enjoyable shoot on the lake the other night. It was K's first time modelling, but she seemed like a natural in front of the camera. I'm sure the fact that she works on that very lake helped her feel at home. Wow--what a place to show up for work every day! There was a great moment on the water when we switched ends of the canoe. To keep everything balanced, I shimmied down until I was lying flat on my back in the centre of the canoe. While I held my camera tight to my chest, K stood slowly and carefully straddled her way over top of me to the other end. Mission accomplished. (I'm sure it looked amusing if anyone was watching from the shore.)

Though my current life-plan wasn't to be living in BC at the moment, I'm looking at the opportunity to shoot in the scenery here as a definite silver lining. (Not to mention the "rough" winter that has been averaging between 10-15°C.) Between balancing the two of us along with my camera gear in the canoe, trying not to have my blind dog fall off the dock, and chasing the last bit of light until it was gone, it was certainly an entertaining shoot. Thanks, K--looking forward to shooting with you again!

Images in Use

People often ask how the images in my online library are used. I'm always sure to take a screenshot whenever I come across one of my images online--those ones are easier to track. However, for every photographer, there's nothing like the feeling of seeing your shot in print--or even better, blown up on the wall of a shop (see below). Some of these images are from my current portfolio with Getty Images and iStock and some are from my older one during my internship. If you ever see any of my images in print--snap a shot and send it my way! I always like seeing where they pop up.