Coming soon.... I'm blowing the dust off of this old rag.

Year in Review

Holy Hanna Barbera...another year has passed. It's true when they say the older you get the faster time preception travels.

2011 has been a wild ride and continued to keep my status at Air Canada in the "Elite" category. Tons of highlights and firsts.

Of all the cities I've travelled to I finally made it to Seattle a couple of times and have fallen in love with it. There were lots of southern shoots which included Miami, Las Vegas, San Diego and LA. In July we spent a couple of weeks with the Canadian Special Olympic Team in Athens the site of the 2011 Summer Games.

On the photography side 2011 surprised me in August when I had a photo chosen by LIFE Magazine for a competition where I placed second in my category.

In September I enjoyed my first gallery show where I actually sold four pieces and in November was once again featured in the local arts directory "Talent Next Door."

December kept me busy with another gallery show, an invite to create a new "art tech fusion " software application and a call from the local college asking me to teach videography during the winter/spring semester.

Wow..2012 is looking pretty exciting.

tillsonburg.com

Strategic Nudes

I love challenges and boy did I encounter one this past weekend. Shoot a calendar of portraits of a dozen or so people in various locations in one day. The common thread of the portraits ? They'll all be naked with extremities strategically concealed. 18 models, 13 locations in 10 hours. Well this idea is all a part of a fundraiser for the "Friends of Glen Davis Ravine." This Toronto community organization formed of local residents is protesting and fighting to stop the construction of a large condominium which threatens to damage the City-designated ravine. The Glen Davis Ravine is this lush small valley within the city's Beaches area that the surrounding neighbourhood enjoys as a natural abundant habitat. It was once an undisturbed part of "Lake Iroquois ." To help fund their legal battle the neighbours have decided to pose naked to create a fund raising calendar to be sold next month. I'd really like to tell you all about the shoot but "what happens in the ravine, stays in the ravine." For some behind the scenes photos you can go here. Stayed tuned and I'll shout out when the calendars become available.

Pure Talent

As my neighbour and great friend Mark Davidson has stated " I love my neighbourhood." For me I couldn't agree more. On Friday night my next door neighbour Rob Adams performed at Molly Bloom's here in Kitchener. His new band " Deadbolt Jam" played a solid 3 hours of classic rock that grooved the hood. For a band that has been in the mix for under a year the line up of local professionals that have brought this group to fruition radiates passion. You can check them out for yourselves at the Embassy in Waterloo on Friday night August 19th and at Goodfellows II in Brantford on August 27th.

Great Lakes Helicopter

So what does it take to get me up at 4am on a Sunday morning? Well in this case it was just an opportunity to shoot some local crop dusting at the break of dawn. My good old friend Stan Mance from Great Lakes Helicopter in Kitchener was out on location with his crew attending fields loaded with an anti-fungal spray to ensure the crops will be healthy in time for harvest. The Bell Jet Ranger piloted by Adam Tastula chopped through the morning air delivering a spray that reminded me of the application of cologne to a newly shaven face. Unfortunately a weather front moved in from Lake Huron and 90 minutes after the first field pass was complete the operation had to shut down because of impending rain. Hopefully I'll get back out with the boys in a couple of weeks when the weather gets better. Photos here.

Motorcycle Expo

Alright. I'll say it right off the bat...I am so done with the winter of 2011. First full day of spring couldn't have come any quicker. Cold, dull and nasty. Good riddance.

A sure sign of spring is the sightings of those two wheeled motorized contraptions known as motorcycles. This past weekend the World of Motorcycles Expo was held in Kitchener at Bingeman Park and I as the official photographer covering the event over the weekend. Sometimes it's difficult working in your hometown where you're running into people you know, chatting and catching up and the next thing you know the show is over. Now I'm not complaining I actually ran into one old friend I hadn't seen in years and that mini reunion was stimulating.

For those itching to ride and whom live in the Southwestern Ontario area Friday the 13th in Port Dover only comes once this year in May. That's always a questionable ride since I know in the past it's been cold and rainy. Let's hope this winter weather vanishes so we can really kick start the spring.