Chris Loh Photography

Moving On....

2009-11-12T11:29:00.000-08:00

I like Blogger. I'm going to experiment with Wordpress... check out the new blog with the slightly different look. Don't forget to change your RSS feeds and bookmarks! Thanks to everyone and their continued support and interest in my life and my photography!

http://chrislohphoto.wordpress.com/

Royal Visit: Inspire Health

2009-11-07T21:36:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday or Thursday, about 5 minutes after I had gotten out of bed, my phone rang. The number wasn't a familiar one and when I answered I was in a daze. It took me a few moments for everything to come back to me. It was Stephanie from InspireHealth on the phone. She was my main contact person during the spring when I was taking photos for her organization.

I heard her say something about Prince Charles visiting InspireHealth and that she'd like me to take photos for them. Keeping in mind that I was still half-asleep at that moment, all I could think was "hmm... another photo thing.... I wonder if I already have plans on Saturday" - the idea that I was being asked to photograph someone from the Royal Family hadn't even crossed my mind yet! It slowly clicked and by the end of the phone conversation I was in a little bit of shock!

So today was THE DAY. I woke up early to pick up my car and attend the media press briefing with my assistant for the day - Elisha.

Photography is my passion... I am predominantly a wedding and portrait photographer - that is my passion turned business... But there has always been something about photojournalism that has always appealed to me. So attending the press briefing, armed with a media pass, with the buzz and excitement in the air - it was like being in a dream for me.

Surrounded by both local and international journalists and photographers from big media outlets like Reuters, armed with their $7000 cameras and $3000 lenses, I felt like a child among grown-ups (just a little bit out of place!). But I humbled myself and reminded myself that it is a blessing to be where I am and to simply take it all in and do the best job possible. The briefing was short and we got all the information that we needed to do our job.

The time between the press briefing and the actual visit to InspireHealth was spent at Pacific Centre, helping Elisha look for attire which was more "Business" code. Following that, we headed to InspireHealth early to plan out where we would be and what we would be doing.

Most of our communications were with Lionel, the Communications Director for InspireHealth - he's pictured above, anxiously awaiting the arrival of His Royal Highness.

Prince Charles arrived and was greeted by Dr. Hal Gunn (below), founder and CEO of InspireHealth.

The Prince and his entourage quickly headed upstairs to chat with InspireHealth staff and patients, while we were instructed to stay below to prepare for the group portrait. Below are some staff who were sent downstairs to help us out.

More staff came down - and we placed them as part of the group photo, leaving empty spaces for Prince Charles and the other staff. And then more staff came down, and eventually the entourage poured in and I was ready to take the group photo (below).

A successful visit! Below is the Prince heading to his next appointment

Below, InspireHealth staff gather to discuss the visit

Today was such an amazing day! I've been up since 5:30am... it's just past 10pm now. I'm ready for bed!

Simply Amazing

2009-11-05T13:40:00.001-08:00

All photos contained in this post taken by Stephen Voss and borrowed from www.stephenvoss.com

It's a rainy Thursday afternoon at the moment. For some reason I thought I would have stuff to do today but turns out... I'm pretty bored. I think maybe I just need a day to do nothing and relax... I haven't had one of those days in awhile!

So I did my usual tour of some of my favorite websites... Facebook...some news sites.. and PopPhoto.com

I scrolled down to find an article called "7 Tips from a Pro Photojournalist" - featuring tips and an interview with Stephen Voss. I checked out his website and was left absolutely breathless from his captivating images. The images in his Editorial section, his Portraits section... and heck - every other section, just had so much depth!

I know beneath the wedding photographer and portrait photographer there is within me a photojournalist just waiting for some opportunities and stories to tell.

Go and check out Stphen's website! You might get inspired... I know I am!

I'm realizing that this is perfect timing to be inspired....look out for some of my own new images after this coming weekend! I'm scheduled to be photographing a "VIP"... I hope I can do a fraction of what Stephen Voss can!

Halloween in Community

2009-11-03T09:50:00.000-08:00

This year I spent Halloween trick-or-treating with the kids of my community. Can you believe that in my 20-something years I've never gone out trick-or-treating?? So on Saturday evening I put on a pair of scrubs that I borrowed from my housemate Irene and headed out as a nurse. My costume was definitely on the boring side compared to what the kids had! Check it out!

I left my 5D at home but brought along the T1i when we went door-to-door. There was just the kit-lens attached so I wasn't very impressed with the photo quality. However, before it got too dark I shot some video... here it is:

Halloween from Chris Loh on Vimeo.

Portraits: Vianna's 1st Birthday

2009-11-03T09:44:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday I headed out to Surrey to photograph Vianna for her first birthday. I had first met her and her parents at Rey and Mei's wedding in September. I photographed her playing with balloons and crawling around on the floor. She's so cute!

Happy birthday Vianna!

Friday Afternoon: Skytrain Adventure

2009-11-01T17:29:00.001-08:00

On Friday afternoon I was asked to look after Matthew for the afternoon/evening since his mom had fallen victim to the flu. With the help of my roomate Jen, I planned a grand adventure for the two of us on the Skytrain.

I brought along my new Rebel T1i but switched up lenses and went with my trusty old 24-70mm f/2.8L. It never fails! But because I don't yet have Photoshop CS4, I can't convert RAW files from this T1i... so all I have to work with so far is JPEG. So as far as the technical stuff goes... I'm not sure if the poor image quality (colours and tones) is from the T1i or from the fact that the photos are taken as JPEGs.

Anyways, here are just a few snippets from the day:

At the airport

The observation deck of the airport

The ride home!

Tuckered out!

Wednesday/Thursday

2009-10-30T13:16:00.000-07:00

So on Wednesday, just after my photoshoot with Alex and Jessica I came home to find that the UPS guy had just arrived with my new purchase: A Canon Rebel T1i. I got it to experiment with video - not in any professional capacity but mostly as a hobby. I was hoping that the camera paired with my new Canon 50mm f1.4 lens would produce some quality video but I'm quickly discovering how difficult the world of video can be! Below are photos taken with my Canon Rebel T1i and a 50mm f/1.4 lens.

Me testing out my new camera (with lens) on Randell and John

The next morning was a Saint James Music Academy presentation for CIBC. I took along my new camera in hopes of recording the surprise performance by the children that we had for our funders. At the bottom of the building the kids had a small practice session - which I was able to record on video. Despite being rather shaky with a very shallow depth of field... here it is:

Mini-Orchestra Practice from Chris Loh on Vimeo.

Waiting for the elevator to head up to the boardroom

When we arrived in the boardroom I had realized that an important document was missing and had to QUICKLY hurry back to my house to print it off. Fortunately the performance by the kids bought me some time... unfortunately I was unable to record it!

Some of the music school students sitting outside the boardroom

The meeting went extremely well and everyone in attendance loved the childrens' performance! Kathy followed that up with a financial presentation and allowed the group to ask questions. Following that, Kathy, myself and the children all headed to White Spot for a celebratory breakfast.

Directly after that I headed out to Langley to hang out with Cath, Michael and my little buddy Matthew!

At the end of the day I wasn't very impressed with the video I was able to capture. The size and weight of the T1i make it portable ... but very susceptible to the shaking and small movements of the hands holding it! That plus a small and light 50mm lens made camera-shake very noticeable! The depth of field of the lens was great! Except for the fact that it made focusing very difficult. The shallow depth of field meant that any small movements put subjects out of focus and I would have to manually re-focus continuously.

Later in the evening I took my lens (and it's filter) back to London Drugs for a refund. For now I guess I'll have to put my 24-70mm lens on the T1i for some weight and stability.

As for the photo-quality... I'm not too impressed with that either. There is just something about my 5D's, despite their age, that produces beautiful colour and dynamic range! It makes sense seeing as the T1i is a consumer-level camera!

Engagement: Alex & Jessica

2009-10-29T22:13:00.000-07:00

This past Wednesday I had the absolute pleasure of photographing Alex and Jessica on an engagement shoot. We met up in my neighborhood and walked around to Crab Park. They were fantastic! From the very first shot it was non-stop, fully-real, playfulness and romance between the two of them. I had so much fun photographing these two!

I love Alex's hat! I wish I could pull-off something like that!

I laugh everytime I see this!

Thanks to Alex and Jessica for a fantastic afternoon!

Tuesday: Saint James Music Academy & a New 50mm

2009-10-27T21:21:00.000-07:00

Today started off as a "normal day" - and when I say normal I mean... nothing like the day before and nothing like the next day! Mid-morning I went off to meet a potential wedding-photography client but right before that I went to London Drugs to get a memory card...

The original intention was just to buy a memory card... but then I looked up on the shelf...and saw the Canon 50mm f1.4... with a tag that said "New Low Price" and so I just HAD to inquire! I spent some time "haggling" with the salesman - I got it down a bit lower than the listed price and also got a filter with it. It's an expensive purchase... so I'm just going to have to sit on it a little bit and think if it's going to be worth it!

I have to say though, I LOVE having a lens that I can use in low-light conditions! Having a prime lens is a bit of an adjustment... I'm so used to zooming in and out! Here are some photos from the day using my new lens!

Ladybug

Preparing sandwiches at Music Academy

Picking up and walking kids from the elementary school

And finally, the Music Academy in action!

Most of my evening was spent helping our new friend Adel - a refugee from Iraq - with his resume, along with cleaning up the house after dinner. It's been a long day!

So what do you guys think? Should I keep the 50mm lens?

Monday: Jim, Hannah, and the Saint James Music Academy

2009-10-26T21:33:00.000-07:00

I love days like today. Sunshine. Wind. Colourful leaves flying through the air! The morning was spent taking some photos with Jim and Hannah. It was just for fun.... but it was a lot of fun!

I smoothly transitioned into my duties at the Saint James Music Academy and met up with John and Dell at Strathcona Elementary to pick-up the kids.

We found Meara there! And Meara found Dell's hat!

I'd usually be doing what John is doing in the photo - taking attendance!

In the evening Dominika and I took 6 of the community kids down to Crab Park in the dark and played games and flew a kite. It was SO FUN! Monday was such an amazing day! One of the best I've had in awhile - the weather definitely helped.. it's a great way to kick-off the week!

Sunday: The Coffee Shop

2009-10-26T21:26:00.001-07:00

This past Sunday we spent the afternoon hanging out at Hannah's Coffee Shop (unofficial name for now!). Hannah has taken on the gi-normous task of managing and running a coffee shop here in the Downtown Eastside. We're still working on getting it set-up (new paint scheme, etc) but it's coming along nicely! Here are the photos from the afternoon:

It's a Converse community!

Later that evening, Hannah, Tracey and I went to Belgian Fries on Commercial drive (in the pouring rain) for some poutine. It was great! Except for the fact that our friend Jim didn't join us!

Portraits: Clark & Laura

2009-10-25T10:44:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday I had the pleasure of photographing Clark and Laura at their school campus - the University of British Columbia. I know Clark as a violin volunteer at the Saint James Music Academy and so when his girlfriend Laura asked if I would take their portraits I was delighted to do so!

We met up in the morning and walked around the campus and took advantage of the beautiful fall colours (which are quickly fading!). After the first few shots, Clark and Laura got into the groove of being "models" and the rest of the photoshoot went super smoothly! Here are shots from the session:

Family Photos: The White Family - Studio Edition

2009-10-21T13:47:00.000-07:00

On Saturday the White family came over and I photographed them in front of the white backdrop. It was pouring rain outside so I was happy to have them come inside and be comfortable and dry! Here is what came of the photoshoot:

Alexander was VERY VERY sleepy that morning

Not even some cuddles from his little sister Jordana would wake him up!

But with a little encouragement (and using candy for bribery) we got him up and smiling

The entire White family

And it all started with these two :)

Downtown Walkaround: Walking to the Post Office

2009-10-21T12:12:00.000-07:00

Just bringing my camera along for a trip with Jen to the Post Office on a beautiful Fall day! Enjoy!

Oh yeah, and John got a haircut!

Hope in Shadows

2009-10-15T11:32:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday we went to see the launch/revealing of the 2010 Hope in Shadows calendar down at the Carnegie Community Centre. I was joined by my new house mates John and Dell and my room mate Jim (and a few others!). To commemorate the day I thought I'd make a few of the photos "Hope in Shadows" style - black and white and high in contrast! Enjoy!

h

The announcing of the cover photo:

My humble home!

For more information on the Hope in Shadows program please visit: http://hopeinshadows.com/

Thanksgiving Monday

2009-10-14T15:06:00.000-07:00

Thanksgiving Monday was an amazing day. The morning was spent hanging out with my little buddy Matthew and the rest of the day was spent preparing food for the big dinner that night. The only photos I ended up taking were in the morning at Crab Park. The rest of the day was spent working or just enjoying the moment. My parents came for dinner that night too so that was GREAT! All in all, it was a fantastic thanksgiving. I hope yours went well too!

Enjoy the photos!

Sneak Preview: Monica and Willy

2009-10-11T00:31:00.000-07:00

Another beautiful SUNNY Saturday in October! WOW! I love it. Today was Monica and Willy's wonderful wedding. I wish it wasn't so cold but... I think their smiles kept things warm! Here are just a few photos from the day. More to come!

Thanks to my amazing team! Our assistant Lorraine (left) and 2nd shooter Lesley (right)

Oh yah and Lesley's an amazing friend too!
(A friend whom I'm thankful for this Thanksgiving!)

Have a happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Back in Langley

2009-10-09T21:29:00.000-07:00

Whenever I feel stressed out or in-need of a break or mini-vacation I always think about one place out in Langley: The Vandas house. I stopped by earlier this week to hang out with Cath for a little bit and while I was there I talked to her ex-husband, about getting some photos taken of their daughter. And so today I found myself back in Langley with my camera to capture some of the faces that I've been around all summer:

Jen and I arrived at the same time and so I thought I'd take some photos of her dog Chica too:

Jen loves her dog!

Michael and Matthew

The entourage

Me: Matthew can I take a picture with you?
Matthew: uhmmm no thanks
Me: How about just a practice one?
Matthew: Okay...
*click* - I show Matthew what it looks like...
Matthew: okay let's take another one! *click*, let's take another one!

And then of course we finally got around to taking photos of Don and his daughter Maya!

We had some creepy observers...

Andddd later that evening I came home and talked to my new fellow community members, John and Randell. I thought I'd take a photo of them while my camera was out!

Family Photos: The Onkowidjojo Family

2009-10-08T21:07:00.000-07:00

Monica's family was in town (from Indonesia!) for her wedding (Saturday!) and so what better opportunity than this to take some family photos! We took photos at New Brighton Pool/Park on a crisp October morning. The sun was out and the clouds were big and dramatic.

I've always wanted to do a photoshoot here but never had the chance until now. And I'm so glad I got the opportunity!

Here are a few snaps from the session:

Look for these faces in an upcoming post for Monica and Willys wedding!

Family Photos: The Mueller/Pfeiffer Family

2009-10-05T23:03:00.000-07:00

Sunday afternoon I photographed Tammy and her family at Rocky Point Park in Port Moody. It was a beautiful autumn afternoon and there were enough leaves on the ground to give my photos that fantastic fall colour!

Sophie is the little three-year-old in the photos. She was extremely cute and fairly cooperative. I had such a fun time capturing her and getting her to make her silly faces!

Thanks for the opportunity to photograph your family Tammy! I loved every minute of it!

Engagement: Jason and Erin

2009-10-05T22:58:00.000-07:00

On Sunday morning I got up nice and early and headed out to Langley where I photographed Jason and Erin at Campbell Valley Park. Although it's a long long long ways from Downtown Vancouver, it's a beautiful park! And the weather, considering it's October, turned out very nicely! Here are some shots from the session:

Look out for Jason and Erin next year as they get married!

Wedding #21: Sheather (Shadd & Heather)

2009-10-05T22:23:00.000-07:00

Saturday I photographed the wedding of Heather and Shadd. It all worked out beautifully for them! I was initially booked to photograph a wedding in Ontario, but the day that Heather and Shadd contacted me, the wedding (in Ontario) was postponed, and so I found myself able to photograph their wedding!

It was an absolutely beautiful October day and Elisha was my 2nd photographer and assistant for the day. Having someone (anyone!) join along for a wedding day makes the day SO MUCH better. I love it! I haven't posted any of her photos but she's progressing really well with her photography - before ya know it she'll be an official 2nd photographer!

We showed up at noon at Heathers' place to get some "getting ready" shots:

Then headed to the church to photograph the guys getting ready...

kinda...

The ceremony was held at Life Church, which also shares it's space with White Rock Christian Academy

And we headed to Elgin Heritage Park for some BEAUTIFUL portraits

Then headed out to Cloverdale for the reception:

It was an awesome day. Thanks to Heather and Shadd for the wonderful day! We loved photographing you guys!

Sneak Preview: Shadd and Heather

2009-10-03T23:54:00.000-07:00

Cool October air. Sunshine. Love. Who could ask for more?

At the moment but not in the moment.

2009-09-30T11:58:00.000-07:00

Last night and this morning I was reflecting on the big day yesterday. Having been in the presence of so many amazing speakers and stars, friends were asking me "how was it?? "what did the Dalai Lama say?" My response most often was "I really can't remember... I was so focused on taking photos that I zoned it all out!"

Isn't that the overall tragedy of cameras these days? There's such a huge pre-occupation with composition, lighting, sharpness, position and getting "THE shot" that you don't get to listen, feel and be IN the moment.

Another funny example of this was taking photos of the Honoured Guests in their box suites yesterday. I just went in to every suite and asked people who were sitting around and talking, if they wanted a group photo. To me this was the job and task i was assigned and didn't think anything beyond that. This morning I was going through my photos and saw a familiar face- one that all the teenage girls yesterday were discussing: Jacob Hoggard (Lead singer of the band Hedley). Hannah had gotten a really close-up shot of him on her camera and so this morning when I saw the photo below, I could easily recognize that it was him. The funny thing was that in the moment, I was just going up to strangers and asking if they wanted photos.

I think another part of my slow and unexcited reaction is that I've never had a huge desire to meet famous people and celebrities. So when it happens I just treat them like I would any other new face (except for that time I got to meet Anna Vandas - now that was awesome! I love her music!). So Jacob, if you ever end up reading this - I had no idea it was you... but thanks for posing for a photo! It was never my aim to be one of those "paparazzi" types!

But in the end, I think this is part of the downside of technology. Not being in the moment and not experiencing things fully. I know that when it comes to hanging out with friends, I now intentionally leave my camera at home so that I'm not thinking about photography in the back of my mind.

So I guess you have to weigh the cost and benefits... because in the end, it is pretty fun sharing photos with people!

So I hope everyone out there can be fully present wherever they are at and completely engage with the people around them. Just leave the photo-taking up to other people and the professionals and enjoy the moment you're in!

From Me to We

2009-09-29T23:10:00.000-07:00

Today I was absolutely HONOURED to photograph WE Day at GM Place. I'm not sure how they found me but I got an email from the Media Relations person asking if I was interested. At first I wasn't sure if it was a joke or a scam but I took the bait and said I was interested. Soon enough I was given all the information I needed over a few long distance phone calls and it became reality!

I asked if I could bring an assistant and after much confusion and deliberation, Hannah was the chosen one. We had to be there at 6:30am so it was (and has been) a very very very very very long day. Unfortunately no one else was there at 6:30am... so there was quite a bit of standing around! We eventually got to hang out with the other photographers and of course, talk about cameras and photography! It was great. And interestingly enough... all of us were shooting Canon (a huge relief since I was contemplating Nikon).

Here are some photos from the day:

Hannah

The crowd... and Governor General of Canada

The Media Pit

Sarah McLachlan

Ben Mulroney and Tanya Kim

Presenting His Holiness, The Dalai Lama

K'naan

Dr. Jane Goodall

Jason Mraz

Beach Balls dropped at the end during Jason Mraz's performance

At the end of the day kids poured out of GM Place, drowning any hopes of me being able to find Hannah. At the beginning of the day we were told to go to the Media Gate to pick up something so I went there and waited for Hannah - thinking she would know where to go.

I waited... and waited and waited and waited and a good 70+ minutes later Hannah was still nowhere to be found. The staff I had worked with all day were showing their concern for me (I felt bad... it seemed like they were staying around just for me!).

I did, however, get a good chance to talk to Amy, the Me to We Media Relations Coordinator. I told her about the Music Academy and my experience in Afghanistan among other things. It was kinda cool to share my life and how I ended up where I am now. It was also great getting to know more about Me to We and all the stuff Amy gets to do. Fun stuff! Anyways, she was distraught about having lost her bag full of important personal ID and documents and she suddenly got a call saying that it had been found. And being bored, with nothing to do, I took a photo of Amy to celebrate the fact that she had found her bag!

I ended up walking home with 2 Canon 5D's, both attached to some hefty lenses AND Hannah's stuff, AND some gift bags given to us - and then I found out Hannah had walked home. It was a very frustrating end to an amazing day! But looking back, it was such an amazing experience and I am completely happy with how it turned out!

THANK YOU AMY FOR CHOOSING ME TO BE THERE! IT WAS AN UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE!

Perfect Pumpkin Patch Paradise: Nick & Grace

2009-09-28T00:17:00.000-07:00

This Sunday I went out to Delta with Nick and Grace (wedding photos are here) to photograph them at the Westham Island farm pumpkin patch. It was a beautiful, beautiful sunny September afternoon and we brought along the ring bearer and flower girl from their wedding - Kai and Keanna (respectively).

Grace got back in her dress and Nick put on a suit and we got down and dirty on the farm! The farm owners had never had anything like this before so we got some interested on-lookers and strange looks. I've seen this done with other photographers - having a session after the wedding - but it's never happened with me before! So this was a real treat.

The kids were a ton of fun!

Very symbolic of their marriage :)

We met up with Keanna and Kai's mom and then went out for dinner after (THANKS GUYS!) and just talked about life and kids (as I threw out random spurts of "thank you" in cantonese as the restaurant staff filled my teacup). We parted ways afterwards and I just had to show you the giant hugs from the kids!

Just for FUN

2009-09-26T21:00:00.000-07:00

So after coming back from my photoshoot with the Scott family (see the post before this) I came back to work on the RAW files. Right after that I went upstairs to visit the kids of the Walker family. Their parents are away and so I was curious as to what trouble they were up to! I walked through the door and found Maya on the floor trying to stack dominoes. My instant reaction was "okay, THAT would make a good photo!" - noticing the black and white domino tiles and her black and white converse shoes and black top.

So I got Maya to do that same activity outside on the street corner as the sun went down. I loved it! I haven't done just-for-fun, artistic photos in quite awhile, especially with the kids and so it was cool to get the opportunity again. And there are very few kids that are more photogenic than Maya papaya!

And then the opportunity for photos was opened up to everyone else!

Shortly thereafter I suggested we try a few more "twin photos" and then the Holubowich siblings came along and joined in. It was a good time... even though they were all hyperactive together.

I wish the weather could continue to be this beautiful! I'm really looking forward to the Fall and more photos around my community.

Family Photos: The Scott Family

2009-09-26T18:22:00.000-07:00

Today I went to Dundarave beach in West Vancouver to photograph the Scott Family. It was an amazing day and the weather was awesome: Sunny and windy! It probably wasn't the best day for Trish (mom) who's hair was continuously being blown about, but in the end they all had fun jumping around and posing for photos! Here is what came out of it:

As a last idea for photos I suggested that we all get a little bit wet!

Good times!

Thanks Trish and Ian! It was great meeting you and your family and taking some awesome photos!

Twins Night

2009-09-23T23:06:00.000-07:00

Well I did it once or twice earlier this year and the kids have been BEGGING to do this all summer. Finally I committed to an evening and that evening was tonight! Twins night! I don't know why... the kids just love to have clones of themselves.

So I announced that I'd be doing it and they all came upstairs to the green house with their change of clothes and got right in to it. It was a relatively short session since they all wanted to go outside and play tag afterwards.

Anyways, here are the results:

Tuesday: The Chris Game

2009-09-23T10:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went to Langley to hang out with Matthew and his mom, Cath - and yes, for the first time, without aunty Irene. It was a great time - I gave Maya a motorcycle ride to school and then just got to chill out with the two. I also took Matthew 4 times around the block on my motorcycle and during that ride we somehow got into playing a little game... now Matthew calls it the Chris Game. And so I just had to get Matthew to play the Chris Game again... while I recorded it!

Here we go:

The "Chris Game" from Chris Loh on Vimeo.

Saint James Music Academy: Orientation Day

2009-09-22T21:58:00.000-07:00

Monday was the opening day of the Saint James Music Academy. It was a hectic and busy day but the entire day went smoothly with the help of some coffee and preparation. I went for a run early in the morning and somehow injured my knee so I was limping for the majority of the day. Anyways, here are some photographic highlights of the day!

Getting All Caught Up: Last Week

2009-09-20T21:12:00.000-07:00

Last week was a fantastic week! Too bad I was too busy living it to blog about it all! So on Tuesday I headed out to Langley to babysit Matthew since mom had an appointment to go to. I "reluctantly" said yes to it and woke up early and rode my motorcycle out to there. Somewhat last minute, Irene said she'd come along and so I ended up with some company for the morning.

Playing catch:

Video of catch:

Catch with Aunty Irene from Chris Loh on Vimeo.

The three of us spent part of the morning watching Kung-Fu Panda. It was the first time I'd ever seen it. It's a great movie! And the rest of the morning was spent helping to clean up around the house. And then around noon we took Matthew out to school.

Chasing Irene from Chris Loh on Vimeo.

Irene wiping the traces of food constantly on Matthews mouth!

On Wednesday evening I met up with my parents for dinner to celebrate my dad's 60th birthday. We had a hot-pot supper and I FINALLY got to ask my parents about how they met and how it all happened. I guess when you're a wedding photographer you get used to asking those types of questions!

Friday afternoon I spent a good chunk of the day in Richmond at 5th Gear Motorsports waiting for my motorcycle to be serviced. A new rear tire and an engine-valve-adjustment totalled a hefty $435. But I should be good for another year or two as far as that kind of maintenance goes... I hope! But the guys at 5th Gear are great - so if you have a motorcycle I'd highly recommend going to them! So much cheaper than a dealership!

Friday Evening and Saturday was a training event for the Metro Vancouver Alliance. It's an organization that will be a force for change for the common good for everyone in Metro Vancouver. The movement has been successful in other cities like London and Edmonton where these alliances have called on their governments and made some effective policy changes for the good of many. I might be making a website for them eventually but in the meantime here are photos from Saturday:

Today I went to church and made an announcement in front of the whole parish about the opening day of the Music Academy. I was a bit nervous, not having done much preparation but I'm slowly getting better at this whole public speaking thing!

In the afternoon I had a medium coffee and went away to do my laundry and a whole bunch of photography and Music Academy work. See, I don't usually drink coffee... it's a once a month kind of thing. But I think I might start drinking coffee regularly... I feel so much more energetic and eager to do things!

Anyways, tomorrow is going to be a huge day and I will be taking photos and doing a whole bunch of other things for the Saint James Music Academy! I'll keep you posted! :)

Celebrations

2009-09-14T09:41:00.000-07:00

This weekend has been absolutely FULL of celebrations. One I attended as part of my work (Rey and Mei's wedding), and the other I had to miss because of that work: My dad's birthday! It's sad that I wasn't able to make it to the celebration of him turning the big 6-0. But sometimes last minute plans don't really work when you're set to photograph a wedding. So I think this week we're going to go out for dinner sometime.

Here's a recent photo of the two of us. It's not a good one... considering he's squinting and I'm wearing a stupid-looking hat.. but all my other image files are on another hard drive and the old photos are in Surrey!

Happy 60th Birthday Dad!

So I had to photograph a wedding all day Saturday... but later in the night I came home and ran into another birthday-individual: Irene. When she walked through the door she had to show me what her co-workers did to her. They forced her to wear a giant button made out of hospital materials which read "It's my birthday".. it looked pretty cool! And I saw it fit to take a photo of myself and the birthday-girl at the moment:

The next morning there was a breakfast get-together to celebrate Irene's birthday. So we all gathered in the green house basement and made that happen.

There's Jim... my new room mate... being a wallflower!

Irene and her parents

Hannah (right), obviously nursing some kind of hangover (just kidding!)

Later in the afternoon a few of us headed out to Langley for a surprise welcome-home party for Cath, who's been away all summer. I piled into the car with Irene, Jen and Chica (Jens' dog)

Jen with her party-wig on... blowing up some balloons. I blew up a few of them and got extremely light-headed since they were so hard to blow-up!
Dashboard photo!

Jen's idea was to have us all gather up the street and all drive in with our cars, parade style! There weren't too many cars but here's what it looked like!

Cath was most definitely surprised!

Irene and her brother Dave

Cath's husband Michael and Anna, performing a few songs (it was awesome!)

So there's this funny story about knowing Anna (Vandas). It seems like almost 2 years ago now but I was randomly flipping through channels and I settled on CBC and there was this program called Make Some Noise. And Anna's music was featured in one of the episodes and I thought to myself "this is great! I gotta check out this artist!". Fastforward a few months and my friend Daniel asked me what kind of music I listened to. I responded with a few artists and then said "and recently I found this artist... by the name of Anna Vandas". Daniel said "oh Irene's last name is Vandas... maybe they're related...". I thought "no way! What kind of small town are you from?" Anyways, we asked Irene and she said "oh! Anna's my sister-in-law!" Small world hey? So THATs the story (I don't tell stories all too well!).

So it was very, very cool to be in a living room listening to Anna play some of her songs. You should check out her music if you're in to mellow, acoustic stuff!

I caught Milan recording me on video camera... I SHOT BACK with my own camera!

Yet another photo of Matthew:

Music was played late in to the night..

And at the very end of the night it was just a handful of us

Cath had some kind of interpretive dance to show us! (Not really, she was just being a goof!)

So that was my day: Full of celebrations and hanging out!

Happy birthday Dad!
Happy birthday Irene!
Welcome home Cath!

Wedding #20: Mei & Rey

2009-09-14T01:23:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday I photographed the wedding of Mei and Rey. It was a beautiful warm September Saturday and love was in the air. Here are photos from the day:

Photos started at the Sheraton Guildford...

The ceremony was held at Our Lady of Good Counsel in Surrey

We moved on to Fleetwood Park for photos

And then we headed back to the hotel for the reception...

Family Photos: The Yan Family

2009-09-11T13:15:00.000-07:00

This morning I photographed the Yan family. Not Nick Yan, the awesome groom of last Saturdays wedding, but his brother, Neil and his wife and son (Ben). The three are here from Toronto for Grace and Nick's wedding and took advantage of the opportunity to have some photos taken.

It was a beautiful sunny morning for photos and we met up in Yaletown and walked down to David Lam Park for some outdoor photos.

I was accompanied by Elisha-May for this photoshoot.

After some photos in the park we moved back to their place for some indoor photos. They turned out great!!

Thanks Neil and Sheila for the great photoshoot! I hope you enjoy the photos!

Tuesday & Thursday

2009-09-11T07:30:00.001-07:00

It's been awhile since I had the opportunity to go out to Langley and visit the kids! This past Tuesday I got another chance and it was so great! Irene and I arrived at the house before Cath and the kids got home and just five minutes later I could hear in the distance "YEAH! Chris is here! Chris is here!" and then the sudden pitter-patter of tiny feet running towards me. I got two big hugs from Matthew and his big sister Maya. Kids are the best at making you feel welcome!

And then shortly thereafter walked in one of the most amazing people I know - their mother Cath! She had recently returned from her trip to Ontario and it was great to see her again! The afternoon was spent hanging out and helping out around the house... I didn't take too many photos but here's what I got with my pocket camera:

A cute brother-sister moment!

Later in the day it was time to take Maya to her first Ringette practice of the year. We headed to the sports complex in Langley to watch the practice.

Somehow Matthew ended up with my camera and took this shot of Irene

Oh and I also have to add that on Thursday morning, Ronnie and I went for a hike up Grouse Mountain! It was so amazing. The sky was clear and the trail was fairly quiet since it was early morning and everyone was back at school. Ronnie and I beat our old times too. My previous record of 59 minutes was shattered with a new 56 minutes (and 58 seconds) and Ronnie came in at 78 minutes, beating his old time of 84. I kinda stopped taking photos of the hike since we do it so often now but the view was just spectacular!

This morning I have a family photoshoot in Yaletown followed by a Music Academy staff meeting. Life for the next 2 weeks will be full of meetings and photos! Happy Friday!

Wedding #19: GRICK (Grace & Nick)

2009-09-06T23:55:00.000-07:00

This Saturday was the amazing wedding of Grace and Nick. Sometimes I still feel like meeting them never actually happened... they're just too good and too nice to be real people!

I don't even know where to start when it comes to talking about the amazing-ness of Grace and Nick. It was definitely echoed in every single speech made by their friends and family last night! These two are just caring and generous people who's hearts just pour out love. Grace even called me today and told me that she was keeping an eye on me during the reception to make sure I was getting a chance to eat - WHO DOES THAT!? That's awesome! lol.

Okay, so it's safe to say I had a great day yesterday. Accompanied by my friend/assistant/apprentice 2nd photographer, Hannah, the 12+ hour day felt like it flew by like a warm summer breeze. The most on-time wedding I've ever been to, it was a spectacular photographic event! Scroll down.... you'll see what I mean....

"Luckily" it rained and so "Plan B" was activated and we headed to the Chan Centre (which the couple rented) to take photos... wow.....

Almost all the shots I took in here just have the feel of "epic"!

Photographer-in-the-making: Hannah

We left the Chan Centre and headed to Queen Elizabeth Park for the ceremony - sorry this blog post is so "light" on ceremony photos - the photographic highlight for me was definitely at UBC!

We moved on to the Sea Harbour Restaurant for the reception: It was very Chinese!

And very awesome!

Tears of joy all round!

I don't know how much more I can say. It was a great day for two great people and I honestly wish every wedding could be as smooth and spectacular! Grace and Nick: You make me love my job! THANK YOU!

Confessions of a Wedding Photographer

2009-09-05T06:45:00.000-07:00

It's 645am. I shoot a wedding today, starting at 11am.

I woke up about 6 separate times last night. To say I'm anxious and nervous is an understatement! Maybe it's the fact that I know this day is going to be a long, full day with multiple ceremonies and photograph locations... or maybe that Grace and Nick have been such amazing clients the past few months that the pressure to exceed their expectations sits heavy on my shoulders.

Whatever it is, I count it as a blessing. It lets me know that I care about my job and about my clients and that it's not just "another day of work" for me - it's more like being one of the most important witnesses in a holy, sacred and special day for two people and their families.

So with light rain in the forecast, I am equipped with a beautiful umbrella that matches the colour theme of the wedding and ready to handle whatever comes my way!

Peace.

Summer Vacation II: Birken

2009-09-03T14:03:00.000-07:00

This past Monday I departed for a trip to Birken where our community has a cabin and some property. The original intent was to leave early early Monday morning but Hannah needed a ride from the ferries (she's been away all summer with the Salvation Army doing Camp Sunrise and Vacation Bible School stuff) and so I stayed a little later.

The new intent was to leave at noon after getting Hannah but then I decided to wait for Jim so that I could ride with him and Hannah... and so that resulted in me leaving at 5 or 6pm.

Oh yeah - and by the way, Jim is our newest community member... and my future room mate - good stuff! Which reminds me... I need to go feed his fish after I post this blog!

Here we are at A&W in Squamish taking a break from the driving (I followed them on my motorcycle)

The next day I headed in to town to pick up some groceries for the community and took Sage with me. I haven't hung out with Sage much over the time I've been living in community so it was a good time to have some one-to-one time.

Karah was dropped off at the library in Pemberton to do some homework so after Sage and I bought groceries, we stopped by to say hello.

Sage bought some Pringles chips and as he neared the bottom he was going to crunch them all up and pour them into his mouth. Since he was making noise he went outside to shake up his chips.. .and I was going to film him. But then something else happened....

Sage's Trip to Birken from Chris Loh on Vimeo.

Then Sage was playing with the doors and wanted to show me and Karah his new magic trick:

Sage the Magician from Chris Loh on Vimeo.

And here are more random photos from my stay there:

The archery range:

Wednesday I headed back into town to check the weather forecast. Apparently it was supposed to rain Thursday and I didn't want to ride my bike in the rain. The forecast showed it was going to rain Wednesday evening and most Thursday so I decided I would go home that afternoon.

I made one last stop at the lake though!

A few minutes before I headed home:

I'll leave you with one last video I took of the kids!

The Sound of Music! from Chris Loh on Vimeo.

Wedding #18: BAWN (Ben & Dawn)

2009-09-03T09:32:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday was the wedding of Ben and Dawn. I've actually been long-time family friends with Dawn and her family so it was a great day to get reacquainted with people from my past.

The day started (for me) at the brides house and quickly moved on to Coquitlam Alliance Church where the ceremony was held. That was followed by some photos at Rocky Point Park and Burnaby Mountain park. Here are some highlights from the day:

The first kiss:

Towel Power!

The Diamond Alumni Centre at SFU Burnaby

Congratulations Dawn and Ben on your wonderful and amazing day! I know it will be the first of many special moments in your lives together!

Engagement: Monica and Willy

2009-08-29T20:39:00.000-07:00

I love these two! I met them through a friend of a friend and well.. long story short... they decided to hire me as their wedding photographer! Today started off slow. They admitted to their nervousness and I talked them through the first few shots and before I knew it they were absolute naturals!

I don't know how much more I can say! I just know that these two look great together and are amazingly cute together! Can't wait to photograph their October 3rd wedding! Check out the shots from this evening:

This is my personal favorite of the day... and perhaps... month?!

Everyone's Leaving

2009-08-29T06:43:00.000-07:00

This weekend is going to be a very sad weekend! A whole bunch of people are leaving to a whole bunch of different places.

For starters, a large portion of the community is leaving for the annual community camping trip. So right there you have a good 15 kids and adults gone! Which really changes the vibe of the place!

Secondly, Donna is leaving and going back to the U.K. It's pretty sad! It's been really awesome having her around. I've only known her for 3 or 4 weeks but her energy and personality can really brighten a room and lift spirits! Good thing I'm visiting her in November :)

And finally, Matthew won't be coming around as much. This is a good thing because his mom is finally back from Ontario - where she's been all summer, and so hang-out time with Aunty Irene won't be as frequent. I am going to miss Matthew SO MUCH! If you guys have been following my blog since June you'll notice he's been a big part of my summer life and it's been such an amazing time. So while I'm super excited for the return of his mom Cath, I am grieving the fact that I won't see her son as frequently. I guess more trips out to Langley will be required!

So yesterday was a day of goodbyes as the community left for their trip. Donna is leaving Sunday and Matthew is going home today so they both had to say goodbye to everyone!

I really really really like this photo!

Kathy, Lane ... and a vanload of children! And below that is Ronnie (sick as a dog!) with his own vanload!

So that evening we said goodbye to all the families going up to Pemberton which essentially left myself, Matthew, Irene and Donna. Matthew, Irene and I headed up to the drive (Commercial Drive, that is) to get some food and a movie for the night while Donna headed off to a friends' place for dinner.

So after some fantastic Japanese food and a heart-melting moment of putting Matthew to bed and singing him bedtime songs and saying bedtime prayers, we watched the movie Blindness. The idea of the whole world going blind except for one woman actually sounds pretty corny in my opinion. But the movie was really interesting and entertaining (aside from the awkward sex scenes)!

And near the end of the movie Donna came back from her dinner and so we took some photos. My excuse was that we should celebrate our eyesight!

I hope everyone has a good weekend! For me it's a photoshoot this evening, followed by a wedding on Sunday followed by a trip to Pemberton to join the community - until Thursday! Enjoying every last bit of summer!

Thursday Afternoon

2009-08-28T08:34:00.000-07:00

If you've been following my blog you'll know that we have an out-of-town guest from the U.K. here staying with us. Well that time is soon coming to an end and Donna will be headed back this Sunday! Yesterday afternoon we had a get-together picnic at McLean Park just to hang out as one big group. Here are some photos from the day:

Matthew

Matthew on the rope-swing

Matthew on Kaels' Longboard

Ladybug!

Headed to McLean Park

Jamie and April

These next two photos courtesy of Elisha!

A Craigslist Coincidence

2009-08-26T21:56:00.000-07:00

A coincidence is a small miracle in which God chooses to remain anonymous.

-Albert Einstein

Oh ... and you should know that this is a bit of a long post - but a very good story nonetheless!!!

Sometimes a series of coincidences seems like just that - a series of coincidences. At some points you can say "whoa - that's got God written all over it!" and other times it can just be completely random. I think this story lies somewhere in-between, but it is very cool nonetheless! The following has to do with the photo below: Two people who haven't seen each other in years, one living here in Vancouver, the other visiting from London, "randomly" meeting because my camera was acting up...

It all started the evening of Alex and Megans wedding (see the previous post - August 24th). Three times that night my 5D had locked-up. What happens is the shutter will release and go up... and it will freeze and not come back down. The fix to this is to turn the camera off and back on and then you're good to go. This happened to me three times on Monday night and I was VERY stressed and VERY uncomfortable with the idea that this could happen to my camera at some very critical moments during the job.

So I went to bed that night... filled with anxiety and stress. I looked on Craigslist at midnight and did some online shopping for a replacement camera body (because I had contingency funds for moments like these..). The next morning I replied to a craigslist post regarding a Canon 5D - not really expecting a quick reply and then headed off to Surrey where I could pick up some photos from my second photographer and drop off my parents' vehicle. Oh- and I also went to BestBuy to purchase a new 50D. And then my cell phone rang....

It was the seller of the 5D - calling minutes before I spoke to the saleswoman. Apparently it was available! So we talked about meeting later that day or the next day. That evening the seller called again while I was downstairs at my house surrounded by my housemates. I ended the phone call with something like "sounds good, talk to you later Kenton..." and Donna, a guest staying with us goes "Kenton? He's a photographer?" and I proceed to tell her the story of my camera malfunction and the seller on craigslist. And she says "oh.. I know a Kenton.. who's a photographer... we went to Regent together" and I chuckle and respond with "well hopefully that's the one! Then he'll be a trustworthy seller!".

So Kenton and I met up this afternoon and yes - it turned out he did attend Regent! So I ran over to Donna and said "Donna! Don't leave - it's THE Kenton!" and so as the door opened it turned out that these two people - who hadn't seen each other for years - got to meet up and catch-up! How cool is that? I've heard of a few Craigslist coincidences (well.. only 2) but it's finally happened to me! Small world!

The next few photos are test photos that were taken with my "new" 5D. It's great! Accept for the fact that the shutter button is SO sensitive that if I just want to trigger the autofocus I end up taking a photo (but at least it's crazy fast and responsive!).

We went for a Dim-Sum lunch!

Later that evening I had a photoshoot with a friend of a friend (who I guess is now my friend!) Leon. Being friends of some of the teenagers in the community, I asked them if they wanted to join along and they were glad to accompany me on this headshot-type photoshoot. Leon wants to get in to acting so he wanted to get some headshots and body shots done for a portfolio.

Leon was so very kind and got everyone drinks at Starbucks!

And then the photoshoot began!

Most of the photos I'm posting here are more "artsy" than the standard headshot-style but don't worry - I took plenty of the standard ones too!

Leon and the gang!

Elisha brought her camera along too

And the evening ended in Crab Park hanging out!

Thanks for the opportunity to photograph you Leon! And it was great to meet you Kenton!

Wedding #17: Mealex! (Megan & Alex)

2009-08-25T22:07:00.000-07:00

Monday - Yes, MONDAY, was the wedding day of my two dear friends Alex and Megan. It has finally happened - I've know these two for a few years now... it feels like it's been forever! I was there when they first met as two separate people and it's really awesome to be able to say that I can also be there as they become one.

I could start listing off all the amazing things I know of Alex and Megan and all the amazing times we've shared, but it's for another day. I'm sure if you just scrolled back in time through my blog you will find plenty of events!

So anyways, without further delay... ladies and gentlemen, the photos of Alex and Megans' wedding day:

Some getting-ready shots

The ceremony was held at Surrey Golf Course. Below: Musician Matt Epp performing while the bridal party enters.

The Bridal Party

The First Kiss... it was a long one!

All of the family

Bride and Groom Portraits at the beach:

Aaand a few shots of the reception:

More Grinding

2009-08-23T15:40:00.000-07:00

So this morning I went and did the Grouse Grind . AGAIN! Yes - for the third time in a week I hiked up Grouse Mountain. It's great because Ronnie is just as enthusiastic about going as I am so he comes up with the idea and I just respond "tell me when and I'll be all for it!"

I got a text message last night saying that at 9am we were going, along with our little pal Francis. And so this morning ...at more like 9:30, we drove off towards the mountain.

You're all familiar with Ronnie by now I imagine?

Introducing Francis!

I was the first person to make it up. And guess what? I finished SLOWER than the last time! How horrible is that??? The last time I made it up in 59 minutes but this time I was up in 62 minutes. I was very very disappointed.

I took my book out of my backpack so that I could read it while I waited for the others and found that something had spilled and gotten the back cover wet. The thing is.... I didn't have anything in my backpack. That's right: It was sweat that had soaked through the back of my backpack and had soaked into the back cover and at least 15 pages of the back. Disgusting!

But shortly thereafter, coming in at 86 minutes was Francis. Not at all bad for a first-timer hey??

And then 6 minutes later: Ronnie! A full half-hour better than the last time!

The mandatory group photo of manly accomplishment:

The "Grouse Mountain Super Skyride" down

I'm really impressed with this photo... I can't believe it came out of my cheap camera!

Tonight I will be at the Wedding Rehearsal of Alex and Megan! It should be a grand time! Happy Sunday everybody!

Inspired.

2009-08-22T23:16:00.000-07:00

Right now I'm reading the book "Three Cups of Tea" and I'm on Chapter 19 and it is just AMAZING. I'm inspired by the life of Greg Mortenson and his story! I just had to say to everyone out there: READ THIS BOOK!

And I wanted to share an awesome quote from the book:

"In times of war, you often hear leaders - Christian, Jewish, and Muslim - saying, 'God is on our side.' But that isn't true. In war, God is on the side of refugees, widows and orphans."

I love it!

The Stuff that Wasn't Work

2009-08-22T10:03:00.000-07:00

Over the past few days I brought my camera around - just to have it around! Here is what I did:

Wednesday Night: Hanging out with Ronnie at Vera's Burger Shack after photographing the War College Students

I told Ronnie about my amusing hike up the Grouse Grind on Monday and he said he wanted to try it so I suggested the next day!

As I was walking home from hanging out with Ronnie, I saw Lane's car pull to the side of the road... they must have spotted me! So I got a ride back to the house since they had just come home from an evening at Steamworks. We were hanging out and talking outside of the house for about 2 minutes when Lane decided that he would drag me (well... it wasn't a drag.. more of a forceful pull!) to Pat's Pub to hang out and talk some more.

And so we talked. And talked. And talked.

Ronnie: Super pumped about hiking up a mountain!

For me it was a great hike! I would hike and hike and hike and before I knew it I was at the 1/4 Mark... then the 1/2 Mark... then the 3/4 Mark... and so on! At the end of it all, my final time was 59 minutes (I had to give it 110% at the end to make it!). I brought my book along and waited for Ronnie at the top... since I was trying for a personal best time and decided to separate from him.

An hour later there was Ronnie! Alive and well, it was his first time up the Grind and his first time at the top of Grouse! It was great! He was telling me that the old chinese lady dressed in "sunday outing" clothes (wedge heels and a handbag), who we thought was not going to make it, actually ended up beating him! At the end of it all though, it took Ronnie a respectable 2-hours to finish the climb.

A little more tired than the first photo!

And yesterday, on my way back from Langley - after photographing Jason and Dawn's wedding - I drove down Fraser Highway towards my parents place. I realized Ashley's house was on the way and so I called her up and asked if she wanted to hang out for a little while! And so we did.. and we talked.. and talked .. and took some photos! :)

Somewhere within the conversation Ashley told me about her friend Edwin and how he follows my blog. So this is for Edwin: Edwin, thanks for reading and following my blog! I'm honoured!!!!

Wedding #16: JAWN (Jason & Dawn)

2009-08-21T23:12:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I had a fantastic time photographing the wedding of Jason and Dawn. The ceremony began at around 3pm at The Princess & the Pea Bed & Breakfast - a lovely old-fashioned house in South Langley.

The ceremony was probably the smallest I've ever photographed! There were about 20 guests - most of which were family members. Regardless of the size, the setting and the decorations made for a very beautiful event.

When I took this shot I had no idea it would be so captivating! I love it!

We moved right on to portraits after the ceremony:

Dawn's dog Chewie had to be included!

A few of the portraits were done at Sendall Gardens:

Then we moved to Jason's family's farm for a few shots in the field:

Congratulations Dawn and Jason! Have a great time on your honeymoon in Victoria!

Grouse Grind

2009-08-20T07:07:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday I hosted my cousin (Michael) and a family friend (Pam) and took them to Grouse Mountain. The original intent was to hike... but when I saw them I realized that they weren't too prepared to hike. So then I checked the prices for the Grouse Mountain Skyride. $40 per person!?! Are you crazy?? But because some of us didn't have adequate attire for hiking I felt we were pretty much forced to take the Skyride up.

We drove to the mountain in the morning and as we get out of the car, my cousin Michael says "I think we should hike" ... this is after I decide that we are taking the skyride and I put on my jeans and sneakers! But I wanted to encourage a hike.. and save some money at the same time so off we went!

Here we are at the beginning

The hike was very very slow going. My guests were totally not prepared for it and weren't in very good shape to do it... not even slowly. And so as group after group and child after child passed us, I felt like this day was going to go on forever! After an hour we reached the 1/4 mark and Pam decided she would meet us at the bottom and so Michael and I pressed on - finishing the rest of the route in another hour.

Michael celebrating his hard-earned achievement

The view is definitely worth the climb!

We took the Peak Chair up to get an even better view of the city...

Physically I was so completely fine that I was questioning whether my guests were really out of shape or if I had just greatly improved over the few months of running. I think it was the latter and so the next day I went for another 10km run! And this morning the plan is to do the Grouse Grind again with another friend. Fantastic!

Ready for Battle: The War College

2009-08-19T17:43:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I took photos of this years' graduates of the Salvation Army War College. I was actually thinking about enrolling in the War College at one point in time but things quickly changed! Nonetheless, I have made some pretty awesome connections with some of the staff and students at the War College and am excited to see a fresh group of graduates go out and do amazing things for God.

So today we met up at their "Command Centre" and walked a few blocks towards the Harbour Centre where there is this amazing alley of graffiti. I'm sure it's no secret anymore since I've seen photographers there from time to time. Here are just a few of the results of the days' shoot:

If you're at all interested in the work of the Salvation Army War College or are thinking of signing up, be sure to check out their website at: http://www.thewarcollege.com/

Wedding #15: ANDRECCA (Andrew & Rebecca)

2009-08-17T00:49:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday was the coming together of Andrew and Rebecca. After 15 years of knowing Rebecca and 2 photoshoots with her and Andrew this year, I have to say that I will definitely miss working with them! Oh well... just wait till the kids come right???

Anyways, it was a very long, yet very fantastic day! It all began at around 10am with shots of the bride and her bridesmaids getting ready:

The house was strangely calm and quiet... it was great!

Rebecca has one of the most beautiful smiles I've ever seen!

We then moved a few blocks down the road to St. Marks Anglican church where the ceremony was held. At this point, I had a second photographer join along - none other than my fantastic and faithful friend Lesley!

And then moved on to Crescent Beach for some portraits!

Lesley set this shot up with the guys... all I did was add the bride!

Lesley brought the suitcases - so awesome!

And then on to Northview Golf Club for the beautiful and elegant reception:

The M.C. told a joke about Rebecca eating like a rabbit? Or something like that... anyways - being an inside joke, the room - and especially the bride and groom - were howling!

We dragged Rebecca and Andrew away from their guests for a little while to take some photos while the sun was still out! Best photos of the day!!!

And after all of that was the first dance:

And more dancing, late in to the night...

Thank you to Rebecca and Andrew for choosing me to take your wedding photos! It was such a great day! And thanks to Lesley for being the second photographer - she was great and I can't thank her enough for all the hard work and initiative she showed! I think I might have passed on the "wedding photography bug" to her...

Little Furry Friends

2009-08-14T08:56:00.000-07:00

Sam and Lina had requested a second photo session. I think when it was initially offered, we were thinking of another portrait shoot for them! But Lina had something else in mind: To photograph Pooka, Rex and Daisy! Yesterday evening I headed to their apartment in Burnaby to photograph their dogs. Here are just a few shots:

No... You Don't Owe me Anything!

2009-08-12T18:01:00.000-07:00

Just in case you're wondering, the blog title is a response to Lesley's most recent blog post... titled "I owe you one". Lesley just recently "landed" a job to take headshots for some bankers at RBC. She requested my assistance with this and also the use of my portable studio backdrop stand.

So yesterday we decided to meet up and give it a test-drive. I asked her cousin Mercy if she wanted to join me in going over to Lesleys place. Little did she know that she would be the test subject!

We had lots of fun just trying out the backdrop and figuring out the right ISO and shutter speed. Even though I didn't take any photos of bankers, I decided to get some shots of Lesley - just for fun!

Mercy and I headed home but on our way we stopped over at Tinseltown for some bubble tea - accompanied by Lesley.

Later that evening I was invited by Kathy to join her for a birthday dinner. I felt a little awkward about it... everyone else had known her for years and years and years... and then there was me... knowing her for a little over a year. But it turned out okay.. and I felt like I could contribute by taking some good photos of the night!

Donna - a former community member - was in town visiting and came out for the evening as well.

Yes, that's right - the steering wheel is on the right! It's a Japanese van

The next morning - EARLY next morning, Lesley and I set out for Abbotsford for our first appointment. It was quick and pretty much painless and we set out for Langley for our second shoot.

We had a few spare minutes!

We moved on to Langley - far ahead of schedule - and spent a good half-hour at Chapters. I ended up buying a book called "Three Cups of Tea" - a book about Greg Mortenson: A man who ended up spending his life building schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan. It seems very inspiring!
The second shoot went fairly okay, one minor hiccup, but otherwise smooth. There was a large tine gap between photo-subjects and so we played around a bit and I became a photo subject myself!

I arrived back in the afternoon to meet and talk with Donna. The rest of the afternoon has been spent working on emails and photos and some deep, life-pondering thoughts.

Lesley, it's always a pleasure hanging out with you - and just as much fun working with you! Definitely looking forward to Rebecca and Andrew's wedding this weekend!