Took advantage of a welcome break in the weather to shoot these engagement photos down on the Lakeshore. Brilliant day and a great chance to meet my friend and fellow CBC’er, Adrian Ma’s lovely fiancee, Liz.

Another first… this was my first engagement shoot in Toronto after moving from Vancouver about this time last year for my day job on the CBC Photo desk! Where, not-so-coincidentally, I met Adrian, who can be found with his nose buried in a yet-to-be released paper back over at CBC Books.

I’ll keep this one short as we’ll catch up with Adrian and Liz again in October, when we’ll connect again for their wedding!

For now, congrats you two! And now, the photos! Or, if you’re lighting inclined… a bit about how I shot these follows.

—-Warning: Photo Tech babble—-

Also, this was my first ‘pro’ shoot with the new FujiX100 – a camera I bought with travel in mind. One of its many nifty features is a leaf shutter, which allows for some pretty fancy high-speed sync potential with external flashes, which is how I lit most of these shots… the up-side being nice exposures in noon-day sun that would require a lot more battery umpf than my Nikon speedlights can offer up, save for recycle-time-sucking full-power blasts. The dSLR’s most shooters are packing these days tend to sync normally up to about 1/250th of a second, which just isn’t quite fast enough to render a nice background from a vast lake reflecting untold gazillions of sensor-nuking particles of light…

I’m pretty happy with the results and, to boot, these were all shot in jpg only (the X100 is RAW capable, I just wanted to see what we’d get straight outta camera).

Adrian_Liz_kissers_2-ups DSCF0516_2 DSCF0519_2 DSCF0562 DSCF0579_bw DSCF0605 DSCF0700 DSCF0741_2 Adrian and Liz

—Update—

Just got some great news, looks like Ski Canada Magazine ran a feature article using shots from this trip in their January 2012 edition! Woot. Check out Welcome Home at Panorama. Thanks Ski Can!

—February 2, 2011—-

Winter is back and the La Nina effect is in full swing on the coast. It’ll be a few weeks until I get my first turns of the year (not much in the way of snow out here in Toronto at the moment), but I’ll be back in B.C. for the ‘hols in December. ‘Till then, here is a little ski stoke from last season. Winter! We missed you.

Panorama – Dumping in the doughnut hole

Its been two weeks since I returned from Panorama and RK Heli Skiing and I think my toes have just thawed out. 10 days in ski boots (some of which at -30 C, hanging out the open door of a helicopter) have turned my big toes black with a touch of frost bite… but I’m not complaining! Its a small price to pay for this amazing gig. Our timing couldn’t have been better too with our arrival in Panorama, B.C. lining up with a storm that dumped what one old timer called the best snow in 20 years smack dab in the middle of ‘The Doughnut’.

‘The doughnut?’, you ask. Hit the jump to dive in deep.

Jobs like this one make me believe it’s possible to have your cake and eat it too. It was an amazing gig (big thanks to my mate and Marketing Manager at Pano, Jeremy) and the Kootenay pow provided the perfect icing.

The assignment: Produce images for Panorama Mountain Village to be used in the resort’s 2011/12 winter collateral – brochures, the web, social media, that sort of thing. We had 7 days booked (thanks again to Jeremy for the 5 star treatment) – 4 in and around the resort, 2 with RK Heliski and a backup day should the tight shooting schedule spill over.

The team: My good friend and partner in crime, Sterling Pearce. We’ve been skiing together since our university ski club days and more recently, Sterl has been earning it in front of the lens and behind it, schlepping lighting equipment one minute and ripping turns the next. Plus he’s from the Kootenays. Raised in Fernie, the 14 hour drive to Invermere from Vancouver through snow and darkness was like a homecoming, even if we swore never to do it in one day again!

The Doughnut: Panorama is not known for its snow. Actually, the resort has a reputation for missing most of the storms that blanket the surrounding Kootenay resorts (Fernie, Golden, Banff) with legendary deep, dry powder snow. Hence the moniker, ‘the doughnut hole’. Panorama, on the other hand is a favourite destination for the national ski team who spend the first months of the pre-season training on the resort’s legendary (and icy) groomers.

Now, we’re young (ish), pow-hungry skiers and were well aware of Panorama’s reputation which, frankly was not going to be a problem on this job. The resort’s marketing

is directed towards families and a forecast filled with the sort of vista-filled alpine sun-scape that earned Panorama its name was going to be perfect. Plus, we had reserved three days at the end of the trip to hit the backcountry in Rogers Pass. Mother nature, it turns out had other plans.

The storm, expected to completely bypass Pano took everyone by surprise and made itself at home right smack in the middle of the doughnut dumping nearly 80 centimeters of snow on Panorama… and rain nearly everywhere else. Change of plans.

We arrived Friday night/Monday morning. Checked in at 1AM (thanks Mountain Time). Wired from too much coffee and white-knuckle driving. Asleep by 2AM. Crew call in the coffee shop at 7AM. Rumors our sunny window is about to be slammed shut by an epic storm cycle. Here we go…

Lets let the photos do the talking from here.

-Evan | FSP.

Ancipating the Zone: Panorama patrol used up their entire avalanche control budget in less than 24 hours. Boom. Cool. Details from an interior shoot. Look for this 3000-odd-square foot house hitting the rental pool this winter. iPhone 4 for the win: Shooting the shooter. Last frame of the day. We called central checkin to ask the staff if they could turn on all the room lights in the lodge to the right of this picture. Snowshoe fun at the Greywolf golf course. Crosscountry cruising in front of Carrick's... where lunch was waiting inside. A blank slate Peaking through the snowfencing Sterl dropping in A member of the marketing team hard at work:) Is jumping over a boundary rope the same as ducking under? Sterl rolls the dice to get the shot. The human snow shovel Panorama rippers tear out of the wood work on a season-defining pow day. Old time stoke Patrol, keep'in it safe for all us sinners Panorama staffers with the right day off. Patrol, pow pumped. We never learned what Pud's full name was... Cute liftie. Pano_day_4_0233 Panorama's Ski Tip Lodge. Paradise Pow farm RK_day_1_0001 The flying V RK_day_1_0011 RK_day_1_0027 RK_day_1_0035 The diving board RK_day_1_0066 RK_day_1_0076 RK_day_1_0079 RK_day_1_0110 RK_day_1_0115 Sterl and Rod, down time Why my toenails are falling off. RK_day_1_0343 Here we go... Monument Alex with the hammer down on RK's Bell 407 RK_day_1_0529 RK_day_1_0547 Ride's here RK_day_1_0846 Elbow River heli owner (and former Canuck) Bruce Holloway shields from the prop wash. Riding shotgun in the Bell 212 Line scoping Blue ice best seen from above RK pilot 'Al' flying the big bird. An RK guest gives the thumbs up through the door glass of the Bell 212. The dream team Rod lost track of his heli ski runs somewhere around 2000. Here he is, mid commute. 'Where should I look when I sky by you?' Bill, about halfway through his 230th heli day with RK. Don't hate. Another day at the office Approach a mule from behind, beware his kick Sterl, surfing Ka-Pow Tandem 2-up: Sterl and RK guide Rod get gullied below Jumbo Pass Portrait of a good friend: Pirate Sterl for sale via my iStock account (I'd love to know who buys these?) Ski-Canada-spread-tear-web-only

The obligatory set-up shot to take inventory (i.e. show off) the gear before the big trip!

And, whats a ski photo post without a little GoPro footage?

Boom! And like that, Fall is basically come and gone… the summer just a memory. But lets jump back in time to September, just for a moment, when it was warm and perfect in Vancouver. Specifically, cast your mental gaze back to Saturday the tenth… 25 degrees, ocean breeze, flips flops and tank tops… classic Vancouver summer. Perfect day for a wedding!

Joanne and Andrew tied the knot at the Law Courts (The Supreme Court of Canada, to be specific), at Robson Square, smack in the middle of downtown Van. Its a great venue, inside and out. Bright, airy, super cool architecture with lots of space to move, plus a bomber dance floor, which got used. Hard. Just check the pictures… lets just say, these folks like to move.

The deets: Jo and I met at BCIT while we were in J-school (journalism, that is). Jo may hold the record for the earliest wedding booking I’ve ever taken. Basically, as soon as she learned I was a wedding photog, it was on. No worries that, at the time, her wedding was nearly three years away! The time did come, however and man, was it worth the wait. We had a blast. Joanne’s extended family – some flying in from as far afield as the Philippines – was an absolute joy to photograph! Andrew’s father’s speech and presentation of custom-made Bavarian bells was perhaps the sweetest I’ve had the pleasure of witnessing. But, enough talk, all you need to know is, there ain’t no party like a Filipino wedding!

Here are some pictures from the day.

_MG_1560 2 _MG_1737 _MG_1761 _MG_1762 _MG_1779 bridesmaids boquets 2-up Jo + Andrews courthouse steps 2-up dancing with dad dress_boquet_2-up EVS_0013 EVS_0032 EVS_0033 EVS_0323 EVS_0398 EVS_0399 EVS_0451 EVS_0459 EVS_0467 EVS_0507 EVS_0756 EVS_0887 EVS_0890 kisses laughing girls 2-up orpheum sunflare 2-up the boys 2 up the boys 2-up the ladies 2-up wedding party 2-up wedding rings 2-up young man

——-UPDATE——–

Its been ages since I posted to the blog… but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been busy. Lots on the go these days, which is good, because it means there’s a wealth of stuff I need to get up! As we head into winter (my first in Toronto…) I have a feeling there will be a lot more indoors time in my future… so expect a blast of blog activity over the next couple weeks!

talk soon,

-e

The photo fiesta continues as the summer gigs roll through post.  On this cold, rainy Toronto evening, home on the couch editing with a G&T in hand is feeling pretty good. Does that count as drinking on the job? Anyway, on to the new family photos!

Ok, so on this last trip home to B.C. I was pumped to get calls from two of my favourite colleagues-turned-clients, right out of the blue. Coincidence, the universe… not sure, but it was awesome to reconnect. One of those re-connections was with a former CBC Vancouver friend, Anu. We’d worked the television newsroom together, as well as the then fledgling web department – back to my intern days actually -  so it was a blast to touch base again after a few years. Some big changes, not the least of which being the addition of Soham, Anu’s new baby boy!

The little guy is only six weeks old and already has a tonne of personality. It was a pleasure hanging out and shooting with the fam, in between talking shop!

Thanks a tonne for inviting me over guys, it was a blast. Now, the photos.

baby attitude baby daddy baby feet 2 up baby napper baby yawn baby zombie survival guide babys feet bw couch sleeper 2 up family fake smile family home family park smooch family picnic in the sun family picnicing in the park front stoop lighting setup happy family on the porch picnic couple picnic family red shag carpet lounger baby why I otta zombie bedtime zombie napper

More from me on the wedding, including some lighting challenges and how we over came them to come. For now, a sneak peek at some of the shots from the day. Enjoy!

-e

_MG_0415 _MG_0416 _MG_0438 _MG_0491-bw _MG_0528 _MG_0531-bw _MG_0537 _MG_0539-bw _MG_0568 _MG_0606 _MG_0636 _MG_0761 _MG_0802 _MG_0805 _MG_0806 _MG_0829 _MG_0844 _MG_0864 _MG_0879 _MG_0881 _MG_0887 _MG_0963 _MG_0969 EVS_0057 EVS_0202 EVS_0229-bw EVS_0230 EVS_0248 EVS_0256-bw EVS_0277-bw EVS_0285-2-bw EVS_0288 EVS_0330 EVS_0375-bw EVS_0425 EVS_0523 EVS_0538 EVS_0561 EVS_0572 EVS_0633 EVS_0639 EVS_0662-bw paul+chuck

Its been an epic couple of months with multiple trips between Toronto, Vancouver and points in between, but I’m finally getting a handle on the season’s edits. And that means, its back to the much neglected blog!

This post goes way back to June (so sorry for the wait guys!) and an amazing day we had with Kristy+Shane on a drizzly Spanish Banks. Ok, lets be straight up, it was dumping at times, but the couple and their guests – many of whom we recognized from Kristi+Geoff’s Coal Harbour wedding last year -  were champions and embraced the weather with brollys in hand. It was a blast to shoot with such cool people at one of my favourite spots, especially since I’d just escaped some nasty humidity in Toronto the night before. I for one, was stoked to be back on the coast for a classic Vancouver day at the beach!

Big thanks to Angela Stearns for throwing the wellys on and risking her gear with me!

And now, some photos from the day…

Thanks for stopping by,

-e

0716_kristy_0002-2 0716_kristy_0007-bw 0716_kristy_0013-bw 0716_kristy_0015-bw 0716_kristy_0028-bw 0716_kristy_0062-bw 0716_kristy_0069 (1) 0716_kristy_0072 (1) 0716_kristy_0074 (1) 0716_kristy_0086 0716_kristy_0092 0716_kristy_0102 (1) 0716_kristy_0104 (1) 0716_kristy_0111 0716_kristy_0117 (1) 0716_kristy_0130-bw 0716_kristy_0134-bw 0716_kristy_0150 0716_kristy_0156-bw 0716_kristy_0173 0716_kristy_0176-bw 0716_kristy_0180-bw 0716_kristy_0209-bw 0716_kristy_0210-bw 0716_kristy_0227 0716_kristy_0229-bw 0716_kristy_0269-bw 0716_kristy_0270 0716_kristy_0306-bw 0716_kristy_0313-bw 0716_kristy_0318 0716_kristy_0409-bw Newly wed Kristy+Shane rocking it on Spanish Banks 0716_kristy_0434- bw 0716_kristy_0439-bw 0716_kristy_0453-bw 0716_kristy_0495 0716_kristy_0503 0716_kristy_0544-bw 0716_kristy_0545-bw 0716_kristy_0561 0716_kristy_0565-bw 0716_kristy_0621-bw 0716_kristy_0686 0716_kristy_0694 0716_kristy_1037 0716_kristy_1050 0716_kristy_1058 0716_kristy_1068-bw 0716_kristy_1073 0716_kristy_1076-bw 0716_kristy_1080 0716_kristy_1084 0716_kristy_1085 girls 2 up spanish banks 2 up spanish banks ceremony 2 up spanish banks couples spanish banks newlyweds the kicker 2 up

I recently had the profound fortune to travel back home to Vancouver from Toronto to photograph Doug + Sarah’s West End wedding. Fortunate in that one, Doug is my oldest friend… wait, the friend that I’ve had the longest! And two, as a ‘coastie’ newly transplanted to the 416, Toronto’s humidity was straight up driving me crazy.

On top of that, the wedding was in the middle of the Vancouver Canucks playoffs run and the city (not to mention the bride, groom and most of the wedding party) was buzzing with Olympic-esque energy. Needless to say I was stoked to be home and in truly good company.

Now, we all know how the Canucks’ run ended so no need to get in to that – they played well, lost to a more deserving team and will be back in force next year -’nuf said.

Now to the wedding… We started at Sarah’s father’s home in Dunbar where my amazing second, Angela Stearns hung out with the girls to shoot the hair + makeup. I headed down to Doug’s brother’s in the Davie Village to get the guys suiting + booting. We all converged at Immaculate Conception Church on W. 28th (just a short jaunt for the ladies) for the ceremony. From there, it was on to Stanley Park and the Vancouver Rowing Club for the reception, and family and wedding party photos.

It was a beautiful, sunny Vancouver day and an amazing opportunity to reconnect with an old friend (and now a fellow journalist). If you’re in the Kelowna area, listen for Doug on the radio!

Ok, time to let the pictures do the talking. Doug, Sarah, thanks again for a great day.

1-dress-done-2-up 2-the-ring 3-dress-2-up 4-maidens 5-pearls 6-details 7-dress-tied-2-up 8-makeup 9-make up 2 up 10-foot 11-keep-on-tissue 12-temp-tattoos 13-frocks 14-something-borrowed 15-mom 16-peek 17-sister 18-brother 19-bridal-party-2-up 20-brides-maids 21-the-man 22-the-groom 23-spencer 24-church-blur 25-church 26-i-dos 27-a-moment 28-private-moment 29-best-boys-2-up 30-pews 31-candle-lighters 32-newly-weds 33-spill-out 34-shades 35-sarah 36-the-couple 37-stanley-park 38-lord-stanleys-blessing Extreme team pride 40-stanley-park-wedding 41-stanley-park-2-up 42-stanley-parkers-2-up 43-through-filelds 44-retro-bride 45-rings-2-up 46-wedding-rings 47-hand-holders 48-sister-speech 49-tongue-toucher 50-momma-donna 51-dad-moment 52-ted-speech 53-maids-moment 54-family 55-Doug_Ted 56-doug+donna 57-friends 58-cake-cutters 59-cake-eaters 60-tender-dance 61-first-dance 62-party-time 63-eves-apple 64-doug-dance 65-dockside 66-coal-harbour-couple

My last photo shoot of 2010 came at T-minus 12 hours to ball drop here on the West Coast and it was a beauty of a day. Cold and crisp, frost on the ground and clear skies with the sun hanging low in the sky casting this amazing warm light at forgiving angles – perfect for a mid-day shoot in the woods of North Vancouver.

I’ve had the pleasure of photographing Christine before… last January actually… with her family at Ambleside Park in North Van. This time around, we were commemorating a visit from C’s oldest friend Caireen who made the trip over from the UK to spend the Holidays here in B.C. Our location was C’s home which backs onto the forest and that sunlight spilling through the trees into the backyard made for some really pretty photos, if I don’t say so myself:)

Below are some of the photos from New Years Day 2010/11, as well as few of my faves from that shoot a year ago. How the time flies!

-Happy New Years!

C+C_0007 C+C_0012 C+C_0031 C+C_0041 C+C_0057 C+C_0067 C+C_0069 C+C_0076 C+C_0079 german_0036 german_0045 german_0160 german_0161 german_0260 german_0275 german_0410_film german_0464_warmed jasper-sam-2-up Sam-Ambleside-2-up

Oh, and while we’re dipping back into the archives, I just rediscovered this little slideshow I put together using images from our shoot last January. Its been some time since I used Animoto… but I think I’ll break it back out for the New Year, especially for family shoots where their extensive (and often exclusive) music library really hits home:) Enjoy!

Just working through proofs for a wedding album for our family/clients, Tom + Carol. They were married this summer at New Westminster’s Gallbraith Manor – a beautiful old heritage home cica 1892. In keeping with the period feel of the venue, I was aiming to re-create some of that ‘vibe’ in their album pages. The backgrounds for the pages are fuzzed out and cropped detail images taken on the wedding day – close-ups of the flowers, wall paper… the cake. Stuff with nice texture! I then adorned the pages with some nifty little grunge scrolls from the Graphic Authority to complete the look. Hopefully they like it!

Here’s a sneak peak:

*Oh, and the black pages are supposed to be there… just part of the album layout. I should also mention, this will be a Kingston flush mount album with a burgundy leather, cameo cover featuring a photo from the wedding day. 12 inches by 12 inches square. Its going to be one gorgeous book! Guaranteed for life, BTW…

Here we go:

Pg_1_blank Pg_2 Pg_3 Pg_4 Pg_5 Pg_7 Pg_8 Pg_9 Pg_10 Pg_11 Pg_12_blank