Back in June I photographed a wedding for Michael and Sabrina — it was the first wedding I’ve worked, and possibly not the last. Things went pretty well, and I was quite happy with the results. The bride and groom, and parents, agree too.

Michael is a friend of mine who I met back in J-school, and while I’ve continued on with a career in journalism, he’s off to New Orleans to study and hopefully become a history teacher of some sort. He’s a talented writer though, who was nominated for numerous awards just his first couple years into the biz.

Anyway, we hadn’t talked in a while when he asked me to work his wedding. He asked me specifically to look for candid photos, much like I would as a photojournalist. I figured I could do that, but since the last couple of years I’d been improving as a portraiture photographer, that’d come in handy as well.

The big day came, and I shot a whole lot of both. My favourite photo is probably one of the bride and groom sitting on the steps of the church where they traded vows. It’s simple, clean and tells the story.

A couple days ago, I got an email from Mike, fresh from their honeymoon in Japan and the three-day, forty-hour drive from Oregon to New Orleans.

He writes: “Anway, I just wanted to let you know that we both love the wedding pictures. They look fantastic! There were so many great candid pics with real expressions, which is what I wanted. Also, the posed ones turned out really well. Sabrina really liked the one of us on the steps after the ceremony. She plans on framing that one. I would also like to frame one of the ice cream shots.”

Great to hear, Mike. And may I suggest this photo?

Congratulations.

Took a short jaunt out to Finn Slough tonight to use some much neglected equipment. While I’ve been shooting for work, I haven’t been doing any personal projects lately. Mostly, I’ve been climbing and working on the skills needed to become a stronger climber. Between growing my lead head, pushing grades, learning to clean climbs, rappel, tie prusiks and other knots, and manage a 70 metre rope, the act of taking pictures gets lost amid all the activity.

But more trips are coming up, including some hikes into the backcountry and attempts at a few summits (by scrambling, no apline climbing for me yet).

So stay tuned…

Gurv Shira of the tag team Bollywood Lions looks for some crowd support.

So what if the storylines are all fake and the outcomes most likely planned ahead of the bouts. The crew with All Star Wrestling put on an impressive performance last Friday night in North Vancouver. There were body slams, clothes lines, elbow drops from the top turn buckle, catcalls and insults, and even a human flying torpedo.

Between this and roller derby, I’m beginning to think I don’t need to shell out big money for the pro sports teams anymore. This stuff is way better. You get athletics and theatre, all for under twenty bucks.

To read the story and watch some of the action, click here.
For more photos, tap this.

Last night while listening to Oliver Schroer’s magnificent piece Field of Stars, and browsing through my photo collection, I was taken back six months to the time I spent on the road, living the dream of being free. The opening song to Schroer’s Camino album is one of those bits of music that conveys an unbelievable amount of sadness, but it is nevertheless so beautiful that I always have to stop whatever else I’m doing. It’s music that you have to listen to and just breathe.

To listen to Schroer, and breathe, and browse through the photos of my cross Canada journey is an even greater treat for me. I was sad that it was over, but happy too that it was done, and wishing I was still out there. I’m sure it’s a sign that there will be many more adventures in the years to come.

The above photo is of me standing at the end of some random hike in Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario. I’m wondering where in tarnation the mountains are. I will admit now that when the photo was taken back in July, I wanted desperatedly to be back home in Vancouver, where my mountains were close at hand along with my family and friends.

For a free listen to some of Schroer’s work, I suggest visiting the CBC Radio 2, where they’ve posted the recording of a tribute concert performed in February of this year. Sadly, Schroer passed away July 3.

Just so you don’t think I haven’t been shooting lately, I decided to set up a couple strobes and light up my newest friend: Mighty MUGG Luke Skywalker!

Since I ended up desk jockeying again, I figured I needed a companion beside the keyboard to coax on the writing. So Mighty MUGG Luke joined the rockin’ party at the NSO.

Him threatening to use his lightsaber on me is a mighty strong muse, I must say.

But he’s also a bit lonely, so if anyone stumbles across Mighty MUGG Han Solo, I’d appreciate the shout out. I, apparently, have to buy friends these days…

For those wondering about the lighting, I set up two stobes: one to the back and right of Mighty MUGG Luke and the other front and left with an old Irish Springs soap box over the flash head to create the narrow, directional light. The low-brow snoot also keeps my camera bag smelling nice, in case you’re wondering.

There hasn’t been too much adventurin’ of late since city life has all but taken over now that I’m back at work. It’s nice to be pulling in a paycheque again, and I’ve already got a couple bigger trip ideas I’m mulling over along with a few small trips over the next month or so. So stay tuned.

Some notable but not full-blog-entry worthy events over the last little while? There was a birthday camping trip at a hillbilly campsite somewhere north of Squamish with big bonfires, late night ATVin’ and early morning shotgun firin’. After that I led my first climb and climbed my first multi-pitch route in the Cheakamus Canyon. Then there was the epic half day of bouldering in the rain under the Stawamus Chief.

Otherwise life outside of work has mostly involved running, indoor climbing and learning to clip in and out of my new roadbike’s pedals (I’ve been dumped twice on the pavement).

If you’re just dying to read some more bloggy stuff, check out another blog I write for called Weekend Warriors. My first blog post is about a GPS I recently recieved.

The last two weeks have been the most hectic of my six-month sabbatical, and it ended last night with a cake cutting between the newlyweds Dany and Anna Ayvazov.

It all started with last minute planning for my best friend’s stag that became a weekend of tomfoolery in Whistler. Then on Sunday, after two nights of drinking and little sleep, I drove back to Vancouver, slept for two hours then attended a dinner celebrating another friend’s wedding. There was much red wine and plenty of high-end Chinese food including shark fin soup.

This week opened with a recovery day, then a wedding rehearsal (more wine), suit rental pickup with refitting, more beers, more beers again, and the Ayvazov wedding.

As the best man, I didn’t bring my camera. But after the official wedding photographer left, and I’d drank my share of wine and champagne, taken a shot of vodka and sucked back a couple rum and cokes, I figured… what the heck.

I borrowed a friend’s D70, and fired off a few frames during the cake cutting. I’m pretty happy with the results.

Canada remembers, and won’t forget.