As part of a trio events last April 6th, I was invited to photograph the Men of Hope Poker Tournament in Aldergrove. It has been a long road for organizer Andy Bhatti, but it has only just began. The event is a precursor to a bike ride he will be doing this summer from Vernon B.C. To Vancouver.
The latest Hockey player to add to the list over the last year is Mr Ryan Kesler – Current Vancouver Canuck, soon to be back on the ice after a broken foot in February around the time I was shooting an event with his teammate Alex Burrows.
This past Wednesday, March 27th was a huge day at Surrey Central Mall. Pastime Sports and Games brought in Ryan Kesler, who sold out his showing quickly, along with The Green Men, and the one and only Sophie Tweed. She may have felt like the odd one out if it wasn’t for the fact the event was a fundraiser for Sophie’s Place, a centre in Surrey B.C. That helps out kids in need.
Good friend, fellow film aficionado and photographer Bryan Exhibited some of his work last night, March 16th to a packed house at the Chilliwack Cultural Center, and asked me to come along to take some pics of the event.
Before they were even on the wall, he had people asking about the street photographs.
A last minute decision to head out to a house party this past Friday evening brought with it a chance to play around with shooting fire dancing. A first, but hopefully not a last. The event was a fundraiser for Burn One Down Productions, which you should click through to check out on FB.
I’ve been a hockey fan for as long as I can remember, being Canadian, I think that is even a requirement. I was born long after Gordie Howe’s heydey, but the stories, and stats that my hockey cards and other such sources told me, built in me a great respect for Mr. Hockey. I was about ten when I wrote him a letter which I gave to him at a hockey card convention, and have long since hoped I would get a chance to meet him again.
Gordie Turns 85 at the end of March. The security staff at Surrey Place Mall pitched in and got him a card, which he loved.
February was quite a busy month of events for me, so I haven’t been able to post any photos from the Guy Lafleur signing event in Langley on the 10th until now. I figure I would bundle them up with a much more recent signing, Alex Burrows of the Canucks on Feb 27th.
Guy was a pleasure to work with, and very distinguished.
I had the honour of shooting a charity event this last week involving former Lion Geroy Simon who is going to be embarking over the mountains, and across the plains to Saskatchewan, where he will be playing from now on with the Sask. Roughriders. As sort of a going away, he worked with Pastime Sports and Games in Langley. Geroy is probably one of the classiest athletes I have ever met, and Lion or Rider fan alike got along in his honour. Something that is not always possible…
I made this frame of Geroy last year at another signing event for charity.
One of the things I look forward to the most every Feb 14th isn’t Valentines day as I don’t need a holiday to love my special lady more (seeing as every day I should be doing that), but the Memorial March for Missing and Murdered Women from the Downtown East Side of Vancouver. It’s a very powerful event, and I am honored to have been a part of it through my camera three of the last four years. It’s one of those days that you can tell lifts a heavy burden off the shoulders of survivors, and fills the hearts of friends, family members of the DTES women, and a large contingent of complete strangers intent on showing their solidarity. I’ll end on that, and let the photos speak for themselves.
The city of Richmond played host to the second annual Hockey Day in Canada, February 9th 2013 at the Olympic Oval. I didn’t know about it last year, but after being approached by two local entrepreneurs to make photographs during the show, and of special guests Pat Quinn and most notably, Guy ‘Le Demon Blond’ LaFleur, I was hooked. The event was fantastic, and I am looking forward to what next year will bring.
It was my first time in the oval, and I must say – the ceiling is beyond amazing.