So whats new....

Well a bunch of stuff! First off, I'm really pumped about having one of my shots selected for the cover of Sun Peaks Resorts 2010-11 winter brochure, as well as using my images throughout the rest of their advertising. Check it out here...

I get so much satisfaction looking at this shot and there are several reasons for that. I love the collaboration it takes to make images like this. Brett (the skier) and I knew that we were going to have really good, early morning sun, so we planned to meet up super early and be the first guys up the lift in order to take advantage of the light...and the light was perfect. I had also scouted this location a couple of times and imagined in my minds eye what the shot would look like. We arrived at the spot and hiked up through deep snow, and because I didn't want to have our tracks in the shot, we had to hike up in a long, roundabout way.

Next I had to explain to Brett what the shot looked like in my head. Then he had to hike up even further to get the speed he would need for the shot. Then of course we had a bunch of clouds rolling past the sun, so Brett had to wait patiently at the top for the perfect break in the light...and thankfully Brett knew exactly what I was imagining in my head and laid down a huge powder slash...right in the perfect sunny patch of snow...and presto...a cover shot.

I also really enjoy this shot because in the world of action sports photography, people often get hung up on the idea that you need a half dozen off camera flashes to take an epic shot, or that the athlete needs to be performing a death defying trick to make a shot look good (I am guilty of this all the time). So this image feels all the more satisfying in its simplicity. No complicated light setup, no crazy ass trick...just shredding powder on a sunny day.

...and the Weddings continue

I don't know if I believe in divine intervention, but last saturday I felt like something more than luck came into play during a wedding shoot for young couple...Nicole and Jeff. Black clouds hovered around the city all day and brought with them sporadic, monsoon like downpours. Nicole and Jeff really wanted to take some fun pictures around town after the ceremony, and allotted a nice chunk of time before the reception to do so. However, the rain had been pretty constant for most of the day and often coming down quite heavily.

All during the ceremony it was pouring outside, so I was preparing for plan B...shooting indoors. But miraculously after the ceremony, the clouds parted and the sun shone through. So we ended up having a great time getting some fun shots before heading off to the reception.

I had such a good time shooting this wedding. Nicole and Jeff (and the rest of the wedding party) were really fun people to shoot with, which makes my job SOOOO much easier. I also have to tip my hat to Jeff (the groom) for throwing down on the dance floor. This guy was doing cartwheels and busting out breakdance moves all over the place...and his enthusiasm was infectious...people were really having a great time.

Here are a couple edits from the wedding, and I'm really looking forward to showing Nicole and Jeff the final product!

Cheers,

Andrew

New Beginnings

The end of my winter season has come to a close. Its always a strange time of year for me because on the one hand it's sad to think that it's going to be 7 months until I can snowboard again, but on the other hand I am looking forward to getting out on my mountain bike and enjoying the hot Kamloops summer. It's especially hard to let go of winter when your last two days of riding are back-to-back epic powder days.

Big thanks to Dan Stewart for letting me sleep on your floor in Revy this winter and getting me pumped on playing squash again.

I had a lot of fun shooting this winter and I made a lot of big steps forward in many aspects of my photography and am looking forward to a great summer of shooting weddings, family portraits, mountain biking and anything else that I can get my fingers into.

Speaking of which, I am off to a great start to the summer season with some great engagement photo sessions with some couples who's weddings I will be shooting later in the summer. I will leave you with a few of my favourite shots from them.

Oh ya....I still have a some open weekends this summer for weddings. So if you or anyone you know is looking for a photographer don't hesitate to give me a call to discuss the details

Revelstoked!

What a week! Just got back from an action packed 5 days of shooting in Revelstoke BC. I started off shooting the Subaru Freeskiing World Tour event, which was a very cool experience in itself. For those people unfamiliar with this kind of event, it is a Big Mountain skiing contest where competitors pick their way down the alpine area (essentially a quadruple black diamond run...if such a thing exists) and are judged based on: Air, technical difficulty of their line and the finesse with which you ski it. Some of the biggest names in freeskiing were present and I had the chance to witness first hand guys dropping the most insane lines I have ever seen! The event was a blast, and my media pass got me free lift tickets and access to shooting areas that were off limits to the public...so I got some great shots.

So I shot the event during the day...and in the evening I hooked up with two super talented snowboarders from the Voleurz crew: Justin VDP and Shayne Zwickle for some crazy urban shots. I was super impressed with these two riders, even after taking huge bails, they would get back up and try it again...all in the name of “getting the shot”.

Then to top it all off...I got the opportunity to shoot with Selkirk Tangiers Heli skiing. So basically I was paid to go heli skiing! What an experience! The terrain was like something out of my dreams...long, open glade runs with an endless supply of powder. And all the guests were really stoked on their shots. I definitely have to say thanks to my friend and fellow photographer Dan Stewart for hooking me up, not just with the heli skiing, but for letting me stay at his place the whole time. Thanks buddy.

Winter action shots!

Winter is now in full swing and that mean lots of action shots. Skiing and snowboarding are by far my favourite subjects. I guess it's just something about being outside, up on a mountain on an epic day and trying to capture that feeling of charging a powder line, or launching off a natural feature that gets me fired up. The New Year hasn't even started yet, and I feel like I have had a great season already, filled with lots of pow turns and some incredible photo shoots. I managed to squeeze in a trip over to Revelstoke for opening day and a quick trip over to Whistler to visit a close friend from back east...and my home mountain of Sun Peaks has been receiving its healthy share of snowfall.

I am very stoked for this winter for a couple of reasons:

1. I am shooting for Sun Peaks Resort, which will see me up shooting in the park and all over the mountain.

2. New camera gear

3. Shooting the Subaru Freeski World Tour in Revelstoke from January 6-10

4. My good friend and fellow photographer Dan Stewart scoring an incredible gig shooting for Selkirk Tangiers Heli Skiing in Revelstoke. I'm super pumped for him and all his success...and I'm crossing my fingers in the hopes that I get the chance to go for a ride in the heli this winter.

5. Watching Shaun White clinch another gold medal at the Olympics

Recently I have had several people approach me while shooting in the Terrain Park ask me questions about how to take better photographs of their friends and family (skiing and snowboarding). I love it when people do this...usually a parent will ski up to me and say something like “sorry to bother you but...why are you shooting from here or what settings are you using”. I love these questions and I am always happy to answer.

I usually explain to them that it has less to do with your camera and more to do with how you set up the shot (the composition). With a few simple rules to keep in mind, you can easily improve your action shots of friends and family on the slopes this winter.

1. Try to shoot them from the front. An image always looks better when you can see the front of your subject...instead of their backs. This seems simple enough for skiing, but keep in mind that snowboarders can be either regular or goofy footed. This means that you need to be aware of what stance the rider is, and position yourself properly in order to capture the front of the rider.

2. Keep the sun behind you. Action shots require a fast shutter speed and without adequate light you will be forced to use a slower shutter speed which will blur the action.

3. Don't zoom in too close. By giving your subject more space in the frame and including some of the natural features (mountains in the background, a jump, or some trees) you give the image more context. This also extents to taking pictures of jumping. If the subject is hitting a jump, try to include the take-off and landing in the image to help give the viewer a sense of size and space.

Like I said...very simple rules, that have very effective results. But like all rules...don't be afraid to break'em!

That's it for now. I hope everyone has a safe and happy New Years and I'll see you on the hill.

Keep shooting,

Andrew

Long Hard Haze live @ The Loft

This past saturday night I had the chance to watch my good friend Dave Harder and his band The Long Hard Haze play at The Loft above Oronge. It had been about a year since last seeing these guys play and I know they were on a bit of a hiatus for a while, but they are back in full force again. 

For those of you who haven't been to The Loft...imagine having 80-100 people crammed into a small apartment with no ventilation.  Despite the sauna-like temperatures, the show kicked ass and the crowed was loving it. I heard someone at the show describe The Long Hard Haze as something of a cross between early Red Hot Chili Peppers and Sublime...I would have to agree. I felt like one minute they had the crowed swaying and bobbing their heads with funky, ska quitar riffs, then the next minute they had the crowed jumping so hard I thought the floor might give out (like at the end of "high by the highway")

This was actually my first show at The loft, and to be honest I had previously avoided going to shows there because I had heard that they don't serve alcohol (who wants to go watch a band "sans beer"?). But immediately after arriving it became apparent that most people were discretely drinking booze they smuggled in with them...what a great idea! So a quick run to Sergeant O's (thanks Steph) had me sipping Heinekens in no time. 

Great night, great show, great friends...the only downside was the parking ticket that was waiting for us at the end of the night....DAMN YOU IMPARK!!!!!

 

Fall Colors

I've said it before and I'll say it again...Fall is the best season in kamloops. We get to do all the fun outdoor activities of the summer, minus the insane heat. As an added bonus we also get some amazing colors in the trees down by the river. Couple that with some late afternoon sunshine and you have the perfect receipt for making amazing photographs. 

This past week I was busy doing shoots with families that really wanted to take advantage of these colors while they lasted...and the results were amazing! I had such a great time meeting new people and working together to create some really special images.

I had quite a few families contact me about doing their family portraits, but were unsure about doing them outside. I hope that the images I post with this entry will be enough to convince you that outdoor family portraits are THE BEST! There is just no way to duplicate this color and light in a studio.

We still have a few weeks left before the leaves are all gone, so if you have not had your family photos done yet, give me a call at 250-574-1558 and we will work out the details.

Special thanks to Mike and Lorna for being one of the nicest and most laid back family I have had the pleasure of working with. And an extra special thanks to my girlfriend Stephanie (A.K.A. my Assistant) for helping out.