Thank You Victoria!
We made history April 19-21, 2013 when we transformed St. Ann’s Academy into a community village that showcased many of this province’s most talented individuals, groups, businesses and green leaders in a festive way to celebrate where we call home and bring attention to the importance of our natural world.
It’s estimated more than 5,500 people came out in support. We were honoured and thankful to have blessings from both the Esquimalt & Songhees First Nations, plus have the Earth Walk join in the celebration.
Thank you to everyone for coming out in support and to the many businesses, individuals and community groups for joining us! Special thanks to all the wonderful volunteers who helped make this event happen.
Stay tuned for photographs, video and more information! May Earth Day be every day!!!
Victoria Leadership Awards
What an honour to be nominated for a Community Leadership/Community Collaboration Award and attend a wonderful ceremony at The Empress and see so many familiar faces. Congratulations to all the nominees and winners!
EcoJustice
Did you know that Canada is one of the few countries in the world that doesn’t yet recognize and protect it’s citizens’ right to a healthy environment?
Given we live in one of the most beautiful places in the world (and I’ve travelled enough to know this is true!), it seems more important now than ever to stand up and support those groups working hard to keep it that way.
I’m honoured to be profiled by Ecojustice in their very informative 2013 newsletter.
Dragon Alley – Zen Fusion at its Best
Located in the heart of downtown and steps to great shopping, dining and culture is this fabulous three-storey custom designed home and vacation rental.
JC Scott and his EcoDesign team really put together an amazing space where beds fold into unique multi-purpose cabinets, light works it’s way through floors, fridges are cleverly tucked into beautiful cabinets, outdoor spaces unfold into sweeping vistas and cozy is the operative word.
What a treat it was to photograph this zen-like space that is tucked inside an alley running off both Herald and Fisgard Streets where dim sum, Thai massage, coffee, art and more awaits outside the front door but seem world’s away once you enter.
Save the Date!
Having seen the world through both wide angle and telephoto lens I have come to appreciate the fragile beauty of our environment and the huge role it plays in ensuring happy and healthy communities.
Loving where I live and living where I love, I am committed to Inspiring Environmental Awareness and Building Community Through Creativity. From this passion was born the Creatively United for the Planet Earth Week Festival which will be held April 19-21, 2013 at St. Ann’s Academy, 835 Humboldt St.
This free, fun-filled event attracted almost 4,000 people to the inaugural 2012 festival. Music, art, film, photography, entertainment, displays, food, fashion and fun will all be part of this indoor/outdoor rain or shine event.
Stay tuned for the details and check out www.creativelyunitedfortheplanet.com. Volunteers, sponsors, performers and exhibitors can contact me at 250-383-0206.
As We Waddle Towards the New Year…
With heartfelt gratitude, I would like to extend THANKS to everyone I have had the pleasure to meet in my personal, business and new festival life.
Here’s to a kinder and gentler time filled with love, laughter and compassion for all living things!
Happy Holidays!!!
The Gift of a Family Portrait
Looking for the perfect gift to give at any time of the year? Family portraits are always appreciated by those receiving them. I had the pleasure of photographing Sue and Paul’s wedding almost 20 years ago, the arrival of their son Ray, and now a collection of keepsake photographs for them all to enjoy as Ray has since grown up and is planning to travel and attend university out of province in the near future. The passage of time is so quick that I’m always amazed at how fast young children become adults in front of my lens.
Eating Close To Home
Congratulations to Carolyn Herriot on the release of her newest book: The Zero-Mile Diet Cookbook! I had the great pleasure to photograph Carolyn in her wonderful garden for the cover and discuss her possible involvement as a presenter at the April 20+21, 2013 Creatively United for the Planet Earth Week Festival to be held at St. Ann’s.
Croatia Fall Photo Tour
If you ever want to see the best of Europe in one country, you will find it in Croatia. I had the great pleasure to lead a photography tour for the Women’s Travel Connection this past September/October.
When I was asked where I would like to lead a tour to, I immediately said Croatia as the memory of seeing it on television at the time of the 1991 conflict made it seem so surreal that a war could be fought in what looked like an absolute paradise. I can now attest, the natural beauty of the region is breathtaking.
We landed in Zagreb and with our own deluxe bus and guide we made our way throughout the country visiting coastal cities and islands all with hundreds of years of history, beauty and lushness.
Given the country has some of the best soil and purest water in Europe, everything tasted fantastic. Organic is a way of life there as things grow so plentiful. Figs, olives, tangerines, lemons, oranges, grapes, almonds…they have it all!
The people were warm and English was spoken most everywhere. I would have to say of all the places I’ve visited in the world, Croatia ranks as one of my all-time favourites.
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CRD ECOSTAR COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP AWARD
Thank you to everyone involved with the Creatively United for the Planet Earth Week Festival and for the nomination for the 2012 CRD Ecostar Community Leadership Award.
I’m truly honoured to be this year’s recipient and feel I share this award with the many people who volunteered, sponsored and supported this inaugural festival in support of more than 16 non-government organizations doing the hero work in our communities!
Thanks to Susan at the Sierra Club and Carolyn from the Garry Oak EcoSystem Recovery Team for being on-camera in support of my nomination and the fantastic team at the CRD for the video they produced as a result (see below)…not to mention the gala evening they put on for this year’s EcoStar winners catered by the fabulous Fairmont Empress Hotel.
ANOTHER AWESOME VIEW HOME
One of the things that’s been reaffirmed for me since photographing the House Beautiful section for the Times-Colonist is that this city has no shortage of amazing view homes.
Here is a home that sits in one of the many high rocky vistas that dot the waterfront tour bus route. It just goes to show you don’t have to be right on the water to enjoy sweeping views. Also, I love how the owner of this home used art to enhance the space and most notably had to chuckle when I saw the sculpture of the climbing figure so strategically placed on a rock wall near the kitchen. Please see the Architecture Gallery section of my website for more images if you are so inclined.
FairyTale Romance
I love engagement sessions! It’s such an honour to have people entrust me with capturing and creating imagery that they will enjoy for years to come. This weekend I’ll be photographing David and Naomi’s wedding which, like them, will no doubt be picture perfect!
WOW IN WHITE!!
With the trend in homes being dark for so long it certainly is fun to photograph something completely different. This lovely condo in the Shutters Building on the Songhees is very Zen and very New York in one tidy package. Your eye can’t help but relax and just enjoy what was intended for the gaze… the view, the accents, the serenity. Even the spice rack is filled with white spice bottles!!! Please visit the Architecture & Homes section of my website.
WORTHY OF A STANDING OVATION
Are homes reflections of their owners? The homes I’ve photographed belonging to people in the arts and theatre are often the most interesting and engaging.
Theatre maven Glynis Leyshon has one of those homes that is as amazing and lovely as she is both inside and out.
Any production Glynis sets her hand to has my stamp of approval and her home and garden is no exception.
Just steps away from Oak Bay Avenue, you enter another world when you visit her home and yard…it is one of fantasy and escape much like the theatre itself.
Every room captivates the eye and her garden is a wonderland of beauty cleverly laid out for both entertaining and relaxing with chandeliers mixing beautifully with hedges.
A standing ovation to Glynis and her partner Richard Brownsey who worked with architect John Keay to make magic in a relatively small space! Bravo!
Please see the Architecture & Homes section of my website for more images of this fabulous home.
A Victoria Landmark
I know I’m not the only one who is really curious to see the inside of a house that calls for attention.
One of those houses that always calls for a double take is on South Turner Street in James Bay.
I think anyone who has been down that street knows the house.
To my delight, Grania Litwin asked me to photograph it for the Times-Colonist newspaper.
Unfortunately, the feature never ran as intended, but instead it became a story about the custom woodwork in the house.
If you would like to see more of this fabulously eclectic home, be sure to visit the Architecture and Homes section of my website where you will see about 40 more images and have the tour you may have always been curious about. Thanks for reading and taking a peek!
Dedicated to doing it all!
CHEK NEWS PRE-FESTIVAL COVERAGE
Thanks to Gordie Tupper and his fabulous team for their great pre-festival coverage of the Creatively United For The Planet Earth Week event coming up this April 20-22. For all the details of this fun-filled family event please visit the website!
A free all-ages opening night dance party kicks-off the weekend from 7-9:30 pm outdoors rain or shine at 600 Richmond at Richardson with the percussive band Masala, followed by Candu Music and DJ Granpa Phunk. Hope to see you there!!!
The Homes of Artists
What fun to photograph the homes of artists! Being a lover of art and beauty it truly is the best of all worlds to not only photograph their homes but to enjoy their art collections and great taste! Here is a taste of two recent homes featured in the TC…one being a house reno extraordinaire and the other a small apartment transformed into another world. To see more, please visit my portfolio section of the website.
Interview with the TimesColonist
The local supp0rt for the upcoming April 20-22 Creatively United for the Planet Earth Week Festival has been extraordinary.
From the members on the website’s Team page (www.creativelyunitedfortheplanet.com) to the entertainers and speakers coming forward to offer their services for this volunteer-run event, the response has been amazing!
Amy Smart of the Times-Colonist provided a good look at what prompted me to organize a three day event with just passion in my heart and no prior experience at creating something so enormous. It’s been a wonderful journey and the volunteers that have stepped forward to be a part of this special event have really made the 14+ hour days seem worthwhile.
Robert Bateman, Ann Mortifee, Paul Horn, Mae Moore, Daniel Lapp, Mike Demers, Brad Prevedoros, Allison Vardy, JC Scott, Rachelle Lamb, Shosanna Litman, Briony Penn and more than 100 amazing individuals are creatively uniting to show their support for the underfunded eco charities working so hard to keep our environment healthy, sustainable and a place we feel proud to call home.
Words can not express the gratitude I feel to be a part of such a beautiful community of like-minded people. If this is what a “radical” is then count me in!
yoUnlimited.com Conference this Saturday
Last minute tickets are still available to this fabulous conference of which I’m proud to be a speaker at! You can see who else is speaking and get your tickets here.
