The Trews Time Capsule Tour @ Crocks

Last night, at Crocks, The Trews rolled through town and it was quite the show. Before The Trews went on though, La Reese took the stage. Due to timing on my part, I was only able to catch the last couple songs of La Reese performing, but they sounded really good. I hadn't heard any of their music going into the concert but I will definitely be checking them out.

Then, around 10:45, to the sounds of the anxious crowd cheering, The Trews took the stage. Immediately, you could just feel the energy through the whole place. It just kept going the rest of the night too. The dance floor was packed with people, and it was one of the busiest concerts I have been a part of at Crocks. I knew a bunch of songs by The Trews that I have heard over the years but it was great to hear those as well as others as well. They all sounded absolutely amazing. 

Thanks as always to The Walleye for asking me to shoot this concert for them. I wasn't planning on going because it's been a super busy week, but I'm glad I got the chance to see both bands live!

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The Hunger 11

Halloween has come and gone but over the weekend I had was fortunate enough to capture all the craziness that was The Hunger 11 in downtown Thunder Bay. This was my third year capturing the event for The Walleye, which was hosted by Definitely Superior Art Gallery. I will continue taking photos of The Hunger as long as I'm able to because it's such a great event. For those who don't know about it, it's a night of live performances at various bars in downtown Port Arthur where people dress up for Halloween to show off their costumes and just have a good old time. 

Because I was taking photos for the Walleye, my wife Anne and I had VIP bracelets which allowed us to skip lines and attend each and every venue without having to wait. The freedom to do so throughout the night was priceless because we managed to see so many costumes and fantastic live bands. 

I could go on and on about all the cool people we met throughout the night, but I think that is more then showcased by the photos below. Thanks again to DefSup for hosting the event and The Walleye for the tickets and the opportunity!

Great Lake Swimmers with Megan Bonnell - @ Crocks

Last night, the Great Lake Swimmers made their way to Thunder Bay along with Megan Bonnell. They played at Crocks and both performances were simply fantastic. Admittedly, I had never heard of Megan Bonnell but she had an amazing voice and put on a really intimate performance. For the first few songs she played the keyboard and for a few other songs she played the guitar. I really love stripped down shows and I'm glad I didn't miss this one. 

After Megan was done, there was a short break and then the Great Lake Swimmers came on to stage. I was familiar with a few of their songs but I was anxious to hear more from their library of music. As with Megan, they decided to do a very bare bones session as well. It was just the three of them, each with an instrument and that's all they needed. Lead singer, Tony Dekker, sounded stunning. I had heard some of their more upbeat songs going into the night, but all the songs he sang where very mellow and it really complimented his voice. 

Crocks is always a great venue for concerts and they were lucky to score both the Great Lake Swimmers and Megan Bonnell. I was there shooting once again for The Walleye and my wife Anne joined me, who was equally impressed with both performances. Thanks as alway to The Walleye for the opportunity to hear some great bands play good music!

Thundercon 2016

This year marked the second time Thunder Bay hosted ThunderCon at the Vahalla Inn. I really wanted to check it out last year but I just never got the chance too. Well, this year, I made sure to contact The Walleye to see if they needed any photographic coverage and they immediately said yes. So I packed up my camera gear and headed off to the unknown with my wife Anne. 

Admittedly, neither of us are huge comic book fans or know much about cosplay, but there were plenty of displays and costumes there that we did recognize. Plus, in a way, it felt like we were almost in a different city. We ended up going for a bit Saturday afternoon and we were both very impressed by the turnout. 

I made sure to simply capture any costumes or characters that caught my eye. I also made sure to get some photos of the exhibitors themselves, which were in the main ballroom. It was so awesome seeing everyone interact. My favourite moment was when a little boy didn't want to release his hug on a Ewok statue. It will probably go down as one of the cutest things I have seen in a long time. 

On the way out, I immediately noticed a few very cool looking costumes and I knew I had to get some photos. One of them was one of the special guests - Carlos Castillo. He had one of my favourite costumes of the whole event and I was lucky to get a photo of him, along with the others.

If you would like to learn more about this years event head on over to the website by clicking on the following link!

MMIW Pow Wow - ONWA

This weekend ONWA was host to a very important event, the MMIW POW-WOW. It was a traditional POW-WOW to honour missing and murdered indigenous women. I have done many sessions over the years at ONWA, photographing families, so I know just how important and giving this organization is. My wife Anne and I just got in from Fort Frances this afternoon so we made it there with about 30 minutes left. During those 30 minutes I was able to capture some images of the event. The least I could do is spread the word through photos for such a serious issue. 

They had drummers and dancers there so there were plenty of colours and it looked like it was a really great turnout. For those looking to find out more about this event, please feel free to visit ONWA's website.

Hillsburn at the Foundry

In a spur of the moment kind of evening, Anne and I decided to check out a band coming through Thunder Bay called Hillsburn. While I was doing work earlier in the day I saw that the Foundry was hosting them so I checked out some of the music on YouTube and really liked some of their songs. So, once 10:00pm rolled around we headed out to go see them live.

The Foundry is always a great place to see live music, and surprisingly, it has been a while since I've seen a band there. So it was good to get out. Even though we couldn't stay long we still were able to see about 5 songs. All I can say is they sounded amazing. They had so much energy and you could really feel the emotion in their music. 

During their performance they even joked that most of the people in the crowd had never even heard about them but thanked everyone for coming out anyways. From what I can tell from the few songs we heard tonight, I'm confident they gained a few more fans. 

To learn more about this Canadian band check out their website and be sure to watch some of their videos or even grab some of their music. It's always great to learn about yet another awesome Canadian talent.

Thunder at The Bay - Car Show

It was a very busy weekend as I had a wedding and a few other things going on but as soon as I drove by the CLE grounds on the Sunday I knew I had to go there at some point to check out what was going on. I had heard random advertisements about Thunder at the Bay on the radio but never really got the details. So, when I had a couple hours to spare I parked my car at the grounds and made my way through the gate. I was pleasantly surprised when I walked in to see a whole lot of vintage cars parked in the lot. With my camera in tow, I weaved in and out of the rows of cars and got in close to take some photos of the cars.

Since I have been to quite a few car shows in Thunder Bay in the past, I have seen my fare share of vehicles but this was by far the largest gathering I can remember seeing. It was such a great turnout! With my trusty Nikon D750 and 35mm lens, I got in nice and close to almost every car and came away with some great shots. Obviously it's nice to walk around and take in the car as whole, but for me, the attention is in the details. So many of the cars have such unique parts and modifications that it's hard to miss them sometimes if you don't get in close. 

When I arrived there was also a fashion show going on as well as some RC Car races. For me though, I focuses mainly on the cars. In the end I think I walked around for close to 2 hours making sure to try and see every single car. As far as I know this was the first year for the event, but I could be wrong. Either way, I really hope it happens again next year because it was a lot of fun to see all the cars.

BrewHA Craft Beer Festival 2016

It always amazes me just how many cool events there are in Thunder Bay each summer. Probably my favourite so far this year was this past weekends' BrewHA Craft Beer Festival. This is the second year it has taken place and it doesn't looks like it should be around for years to come. I got the chance to photograph and experience it first hand thanks to The Walleye who, for those who follow this blog, know that I do freelance photograph for them. 

I was alone either, as my wife Anne joined me for the weekend event. Neither of us really knew what to expect but as soon as we entered the grounds we were amazed at just how many people took part in the event. It's no surprise though as each of the 3 sessions sold out pretty quick. The benefit of photographing an event like this is that you get to meet a lot of random people. Often I am approaching strangers and asking to take their photograph. Of course it helps that it's an event all about beer so let's just say that most people were more then willing to get their photo taken.

Speaking of beer, I couldn't believe how many great vendors there were there as well as all the different types of beer. Some of them I had heard of before but there were lots of different ones I had never seen before. It just goes to show you that Thunder Bay and the surrounding cities have an ever growing community of craft beer specialists. Along with the beer vendors there was some awesome food there and, some fantastic live musical performances and even a huge game of beer pong played with garbage cans. 

I simply can't wait for next years event. Just walking around experiencing all the different beers and seeing all the people enjoying themselves smiling and laughing. All in all it was a very fun atmosphere. Cheers! 

Veterans Affairs Announcement

This past Thursday I had the pleasure of photographing an important announcement by Veteran's Affairs Minister Kent Hehr. It took place at Syndicate Avenue Office in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Kent Hehr announced that the Veteran's Affairs Office on Syndicate Avenue would be re-opening as of January 2017.

Many of Thunder Bay Veteran's showed up in full attire and it was great to see such a great turnout. It's always nice being a part of an important cause and this event was no exception. To read more about the announcement please check out the following link.

The Next Step - Wild Rhythm Tour

This past Tuesday, the Next Step Wild Rhythm Tour stopped by to put a performance on at the The Thunder Bay Community Auditorium. Since it was my first time seeing this show, I didn't know what to expect when The Walleye asked me to photograph the event. I was able to take photos for about 45 minutes before my time was up, but during that time I got the chance to witness some great dance routines and also some musical performances. 

If you want to read all about the show, I encourage you to head on over to The Walleye. Sarah McChristie who is only 10 years old, did a special review of the entire evening. She did an amazing job so you should definitely check it out!

Of course, if you have never heard of The Next Step tour, head on over to their website to learn more and see where they are off to next. I also believe they have a sneak peek trailer on their Facebook page for Season 4 which should be airing soon on TV.

Derelicte 8 - A Fashion Odyssey

I'm a little late in posting this but I figured it's better late than never. Last weekend, I had the pleasure of photographing Derelicte 8 over at Black Pirates Pub. This was my first time attending the event, let along photographing it. As for most of the events I photograph in town, The Walleye asked if I could cover the event for them and of course I said yes. I ended up spending about 2 hours there and I was amazed at just how fun and diverse the event was. 

The event itself was put on by Definitely Superior Art Gallery. You can find out more information about them as well as the event by clicking here. I still can't believe this was the 8th time this event was put on and it was only my first time attending it. Black Pirates Pub is always a great location to photograph at and there was no exception this time around. By the time the show started the bar was packed. Luckily I had showed up a bit early so I stood my ground right by the main stage the whole time. It was great perspective to have and it meant I was right in on the action as soon as the models and bands took to the stage. 

I was amazed at just how unique all of the costumes were. You can tell by looking at the photos below that there was a ton of variety, and the crowd loved every minute of it. Next year, I will be sure to stick around a bit longer and check out the whole show. I heard there were a lot more costumes after I left, but I was glad I was still able to cover most of the show. 

Thanks as always to The Walleye for inviting me to photograph the event. Be sure to check out this months issue for a write up of the event. 

Blue Rodeo with Terra Lightfoot

I know I have said this before, but I throughly enjoy shooting concerts and live performances. Relating to photography, that would have to be one of my New Year's resolutions, to shoot more events. Well, what better way to kick off the New Year, then to photograph one of Canada's most well known bands in Blue Rodeo. Not to be overshadowed by them is of course Terra Lightfoot who was the opening act. 

When The Walleye asked me to cover the event I jumped at the opportunity. I had never seen Blue Rodeo live in concert before so it was really a no brainer. Be sure  to check out the upcoming issue of The Walleye for a full review of the concert. 

I had the pleasure of getting up close with the opening act, Terra Lightfoot. Admittedly, this was the first time I had even heard of her, but I will definitely be checking out more of her music as she and her band sounded amazing! 

Once she was done, it was time to get ready for Blue Rodeo to eventually take the stage. After a short intermission they took the stage. Unfortunately, I was required to only take photos of the first 3 songs from the very back of the Auditorium. Suffice it to say, it was difficult to get a lot of variety in those photos but I think I managed to capture a few. I did shoot everything in colour, but most of my concerts are converted to black and white, mainly because I just like the look.

For anyone interested in the technical aspect of this shoot, I used one camera and one lens. The Fuji X-T1 and 50-140mm lens performed flawlessly. The OIS on the lens allowed me shoot at very low shutter speeds while keeping the ISO at a reasonable level. With that being said, even some of the photos I took at 4000 ISO and above turned out great. 

I'm looking forward the next concert of the year. Stay tuned to find out who that will end up being.