Jumpstart 2017 - Lakehead University Hanger

I’m still amazed at how many great events there are going Thunder Bay, and a lot of them I don’t even know about. Case in point, I was asked to photograph Jumpstart this past Friday, which is an event put on by Canadian Tire. Jumpstart’s core purpose is to raise funds, lift spirits and support dreams. If you want to learn more about this great organization, I encourage you to head on over to the website. 

The Jump Start event I was asked to photograph took place at the Lakehead University. It comprised of over 300 girls between the ages of 8 to 14. The purpose of the event was to also bring attention to the continuing trend of girls dropping out of sports as they get closer to their teen years. A couple Canadian Olympians did their part in saying a few words to all the girls in attendance. Boxer Mandy Bujold and freestyle skier Deidra Dionne spoke to the girls and offered them some inspiring words. A great write up of the day was done by TB Newswatch, so if you want to read more head on over to their website.

As a photographer, I was simply there to cover all the excitement and good times had by all the girls. I didn’t really know what to expect but as soon as I heard that over 300 girls were going to be in attendance, playing various games, I knew I had my work cut out for me. They arrived by the busload, and once all the girls were there, and changed into their Jumpstart t-shirts, it was off to the races. 

There were different stations set up throughout the Hangar, and after some time at each one, groups of girls rotated throughout them. My biggest challenge for the day was choosing what to photograph. Let’s just say there was no shortage of fantastic moments. I would often try and get some group shots of some of the girls and before I knew it, the original group called over 10 more friends!

From soccer, to curling to dancing, there was a wide variety of activities. As you can see from the photos below, I think every single girl had a very fun time. At the end of the day, Jumpstart brought together over 300 young girls and showed them just how important team sports are and encouraged them to continue playing them as they get older. 

St. Patrick's High School - New Football Field Opening Ceremony

This past week I was asked by Firedog Communications to photography the Opening Ceremonies of the St. Patrick's High School new turf football field. There were a lot of students and family there to celebrate the occasion, which is a long time coming. It was my first time seeing the field since it's completion and it looks awesome. The media was there to cover the event as well, and you could just sense the excitement from everyone there. 

I'm excited to see how the St. Ignatius field looks once it is done as well. It's great to see Thunder Bay finally get such a beautiful field, and I was glad to be a part of the ceremonies. 

U-18 Baseball World Cup - Thunder Bay - 2017

The last time Thunder Bay hosted the U-18 Baseball World Cup it was back in 2010 and it was a big success. So, you can imagine that when Thunder Bay once again won the bid to host the event again this year, there was a lot of excited within the city. 

I actually didn't get a chance to see the last event so I made sure to make it out this time, to at least a few games. The first game I attended was the opening game between Canada and Chinese Taipei. i was able to capture the opening ceremonies, the warm ups, and just the general atmosphere of the game. I knew going into the week that I wasn't really going to get a lot of photos of the gameplay. I left that task to the professional sports photographers, which there were a lot of! Instead, I focused on the overall atmosphere and people.

I came away with so many great shots and moments and the below photos are simply a few of my favourite highlights. I wish I could have made it to more games but it was a very busy week for work. I did however, get to capture some photos during the Gold Medal game too between USA and Korea. USA ended up winning the whole tournament and it was well deserved. 

Having played a lot of baseball growing up, right up to my mid 20's, I really appreciated the level of competition. it was amazing seeing so many future stars and definitely brought back memories.

All the organizers and volunteers did such a great job on putting on this event. Judging by the crowds, it seemed as though it was resounding success. I hope Thunder Bay is able to host another tournament in the future. 

Festival of Colours 2017

Since I missed last years Festival of Colours, I really wanted to try and see it this time around. The whole weekend was super busy with photography and Sunday was no exception. Anne and I managed to still go check it out for about 20 minutes and I was able to capture a few good moments. 

If it happens again next year, and I'm available, I will definitely spend more time and come a bit more prepared. Until then, these photos will have to do. :)

Bluesfest 2017

All the years that I have lived in Thunder Bay, I never once made it to a single Bluesfest, which all changed this past year. I was hired to cover a few hours of the event so I had no excuse this time around. The day that I chose to go, of course it rained for the first part. But that didn't mean I stopped shooting. Luckily, I was able to come back later in the evening and a lot more photos.

Admittedly, I didn't really worry about photographing the actual bands. Don't get me wrong, I captured a few here and there but honestly, it was just wasn't worth it for me. They were really strict about stopping and taking photos and I didn't have backstage access, so getting in close wasn't really an option, unless I felt like renting a huge zoom lens.

Instead, I do what I do best, I captured the people and moments within the crowd. I do it for wedding and portraits and my street photography, and this time it was no different. Next year, I will see if I can get in a bit closer but I'm so happy with all of the photos I managed to get with my lenses on hand. 

Staal Foundation Open 2017

Even though it was a couple months ago, I figure it's better late then never on posting some of my corporate work. It had been 2 years since I last covered some of the Staal Foundation Open which takes place right here in Thunder Bay, and even then, I only made it to a couple days. This time around, I was able to attend most of the week which allowed me to see so much more of the festivities. 

The first day of the event saw the Fountain Tire Classic which included a lot of current and former NHL starts, with none other than Bobby Orr! It was such a great event for the entire crowd in attendance as well as the kids who participated. I got to meet, and photograph all the Staal's too, who make the entire event happen in the first place. 

It goes without saying that there as a lot of good golf played too. Not only by the pros but also the celebrities too. Throughout the week I managed to capture so many great golf moments but also everything else form the kid zones, to the volunteers and everyone one else who made this even possible. 

I can't wait until next years event as I'm sure it will be just as epic!

Live on the Waterfront - Thunder Bay Marina

Thunder Bay has gotten so vibrant with events and so many other things going on throughout the summer, that sometimes it is hard to keep track. This past Wednesday saw the last night for the Live on the Waterfront series, which took place at the Marina. It saw three bands take the stage to a large crowd of on lookers. Best of all, it was all free. 

I do wish I was able to get out to the previous ones but it has been one hectic summer for me. Regardless, my wife Anne and I did manage to get down to this last one for about an hour. It was a bit overcast but otherwise the weather was perfect. It was such a great atmosphere overall and you could tell by the crowd singing along and people dancing throughout the crowd and in front of the stage. The two bands we managed to see were The Honest Lake Collective and Cold Lake Sun. 

BrewHa Craft Beer Festival - 2017

BrewHa is one of those events, at least for me, that is on the top of my list for the summer. Luckily, I actually had some of the weekend free to attend and take photos. So, not only did a get to try some amazing beer with my wife Anne, but I also get to meet and photograph a lot of happy people. 

For those that haven't been before, there are 3 'sessions' over the course of 2 days, the Friday and Saturday. The Walleye asked if I wanted to cover the event for them so I once again jumped at the opportunity. I did have a wedding on the Saturday but my wife Anne and I still managed to go Friday night and Saturday afternoon, for the first two sessions. 

As soon as we arrived on the Friday around 7:30, they had Pipes and Drums of Thunder Bay performing in the middle of everyone. So I immediately got some photos of them. Then Anne and I walked around and explored the different vendors and got ourselves some beers to try out. 

To be honest, I'm not a huge fan of 'hoppy' beer, if that is even a term, but almost every beer I tried were all good. I did manage to find some lighter beers and so did Anne. Amongst our beer tasting, I constantly looked for people to photograph and just overall great moments, which there were a lot of. They even had a band performing so I made sure to get some photos of them. 

We pretty much stayed almost until closing time at 9:00pm and then headed downtown for one more drink. The good thing about BrewHa is that all the local bars and restaurants downtown participate and benefit from the increased activity. It was great seeing so many people out having fun.

I only had a bit of time on the Saturday so we headed down around 12:30.. We only managed to try a couple beers and I ate a very tasty Prospector burger. As usual, I was still able to capture some more photos of people in the crowd as well as some of the actual vendors, since it wasn't too busy when we were there. The night before, some of the lines were at least 30 people deep. 

I can't wait until next years event and I'm sure both me and Anne will be once again going. Thank you to all the organizers and volunteers for putting on an amazing event and also to The Walleye for asking me to photograph it for them. 

ONWA - United Nations World Day Against Trafficking in Persons

I have been photographing different things for ONWA for about 5 years now and each and every time I do so, it's for great cause. This time around, they asked me to cover a small event speaking to Human Trafficking. The purpose of the meeting was to have an open discussion about the issue and also raise awareness. Along with this, They Media, presented a short film speaking to a bit of the history of this very important issue as well as what we can do now, today. 

Canada's 150th Birthday - Thunder Bay Marina

Canada turned 150 yesterday which means I knew I had to go downtown at some point and see some of the festivities and people. The original plan was to go to Old Fort William first and then the marina, but the day just went by so fast that I only made caught the last couple hours of the day. So, with that being said, I tried to get as many photos as I could.

I arrived down at the marina with my friend Stan, for around 8:30. The good thing about that time of day is that the lighting was really nice, which is a always a good thing when taking photos, especially portraits of people. 

There was a lot of people there watching musical performances and dancing, waiting in line for food from all the fantastic vendors and of course everyone else just enjoying the good weather and significance of the day. Its was a photographers' dream as a lot of people were dressed up, wearing face paint, and overall just decked out in Canada themed attire.

I did get some candid photos but I also approached a lot of people and simply asked if I could take their portrait. I think only a few people said 'no', in which case I just said 'thank you', and moved on to the next person. I didn't stay for the fireworks because it had already been a very long day and my main goal was to capture more of the people then the actual fireworks themselves. 

Even though I only had a couple hours to work with, I'm happy with what I was able to capture. I also met and spoke with some very friendly people throughout the night. I'm glad I was able to be a part of Canada's 150th birthday.

Everclear - So Much For The Afterglow - 20th Anniversary Tour

This past Tuesday, The Rockhouse hosted 3 killer bands from the 90's, and for someone who grew up with a lot of music from that era, it was definitely a flashback to say the least. As soon as I hear the 'So Much For The Afterglow 20th Anniversary Tour' was coming through town, I knew I had to photograph it. Luckily, The Walleye asked me to cover it and my wife Anne to try her hand at reviewing the evening. 

As with all of my blog posts, the main point is to showcase images first and foremost, but like I usually do I share just a bit of my experience from the evening. I arrived with Fastball already on stage, but I did manage to see their last few songs, and of course, they were there most popular ones, including 'The Way' and of 'Out of My Head'. 

Next up was another 90's group that also had multiple hits in Vertical Horizon. By the time they took the stage the crowd was starting to get larger and more energetic. The lead singer, Matt Scannell sounded just as good as he did back when the band started. They played some of their new songs and of course all of their classics including 'Everything You Want' and 'Best I Ever Had'. It's amazing after all these years, I still remember a lot of the lyrics which just goes to show you how catchy and memorable a lot their songs were.

Last up on the stage was Everclear which needs no explanation. As they made their way to the stage, the place was packed and I think Everclear fed off of that because they came came out with so much energy. That set the tone for the rest of their performance which included all of their classics, which include a ton of songs, and even some of their more underground songs as well. I really only know their more popular songs which I can still sing to this day, but I was also amazed just how many 'younger' people in the crowd that were singing along to all of their songs. 

They ended the show with their biggest hit in 'Santa Monica' and it was a perfect end to a great evening of music. All the bands sounded fantastic and once again The Rockhouse was the perfect location for such and epic concert.

Keewaytinook Internet High School - Celebration Dinner

Along with weddings I also photograph a lot of different events in and around Thunder Bay. Last week, I had the pleasure of covering the Keewaytinook Internet High School Graduation Dinner. It was a very laid back affair, but one that was very important to the students and family of friends too. All the graduation students were from various First Nation Communities across Ontario, including Fort Severn, Fort William and Keewaywin to name a few. All in all, there were a total of 17 graduating students.

The evening started around 6:00pm at the Italian Hall, in the Galileo Room. Once everyone arrived, prayers were said and a wonderful buffet dinner was served. During all of this I was of course getting a lot of great candid photos, as I did the whole evening. Once everyone finished eating there were a few different games played, not only where the students participated, but also the teachers. You could really tell just how tight of a bond the students and teachers formed during their education. Everyone was laughing and having a great time. 

Once the games concluded, Nick Sherman took the stage to perform some of his songs. I have had the pleasure of attending other events where he has performed and he always puts on a great show. Before my night was over, we gathered all the guest and of course the graduates for some outdoor portraits. Then, for those that chose to stay a bit longer, there was some music and dancing. 

I was so happy to be a part of such a wonderful event. It was nice to see how proud all the students and teachers were. As you can see from the photos below, everyone had a really good time.