Nishnawbe Aski Development Fund (NADF) are a not-for-profit Aboriginal Financial Institution serving entrepreneurs, businesses and communities in Northern Ontario. They hosted a 3 day workshop focusing on community planning. It took place at the Valhalla Inn in Thunder Bay. I was there to cover a couple hours in the morning on the first 2 days. While I was there during the first morning they announced their new website launch which was super exciting. There was also a keynote presentation by Dan Longboat.
Read MoreMakaila + Sean Engagement - Thunder Bay Tree Farm
I have been photographing Makaila and her family for the past 4 years, so when she asked me to capture her engagement session I simply couldn’t wait to do so. I’m so thankful to be a part of the next step in their life. Plus, I know it’s always a fun time. I was excited to see Lucas come along as well as their dog Bear, who is so handsome and friendly. So, even though it was an engagement session, it was kind of a family shoot as well which was nice.
Read MoreDizzy Mystics as Tool @ Crocks Thunder Bay
Living in a smaller town like Thunder Bay means that a band like Tool will never make their way here. That doesn’t mean that it’s not possible to listen to one of my favourite bands. Enter Dizzy Mystics who stopped by Crocks Thunder Bay last night to do a 3 set performance. Admittedly I had never heard of Dizzy Mystics but they were covering Tool for one of their sets so I was all in regardless. They also did some original music and a Soundgarden performance as well, which I unfortunately didn’t stay for.
Read MoreBrewHa! Caskfest - The Camelot Building
For the past few years I always make it a habit to get out and shoot the BrewHa Festival down at the Marina in the summer. Well, summer came early so to speak, as BrewHa held an event here in Thunder Bay at the Camelot Building last night. A couple months ago when I saw the announcement I knew immediately that I had to attend this one and take photos. So in exchange for some tickets I took my wife Anne (who is posing for me in the cover photo) and we attended the last evening session.
Read MoreCosbey Quintet Portraits - Trinity United Church
Over the years I have don’t so many family portrait sessions but my latest one with Michelle and her family was probably one of the most unique ones yet. Their family happens to be the Cosbey Quintet and they wanted formal (and casual) portraits of their entire group, which obviously consisted of 5 total people.
Read MoreONWA She is Wise Conference - Marriott Downtown at CF Toronto Eaton Centre
ONWA held their second annual She is Wise Conference this past March at the Marriott Hotel in Downtown Toronto. It was also the second year in a row that I was invited to photograph it, and I was honoured to do so. For those of you who don’t know what this conference is all about, it’s easiest to just quote the mission statement for the event.
Read MoreMichelle Solomon Headshots - Thunder Bay Marina
When Michelle let me know she needed updated headshots for her re-election campaign, I couldn’t wait to capture some photos of her. We decided on the Marina as the backdrop. It only took about 30 minutes to capture about 25 photos to choose from. Here are some of my favourites from the session.
Read MoreKAIROS Blanket Exercise - Lakehead University
Last year I photographed the second largest blanket exercise in North America at Lakehead University. This one was a much smaller one but the impact and importance was just as big. The KAIROS Blanket Exercise took place in the main lobby of Lakehead University, and it was a really good turnout.
Read MoreWake the Giant Launch - Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School
I was lucky enough to be invited to take photos of the Wake the Giant Launch at Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School here in Thunder Bay. ‘Wake the Giant’ is an initiative for local business owners to offer support for indigenous youth. The goal is to have over 150 local business come on board.
Read MoreThe Chanterelle - Corporate Photos
The Chanterelle is definitely one of the nicest venues in town to host events, so when they approached me to do some headshots and corporate photography of their employees and venue, I jumped at the chance. Only some of the employees need headshots so once we finished those we did some candid photos and some action shots as well. It all took place in the back lounge which is personally my favourite part of the entire building. I had been there on a few occasions on weddings and events that I have photographed in the past.
Read More31st Annual LUNSA Powwow - Lakehead University
Thunder Bay is a very diverse city, and that was on full display this past weekend as Lakehead University Native Student Association played host to the 31st Annual LUNSA Powwow. It was a 3 day event with warmups taking place on the Friday and the rest of the celebration happening on the Saturday and Sunday. There were 3 grand entries over the course of the weekend, a feast on Saturday, a wide range of drum groups from across the province and of course lots of dancing and singing.
Read MoreMy Favourite 100 Wedding Photos of 2018
Once each wedding season is over I always look back and go through each and every one, and pick out my personal favourites. Not only is it great to see all the great moments I captured over the year, it also shows me where I succeeded and where I can also improve. If anything, it gets my mind thinking about the upcoming season and things I would love to accomplish. For now, these are but a few of my favourite highlights from the year. I feel truly blessed for all the amazing couples I was lucky enough to spend a day with. I’m very much looking forward to all the couples (and families) I get to meet this year too.
Read More