Thunder Pride 2019 + Pride Parade
The final day of Thunder Pride 2019 finished with a parade. Oh what a parade it was. My wife Anne and I arrived about 15 minutes before it was to begin at Waverley Park. We walked up Algoma to the base of the hill and by the time we got there it was just starting. Last years parade actually went through downtown. I don’t know if it was because it was a different route but it seemed twice as big this year. We were simply amazed by the amount of people participating in the parade.
Loud + Proud Pride After Party - Black Pirates Pub
Thunder Pride 2019 wrapped up today with the parade, which I will be posting very soon. Before that, Black Pirates Pub played host to the Loud and Proud Pride After Party which had an amazing drag show. I made sure I got right up against the stage and braced myself for what was to come. The bar was packed and the crowd was so energized. All the performers did an amazing job, and being that close, you could really feel the energy. It was great to see so much support from everyone there.
Heidi + Rob Family Portraits
I photographed Heidi and Rob’s wedding back in 2016 and it is still one of my favourite weddings ever! When Heidi and Rob contacted me to do some family portraits for them, I simply couldn’t wait to do so. They recently welcomed Alfred to the family so it meant Wallace now had a younger brother to compete with. Upon arriving Alfred did not know what to make of me. I used that to my advantage as I got some really good looks from him. Fast forward about 15 minutes into the session and it was hard to get him to sit still.
Amy + Family Cake Smash
I have been lucky enough to be photographing Amy and her family for quite a few years now. I remember doing a cake smash for Jace. Now it was Ellie’s turn and she did not disappoint. Before we got to the cake smash though, we did some family portraits outside. It was quite sunny out, so we found some shade by the tree in their front yard and captured some great moments. Ellie was so calm the entire time. I think she was more confused by me if anything, which worked out perfectly!
Davinci Cruise Night
Anyone who reads my blog posts, knows that I try and get out and photograph some of the vintage car shows throughout summer and fall. I was just out at the Kakabeka Car Show a few weeks back it was my first one of the year. Surprisingly, I had never made it out to the Davinci Nights weekly car show before. I know it has been going on each year for quite some time. Well, I finally got the chance to check it out and I’m glad I did. There were a lot of cars in the parking lot and even some I had never seen before. It was also a nice cloudy, almost gloomy day, so the lighting was perfect.
Lakehead University - Indigenous Alumni Speaker Series
The Office of Aboriginal Initiatives at Lakehead University hosted a 2019 Indigenous Alumni Speaker Series on Wednesday, June 12th in the John. N. Paterson Auditorium at the Bora Laskin Faculty of Law (PACI).
Ms. Sherry Abotossaway was the Keynote Speaker. She shared her story as a recent graduate from the Bora Laskin Faculty of Law at Lakehead University. It was such a fun event to capture and it was also great to see such a good turnout.
Albany + Sophie Graduation Portraits
I have actually been doing a lot of graduation photos as of late and I am looking forward to more in the coming weeks. For this session I actually had two graduates to photograph and both were family, which made it extra special. Sophie is graduating Grade 8 and Albany is graduation high school and off to McMaster next year, which is super exciting. Their parents also joined us for the session so it was also a bit of a family session as well, which was perfect.
Waverley Hill Soap Box Races - George Jeffrey Foundation
I only made it out to about 10 minutes of the races this year but I did want to share a small selection of photos I managed to capture. Hopefully next year I’ll have more time to get out and cover this awesome event!
Kite Festival 2019 - Chippewa Park
Now that it’s summer, there are all kinds of events throughout the city. One of my favourites to go to has to be the Kite Festival out at Chippewa Park. It’s an annual event, where vendors show up, kites are flown and great times are had on the amusement rides at the park. Not to mention there are a host of other activities that take place during the day. The best part for me simply all the people.
Baby Shower for Gabriel
As a present to Jamie and Cory, who are family, I took photos for their baby shower for Gabriel. It took place at the Northend Recreation Centre and it ended up being the perfect location. Apparently, the centre double booked which meant Jamie had to have the shower outside, which was perfect. There was great lighting, the kids had more room to run around, and I got lots of great shots at the playground as well.
Tannis + Family Portraits - Fort William First Nation
It was a very hot and humid day for my latest portrait session with Tannis and her family at Fort William First Nation. It was definitely worth it as it was one of the more adventurous family sessions I have had in a while. I met Tannis and her family at Mount McKay which is on the First William First Nations. It is the best view in the entire city.
ONWA Family Portraits
I was asked to come in once again to take some family portraits at ONWA. This is something I do a couple times a year, and I look forward to it each and every time. Usually there are between 5-10 families that come out, but this time around, there were only two. It just meant that I got to spend more time photographing each family. It was also nice to see two new families which I hadn’t photographed before!
Thunder Pride 2019 – Flag Raising & Media Event
Today marked the first day of Thunder Pride 2019. To open the event there was a Flag Raising and Media Launch down at City Hall here in Thunder Bay. Mayor Bill Mauro, Chief Peter Collins and Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler helped raise the flag with members of Thunder Pride, and June 5-16 will be proclaimed as Pride Week in Thunder Bay.
2019 Lakehead University Convocation Ceremony
Lakehead University Aboriginal Cultural & Support Services hired me to photograph today’s Lakehead University Convocation Ceremony and I had a blast doing so. It’s hard not to come away with great photos in such a joyous atmosphere. I’m right at home at these types of events because they are lot like weddings. I thoroughly enjoy capturing candid moments and that is exactly what I did.
Classic Car Country Cruiser Night - Kakabeka Falls
This won’t be a long write up by any means, I simply wanted to share some photos from the first Classic Car show of the year in Kakabeka Falls. I love classic cars. One day I hope to own one. Until then, I will continue to photograph them and live vicariously through their owners. There are quite a few more shows coming up this summer and I’m very much looking forward to photographing some of them if I’m available.
K.I.H.S. Graduation Ceremony 2019 - Valhalla Inn
This was my third year photographing the Keewaytinook Internet Highschool (K.I.H.S) Graduation. It’s always such an amazing and rewarding experience. Each year I have photographed the event, the number has graduates has gone up. This years event was no exception, with a graduating class of 32. Just like last year, Valhalla Inn played host to the graduation.
Lakehead University - Material Witness - The Outpost
The Office Of Aboriginal Initiatives hosted a special production of “Material Witness this evening at the Lakehead University Outpost. I was lucky enough to photograph some of it.
Material Witness was inspired by Spiderwoman Theater's 1976 production of Women in Violence. Irreverent, sometimes surprising, the show is rooted in powerful storytelling, with a twist of humor and an uplifting musical beat. It is a multigenerational exploration of violence, healing and renewal in the lives of Indigenous women in urban and rural communities on Turtle Island.
NADF CCP Workshop 2019 - Valhalla Inn
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.
Makaila + 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.
Dizzy 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.