Here’s a couple of shots from one of the more dramatic mornings of the hike.

Kristie looking towards the Mont Blanc summit, which was peeking in and out of the clouds.

Me looking out towards the Mont Blanc Massive from the top of Col de la Gliere, somewhere above Chamonix

The full Tour de Mont Blanc is an 160km circle route around the Mont Blanc Massive.  We hiked only the northern half in 6 days, starting from Courmayeur in Italy on the east side, and heading around the north of the Massive through Switzerland, and back into France, ending in Chamonix.  We hike a lot in the Coast Mountains of BC where we live, but the Alps are something completely different.  The terrain is more jagged and spectacular, but the routes are well traveled so the trails are in excellent shape, and easy to follow.  The scenery is breathtaking at every turn.  We highly recommend a visit if you love spending time in the mountains.

Shot on my awesome little Sony NEX-5N   1/60 @ f4   iso-2500  16mm

I’ve been a bit delinquent in my blogging lately. You know, sold a house, bought a house, moved into an interim rental, got married, went on a honeymoon, blah, blah, blah…  I’ve been traveling and shooting lots of interesting stuff, so more posts are in the works.  Stay tuned!

I have worked with the good folks at Blackcomb Aviation occasionally over the past 20 years while living in the Whistler, BC area.  Usually it has been me, or one of my clients hiring a helicopter to do an aerial shoot of something on the ground, a house, a hotel, scenic photos, or even once a group photo.  Fortunately this time, it was Blackcomb Aviation that was hiring me, which added and exciting new dimension to the shoot.  I got to direct 2 helicopters at the same time to shoot some Air to Air promotional shots for their new contract providing tours for Grouse Mountain in Vancouver, BC.  Here are some of the results.

Vancouver is one of the most beautiful cities on the planet.  Mountains, ocean, beaches and glass towers co-exist in gorgeous harmony.  All of the views that we photographed on this shoot are parts of the Grouse Mountain Helicopter Tours packages.  If you are in Vancouver and are looking for an amazing and exhilarating experience,  head to the top of Grouse Mountain, and go for a once in a lifetime scenic mountain flight in one of Blackcomb Aviation’s kick ass helicopters.

Enter the $350 1981 Honda CM400 Classic!

I picked this beauty up for a steal, and I have big plans for her.  In an effort to busy my hands with some real world creativity (and possibly a hint of a mid life crisis) I will turn this unsightly old beast into a sleek and sexy Cafe Racer style custom motorcycle for zipping around town, and the occasional cruise on the beautiful Sea to Sky Highway that links Vancouver to Whistler.

They (motorcycle folk) say that the CM400 is ugly, and that a CM400 would never make a good looking Cafe Racer.  Well, here is my concept roughed out using a base image of the bike as it was when I bought it (did I mention for a measly 350 bucks? ) and a collage of images from online sources mashed up in photo editing software.  It’s not beautiful, but it gives me a pretty good idea of where I’m headed, and I love it.  I will treasure every time I have to scrub grease from under my fingernails!

I’m not completely sold on the colour yet, so that might change.  I am pretty happy with the styling, and keeping most of the stock parts will keep the costs in line.  I will post occasionally with project updates.

   A photo of the Cal-Neva pool from their Website

I got a call in February from my good friend and accomplished Lifestyle Photographer Randy Lincks.  Randy has done quite a bit of work for sailboat charter companies in the past, and every year or two he makes a trip to an exotic place to shoot some Sailing Promotion photography.

Either after years of bugging him to take ma along, or out of a  genuine need for a bit of a hand based on the size of the project I was invited along to do some shooting, image management, and some general helping out.

Hooray!  Off to the BVI!

We spend 5 1/2 days shooting all around the British Virgin Islands, and the schedule was pretty intense.  We had a crew of 16, some professional models from Florida and England to represent the clients demographics, and a flotilla of 7 38-56 foot luxury yachts.  The shot list was long and varied.

Although it’s hard to complain, we worked A LOT.  Up early, and going pretty much non-stop all day.  But given the subjects, the location and the weather, no matter how hard we were working we couldn’t help but have a good time.  I am very fortunate that I have associates like Randy, and that I get the opportunity to work for incredible clients, and even occasionally in exotic locations.  I am even luckier that throughout the busy schedule we still found time for an occasional dip in the ocean, and a cool rum cocktail after the daily wrap.  I count my blessings!

Here is some of the work from the project.  Some images are mine, others are Randy’s.  When we work together we make a pretty good team.

    About a year ago I got a call from the local TV station.  One of their reporters saw a small gallery show I put on locally and asked if would do an interview for their focus on locals segment called “The Express”.  Never one to turn down a bit of free publicity, I said yes.  When the day came to shoot the segment, it was cold, overcast and raining.  One of the things they wanted to do was film me shooting some personal work, and then include a few shots from the actual day in the segment.  The weather was miserable, YUCK!

Still I did not want to disappoint, so on a day when I would not have even considered taking a camera outside, I forced myself to find something to shoot.  Here are a few of the results.

 Is this my best or favourite personal work ever?  Not particularly, but I managed to do something creative on a day when I would have otherwise stayed home and stared at a computer screen.  I think the takeaway is simple: Doing something is always better than doing nothing.  You can take interesting and creative photos in the rain, or snow, or at night, or in whatever circumstances.  Just go out and do something creative.

If you would like to see the finished  local TV piece, it’s after the jump

A few years ago I decided to take my dog and my camera for a walk in the forest, and partially by accident came home with this shot.

My first ‘Living Forest’ image

I am always impressed and relaxed by the forest, and I wanted to capture more than just a static shot.  I wanted to communicate the life and energy I feel in the forest.  I was pleased with the results (This image now hangs as a 2×3 foot canvas print on our bedroom wall) and wanted to explore the idea a bit more.  I played with the in camera technique a bit more, and started creating images that I become memorized by.  I can look into them and get lost in the forest.  Here are some of my favourites…

I have some of these prints hanging in my home, and I have sold a few. It’s something I came up with when I took a break because I was burned out.  I still use this technique to create new forest images when I am traveling or I see interesting trees.  I continue to refine the technique and try to create original but predictable results.  Forcing myself to go out and shoot for pleasure has given me a niche photo hobby within my photo experience that I can play with and enjoy for pure pleasure.  If other people like the images great.  If not, that’s fine too.  For me it’s an exciting experiment, and it takes my mind off the everyday drudgery of office work.  And, that’s what personal work is supposed to be, Photography for the pure joy of it.

   Every year I am lucky enough  to spend a bit of time with my friends up at TLH Heliskiing.  Fortunately this year was no exception.  I get a chance to rack up an impressive amount of vertical, while hanging out with great, fun people.  And those circumstances usually conspire to create the opportunity to set up some great ski action photos.  Here is a selection of some of my favourites from my last ski day of the season in the South Chilcotins.

     I have been working on a project for the Sutton Place Hotel in Vancouver, BC. During a couple of day shooting last week I set up my Nikon D2x with a wide angle lens to shoot a frame every 3 seconds for about 45 min to create a little 15 second time lapse. Shot through the glass of my hotel window at the Sutton Place. I use my older D2x for time lapse because it had a built in intervalometer, but you can always use an inexpensive one like these from an online auction site.  Use a manual settings on your camera so each exposure is the same to prevent flicker.  To prevent reflections, don’t forget to turn out the lights in your hotel room!