Happy Hundred!

The blog has turned one hundred!

Wow. One hundred is a lot of posts. Obviously this is a pretty new blog as far as blogs go, but hey, making it to your first hundred is a good start right?

I hope you've all enjoyed reading the first hundred posts, and here's to hundreds more! Please enjoy this collage that I spent an embarrassingly long time making! If you click on it, you can see the details! Click!

On Intimidation

Today I had the privilege of shooting Mr. Nigel Barker, which prompted a lot of thinking to happen in my brain.

When I heard I was going to have the opportunity to photograph Mr. Barker, my first instinct was to feel excited. What a treat! I love America's Next Top Model! When the reality started to sink in I realized what I was about to do. I was going to be pointing my lens at, not only a very well known photographer, but also a former model who has been shot countless times by photographers more known than I.

I've been photographed by photographers before. Photographers who are incredibly talented and who know their shit. But when I am in front of somebody else's lens, I don't think of myself as a photographer. I turn into a subject and give myself over to that. Today I wondered if Nigel felt the same way. I suspect not.

I've been intimidated by subjects before, but today was different. Maybe it was because my subject was six foot four and I didn't expect that. Maybe it was because I knew I had to get the shot in under five minutes (I got it in three). Maybe it was because I was hungry, or because it was pouring rain. Today was different.

AND THEN HE TRIED TO KILL ME!

Stay tuned for the REAL photo in Hello! I'll post it then!

How To Shoot A Pop Star

Lately I've been taking pictures of young, cute, talented pop singers! I'm not exactly sure who thought I was the right person for that job, but it's been working so far and it's damn fun! I'm not quite old enough to say things like, "it keeps me young!" but that's secretly how I feel...

I now present to you, my guide to shooting pop stars...

Step 1: The more nail polish colour options you have, the better your photo shoot will be. That's science.

Step 2: If you have sparkly and fabulous jewelry, you will have more success and more people will want to be your friend!

Step 3: Keep your pop stars full and happy with healthy and tasty snacks and they will be happier in their photos. Again, science plays a key roll in art here. Animal crackers are highly recommended. Pop stars bite.

Step 4: Have your stylist bring an exceptionally fabulous dress to show of your pop star's cute bod! Pop stars bodies usually haven't been destroyed by time and age, so it's best to take advantage of that while you can.

Step 5: Makeup is fun! Use some of that too. Or, get somebody else to apply it for you. Hopefully somebody who knows what they're doing. Bonus if they are incredibly talented!

Step 6: Find a cool magazine for young people to stick your picture on! That way people will see the pictures of your pop star! And seeing pictures is one of the main reasons to take them.

Now you're ready! Go out there and find yourself a pop star and get to it! And most importantly, stay tuned for the results!


Disclaimer: This guide will in no way help improve any skills or give you any real information about how to photograph pop stars or anybody else.

Love Lockdown

This past summer I went to Cologne, Germany. It was my first time in Germany, and it was really German-y. There was delicious food in the form of various "wursts" and other things, like amazing dogs and big churches and chocolate!

By far my favourite thing in Cologne (apart from the chocolate museum and the mustard museum (no I'm not kidding)) was the lock bridge.

The lock bridge, which may not really be called the lock bridge if you're a local, is a train bridge over the river that people have attached literally thousands of locks to. The locks say people's names or wedding dates or other memories, and I became slightly obsessed with it... It's like a giant, weird, German, lock-based game of Where's Waldo!

I know there is also a bridge like this in Paris, and there may be more in other places as well! Very enjoyable and sentimental and amazing!

The Camera And Christopher Merk

To me, the most exciting thing about this year's Toronto International Film Festival is that my very own brother has a film playing! That's damn exciting! It is TONIGHT!

My brother's film, The Camera and Christopher Merk, is playing in the TIFF Short Cuts Canada program, and I can't wait to see it! I mean ok, I've seen it, I even did stills on it, but I can't wait to see it on a big theater screen with a real audience! Of humans! Mostly...

HIGH FIVE FOR MY BROTHER! HIGH FIVE FOR THE POSTER!


Photo by: ME!
Poster design by: Brandon Cronenberg (my brother!)

TIFF 2010

So it seems that it has been September for a little bit now...

A new month means many things. Does it? Um. Well it CAN I suppose? This month means that our fair city will be flooded with film enthusiasts and excited folks from around the globe to celebrate the Toronto International Film Festival!

This September I am doing some things that are kinda fun AND film festival related! It's a busy time, but it'll be a fun time too.

So check THIS! This year I am a TIFF Visa Insider! That means I will be regularly tweeting and blogging about what film fest stuff is going on (for me it will be mostly work related, but still cool right?) and humans can follow along and know what is happening! There are a few of us Visa Insiders, and you can check out the VISA TIFF WEBSITE to follow along and see what's up!

My goal with this is to be really interesting so you'll WANT to follow along, but I can't promise I won't be boring. I promise to try. I'll TRY!

I'll also try to post hilarious photos like this one circa TIFF 2008...


Photo by: Henny Garfunkel
Arm scribbles by: Joaquin Phoenix

RandoMonday XIV

For this month's RandoMonday offering, I present to you the notion of doggy cage fighting... Let a bunch of dogs loose in a cage and see what happens!

As you can see, they spilled their water and barked at people who walked by...


Cage fighting fail, but if this HAD worked, I can tell you the final match would have been between Biscut and Bean Bean.

And insiders tell me Bean Bean fights dirty.

Boobyball

This ain't your grandma's ball!

This year I have had the honour of being on the committee for Rethink Breast Cancer's annual fund raising event, the Boobyball!

Boobyball has been one of the best attended events every year in Toronto, and this year will be no different! Tickets are selling out fast! Amazing! This event not only raises impressive amounts of money for the charity, but it is also one heck of a shindig! I can't wait to get my dancing shoes on (let's be real, none of my shoes are conducive to dancing) and get my party on!

This year the theme is FLASH! That's like Club 54 but with a modern twist! Man it's going to be fun! I got together with a group of insanely talented photographers to take some Club 54 inspired images to decorate the venue, and also sell to raise money for Rethink! Here's my image! Party!


Boobyball is October 16th 2010! If YOU want to attend the Boobyball, buy your tickets basically RIGHT NOW! CLICK HERE TO BUY TICKETS! And go to the site to check out some more photos from the shoot! www.boobyball.com!

Lost Girl

Woah! TV!

Back when it was cold and folks had to huddle around gas heaters for warmth, I went to a magical land called Mississauga. Why! Why would I go to this place you must be thinking! Well, the only reason anybody ever goes to Mississauga... To take pictures of actors pretending to be mythical creatures!

What the hell am I talking about? Good question!

A new TV show called Lost Girl! I took some pictures for it! Those pictures are now on posters! Here is one of those posters!


I haven't seen the show, so I can't vouch for it, but it looks pretty cool! Maybe you should check it out! Maybe I should! HOORAY!

The Living Doll Project Teaser

Today is an exciting day!
Not only is it the first of September, but it is the day the first teaser trailer for The Living Doll Project launched for public consumption! And consume they did!

This teaser is truly just a taste of what's to come, and I hope you are all excited about the future of this project after seeing it! A little sexy, a little creepy, and a LOT of awesome!

I also thought I'd tease further by sharing a couple of behind-the-scenes photos from the shoot. Now don't worry, I know this teasing thing is less fun for you than it is for me, but it'll all be worth it when you see the final product!

In a few years.
ENJOY!


And.
Without further ado, here is the first teaser!



And don't forget to follow on Twitter!
And here's the official website!