Tonight, for the second year in a row, I will be donating my time and photography services to the Jewels for a Cause charity event in West Vancouver. The event was started 10 years ago by Jennifer Rainnie and Teri-Ann Donaldson, as a very grass roots way to gather friends, drink some wine, buy some jewelry and donate the proceeds to charity. The event has grown each year and has now become a very large gathering with over 20 jewelers/artists showcasing their work.

This year, Jewels For A Cause has chosen to support the Starlight Children’s Foundation.  The Starlight Foundation helps seriously ill children and their families cope with their pain, fear and isolation through entertainment, education and family activities.

Tonight’s event will be bigger and better than ever. They have more than doubled the jewelers, they will be offering free wine and bubbly sampling from Barefoot Wines, there will be 4 restaurants offering tasting plates (the menu is amazing!) tickets will be $1 and plates vary from 1 to 5 tickets. There will also be a shuttle service for parking and a fantastic silent auction. 

For more information on Jewels for a Cause and to view the gorgeous collections that will be available at the event, please visit the website at www.jewels4acause.ca.

If you’re looking for something fun to do tonight, I invite you to join me at this event to support an amazing cause!

Event Details

Thursday May 26^th, 2011 (Tonight!)
7pm – 10 pm
Entrance Fee: $10

Hollyburn Country Club  www.hollyburn.org
950 Cross Creek Road, West Vancouver, BC

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Another year gone by, and an epic year it was…

The year started off preparing for the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. Seeing 2010 on the calendar suddenly made it all a reality and the mad rush to get organized and a site up and filled with content began about a month before the Games actually opened. I was very lucky to have had the opportunity to work with an amazing group of talented folks who teamed up to create the VancouverAccess2010 website. With BCIMC accreditation, we focussed on the fan’s view of the Games and the team of us set out to attend as many events as we possibly could. We photographed and reported on them via this great resource site that we collectively created. Posts were also featured on Canada.com’s VanFans2010 blog.

The Paralympics was an even more amazing experience for me. With IPC photographer accreditaion, I was able to get up close and personal to shoot the amazing athletes and their inspiring performances in sports ranging from from sledge hockey, to sit skiing, to vision impaired downhill skiing, to curling, to incredibly emotional medal ceremonies! Unbelievable!

During the Games, I was invited to join a media day trip to Whitehorse, Yukon. Yep, that’s right, a DAY trip to Whitehorse! It was crazy! Caught a 7am flight, toured Whitehorse, met a 2006 silver medalist Olympian, visited  a nature reserve, tasted coffee from a local eco-friendly coffee roasting shop, soaked in some hot springs, drank a Sour Toe Cocktail, and enjoyed a banquet dinner celebrating the annual dog sledding racers. The Yukon is such a beautiful part of our country! I would love to head up there for some summer camping to see what’s under all that snow! I imagine it to be absolutely breathtaking! Another amazing adventurous experience!

When the Games were over, I was caught in the Olympic hangover, felt by much of the city, and many of my colleagues and partners in crime throughout this great world event. This got me thinking what I should do next and I came up with the idea that I wanted to do more traveling…

So, in March, I flew to Austin Texas to shoot a wedding for a friend who was unable to make it, due to a car accident. Never having met the bride or groom, nor having ever spoken to them directly, it was an interesting experience. The couple were amazingly welcoming and we got along instantly. I am happy to now call them friends. Their jewish wedding was held in Houston, so there was a bit of a road trip mixed into the trip (and of course some tasty Texan BBQ!). Unfortunately, there was not much time for site seeing with the short timeline, but I hope to make it back to Texas to see and photograph more of it!

Less than 2 weeks after returning from Austin, I was in flight yet again! This time for a month long adventure to Bali, Indonesia! Wow! It was an amazing month full of culture, food, site seeing, crazy drivers and photography! I spent the majority of my time on the northern side of the Island in Lovina. I spent about a week in Ubud as well. My trip to Ubud included a motorcycle adventure through the rice paddies, a walk through the Monkey Forest, a cooking class, and a Kecak and Fire Dance performance. It was an amazing month indeed, and I came home with gigabytes photos of the trip which can be viewed on Flickr.

Upon returning to Vancouver, mid-May, the city was gearing up for summer. I was excited to do as much camping and music festival-ing as I could! The first camping trip of the season was the first weekend in June, at Golden Ears Park. Always awesome camping there, one of my favourite provincial parks! No cell phone service, great hikes, campfires and of course tasty camping food (and drink)!

My first music festival of the summer was the Vancouver folk fest. I was fortunate enough to get 2 free Lifetimer, all-access passes to the festival from a friend who was unable to use them (thanks Lulu!) and me and a friend enjoyed a weekend of music, sun and family atmosphere at the beach!

Next on the list was a whale watching adventure with my family out of Cowichan Bay on Vancouver Island with Ocean Ecoventures Whale Watching. Again, amazing! You will find a full summary of the adventure in this blog post.

Komasket Music Festival in Vernon, during the August long weekend, was the next road trip. Teaming up with @Scales and @Uncleweed for some social media coverage of the event was great fun! Got some great shots, met some great artists (including Fred Penner and the Wailers), and as with most summer music festivals, came home with a sun burn!

Later in August, I took a week long trip to my home town of Duncan, on Vancouver Island to spend my birthday with family and friends. Good times had by all with boating/tubing on Lake Cowichan, and floating in the Cowichan River, a day trip to Port Renfrew and Botanical Beach, and no Island visit in summer would be complete without a fresh local crab fest! The perfect birthday it was!

In the fall, things finally wound down a bit. The last trip of the year was one out to Ucluelet and Tofino, on the West Coast of Vancouver Island. I had not been out this way since I was about 12 years old, so I was very excited to go enjoy and photograph the beaches, especially with storm season just setting in! I was not disappinted! We lucked out with beautiful sunny weather the first day, including a gorgeous sunset on Long Beach. And the next day we enjoyed a storm and some great big crashing waves on the rocks in Ucluelet. And of course no trip to Tofino would be complete without a stop at Cathedral Grove and Coombs to see the goats on the roof on the way back!

In the fall things became quite busy. I moved out of the downtown core at the end of September, to East Van. Although I have always had a dog on a part time basis, in November Roxie came to stay with me full time as @Scales departed for Thailand. I love having her and love that she gets me out rain or shine (or snow!) for two hour-long walks a day! Having started a fulltime position at 80 Elements Entertainment in October, I have fallen back into a full time job routine. Also, I have been shooting weekend events for Estee Lauder. I started doing Bikrams Yoga three times a week in November, which I have become ridiculously addicted to. So the end of the year has found me to be quite busy.

I was happy to spend Christmas on the Island with family and friends and will be spending New Years Even there as well to ring in another (hopefully) adventurous year full of travel and surprises!

My new years resolutions are these: Travel more. Photograph more. Build my photography kit. Learn more about social media. Do more Bikrams! More is MORE!

Cheers to 2010 and all of you that I have met and befriended in the past 365 days! You have made an impact, and (whether good or bad) you have helped shape who I am and who I am to become. I thank you and look forward to another amazing year in 2011!

Cheers and Happy New Year!!!

Cyndi Lauper played at the 100th Anniversary of the PNE this year promoting her recent Grammy nominated blues album, Memphis Blues. Of course she included several of the old favourites as well, including True Colors and Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. Awesome show, and amazing to see one of the great musical artists from my earlier years!

For more images from Cyndi Lauper’s PNE appearance, please visit the Set on Flickr!

Vancouver 2010 Paralympics sit skiing medals ceremony in Whistler.

For more images from the medals ceremony, please visit the Set on Flickr.

The Canadian Paralympic Sledge Hockey Team warming up for the Bronze Medal game at the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games!

For more images, please visit the Set on Flickr!

Next week the International Marketing Conference will be in Vancouver from September 21-23. I have been offered a ticket to the 3 day event in exchange for photographing and blogging about it.

The 10th anniversary of the conference will feature Managing Director of Garage Technology Ventures, Guy Kawasaki as the keynote speaker, basing his presentation on his new book: Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions. I’ve heard that he is an amazing speaker, so I’m looking forward to his talk as well as other topics that will be covered in the three day conference.

Other locations of the conference are Helsinki, New York, Santiago, Barcelona, San Francisco, Stockholm, Montreal, Calgary, and Copenhagen.

The Canadian Paralympic Committee Invites Canadians To Paralympic Sport Demonstrations During The First-Ever Sports Day In Canada

September 15, 2010 (Ottawa) – September 18th marks the first-ever Sports Day in Canada and the Canadian Paralympic Committee and its members are proud to invite Canadians to experience first-hand various Paralympic sports during hands-on sport demonstrations in Ottawa (ON) and Richmond (BC). With only 3% of people with disabilities physically active, this event will bring attention to the importance of sport in the lives of all Canadians, especially those with a physical disability. In partnership with many sports organizations, Canadians of all ages and abilities will have the unique opportunity to get active and join Paralympians in a wide variety of Paralympic sports while celebrating this national landmark event – Sports Day in Canada – and raising the awareness of the benefits of participating in sport.

WHERE, WHEN & HOW?

Richmond, BC

On September 18th, the public is invited to experience goalball, para-athletics, wheelchair basketball and many other sports alongside Canada’s Paralympians!

In addition, other sport representatives will be onsite to provide instruction to Canadians of all ages and abilities to experience Paralympic sports.

WHERE: Richmond Oval; 6111 River Road, Richmond, BC V7C 0A2

WHEN: September 18, from 11am to 2pm

COST: It’s FREE!

WHO? MEET WITH:
·       5-time Gold medalist in alpine skiing, Lauren Woolstencroft
·       Athletics athlete, Andrea Holmes
·       Wheelchair Basketball players, Richard Peters, Marnie Abbot-Peters and Robert Hedges
·       Wheelchair Curling players, Chris Daw and Darryl Neighbour
·       Boccia player, Alison Kabush
·       Wheelchair Tennis player,  Sarah Hunter
·       Nordic skier, Lou Gibson

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Ottawa, ON

As the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees compete against the McMaster Marauders in an exciting homecoming game, Paralympians from athletics, wheelchair basketball, sledge hockey, and many more sports will be on site, demonstrating their sports and teaching Canadians how to play!

WHERE:Lansdowne Park; 1015 Bank St, Ottawa ON, K1S 3W7

WHEN:September 18, from 12 to 4pm

COST: Group tickets are available at a rate of $4 if ordered in advance, or can be purchased on site at a rate of $4 (children) or $12 (adults). To order your tickets, contact Jessica Damery at jdamery@uottawa.ca

WHO? MEET WITH:
·       Sledge Hockey players Jean Labonté, Shawn Matheson, Todd Nicholson and Hervé Lord
·       Nordic skiers Alexei Novikov and Margarita Gorbounova
·       Athletics athletes Jacques Bouchard and Leah Robinson
·       Goalball player Amy Kneebone

WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT SPORTS DAY?

Sports Day in Canada is a national celebration of sport, from grassroots to high-performance levels, in communities across Canada. Sports Day in Canada caps off a week of thousands of local sporting events and activities, open houses and try-it days showcasing sport at all levels, and includes a special television broadcast on CBC Sports.

Sports Day in Canada is presented by CBC Sports, ParticipACTION and True Sport and is guided by a committee of national sporting organizations including the Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC).

To learn more or to search for events in your community, visit www.cbc.ca/sports/sportsday/

(Source: Canadian Paralympic Committee)

I attended Making Sense of the Oil Slick discussion panel at the BC Marine Museum last night, and found that there is a lot of stuff that a lot of people simply don’t know! (or maybe people just don’t want to know?)

The panel consisted of:

– Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party of Canada
– Professor Geoff Mann, Dogwood Initiative / Department of Geography, Simon Fraser University
– Professor Kurt Andrew Grimm, Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of British Columbia
– Robert Scales, Technology and Communication Strategist*

The talk started off with Prof. Kurt Grimm, speaking from a scientific and religious angle, saying that science has gone crazy and this problem is bigger than we are.We need to stop pointing the fingers at other, because the problem here is starting with us, with our addiction to fossil fuels!

Prof. Geoff Mann followed with a political policies discussion and had some very interesting things to say around British Columbia’s current situation and the risks of the potential plan to begin offshore drilling right here at home. He discussed ways to stop, or at least make it more difficult for companies to drill for oil off our coast. He told the group that the current tanker ban off out coast is unenforced and that our laws are generally too relaxed around the subject. The most effective environmental tool British Columbia has, he said, is our First Nations and their ability to stop such things from happening in our province and country. The 28 Nations have banded together to oppose Enbridge’s 1,000-kilometre pipeline stretching from the oil patch north of Edmonton to Kitimaat, B.C.

“We will protect ourselves and the interests of future generations with everything we have because one major oil spill on the coast of British Columbia would wipe us out,” Gerald Amos, director of the Coastal First Nations, said in a statement.

Up next in the discussion was Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party of Canada. She continued Geoff Mann’s conversation by talking more about government policies saying that Canada’s oil and gas regulations are a joke. One major example is the bill that was passed just yesterday around environmental issues.

It is probably best described by quoting from Elizabeth’s blog,  “the 2009 Budget Implementation Bill was used to gut the Navigable Water Protection Act (NWPA).  The NWPA had been cornerstone environmental legislation since 1867, but the Conservative government decided that an objective definition of “navigable” could be replaced with “anything the Minister of Transport thinks it is.”

“This year is worse.  The Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA) is clearly in the Harper governments cross-hairs.   First, the budget text (as reported) included the unprecedented move to take energy projects away from the CEAA and assign environmental assessment for energy projects to the National Energy Board or the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.  Now, the details of the 2010 Budget Implementation Bill have been released, and, you guessed it, it gets worse.

“The new amendments were clearly designed to evade the implications of the recent Supreme Court of Canada decision on the Red Chris Mine.  The Red Chris mine is a gold and copper mine in BC. In January the SCC found that the Environment Minister had failed in legal obligations under CEAA by describing the details of the project that require review (called “scoping”) in such a way that damaging aspects would be excluded from environmental assessment. The 2010 Budget Implementation Bill means the minister can scope the project any old way he or she chooses.  Big huge mine? Tiny little assessment.

“This is a body blow to environmental assessment.  The new bill also removes the requirement for public consultation on projects subject to Comprehensive Study.   Comprehensive Study only applies to fairly large projects with real potential for environmental damage. This actually runs directly counter to the purposes of the Act.  It also removes projects funded through infrastructure money flowing to municipalities or First Nation.”

Rounding off the panel discussion was Technology and Communication Strategist, Robert Scales talking about art, media and crisis. He spoke of the role social media plays in crises such as the oil spill and other major environmental events. He spoke of Twitter and how it is an effective tool for communicating more than what you had for breakfast and that it is a powerful tool for citizens like you or myself to get global conversations going, in this case about the oil spill, BP, and environmental effects of the damage. The image that held the most impact for me during his talk was this one, showing the relative size of the actual spill in comparison to Vancouver and the Lower Mainland.

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Bear in mind that this was the size of the spill 10 days ago, so it has grown since. You can “try the oil spill on” in different parts of the world by following this link: http://www.ifitwasmyhome.com/

For more links and to view Robert Scales’ slide presentation, please visit SlideShare.

After all the panelists presented and the crowd took a bit of a break, we all reconvened for an open discussion. The main ideas that were shared were that we, as a people, need to make a shift from a “consumer” role to a “citizen” role.

The way we are generally speaking about our government is from an “us” and “them” perspective. What we are not taking advantage of is the fact that we have a democratic government. With that came the question, “What is a democratic government?” and one answer was “majority rules.” But in fact a democratic government is a government “by the people.” Meaning in essence that, “we are the government!” So if this is the case, why are we, as a people, not exercising this? We are letting “them” make all the decisions, when in fact we DO have a say in what “they” decide!

So what it comes down to is that we are constantly complaining about things within our government, but not enough people are stepping up to do something about it. We all sit in our armchairs or at our computers, reading or watching the news, shaking our heads, but if we do not deem certain things unacceptable, they will never change! So what do we need to do? Well, we need to REDEFINE the acceptable!

And with that, the discussion was wrapped up, but it definitely inspired more thinking about these ideas for, I think, most of the people in the room. I know it did for me!

*Robert Scales stood in for Kris Krug of Static Photography, who was unable to present at the event due to an invitation to head to New Orleans and the Gulf of Mexico to photograph the environmental effects of the BP oil spill. More information about Kris’s expedition can be found at http://tedxoilspill.com/expedition/.

**Photography exhibit on the walls of the venue was “Studies In Sea Ice” by Roberta Holden of No Barriers Photography, and will be available for viewing until October 3, 2010.

***More photos from the event are available on Flickr.

This August, Singapore will host the first ever Youth Olympic Games. Overall, there will be over 3500 athletes competing in 201 events, divided by age groups 15 to 16, 16 to 17 and 17 to 18. Over all there will be 26 sports represented.

Qualifying for the Youth Olympic Games requires at least the top four youths from each National Olympic Committee to qualify and go on to the Youth Olympic Games. Over all, all 205 National Olympic Committees are participating with mixed gender results and bringing the chance for attending the Youth Olympics to many members of the younger generation. Qualification events include competitions like the Junior World Championships, Continental Championships or any other official junior ranking lists.

Sporting events to be represented at the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games:

Aquatics: There will be two events for both Youth Men and Youth Women, leaping from a 3m springboard or a 10m platform. For Swimming, events include Freestyle, Breaststroke, Backstroke, Butterfly and Medley, testing the speed and endurance of participants in Individual and Team competitions.

Archery: There are individual Junior Men, Junior Women and Mixed Team competitions. The distance that athletes will be shooting is 70m. The Olympic Round starts with a ranking match, followed by the individual and team elimination format.

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Athletics: Athletics, or Track and Field, is about running faster, jumping higher, throwing further than competitors and enduring long distances. For the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games, Athletics comprises a total 36 track and field events for both Boys and Girls.

Badminton: Shuttlers will only compete in the Singles event. The objective of the game is to score points by hitting the shuttlecock over the net into the opponent’s half of the court, so that it hits the ground before the opponent is able to return it.

Basketball: There will be two teams made up of three players each on court at any one time. This adrenaline-packed game is played on a half court, with one basketball hoop. It includes three intensive periods of five minutes each. The team to first score 33 points or is leading the game after the regular game time is the winner.

Boxing: Each bout is made up of four rounds; each round lasts two minutes, with a one minute rest period between the rounds. The winner of a bout is decided by a win on points by five judges or the referee.

Canoe-Kayak: n the Canoe Sprint event, the athletes paddle on a circuit, and compete against each other over a 420m course. For Canoe Slalom, the athletes compete on a calm water surface and not on a natural river or artificial slalom course.

Cycling: Each team consists of three Junior Men and one Junior Woman, with the three Junior Men required to compete in one discipline each (BMX, Mountain Bike and Time Trial) while the Junior Woman has to compete in all three disciplines. All male riders also have to compete in the Road Race.

Equestrian: There will only be the Jumping event (Team and Individual) and the horses will be provided by the organising committee. For the Team event, there will be six teams representing each continent – Africa, Asia, Australasia Europe, North America and South America. Penalties are given to teams in cases such as riders knocking down fences or when horses refuse to jump. The team with the lowest demerit points wins.

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Fencing: Fencing is a traditional sport developed based on ancient sword fighting, involving two competitors contesting bouts using light weapons: épée, foil or sabre. There will be Individual and Mixed Team competitions during the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games.

Football: Playing time is made up of two periods of 40 minutes with a half-time break of 15 minutes. At the final whistle, the team which scores more goals is the winner.

Gymnastics: Judging for Artistic Gymnastics is based on the level of difficulty and actual execution of the moves, while Rhythmic Gymnastics has an additional criterion on artistry.

Handball: A game consists of two 30-minute halves with a 10-minute half-time break. Amid intense physical contact, players pass, throw, roll, catch and dribble the ball with their hands while trying to score goals. The level of difficulty is heightened with the inclusion of restricted goal areas beyond which the players must attempt to score from, on top of the last line of defence put up by the goalkeeper. At the final whistle, the team which has scored more goals than the opponent is the winner.

Hockey: At the completion of each match during pool play, three points will be awarded to the winner; one point will be awarded to each team in the event of a draw; zero points are awarded to the loser. To determine the final standings after the end of one pool competition, teams will play the final competition in the form of single elimination.

Judo: Judo involves two individuals who, by gripping the Judo uniform or Judogi, use the forces of balance, power and movement to throw the opponent over. There is no kicking, punching or weapons involved. There are a total of eight weight categories for both Boys and Girls at the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games.

Modern Pentathalon: The Modern Pentathlon for the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games (Singapore 2010) consists of four of the five Modern Pentathlon disciplines: fencing, swimming, running and shooting. The fifth discipline, riding, will not be competed at Singapore 2010. Pentathletes achieve points in each discipline according to their performance.

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Rowing: For the regatta, crews or individuals race each other on the same course for positions, which then determine their progression to the final. The winning boat is declared when its bow ball, attached to the tip of the boat, crosses the finish line first.

Sailing: The Sailing competition at the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games comprises four medal events with Boys and Girls sailing in either the Byte CII boat (one person dinghy) or Techno 293 (windsurfing).

Shooting: A total of four events, the Men and Women Air Rifle and Air Pistol will be competed in for the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games. Shots are fired at a ten-ring target. The higher score is awarded when a shot touches the line between two zones. The shooter with the highest total score based on the addition of the qualification and finals score is the winner.

Table Tennis: In Table Tennis, a game is won by the player or pair who first scores 11 points. Should both sides score 10 points, the game shall be won by the first player or pair that subsequently gains a lead of 2 points. A player wins the match when he or she wins the number of games (three out of five or four out of seven).

Taekwondo: A martial art sport, involves the use of both hands and legs to overcome an opponent. The trademark of the sport is its combination of kick movements. Athletes will be competing in five weight categories per gender during the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games.

Tennis: A Tennis match is a game of endurance, quick-wittedness and precise execution. For the Singles competitions, all matches will be determined through the best of three tie-break sets. For the Doubles competitions, all matches will be determined by two tie-break sets and a match tie-break game (10 points) in place of a third set.

Triathlon: The Triathlon competition format for individual competitions includes a 750m swim in open water, a 20km cycle ride (three-lap course), and a 5km run (two-lap course). The 4 x Mixed Team Relay competition includes a 250m swim in open water, a 7km cycle ride (one-lap course), and a 1.7km run (one-lap course). The competitors’ official time includes the transition time between the individual legs of the race. The winner is the first athlete to complete the entire course.

Volleyball: Volleyball games are played to 25 points. The first team to score 25 points (and be two points ahead) will be awarded the set. Matches are determined through the best of five sets and the fifth set (if necessary) is usually played to 15 points.

Weight Lifting: The Men will compete in six bodyweight categories, while the Women will compete in five bodyweight categories. The combined results of the Snatch and the Clean & Jerk will produce the champion of each bodyweight category.

Wrestling: Wrestlers will be competing in the three Olympic wrestling styles during the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games: Greco-Roman, Men’s Freestyle and Women’s Freestyle. In Greco-Roman wrestling, the wrestler is forbidden to grasp the opponent below the waist, or to use the leg to trip or actively perform any action. In Men’s And Women’s Freestyle wrestling, however, it is permissible to grasp the legs, or to use the leg to trip or actively perform any action.

I’m looking forward to photographing as many of these sporting events as I possibly can with my International Olympic Committee Media Accreditation! Which events would you be interested in seeing images from? Only 68 days to go!!

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The city of Singapore will host the first ever Youth Olympic Games this coming August! Check out the winning bid video that the Singapore Youth Olympic Games 2010 bid team used to woo the International Olympic Committee, and sway their votes in Singapore’s favor against the other short-listed competing city, Moscow.

Watching this has raised my excitement to new levels! It promises to be an amazing inaugural event!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMJCjut7rVE

(source: http://www.singaporeyoutholympicgames.com)