Happy New Year ...The year of the Ox!

With the start of a new year I am now Vice President of PPABC
and sit on the Board as the Members Services Chair with Education
as one of my portfolios.This is pretty exciting as I love working with
new people and new photographers.So if you are looking for some
direction please feel free to get in touch with me and I will point you
in the right direction.Which at this point would be to the IMAGEQUEST '09
in Richmond this year March 1 - 3. If you want to watch the Print and Digital
Salon it is on Feb 28 at Langara so go early for lots of great info.
I will be looking forward to this year as well in my own Zone in the position of
Secretary while Debbie Malm takes over a Chair.Nice to see new people in place.
We have plans for some activities as a group so stay tuned for more on that!!
Our next get together will be in Vanderhoof May 9th at 5pm. Business meeting
followed by a photo session where we each take each others head shots for Promo!!
Sounds like fun so mark the date !
Have a great year everyone.

PPABC Interior Guest Speaker In Kamloops

Ian Bull and Brenda Hala,photographers in Vernon mentioned they were looking for a speaker

for their Oct.seminar and wondered if I would be interested. YOU BET.

I wrote a new Program just for them!

About 25 people came out for the day.My program was for both established professionals and those just starting out.We covered a few subjects: how to light in studio and on location,digital workflow, advertising & marketing ideas,travel photography and finished up with some time focusing on how salon images emerge. Bon Match was there with their wonderful products and sponsored the lunch! Thank you Rachel and Linda.

This seminar had an additional bonus with all the wonderful giveaways gathered up from Trades people. I even won one of the draws.

Thank you to Photo Expert for the Spyder Express 2 Moniter Kit!!

The drive to and from Kamloops was beautiful and the warmth & appreciation of those there was sincere,so thanks very much for the invitation.I'd come down again any time.

Summer Studies & Holidays Too!!

Pictured is Crooked Lake Resort and
my friends in Sherbrooke.Marc & Diane Bailey.

Well it has been a busy summer right from June.

I flew to Montreal and rented a car to drive 2 hours out to

spend a couple of days with new friends Marc and Diane Bailey in Sherbrooke.Thanks so much for

your lovely hospitality and knowledge.Hope your injuries

are healing quickly!!

I then drove to Hudson,just outside Montreal, to spend the next few days studying

with 2 of my idols in Canadian photography Louise and Joseph

Simone.Our days were spent learning so much about lighting,

posing and the physiognomy of the body.They are true masters

and I was honoured to have had this opportunity to learn from

them. When I returned I put into practice some of what I learned.

I will be adding more and more each month as there is so much to think about.

After the course was over I then met an old friend I had not seen for

26 years! Rene flew up from Newark to Montreal where we ate, drank,

talked and shopped for three days.It was marvelous..but we plan not to

make it so long till we meet again.

In July I joined many others enjoying a bit of a holiday.I was at a reunion in

North Vancouver and drove around the island visiting & staying with friends including Wayne

Kaulbach and Michelle Flemming. I was asked to photograph some friends new resort at

Crooked Lake (outside of 100 Milehouse) what a beautiful location but get ready for the dusty

road there.Well worth it though!

Now for August, another enjoyable month to come!!

KODAK EXCELLENCE IN PHOTOGRAPHY AWARD

PPABC President David Szabo

presenting me my Kodak Award.

Well, the 63rd PPABC Print Seminar and Convention was held here in Prince George May 25 - 28th

for the first time in 40 years. It was quite the accomplishment for the local photographers who worked so hard before during and after the event.Around 100 people gathered for 4 days of print competition and to listen to speakers on a variety of subjects.

The event was held

between the 4 Points Sheraton and Treasure Cove Casino.Both gave excellent service to all.

Several of my students from the Photography Class I teach at the University came out to work at the Print show.Many thanks in particular to Bobbi Carpino, Susie Crichton, Kelly Harris and Wayne Carlton. Other students came to the Tradeshow to see the vendors as well as the Print Salon Show which hung there Sunday night - Tuesday night.

There was a 50s "sockup",and a group photo with a vintage vehicle on the Monday night with one of our Northern Members playing with his life band.

During the awards night I prepared a tribute to PPABC members who have died (using ProProducer Slideshow) and not a dry eye was in the house. There were 10 finalists for the Photographer of the Year including Me !!!The winner was Tracey Harper of Victoria. 4 of us from the North did pick up trophies and awards though including myself.I got honourable mentions for both the Pictorial and Press Categories but received the Kodak Award of Excellence for the Digital/Electronic Category for "To Each His Own" an image I photographed in Beijing China in the Forbidden City of people sitting on a bench.

All the hard work paid off.Now back to real work!!

Celebrating Midwifes

Maternity and newborns are one of the main focuses of our studio.

So when a local registered midwife called and asked if I would be interested in hanging my work in her new clinic I was delighted. Jane Hedges and Judy DeFrietas

opened the Northern Midwifery Care here in Prince George together and are more than busy with their practice.

I went through to see if some of their clients had their maternity or newborn session with our studio in the past and then included my work of my previous clients.With their each of their

permission to display their images, Jane and I next looked at what would work for their for space. I wanted it clean and simple. I kept most of them 16x20 and b&w, with the exception of a couple.

Now, here in May the Midwifes celebrate International Midwife Day (May 5th)

and I am so glad that I got to be apart of their world as they do amazing work enpowering

women. Congratulations on your new Clinic Jane and Judy ! Thanks for the opportunity you gave me to show how wonderful maternity and newborn imagery is.

HOMESHOW 2008

Well, I have skipped a little to a couple weeks later..as it has been a busy time!

I had a great time in Ontario and will talk about the speakers in another blog..

but I came back to Prince George and started the final semster for the University

of Northern British Columbia in Photography.This section is the "Business of Photography"

and we have 13 people in the class.9 are returning students who have been studying since

Sept.There is some great up and coming talent in Prince George and area.To find out more

about the classes contact Kim at the Continuing Education Program so unbc.ca>Information About>Contining Education>Photography.Rumor has it there is a waitlist already for the

Sept.course already.Limited to a class of 12 only.If you are a student at the university it is

also a credit course!! So that began on April 23 and goes for 10 weeks.

Then the Prince George Homeshow came along a couple days later! I did say busy!

3 days of meeting old and new clients was also of fun as we were also raising money for the

Pediatric Wing at the hospital for the playroom they are trying to enclose for the children's

floor. We had a 60" framed canvas up for grabs..at $20 ticket with a percentage going to the

hospital.It is the landscape of the Boyne Valley in Ireland - full of the greens of Ireland!

The winner was drawn by Hanna my daughter at 5pm and she and I drove to their home a few minutes later and presented it to "Nick Veeken". He was the last person to enter the draw..and sure was surprised to win!We really did stir those tickets up and around so thanks to all of you who supported us and the hospital.All of you are winners.