Almost a year ago I visited Corvus Casting for the first time. Ryan Corvus, the owner and operator makes things the old-fashioned way. The very very old-fashioned way. But that doesn’t mean any of it comes simply. Ryan has been casting and making things out of metal since he was a teenager, at the time learning from an old master of the past. He tells me, “If I need a piece of wire, I don’t go out the hardware store to pick one up. I make one.”

These are stills from the Rich Hope music video “I See Trouble,” filmed and directed by Aaron. This shoot was rife with adrenaline and organized chaos, with an old black Volvo awaiting destruction (which we later had to drive home), and a weapon wielding motorcycle gang. There’s only one chance to capture these kinds of moments. Glass and car parts were flying as the gang descended on the car. Yes, that is real blood. Halfway through I remembered my purse was in the backseat of the Volvo. After the shoot was over I retrieved my glass filled ladies clutch, a memento for a day of creativity and destruction.

Rich Hope rocks hard. He rocks until he crashes to the floor in a pile of sweat and exhaustion. He is one of the most engaging, passionate performers I have ever seen. Check out his website here.

Quirky Elephant was an installation project for Pacific Centre, directed by designer Desmond Wong. See the whole story here. I photographed him in the workshop, and a few days later for the setup at Pacific Centre.

These photos were taken during a street photography course I attended at Emily Carr. The challenge was to take a photo that captures a moment, a natural expression or a gesture. As in portrait photography, half the task is in making the subject feel comfortable in front of the lens, while still controlling the technicalities of the photo. In street photography, this challenge is exaggerated. One must work with spontaneity and decisiveness. This has proven to be a great way of connecting with people and having many interesting conversations. 
That said, beware! During this shoot I had a man ask if I would take his photo in the back alley… No thanks.

This is a hand-made film from 2009, for the Bicycle Film Festival. I wouldn’t often use the word “painstaking”, but developing a film by hand and doing an assembly on a reel to reel Steinbeck is simply painstaking. Especially in comparison to the instantaneous delivery of a digital camera. On the developing alone I spent 13 hours, so this is a film perhaps best appreciated by film nerds, in spite of all it’s shaky camera work. It gives special attention to hand-made processes, combining the art of making bikes, music, food, and films.

View more photos and the entire film below!

My time in Syria was full of adventure, emotion and color. While there I volunteered for the UNHCR and saw firsthand the strength and courage of both Syrians and the Iraqi refugees taking shelter there. I visited the UNHCR medical clinics, schools, centers, and camps and helped advocate for the post-secondary education of Iraqi refugees. The people I met were vibrant and passionate, and conversations were always animated.