Banff National Park - Johnston Canyon

Well, we couldn't have picked a more perfect morning to go hiking through Johnston Canyon.  We managed to jump on the trail around 9:45/10am to avoid some of the tour groups (it's a very popular site, so plan ahead when visiting) and ensure we got some great views unobstructed.  While it was still a tad busy, everyone took their time with the very icy trail, as many people did not bring ice cleats. The views of the canyon were spectacular, and eventually made our way to the lower falls.

After another mile or so uphill, we ended up at the upper falls of the canyon.  There was of course already a good crowd forming at the top of the canyon.  Since I wanted to get a little close to the falls, I decided to hike down the side of the rock face (out of sight) and walk on the ice itself.  The views were breathtaking!

(Tried to climb in behind the falls for a shot, but did not want to risk breaking the ice and falling through)

So on our drive home from the hike, we managed to stumble across a large group of sheep, grazing in and around the highway.  There were so many, you couldn't help but stop to let them cross the road.  What a better excuse to snap a few pictures as they ran by!

Hope you enjoyed!  I still have plenty of shot to go through and edit, so check back soon!  Thanks.

Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary

So I had a rather unusual adventure on this glorious day in February.  Despite a little bit of drizzle towards the beginning of the day, I took my girlfriend Allison to the Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary, located just outside Cochrane, AB along highway 1A.

While thinking that the facility was going to be rather small, I was surprised to know that each of the 6 pens had a large space for a select few wolf dogs to interact with each other.  There was approximately 2-4 per pen, and also had large wooded areas for the animals to hide.  A trait I did not know about high content (aka the amount of wolf in the select animal) wolf dogs is the lack of aggressiveness they show towards humans.

When visiting inside the pen(s), we were told that the animals would not confront us unless we were in a relaxed environment.  That meant for the group of us (approximately 8 people) had to sit in chairs, and hold some small treats out for the animals.  It was definitely a trust factor having them sniff and lick your face.  But soon enough, they were all very inviting and friendly.  I mean, how could you not when you have a handful of treats for them?  Haha

So I hope you enjoy the photos.  We sure did.  And be sure to visit the sanctuary (click on link for info) in the future if you get the chance.  It's a pretty surreal experience to be that close to a high content wolf.

 

Suicide Girls' Blackheart Burlesque @ Phoenix Concert Hall (April 16th, 2015)

So, where do I begin with this new blog post and event?  Well, let's just start things off with a simple satisfaction that an international modeling agency gave me a shot at promoting both my own skills (thanks Alex!) and the skills of their girls as they performed that 2015 edition of Suicide Girls' Blackheart Burlesque show.

Kicking off at around 9pm at at Phoenix Concert Hall, I already made a fatal flaw by showing up the the event late.  Going off what the event times said was a bad idea, and I ended up rolling into the show about 30 mins after they had started!  Kind of a bummer but still willing to get up there and snap a few shots.

The house was already about 1/2 packed, if not more for when the SG took the stage.  As you could assume by that number, the front of the house was pretty packed and made it rather difficult to secure a decent shooting spot, especially since a main goal of the Blackheart Burlesque shows are to gain as much social media exposure as they can (aka EVERYONE is encouraged to snap photos and video).

Nonetheless, I found a couple good spots throughout the night as I moved around the venue.  Thankfully, I had my girlfriend and another couple at the show with me so I didn't have to lug around a camera bag all night.  It also helped when shooting so the extra weight doesn't mess with your judgement.

The one plus/minus about the show was the same songs and performances from the 2014 edition.  It was nice to have an idea of what they were going to perform, but made it a little bit of a dud for others who have been to the show before.  Regardless, it was still great time for the 4 of us to get together, have a couple drinks, and experience something we don't usually see everyday.



For specifics on the shooting part, I was using my Nikon D3100 body with a 70-300mm zoom lens.  The actions and lighting made a few shots out of focus, but I was able to correct it for some artistic value.  While very similar to the aesthetics of a concert, the new variable for myself that evening was gaining the right poses during the performance to showcase the best side of the ladies (not that they needed a 'best side' anyways).



For those wondering what themes were present for the show, there were all kind of props from shows/movies such as Game of Thrones, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Walking Dead,  The Little Mermaid, Michael Jackson's Thriller, Star Wars, and more!
 

Wovenwar, Nothing More, and Periphery @ The Opera House (Feb 6th, 2015)

What a great show overall for both the bands and onlookers.  While I was happy to secure a photo pass (thanks to Adrenaline PR) for the show, I was equally excited to hear Wovenwar & Nothing More for the first time.  I've got a few Periphery shows under my belt but was also eager to hear some of the new material from their double album "Juggernaut".

So the first band of the evening was Thank You Scientist.  While they were both intriguing and entertaining,  did not have enough battery life (and space) to shoot these guys.  Better luck next time.  Then moving onto the former members of As I Lay Dying.  With the addition of new singer Shane Blay, the group changed it's name to Wovenwar and releases their debut album in 2014.  Check out the shots below.

Wovenwar

Other than some hiccups with the sound leveling, it was a great performance.  And you can tell I have been listening to their album for some time now since I was singing along to almost every song. haha

Then we move onto the guys who brought "energy" to a whole new level.  Based out of Texas, the four piece group has been signed to Eleven Seven Records for five albums.  I guess the label thought these guys were worth holding onto for some time.  And it paid off!  Their debut album was a great success and the guys put on one hell of a show.  They brought all the bells and whistles.  There were drum solos, group bass sessions, and even welded their own equipment together for cinematic effect.  Damn!

Nothing More

Then we get to the main course of the evening.  Periphery is no stranger to Toronto and being this is this third full length album, the crowd was ecstatic when the lights went out and the rumblings of the bass tones started to shake the floor.  It's pretty easy to be a deer in the headlights with these guys.  Three guitarists (all seven string), a beefy low end bass sound (and also their producer), a vocalist hitting notes that will make your scratch your ears, and brought together by a madman drummer who makes the hardest of licks seem like the easiest of notes.

These guys have definitely made their mark on the music world.  With any luck, they'll continue to pump out quality albums and become a regular touring staple of North America.

Periphery

*** I wanted to give a quick shout out (if you happen to be reading this) to all who made my evening smooth and headache free.  Thanks to Natalie of Adrenaline PR, Jeanette LeBlanc of The Heavy Press, the ladies from Live Nation working the front door (making my entry possible), the coat check ladies at The Opera House (for holding my camera gear and allowing me to enjoy the show after shooting), and the bands for being photogenic and also approachable after the show!

*** For this show, I used a Nikon D3100 body, a Lexar Platinum II 16GB SDHC Class 10 UHS-I Memory Card, a AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR lens, and a big smile!