I take pictures

Rob Ford Dances

2012-01-02T17:16:00.000-05:00

Mayor Rob Ford and Councillor Michelle Berardinetti dancing in the Nutcracker (shot for the Globe and Mail).

Imposter Syndrome

2011-11-25T11:00:00.000-05:00

Sherry Cooper is the Executive Vice-President and Chief Economist of BMO Financial Group.

Look at that title. That is a big job. You don't get it by simply being in the right place at the right time.

BMO doesn't recruit its Chief Economists from the street. You need to be incredibly intelligent and educated. You need to be ambitious. You need to put in time to climb the corporate ladder.

Still, Cooper suffers from "imposter syndrome" - a phenomenon where she feels like an imposter in her job, like any moment someone will come along and reveal her as a fake, that she somehow just stumbled into her high powered job though a combination of sheer luck and good timing.

She feels like an imposter despite the fact that she's a published author, has a PhD, a bagillion (yes, that many) awards to her name and a crazy powerful job.

I confess, sometimes I feel like that as a photographer. I think that's a good thing though because it means that I recognize that I've barely scratched the surface of this gig and that I know that I'll always have a lot to learn, no matter what crazy job title I have.

Any others suffering from imposter syndrome out there?

Mash Up

2011-11-22T11:00:00.000-05:00

I've not been feeling super awesome for the last few weeks so I haven't been a very good blogger. Here are a bunch of editorial portraits that I'm sharing with you since I've been putting off posting these for too long.

I'd really hoped to do a single entry on each of the people in the portraits since they all have a great story to share but I'm just going to have to admit that it's not going to happen. So here they are, all mashed up together.

One great thing about my job is that I consistently meet amazing people with incredible stories. Below you'll find images of a portfolio manager, Canada's first MP of Tamil-descent elected to the House of Commons, a violinist with the TSO, a woman who sells insurance on law cases, an educator who founded her own school, an aboriginal actor and choreographer, a rabbi who was lovely and charismatic and made me want to become Jewish just so that I could attend his synagogue, a business owner in Richmond Hill and a woman who found out that her husband had sexually assaulted two women in her house while she was away. The range of their stories is simply astonishing.

I will never get over the variety of people my job brings me in contact with. It's amazing and I love that everyone has a story to shrare.

Kenojuak Ashevak

2011-11-18T23:40:00.000-05:00

Inuit artist Kenojuak Ashevak is one tough broad.

I photographed Kenojuak in Yorkville during a show of her nephew's art. She is 84-years-old and I watched her smoke at least one pack of cigarettes in the three hours I was there.

Now, I don't want to condone smoking, but this lady looked so badass doing it. She made smoking cool.

Besides, she needed a smoke. Kenojuak is a celebrity in the art world. So of course everyone wants to talk to her, but she doesn't speak English. Her daughter translates but after a while I can only imagine that it gets pretty exhausting so every once in a while she would hobble outside on her cane for a few smokes.

Despite trying to hide away, eventually a small half circle of people would form around her, yelling very loudly (dude, she doesn't speak English - her hearing is fine) and posing for photos with her. Still, she seemed completely unphased by it.

For me, as a photographer it was great. She was a natural and when I asked if it was ok to photograph her, her daughter said to photograph whatever I wanted. She pretty much just ignored me.

For her, as a person, I don't know what she makes of it. I mean come on, at some point she must be thinking, "I'm 84, just let me smoke my cigarettes in peace. Stop yelling at me in gibberish." No?

Antonio Banderas

2011-10-25T18:06:00.000-04:00

Whad up Antonio Banderas?

You sure were a pleasant subject to photograph during TIFF.

Two thumbs up.

Toronto Fashion Week

2011-10-17T22:47:00.003-04:00

While waiting in line for my Toronto Fashion Week media pass I quickly realized I was not appropriately dressed. Jeans, a white t-shirt and high-top purple Converse aren't exactly cutting-edge fashion. Instead, it seemed everyone was wearing fuzzy vests and leopardskin booties.

Ok, so time for a small photo rant.

While shooting tonight I watched lots of people take crazy amounts of (what I can only assume are terrible) photos on their phones or point-and-shoot cameras instead of actually WATCHING the show. I spend the whole show behind my camera but I only do that because I have to. It's my job.

I photograph a fair amount of big events and I see this happen a lot - members of the public experiencing entire events behind their camera/phone. It baffles me.

I can only assume people do this so they can post images on facebook, Twitter or their blog to make everyone jealous of their lives. So fine, take a pic, post it and then simply absorb the rest of the show. Instead, people sit there snapping away, puzzled why none of their photos are working, and then (I can only imagine the thought process) thinking that they just need to try harder or take more photos to miraculously produce something great.

It just seems like such a waste since - and this is going to sound snarky - their photos are so bad. You know you've seen it - the facebook albums filled crappy, grainy, blurry photos taken from so far away that you don't really know what the pictures are of.

Taking photos is hard, especially when light is dim, people are moving and you're trying to use your Blackberry. So just stop. Live life. Watch the event that is happening before you. Or get a decent camera and take some classes.

To be more specific about what upsets me about these phone-shooters, is that some of them like to shove their phone into my shots. Tonight they didn't even try to avoid getting into my frame. This is hugely frustrating while I'm working.

Now I understand that I don't have a monopoly on picture taking but if you want to take your crappy pictures rather than living your life then please stay out of the way of people trying to do their jobs.

Mainly though, please just watch the event. Stop trying to document every single moment. Experience it. It's your life.

Kevin O'Leary - The Mean Dragon?

2011-10-14T10:00:00.000-04:00

I was a little nervous about photographing Kevin O'Leary, the business tycoon and television personality best known as the "mean Dragon" from CBC's Dragon's Den.

I had just come off of a weekend of 2 minute portraits with celebrities at TIFF and I was tired of prickly star handlers who were generally rude and I just assumed (unfairly) that the shoot with O'Leary would be more of the same.

So I was pleasantly surprised when O'Leary graciously gave me a great deal of his time. An avid photographer himself, who originally wanted to be a professional shooter but was told there was no money in it (good call Kevin!), he was excited to show off his vintage Leica and Hasselblad. When questioned about the row of guitars hanging on the wall of his new Yorkville apartment, he picked one up and played it. I was surprised at how friendly he was.

All this being said, my impression of O'Leary was recently changed for the worse when I saw him on a clip making the rounds on the internet where he calls a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist involved in the Occupy Wall Street protests a "left-wing nutbar" for no apparent reason. I respect his right to have a differing opinion, but nothing was served by him resorting to name calling. So unfortunately he will once again be the "mean Dragon" in my books.

Minor Hockey

2011-10-13T17:57:00.009-04:00

Hockey has been under a lot of scrutiny lately - from headshots, to Sidney Crosby's concussion, to NHL player suicides - and this has begun to spill over into the minor leagues.

I spent some time shooting local GTHL games for the Globe and Mail and it was nice to be back at the rink since, as a player myself, I spent most of my childhood at the arena. There was something strangely comforting about being in the stands during a game.

The GTHL had just introduced new headshot rules and it was clear that the fans, coaches and players were not happy. The refs were calling everything and the penalty boxes were filling up.

Personally I think it's important for safety and it's only a matter of time before everyone adjusts and the pace of the game picks back up but not everyone agrees. I listened to some call-in shows on CBC and many felt that it was ruining the flow of the game. This shocked me since it's about their children's safety and after all it's just a game, right?

Rest in Peace Jack Layton

2011-08-22T17:14:00.004-04:00

My job as a photographer brings me in touch with some pretty interesting people and I'm lucky to have met Jack Layton and his wife Olivia Chow at a number of events over the years.

Still, I'll never forget photographing Jack at a run to fight prostate cancer in the spring of 2010. Fresh on the mend from his own fight against cancer, Jack proudly lead the procession of runners - some prostate cancer survivors themselves, others who had lost a family member - out to the starting line.

I spoke to him briefly before the race began and he was absolutely lovely and told me that his health had never been better. I can recall thinking how fortunate he must have felt to have beat the cancer and to be there that morning to provide encouragement and support. You could see that he was beaming.

This morning I was shocked when I heard about Jack's death. I had just assumed that he would beat this round of cancer as well.

What struck me most though was that in the last few days of his life, when he was no doubt tired and sick, he still found time to write a beautiful letter to provide hope to those suffering from cancer, to his party and to Canadians. I cannot imagine how he found a reserve of strength to do this. It certainly takes a man with a huge heart to provide hope to so many when you know that hope has run out for you.

I loved the timeless closing of his beautiful letter. I'm quite certain that it will be a quote that will be often repeated.

‎"Love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world." - Jack Layton

Danny and Ian Hitched

2011-08-21T15:11:00.007-04:00

My friends Ian and Danny got married yesterday and they didn't have an official photographer so I took a few shots during the day.

Congrats to you both. May you have a long and happy marriage!

Seneca students share their visions for the future of Toronto

2011-08-09T10:44:00.000-04:00

Seneca post-graduate students spoke outside City Hall to share their visions for the future of Toronto with mayor Rob Ford. While Ford didn't show up, that didn't stop students from talking about varied topics such as volunteerism, a Toronto Sales Tax, a Toronto NFL team and urban farming.

The students were pretty idealistic - if not always accurate in attributing their quotes -but very passionate, which made for a fun shoot.

Tai Chi in the Park

2011-08-07T22:33:00.008-04:00

I took photos of Tai Chi in the park for an assignment for the Globe when it must have been about 2 billion degrees outside.

These guys didn't even flinch. They were so absorbed in their Tai Chi, taught by Ali, that they just serenely went about their business, sweating peacefully.

A seriously dog-friendly office

2011-08-04T13:38:00.004-04:00

It's an office full of dogs over at Softchoice, which I photographed for the Globe and Mail's the Amazing Space multimedia feature.

Check out the rest of the photos here on the Globe and Mail's site.

More Matt

2011-07-16T14:58:00.002-04:00

This is Matt.

He's working in our dining room.

Sometimes he lets me take his photo (he ignores me while I do it, like a good documentary subject).

I bought more art!

2011-07-15T18:32:00.000-04:00

I'm a big fan of 20 X 200 and now own a few images from the site. As a new homeowner it's nice to have some beautiful art from some incredibly talented photographers that doesn't break the bank.

So I was especially excited when I heard that 20 X 200 was selling images produced by Magnum photographer Paul Fusco that were shot from RFK's funeral train. All proceeds from the sale of this edition directly benefit the Magnum Foundation's Legacy Program, which is dedicated to preserving and making accessible materials related to the history of Magnum Photos.

The story behind the images is interesting. On June 6, 1968, while campaigning to be president, Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated. Two days later, his casket was placed on a special train bound for Arlington National Cemetery. The trip should have taken hours instead took all day, as thousands lined the track in a spontaneous outpouring of grief.

Fusco was the only journalist on the train, shooting for Look magazine, and took more than a thousand pictures from his window, many of which weren't seen by the public until 40 years later.

I purchased two 8X10 limited edition prints and am happy to own something by a Magnum photographer (something usually well beyond my means) of such an important part of American history, all while supporting a great cause.

All of the 8X10 prints are sold out but there are still other sizes available here.

Welcome to Thornfield

2011-07-12T10:05:00.002-04:00

My friend Teresa's husband grew up in Uxbridge on a beautiful historic 50 acre property called Thornfield Hall. It's a beautiful sprawling space with a grand house, a pool, a few smaller structures and old barns on the property. Quite simply, it's stunning.

Since all four of the kids have flown the nest, his parents decided to sell the property and move to what sounds like an equally beautiful property (on the water!). So in a bid to say farewell to the space, the people and the neighbourhood, his parents hosted a small party and his children decided it would be a nice gift to have some photos of the property and the family taken to remember it by.

They couldn't have picked a more beautiful day for a party. It was sunny but cool with a light breeze and everyone, including Teresa's twins, enjoyed the day.

The family themselves seemed straight from a catalogue - all beautiful, lovely and casual in front of the camera. It was a wonderful shoot. There was so much to see and by the end of the evening the light was beautiful. I could have shot there forever.

Rose and Mike Engagement

2011-07-10T17:17:00.011-04:00

It's been a few months since I shot Rose and Mike's engagement and I just haven't gotten around to posting about it.

As a photojournalist, I usually shoot for editorial or corporate clients but recently I've been taking on the occasional portrait, engagement or wedding for a friend just to try my hand at something different.

Rose and Mike came dressed perfectly for their shoot along with Mike's son (and soon-to-be stepson of Rose's). Lots of fun bold bright colours that went together but didn't make them all "matchy-matchy" or too over the top. They were a stellar example of how to dress for a shoot.

Congrats to Rose and Mike on their upcoming marriage in August.

Spartan Race

2011-07-03T10:04:00.002-04:00

People are so crazy.

This was confirmed for me when I photographed the Spartan Race. It's a race that involves running a 5km circuit, broken up by various obstacles, including slithering through mud and ice under barbed wire, running through fire and water, dragging/carrying heavy things up and down large hills, climbing over tall things, throwing spears and being attacked by strangers with large padded sticks.

Also, the entire course is a surprise. You have no idea what it's going to entail until you actually run it. You can't even train for it.

Why you would want to pay to do something that causes you to bleed, I certainly don't understand, but it was a lot of fun to shoot.

I will say this - this assignment kicked MY ass. I essentially had to run the course myself twice and returned home with a rash on my legs (poison ivy?!?), an eye swollen shut (allergic to something), sweaty (run, run, run to get the picture) and covered in mud.

Sustainable Farming

2011-07-01T10:45:00.000-04:00

Some days my job is just too good.

I spent the afternoon driving to a farm in Grimsby to spend the afternoon photographing on a farm.

The sun was shining, the drive was beautiful and I was getting paid to take photos. Days like this I think I'm the luckiest person in the world.

Lori Stahlbrand is the President and Founder of Local Food Plus. The non-profit organization certifies farmers and producers based on criteria created by the organization to reflect sustainability, local food, humane treatment of animals and staff and environmental standards. Duncan Smith is one of those certified farmers.

Smith, the farmer at Two Century Farm in Grimsby showed me around his farm - from the cherry trees, to the just-barely growing peaches, to the sprouting tomato plants. Then his daughter sent me home with fresh roses from their garden.

Doesn't get much better than that.

Rightsleeve - The Amazing Space

2011-06-15T10:01:00.000-04:00

I absolutely adore shooting these office spaces for the Globe's feature "The Amazing Space". The most recent one was Rightsleeve and it features Jack, their VP of Customer Service.

Check out the entire feature with all my photos on the Globe and Mail's site.

Macular Degeneration

2011-06-13T16:47:00.003-04:00

Jan Ross is a healthy 72-year-old, except she has macular degeneration, a condition that slowly causes deterioration of her vision. She was really sweet when she invited me in to her house for photos - pretty shy about the idea that anyone would want to pay attention to her story. It was a nice shoot.

Totally unrelated to the piece, Ross' apartment was super cute with some awesome mid-century modern furniture. I was eyeing her table and chairs.

David Dunlap Observatory

2011-06-07T22:06:00.009-04:00

The people of Richmond Hill don't want more suburban housing, they want to preserve their now dwindling green space - at least that's what Karen Cievitz believes. She's part of a group defending the 100-acre David Dunlap Observatory property, which is currently slated to be turned into housing.

Yay! More suburban housing! Urban sprawl! Wicked!!! (I grew up in the suburbs so I'm allowed to be sarcastic on this subject.)

Yes, I know that the actual observatory isn't in the picture. It's deep in the woods, on private property, and can't be seen from the public space. This screwed me up a bit when I arrived since I imagined that the iconic observatory would be in the photo somewhere, but as I'm finding, we can't always get what we want.

Still, Karen was an eager subject and it was nice to take some time to walk around the park to learn about the space. It is a beautiful - and rare - space. I hope they find some way to preserve it.

Fruits and Veggies in a Suitcase!

2011-06-01T10:00:00.000-04:00

I recently took these pictures of fruits and vegetables in a suitcase (and not in a suitcase) to accompany a story on how we don't always know where our food has come from (hence the suitcase). It felt a little weird wandering around the newsroom with a suitcase and a two bags of veggies but it was certainly a fun shoot.

Gardening

2011-05-30T14:11:00.000-04:00

Remember when it was sunny over the long weekend for like 5 minutes?

Yeah, well I spent a few of those glorious moments thanking the gods that it was my job to be outside taking photos of the plant-feeding-frenzy-orgy-that-is-the-May-long-weekend at the Sheridan nursery.

Apparently the May long weekend is the busiest weekend of the year for the nurseries. Who knew that it was the Christmas of gardening?

People fighting over plants, soil and tools. It was crazy at the Sheridan nursery. But I was outside taking pictures - and getting paid! - so there's nothing better than that.

(Except for the parking ticket, which is the worst.)

Nadege

2011-05-10T16:39:00.002-04:00

I love my job.

If you haven't eaten some of the yummy pastries at Nadege, please go asap. You can go to their location on Queen West just east of Trinity Bellwoods park or to their new Summerhill location on Yonge (just south of the LCBO on the East side of Yonge) that opens on May 12th.

Nadege is delicious and the store is pretty too.

Wanna know a secret? Sometimes when I'm alone I think about their pastries. This happens a lot.

Colin Egglesfield

2011-05-09T10:00:00.003-04:00

Colin Egglesfield is turning into a movie star. At least that's what I'm told. He's in a new movie called Something Borrowed but since I'm pretty much a 12-year-old boy I didn't know what it was until I googled him.

(It's a romantic comedy by the way.)

I spent all my time getting set up in one room, only to be told at the last second that I would actually be photographing somewhere else (wicked, love when that happens) oh and yeah, "you have five minutes."

I will say this though - I love shooting celebrities only for the fact that they know how to move in front of a camera. No awkward, weird faces, they never ask "why do you want me to do that?" and you don't have to give them a ton of direction.

Sadly, most of the time with normal people I spend the first five minutes of a shoot trying to undo their strange impulses when being photographed (which normally include wanting to stand against a wall, under a sign or holding whatever it is they want to promote, putting their arm around their buddy like it's a facebook photo or staring at me awkwardly like they're being executed).

An assignment causes me to reflect

2011-05-02T10:05:00.001-04:00

I photographed Hadia Akhtar on her last day in Toronto. She had just graduated from university and was boarding a flight that evening to Camroon (!!) for a six month internship. Hadia was nonchalant about it but I could tell she was excited.

Hearing about the trip I was excited for her and couldn't help but remember my last day of university. I was exhausted from four years in class and couldn't wait for what was next.

Then I stopped and realized that I had graduated from university just over a decade ago.

One. Decade. Ago.

Instead of being upset about the passage of time, it was actually nice to stop and reflect on how much has happened in my life since graduating. I realized that my last decade looked like this:

0 - 5: Traveled Western Europe, moved to Toronto, started a career in PR, went back to school part-time for three years while working full-time, moved way up the corporate ladder through seven promotions and travelled to Thailand, Ecuador, Peru, the Czech Republic and Hungary.

5 - 10: Quit successful career to backpack solo for eight months through Japan, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, India, Tibet and China, made decision to change career and become a photojournalist, moved to Victoria for photo school, worked as a photojournalist in Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Ottawa and Toronto, traveled to Uganda and Tanzania as a photojournalist, fell in love with Matt who is the most incredible guy ever (easily the most important thing that has happened in my life), drove across Canada in a 1970s convertible with Matt, traveled to Hong Kong, LA, Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, fulfilled dream of having a photo (and more than one!) published in the Globe and Mail, fulfilled dream of a front page of the Globe and Mail, started a successful photography business and bought a house with Matt.

When I graduated I had no idea that ten years later I would have fallen in love with the most incredible person I have ever met, seen the world and be living my dream of being a photojournalist. I am the luckiest gal in the world.

...and my job made me remember this.

I now know too much about recycling

2011-04-26T13:23:00.000-04:00

I spent the morning with the folks at Tremco for a piece on green solutions. Tremco makes sealants and waterproofing products and they've decided to make zero waste go to landfill for their manufacturing. So they're recycling everything - wood, metal, plastics and cardboard.

The shoot was a little tricky given that I had to shoot while wearing security glasses at the same time as my glasses - they insisted I wear them. There were also a number of space constraints since there were only so many "safe" places to stand and photograph. Finally, let's be honest here, there's only so much that actually needs to be recycled that I could photograph.

It took a bit to get everyone to stop looking at me as they threw their recycling into the bins or piles (what's with this impulse?! just be natural, pretend like I'm not here!!), despite telling everyone several times to just do their thing and try to ignore me. Their PR person must have gotten them all worked up to pose, which was slightly frustrating, but they eventually figured it all out.

We had a long chat about recycling and while I do enjoy learning new things, I'm afraid I know way more than I ever really wanted to know.

My Matt

2011-04-24T12:41:00.000-04:00

We get pretty light in our living room and sometimes it hits my favourite subject, Matt, just right.

Raising Money For Cancer

2011-04-23T09:00:00.000-04:00

I felt terrible when I arrived at the Mennard house for their shoot. Mark, in grade 7, had just lost his grandmother to cancer and his mother Judy had recently been diagnosed with breast cancer.

Instead of wallowing, which would have been understandable, Mark decided to do something positive. He's organizing a fundraising event called "Minor Hockey Fights Cancer".

Sometimes these shoots can be difficult because you can feel intrusive when a family's going through a difficult time but the Mennard family was extremely upbeat and friendly. This was especially notable considering that our photo shoot had ruined plans for a nice family night out for dinner (that had already been rescheduled once) and Mark was hobbling around with a cast on his leg.

Mark was polite, but not shy, and relaxed in front of the camera, which made it a great shoot. He showed me some stellar ball hockey skills - his cast didn't seem to be holding him back at all.

And just for the record - I did NOT force Mark to go out and play ball hockey with his cast for the shoot. He's the one who suggested it. I'm not heartless.

Easter

2011-04-21T22:17:00.009-04:00

I spent the night photographing mass, the evening before Good Friday, in Little Italy.

There was some confusion since I had been told people would be dressed up in preparation for the big Good Friday parade taking place the next day. There was supposed to be a Jesus, a cross, horses and Roman soldiers but I didn't get any of that.

Instead, I tried to figure out the game plan for how mass rolls out so that I could anticipate where to stand to get shots I wanted. Unfortunately asking how the ceremony unfolds only provoked awkward questions like, "How don't you know how it works?" which forced me to explain that I was not Catholic. This caused much anxiety among the congregation members, who all seemed to suddenly developed super sonic hearing and immediately ran over to bombard me with questions.

"Are you Anglican? Baptist? Jewish?"

Not wanting to get into a gigantic discussion about my faith (or lack thereof) I just smiled politely, laughed like I was a giant idiot and immediately changed the topic by blurting out, "I cheer for the Italian team during the World Cup!" Where did that come from?!?!?

Most awkward change of topic ever.

Still, this made everyone happy and I was allowed to slink away, feeling shame that I had lied - in a church on the eve of their most important religious holiday no less.

Since I didn't get an answer about the roll out, this meant that I was constantly standing in the wrong place during the ceremony, occasionally provoking small facial ticks on the priest's face, which were directed at me to indicate, "There are people coming down the aisle behind you!" or "Move a little to the left so that I can walk down the aisle now!"

On the way out of the church he smiled and joked with me, asking where his commission was for the shoot. I was relieved. Obviously I didn't offend anyone.

My greatest fear while shooting is to suddenly draw attention to myself in a way that causes the event I'm shooting to grind to a halt. So far I have been lucky. No giant gaffes in public yet.

I Love Rewards

2011-04-05T11:27:00.007-04:00

I spent the morning at the gorgeous offices of I Love Rewards as part of the Globe and Mail's new feature, The Amazing Space. Below are a few images from the shoot.

Check out the full piece that includes all the photos and an interview in a slideshow format on Globe and Mail's site.

20 X 200

2011-03-26T18:35:00.011-04:00

Photography is beautiful. Photography can also be quite expensive. That's why I am in love with Jen Beckman's website 20 X 200. Their mission is simple - make art affordable for everyone.

Via the 20X200 website, they introduce at least two new editions a week: one photo and one work on paper, and offer limited editions of the work in a few different sizes (depending on the image). Most pieces offer:

- 200 copies of the 8" X 10" image at $20
- 500 copies of the 11"x14" image at $50
- 20 copies of the 16 "x 20" image at $200

For some prints they also offer larger images (around $500 - $2000) in a series of 10 or 2.

Every single print is delivered with a numbered certificate of authenticity that is signed by the artist, the artist's bio and statement, and instructions for caring for your print.

My boyfriend got me this 11" X 14" of VII photographer Don Weber's print for my birthday two years ago:

We also bought this 11" X 14" of Alex Brown's Sad Vader.

Today I just purchased this 11" X 14" piece by Christian Chaize:

I also dream of these images (sometimes I "visit" them on the internet):

Mike Sinclair's beauty pic of fireworks

Joseph O Holmes' taxi print

Mike Sinclair's beautiful Nevada lights

Jeremy Kohm's amusement park stunner

Until the end of March they have a March Madness sale going on where everyday they're selling one 11" X 14" image for $30 until 5 pm. Check in on their website, on facebook or on twitter for more information.

Toronto Complaints Choir

2011-03-19T19:19:00.001-04:00

The Complaints Choir started in the UK (via Helsinki) and provided a musical platform for people to vent their complaints and have those complaints turned into a song.

Toronto is the latest city to solicit complaints from its citizens to turn into song. Some complaints included, "Crappy jazz music in Starbucks.", "Why can I never find the matching sock?" and "Uggs are hideous and 90% of women at my university wear them."

I photographed the Choir rehearsing at Harbourfront Centre. From what little I heard of their rehearsal, I can say that their performance is certainly going to be funny.

Concert Outtakes

2011-03-11T19:33:00.001-05:00

I've shot quite a few concerts over the last few months but keep forgetting to post pics. So here's a handful for you to enjoy.

Leo Redbone

Sufjan Stevens

Aloe Blacc

Hey Rosetta!

Grinderman

The Dears

2011-03-10T18:02:00.003-05:00

Often my photo subjects are busy, important people. As much as I'm sure they'd like to get to know me, they usually have a meeting they have to be to or another journalist to meet with, so I can't really blame them for rushing off.

Still, sometimes I wish they could sit and chat, even for a few seconds, just so I would know that they acknowledged me as a human and not just another thing to check off their "List of Things To Do" for the day.

The Dears were in a rush - no more than 15 minutes for a shoot after they finished an interview at CBC - but they were actually really nice and even managed to ask a few genuine questions about my life.

It's nice to feel like you're a person, not just a camera, so a big thank you to the Dears.

More Amazing Space

2011-03-09T15:02:00.000-05:00

Check out more Amazing Space photos - this time from Anderson DDB's Toronto office. You can see the rest of the photos from the Anderson DDB piece along with an interview on the Globe's site.

The Amazing Space

2011-03-08T14:54:00.010-05:00

I had the wonderful opportunity to work with Globe and Mail reporter Katherine Scarrow on a new online series for the Globe called The Amazing Space. For this assignment I got to spend three days at innovative offices here in Toronto.

I love interior design so having the chance to see a range of different office spaces with different approaches to design was interesting. I've posted a handful of pictures from the Mongrel Media offices below.

To see the rest of the photos, along with an interview, please check out the Mongrel Media piece on the Globe's site.

Trinity Bellwoods

2011-01-23T18:46:00.003-05:00

Today I woke up from a warm afternoon nap to a call asking if I could head out into -20 degree weather to take photos.

So I bundled up and trudged out to Trinity Bellwoods park to see what I could get. Most of Toronto's citizens were smart enough to stay inside on a freezing day like today, but fortunately there were a few people walking their dogs and I grabbed a few quick frames just as the sun was setting.

I just regained feeling in all of the extremities of my body.

Santa's Workshop

2010-11-06T17:33:00.002-04:00

I know where Santa's secret workshop is in Toronto and got to shoot some behind-the-scenes before the upcoming Toronto Santa Claus Parade.

48 Abell

2010-10-16T16:35:00.001-04:00

The building at 48 Abell is big and old and grey. Right now it houses a number of artist studios but it's about to be torn down to make way for condos in the Queen West West area.

Activist Michelle Gay, as part of a group called Active 18, tried to get the development stopped, but unfortunately they lost and the building is scheduled for demolition.

So I guess the poor artists will have to move out to Mississauga.

Sufjan Stevens

2010-10-14T15:08:00.003-04:00

Just a throwaway shot from the Sufjan Stevens concert. I just thought they looked so pretty all silhouetted before the show.

Airports

2010-10-01T15:57:00.005-04:00

In the last week I've been coast to coast for work - from Toronto to Ottawa to Vancouver to Montreal and now Halifax (ok fine, Wolfville, but I flew into Halifax).

I'm sick of planes. I'm sick of airports. I'm sick of eating out.

I just want to settle down. Just for a bit.

TIFFmania

2010-09-18T12:46:00.005-04:00

When people hear that I'm shooting anything TIFF-related (which I've actually shot very little of, just a few parties for the Globe's Society pages) they get really excited. I could be shooting all sorts of amazing, important stories involving everyday people, but they will still continue to fixate on TIFF.

"Who have you met?"

"Who have you photographed?"

"Who's the most famous person you've shot?"

So for all of you asking, here are a few TIFF shots I did for the Globe's Society pages. Nothing exciting photography-wise, just a ton of on-camera flash for the two seconds you get to photograph people against terrible backgrounds.

For the record, it's not that glamourous. It's not like I got to sit down and knock back drinks with these people. They aren't inviting me to their LA mansions or to hang out with them next Sunday over brunch with their celeb friends. We are not facebook friends or BFFs. To them I'm just another idiot with a camera interrupting their night out.

And yes, that is the Dog Whisperer with Jian Ghomeshi.

Canada's Youngest Breast Cancer Survivor

2010-09-15T00:30:00.008-04:00

Aleisha Hunter is four. She is Canada's youngest breast cancer survivor.

This story was both the saddest and most uplifting story I've been a part of so far in my photography career. Aleisha was the sweetest little kid. You can read her story at the Globe and Mail here.

Some TIFF fun

2010-09-12T01:11:00.003-04:00

It's TIFF, which for me apparently means standing in the rain in a dress and high heels waiting to take photos of celebrities who obviously don't want to come outside into the rain.

Now, I realize that this is an incredibly unflattering photo of actor Geoffrey Rush, but he got in super close to my camera to goof off for a photo as he was leaving a club, which was actually pretty funny. Kind of like a sea lion playing with you in the ocean.

He gets two thumbs up for fun celebrity behaviour.

Strike

2010-09-10T17:55:00.008-04:00

TIFF is a busy time here in Toronto, normally associated with glamour. So hotel workers at the Royal York took the opportunity to grab some of the limelight by staging a strike.

Celebrity Martin Sheen, a guest staying at the hotel, even decided to take a few minutes to strike with them. One striker got Sheen and his son, Emilio Estevez, to autograph his strike placard.

Now, I haven't been on a lot of picket lines before but these guys actually stopped picketing to break for lunch and they didn't seem to have a problem letting people cross the picket line. I thought this was a little weird, but it seemed to work for them.

Wolfville, NS

2010-09-06T22:40:00.010-04:00

Wolfville is a pretty town. So pretty that it almost seems like a movie set, like someone invented this place.

It rained a lot here in Wolfville because of the hurricane - Wolfville was untouched - so it was a stay-in-and-watch movies kind of weekend, but we did manage to take in a few of the sights by car on Sunday, including a trip to see the ocean, a corn maze and a tractor ride.

Julian Schnabel

2010-08-28T08:14:00.001-04:00

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is one of my favourite movies. I first saw it in the theatre while in photo school and I remember being amazed at how it looked. It was this giant screen of beautiful colours - gorgeous, blown out highlights, bizarre framing and focus on tiny details. The story itself is incredible, but for me it was all about the way that it looked.

I photographed the filmmaker behind The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Julian Schnabel, at the AGO. I know him as a filmmaker, but he's an accomplished artist - producing giant, modern paintings - which are in a show that runs at the AGO from September 1st until the end of the year.

He's known as a pretentious prima donna. He's been known to wear long robes and monogrammed slippers and is even quoted as once saying, "“I’m as close to Picasso as you’re going to get in this [expletive deleted] life!" but I was impressed at how down-to-earth he seemed during the walk-around with media.

The best parts about him were his shoes and socks. Check them out.

Tom Petty

2010-08-26T13:43:00.000-04:00

I know he's old, but I love Tom Petty. I can't help it.

It's all nostalgia. His album Wildflowers came out when I was in grade 12 and I pretty much listened to it on repeat that entire year of high school.

In 2008 I photographed him while I was working in Winnipeg and it was an incredible concert. He opened with a song from Wildflowers and I remember realizing that I was actually relaxing and enjoying shooting the concert (in 2008, as a recent grad, concerts were stressful for me - such a short period of time to shoot and file). So I was excited to photograph him again, here in Toronto.

Tom looked a little older, even since the last time I saw him, but I thought he sounded great. Shooting the concert made me feel like I was 16 all over again.

Ava

2010-08-11T22:56:00.000-04:00

A few weekends ago I had the great surprise of photographing my friend Christina and her family for an assignment. So I couldn't help but catch a few quick snaps of her adorable daughter Ava as I was on my way out the door.

Wedding!

2010-08-10T22:36:00.006-04:00

I only had a short period of time with some of the groomsmen at Kat and Kareem's wedding at the Chateau Laurier in Ottawa, but I thought that I would at least grab a few shots.

Acura 10 Miler

2010-07-17T17:17:00.010-04:00

I don't actually run myself. I just take photos of people getting ready to run.

Smitherman

2010-06-27T17:04:00.001-04:00

I don't think that that we have enough pics of politicians doing everyday things like licking their lips. Toronto mayoral candidate George Smitherman seems way more human to me now.

Regent Park

2010-06-26T14:46:00.001-04:00

The Khawaja family live in a temporary home in Regent Park. They're supposed to move into the much-hyped newly designed neighbourhood this fall. They hope it happens before September so they can take the family trip they have planned to Bangladesh.

When I arrived they were hanging out in the backyard, enjoying the nice weather and seemed relaxed about my arrival. Normally families begin to primp and fuss when my camera comes out, asking how they should pose. Most seem disappointed when I tell them to relax and just pretend like I'm not there.

Not these guys, they were naturals. They just did their thing and pretty much ignored me. It was a nice.

I have to admit I had some preconceived ideas of what Regent Park was supposed to be like. Yes, I admit my bias, which I imagine is probably shared by a lot of people who have only driven past the area.

Surprisingly it felt a lot like the upper-middle-class suburban Ottawa neighbourhood I grew up in - kids running around shrieking, riding bikes, their moms yelling when it got dark for them to come home. I guess it was a little run down (but this is temporary housing) the families were all immigrants and the kids talked excitedly about cricket instead of hockey. Otherwise, this could have been a neighbourhood anywhere in Canada.

Matt, male model

2010-06-25T09:01:00.000-04:00

My boyfriend takes me on dates to the park to eat burgers and lets me take pictures of him without complaining. And he's the funniest, even though he looks very serious in this photo. He's the best.

No, you can't have him.

This way to the bat cave

2010-06-24T15:30:00.009-04:00

I love dinosaurs. This started in my childhood and hasn't diminished over time. So when I had an assignment shooting a fancy-shmancy corporate event among the dinosaurs at the ROM (wicked location choice) I couldn't help but take some time to shoot a handful of shots for myself.

Also, FYI just a few facts on the bat cave:

- It has a pool of moving cockroaches
- There is a bat grooming station
- It is full of over 800 animatronic bats

Sounds rad to me.

Calvin Trillin

2010-04-21T16:00:00.004-04:00

New Yorker writer Calvin Trillin is one serious dude.

I had the chance to photograph him at swanky Toronto restaurant Canoe today. I'm not entirely sure what it is, but he's got some sort of intense-chessplayer-Winston-Churchill-elder-statesman vibe going on. Strange, considering he's moderating a panel discussion on the subject of poutine at U of T tonight.

For the record, he told me that he doesn't have a position on poutine.

Oh yeah, and the staff at Canoe were awesome. I expected them to be stuffy and not particularly helpful since I wasn't wearing a business suit, but they were gracious hosts for the shoot. Maybe I'll blow today's paycheque on dinner there.

Out the window of a car

2010-03-30T19:55:00.017-04:00

I took a road trip to Chicago with my friend Fritzley to visit my best friend Caroline. All these pictures were taken from the car or during pit stops to get fuel and food.

Gushing

2010-03-25T00:08:00.004-04:00

This is my boyfriend Matt at the CN Tower. Isn't he the cutest ever?

Jamie Kennedy's Gilead Bistro

2010-02-27T21:59:00.001-05:00

I ate at Jamie Kennedy's Wine Bar when it first opened years ago. Everyone was raving about it, but I left disappointed.

The staff who greeted us at the door were snotty. Our server was terrible. The food was mediocre. So when I was asked to photograph Kennedy's new restaurant, Gilead Bistro, my expectations were low.

I will say though, my visit to Gilead Bistro was wonderful. It felt friendly, not snotty at all. It just had a nice, intimate, relaxed vibe.

The staff who greeted me were friendly (of course they tend to be nice when they know you're there on behalf of the paper, but I think it was genuine). Photographing in the kitchen, I expected Kennedy to be a little rude. He wasn't. In fact, he was quite friendly. Maybe I've seen Gordon Ramsey on television too many times.

And the food looked amazing. I was really hoping Kennedy was going to suggest I take some home, but I guess he knows that you can't run a business on freebies.

Bob Rae

2010-02-24T21:30:00.001-05:00

What's up Bob Rae?

You sure were nice to photograph reading in your home library. You weren't all chest-puffed-out politician at all. Just down-to-earth nice.

Although, I knew this.

See, I met you once in the Air Canada lounge. I was reading and the Ryder Cup was on the television in front of me (though I was oblivious to it).

You sat next to me and asked, "Are you watching the Ryder Cup?" When I looked up I responded, like an idiot, "You're Bob Rae." You said, "Yes I am. Are you watching the Ryder Cup?" I think you just wanted to know the score. Of course, I responded, again, "You're Bob Rae. You're the first Premier I remember growing up."

Rather than ignoring me since I was obviously incapable of answering whether I was watching the Ryder Cup or not, you were nice and chatted with me for a bit. I thought you were pretty cool.

Then this past summer during Gay Pride you shot me in the face with a Water Gun. That was pretty funny.

I didn't mention either of our two previous meetings when I photographed you this time. Instead, we talked about how you were reading Wolf Hall and about the Olympics, and when I left I thought to myself, "Gee. That Bob Rae guy sure is nice. I'd vote for him."

Ballet Dancers

2010-02-19T12:44:00.005-05:00

Heather Ogden and Guillaume Côté are principal dancers with the National Ballet of Canada. In addition to being dance partners, they're a couple off-stage and engaged to be married.

I know. They look and sound perfect. I'm not going to lie, I wanted to hate them because of their perfect smiles, their perfect bodies, their perfect lives and their perfect love.

But here's the thing - you can't hate them. They're really sweet and unpretentious. A lovely, genuinely adorable couple.

You could really sense that they love each other and they had a natural ease around one another, which was great to work around. I was a bit worried that I'd have to try and coax them out of their on-stage personas for pictures, but they were so sweet with each other that all I had to do is capture some really beautiful, simple moments in the short time I had with them.

IDS 2010

2010-01-30T16:35:00.011-05:00

I spent some time shooting IDS 2010 here in Toronto. Lots of gorgeous things that I can't afford, but it was pretty to look.

Marmalade

2010-01-25T13:32:00.000-05:00

I don't really like marmalade, but it sure is pretty to photograph.

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Feature Hunting at Harbourfront

2010-01-17T18:02:00.005-05:00

Since I can't remember a time when I wasn't able to skate, it was interesting to check out some newbie skaters at the rink of Harbourfront Centre. It was actually one woman's first time on ice. Ever.

Cows

2009-10-06T14:26:00.003-04:00

I love my job.

Today's assignment involved cows. The Dairy Farmers of Ontario had twelve cows outside the ROM for some event to promote ice cream made from 100% Canadian milk (at least I think that's what the press release said - I was too focused on the cows...I even missed the free ice cream).

I'm told that I'm easy to please.

Prairie Pedal

2009-09-25T22:44:00.002-04:00

Meet Shane Saunderson.

Shane biked from Calgary to Toronto to raise money for Myeloma Canada. Shane's father was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma just over two years ago, so he took this trip to help raise money and awareness for the disease.

The people at Celgene Canada were nice enough to help Shane out on his bike ride, making a huge donation of $10,000 to his fundraising efforts. So Shane and Kevin Leshuk Celgene Canada's GM biked from Princess Margaret Hospital in downtown Toronto to Celgene's offices in Oakville to accept the cheque.

I'd like to say that I biked along with them the entire distance, but really, I just stopped along the way to get a few pictures.

Celgene GM Kevin Lushuk waits for Shane Saunderson to bike up at Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto.

Shane bikes up to meet Kevin to start the trip.

Jen and Andrew

2009-09-22T21:15:00.000-04:00

Here are a few engagement shots of my friends Jen and Andrew, shot at the Brickworks. Jen and Andrew were like supermodels, climbing up hills, stomping through brush (filled with grasshoppers, which Jen hates), smiling the entire time.

A big thank you to my boyfriend Matt who acted as a brilliant assistant lugging around my gear, scouting photo locations, making the couple laugh and standing in for Andrew (pretending to kiss an invisible Jen) before the couple arrived. Merci!

Chicago

2009-09-12T21:01:00.000-04:00

Chicago, Chicago, Chicago.

I spent the long weekend visiting my best friend Caroline in Chicago after a road trip with Fritzley. Just a few random, unrelated snaps.

Some Writing

2009-08-30T21:45:00.002-04:00

Ok, so I have received a few complaints (at least someone is reading) that my blog, while visually interesting, "sucks" on the writing front. I'm told that I am supposed to provide more interesting writing like the monkey post on my travel blog from 2006.

Click here for the original, not so clean version of this post and click here for the cleaned up version that ran in the Globe and Mail.

Seriously? I get attacked by monkeys in Thailand, survive to write about it and it's all people remember from that trip? Plus you want more?

Now, I did go back and read over some of my entries on this blog and have noticed that they are written like "mom e-mails". You know what I am talking about - the ones you get from your mother that say,

"Dear Della. Went to mall today. Bought shoes. Not sure if I like them. Oh well. Can always return them. Love, Mom."

This got me thinking - why haven't I been writing? And why has the limited writing I have been doing been so mom-like?

The only conclusion that I've come to is that I've spent the last two years training my brain to think visually, in pictures, and less verbally. While I was traveling I was reading a lot of books, which I think was training my brain verbally, and that came out in my writing.

I have no proof of this. I think I might just be me. Probably.

Tornado

2009-08-21T16:39:00.011-04:00

I can't believe a tornado actually struck the GTA. It's so Wizard of Oz.

Surprisingly the people I photographed today were so amazing and positive, even though their houses had been destroyed and they were obviously still upset. Everyone just kept repeating how lucky they were to be alive and how fortunate it was that no one was hurt.

Angelo Genova, owner of the destroyed house in the background, surveys the ruins on his street after a tornado struck Vaughan Thursday night. Genova has lived in the home since 1975 and was in the basement with his family eating dinner when the storm struck.

Phil Genova, son of Angelo, is upset over the damage to his childhood house (on the left) and to his aunt's house on the right.

A worker removes fallen trees beside a house that was destroyed by the tornado.

Workers remove trees.

Damaged cars.

A car windshield is smashed by flying debris.

Neighbours survey the damage done by falling trees.

The Breeders!

2009-08-17T01:26:00.005-04:00

The Breeders were one of my favourite bands in high school so I was psyched to shoot them at Lee's Palace on Saturday night. Sadly, I only got to shoot two songs, but one of them was Divine Hammer so I can't really complain.

Karl's Birthday

2009-08-17T01:18:00.006-04:00

My friend Karl had an insane birthday full of beautiful people dressed up, done up and made up like models. Check out his makeup!

10 Minutes With Dominic Barton

2009-08-10T21:22:00.006-04:00

"No more than 10 minutes."

I hate hearing these words, especially when I have to drive my subject to a location and back.

Still, Dominic Barton (who wasn't the one imposing the 10 minute deadline), was wonderful to photograph. He didn't act like some bigshot (despite the fact that he is a bigshot in the business world) as he climbed into my tiny Honda Civic, politely noting the hockey stick and pretending not to notice just how loud I had the music cranked when I initially turned the car on. He even insisted on carrying my gear back into the newsroom afterwards. Sweet!

Bob Wiseman

2009-07-30T12:30:00.000-04:00

I got to take some pictures of Bob Wiseman, former member of Blue Rodeo, for the Globe. He's got a CD re-release show at the Gladstone tonight (Thursday, July 30th). You can check him out at www.bobwiseman.com

Garbage Strike

2009-07-29T13:06:00.006-04:00

I know, I know. I haven't been the best about keeping this blog updated. I'm trying!

The garbage strike ended on Monday and I spent the better part of the day at City Hall/the Sheraton waiting for the official announcement that the strike was finished. When it appeared that wasn't going to happen until later on that day, I was sent to take some lovely photos of garbage.

The photos of the discarded placards ran on the Globe and Mail's web edition on a few of their stories related to the end of the strike.

My CPAR Staff

2009-06-29T13:24:00.000-04:00

During my trip some of the CPAR staff were lovely enough to tour me around their countries. Here are a few pics of these guys on the job.

Emma Ongom, a CPAR aid worker based in Gulu, Uganda, talks on his cell phone.

The Lira CPAR office.

These were my CPAR boys in Gulu - (left to right) Emma, Samuel, Kenneth and Dennis.

Lillian Aber smiles shyly for the camera after cleaning up during a CPAR training session outside of Gulu, Uganda.

Another shot of the CPAR Lira office.

Moses enjoys a big breakfast before we head into the field in Lira, Uganda.

Juma checks out some trees on a locally-supported tree farm near Lira.

Tear Sheet

2009-06-27T11:17:00.002-04:00

I did a shoot for the Globe and Mail of Hal Niedzviecki, author of The Peep Diaries. Hal's book was recently featured in O magazine as one of 25 Books You Can't Put Down this summer and he wrote an essay for The Globe and Mail called "Rethinking Oprah".

To read his piece on the Globe's site: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/books/rethinking-oprah/article1193618/

Hello!

2009-06-25T17:42:00.003-04:00

I had my first magazine tear sheet last week - a two page spread in Hello! magazine. The photos were taken during the Canadian Women's Foundation fundraiser "Shelter From the Storm".

It's nothing too exciting - a handful of the pics weren't mine, there were a few odd crops, they didn't run any of the photos I took that I really liked (just all the "hey, take my picture!" ones) and they didn't give me my photo credits, but it was still kind of exciting to pick up a magazine off the newsstand with my pictures in it.

Around Gulu

2009-06-22T22:29:00.001-04:00

Between visits to various CPAR sites we stopped at a few small villages outside of Gulu in Northern Uganda and I grabbed a few of these shots.

A boy stretches in the sun outside a primary school near Gulu, Uganda.

Charles Kilama sews clothing in a small village outside of Gulu, Uganda.

A boy watches over a friend's store in a small village near Gulu, Uganda.

Vincent Okema laments the lack of work in the internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in northern Uganda near the border of Sudan.

This man told the CPAR people that he was my boyfriend. He's not.

A young child smiles shyly for the camera in a small village near Gulu.

Young men pose seriously for the camera after insisting that I take their photo in a village outside of Gulu.

Hepatitis E Training

2009-06-20T23:58:00.000-04:00

I spent the day at an internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in northern Uganda near the border with Sudan. CPAR was teaching the village representatives how to deal with an outbreak of Hepatitis E that had recently struck the camp. Despite the heat, students listened intently all day to prepare to bring the information back to the camp.

Tanzanian Farmers

2009-06-04T09:00:00.001-04:00

While I was in Tanzania I got to visit a number of different farmers in villages around Karatu. Here are some pictures of farmers and their families. I have to say, I was smitten with those goats and the local farmers could not understand why.

Angela Samuel is a CPAR supported farmer in a small village outside of Karatu, Tanzania.

Ibrahim Samuel, age 5, smiles for the camera on his mother's farm.

Emmanuel Samuel, age 5, also smiles for the camera.

Gabriel Qabi, age 5, smiles for the camera on his family's farm in a small village outside of Karatu, Tanzania.

Mary Augustine Qabi holds her daughter Efrasia outside of a specially constructed hut that CPAR trained them to construct to keep their goats from roaming their land.

A small pig tries to escape the grip of a farmer.

Goat!

Goat!

A farmer shows off some of his crop.

CPAR Clinic in Lira

2009-06-01T14:07:00.000-04:00

I visited the Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief clinic just outside of Lira in northern Uganda earlier this year. The clinic is doing some amazing work, especially with such limited resources. It was a bit of an emotional drain - seeing newborn babies, people getting their AIDS test results back and sick babies. Still, the CPAR staff are doing great work in the local community and it was wonderful to be a witness to it all, even if only for a few hours.

Esther Anyango sits on the bed of her daughter Luna Atim (age 2 months) who is sick with malaria and pneumonia in the CPAR clinic's ward.

Denis Okori and Joan Akelho wait to get their AIDS test results back before getting married. The results came back negative and the couple are now free to get married.

Scovic Atim anxiously awaits her appointment at the CPAR clinic to get test results back.

A boy waits to see a physician at a the CPAR clinic.

Women sign up for appointments under a tree to get their babies immunized.

Rebecca Akullo gets some sun outside the CPAR maternity clinic after being born only six days earlier.

Immaculate Akeleo (age 1) plays in the ward in the CPAR clinic.

Brian Odongo (one year and eight months old) plays on a bike while his mother waits for an appointment to get him immunized at the CPAR clinic.

Meet Kenneth

2009-05-31T16:17:00.007-04:00

Meet Kenneth Ogwali. He's a 38-year-old tree farmer in small village just outside of Lira, Uganda.

In 2005 Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief (CPAR) trained Kenneth on farming techniques and gave him a small crop of tree seedlings. Since then he's managed to get his tree farm off the ground, with several wood lots on the go and he and his wife Christine now own a store where they sell millet, maize, soya bean and sunflower.

He has seven staff who farm on his lots and he's built a new home on his property where he also grows cotton, papaya and other crops.

Wanting to give back, Kenneth dreams of building a school on one of his properties to train local farmers so that they can also experience success.

Little Person

2009-05-30T23:30:00.000-04:00

Meet Caitlyn. She's three. I spent the afternoon with Caitlyn and her aunt Heather (a friend of mine) the other day and thought that she was pretty fun, even if she didn't want her photo taken.

Newfoundland

2009-05-27T19:53:00.000-04:00

Just got back from a short trip to Newfoundland. I am absolutely planning on going back again. Any ideas for projects?

Back From LA

2009-01-26T22:50:00.001-05:00

Just got back from L.A. and it was amazing. Here's some shiny L.A. candy for you. These ones are from Santa Monica Pier.

So I changed my mind...

2009-01-25T03:48:00.001-05:00

I'm always changing my mind!

A recent feature on the NPAC site says that I am Ottawa's newest freelancer (and I was going to be), but now I'm off to Northern Uganda and Tanzania to do some photography for Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief (CPAR) along with some personal work.

I leave January 31st and return March 3rd. So I guess when I get back I'll have to decide what's next.

Found In Little India

2009-01-13T15:00:00.000-05:00

I spent the day in Little India with a friend and took some photos with my new lomo toy camera. I'm waiting to get the film back - who knows what it will look like? - but in the meantime here are a few digital pics.

Snowy 2009

2009-01-07T21:54:00.000-05:00

It snowed here in Toronto, but I had a fire to keep me warm. I hope 2009 means lots of photos.

Featured on the News Photographers Association of Canada Web Site

2008-12-17T22:56:00.001-05:00

I was part of the recent "Wassup!" feature posted on the News Photographers Association of Canada (NPAC) web site. The feature is a round-up of who is up to what in the world of Canadian newspaper photography. Check it out at: www.npac.ca/?p=431

A photo of me was posted from the NPAC conference in Vancouver from April 2008. If I look in love with Ted Grant, it's because I am. He's an absolute photojournalism legend and I thought I was going to die when he took a good half hour to chat with me. I remember the conference very well as it was immediately following my internship at the Calgary Herald. That month was overwhelming, but pretty much one of the most exciting times of my life.

****

2008 Western Academy of Photography grad, honours degree in Communications from Queen’s University and a certificate in Public Relations from Ryerson University grad, Della Rollins secured the summer photo internship at the Winnipeg Sun. Della has completed internships with the Calgary Herald, Edmonton Sun and Della has also freelanced for the Ottawa Sun. Della, who loves to travel, describes herself on her website and, “Urban nomad without a fixed address” she continues, “Make her an offer, she might just move there!” Websites; www.dellarollins.com, http://dellarollins.blogspot.com, www.winnipegsun.com, www.calgaryherald.com, www.ottawasun.com and www.edmontonsun.com

2008 Western Academy of Photography grad Della Rollins gets a portfolio review, some feedback and tips by Canadian photojournalism icon Dr. Ted Grant (left) and Sun, Edmonton Examiner and 24 hours (Edmonton) photo editor Tom Braid at the 2008 Photojournalism conference put on by NPAC.ca in Vancouver this April. Photo by Ward Perrin/Vancouver Sun

Tofino

2008-11-29T06:53:00.000-05:00

I spent some time in Tofino a few weeks ago and am just getting around to posting pictures now. One day I'll need to learn to surf.

Charley Fox

2008-10-21T01:08:00.001-04:00

I just heard that celebrated Canadian war veteran Charlie Fox (age 88) was killed in a car accident a few days ago. I photographed Charley for the Ottawa Sun only a few weeks ago during the Battle of Britain event at the Canadian Aviation Museum, so the news shocked me.

Charley was the funniest, sweetest and most patient photo subject I have had to date. I can easily say that he was my favourite portrait subject and I was charmed when he kissed my hand as I left. I wanted to spend more time chatting with him, but I had barely finished photographing him when he was swarmed by others who also wanted to talk to him.

Here are a few photos taken of Charley during our brief photo session.

The HK

2008-10-15T20:39:00.000-04:00

I just got home from a short trip to Hong Kong. It was a birthday gift last year from my aunt, but I've been so busy working on my Cross-Canada adventure (Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Ottawa) that this was the first time we could go.

I've uploaded a few pics, enjoy!