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Not too sure why I love cloud formations so much...but I do.
Not too sure why I love Black & White photography so much....but I do.
Not sure at all why I love to randomly take pictures of nothing in particular...but I do.

I just came back from an amazing walk downtown with my sister (from Toronto) and Liviah.
As some of you might be aware, Liviah and I walk every day downtown, but it's not very often that it's this quiet out on the streets during the daytime.
I love to be out on the streets taking photographs and engaging people I bump into.

I just want you know how thankful I am Thank you for you allowing and inviting me into your space and the giving of your time to me.
I was incredibly fortunate to experience your kindness, humor, intelligence, and integrity.
I want you to know, I care about you, each of you. I hope that everyday someone else gets the chance as I did to meet and get to know you. You're enriching and warm, with stories that matter and are important. I was honored to listen, and grateful that you wanted to tell me.
I felt so incredibly welcomed and taken care of, you are truly the best of the best. I've never experienced such dignity and respect, so thank you for that.
I'm a person who is a "work in progress", I continue to try and strive to do better on a daily basis, not always achieving it, but never giving up. I look up to you for guidance and direction, and you delivered!
Respect can be a very difficult thing, but not for you, never disrespectful.
I now realize, each and every person has something positive to offer the world, me included. I learned that from you. Thank you for that.
For 2012, I aspire to rise to your level and continue to grow and evolve and become the best person I can. I'll continue to look up to you and learn.

Thank you all so very much for being the amazing people you are, and teaching the amazing lessons you teach. I aspire to learn from you.

Merry Christmas, Seasons Greetings, and God bless you.

As I'm running around downtown finishing up last minute shopping and delivering portraits to that nice Somali Family, I realize that a ton of people are running.
I guess I'm a little oblivious at times? It's so close to Christmas, EVERYONE is in the same boat. Surprisingly, so many people are in such great spirits today. Maybe that will change as the credit card statements roll in?
As for me, I just love to watch people, that's how I'm spending most of today.

Had an awesome dinner out with the family, nothing I love more than spending time with the girls.
By the way, MaMa Pho House on McPhillips St. is AMAZING, try it if you haven't already.

It's getting close to Christmas now, I find myself paying closer attention to my surroundings. I've always viewed my world as something awesome and beautiful, but it seems to take on a different meaning during this time of year?
The view from our place, affectionally referred to as "the nest", is beautiful.
I'm reminded just how fortunate and lucky I am to have a home, family, friends, and a awesome career that I love!

As I'm weaving my way through the streets of downtown Winnipeg, I suddenly noticed not only how beautiful downtown is, but also how quiet it is? 9:15am on a weekday? Usually super busy?

Last Saturday December 10, 2011 was the official global date for Help-Portrait. Im so honored to be part of this amazing event. My colleagues and I look forward to this all year long, and this year didn't disappoint.
The very thought of being able to reach out to others for no other reason than to say "I care about who you are and I want you to be ok".
The most important gift to me was the gift of being allowed to get some time with some pretty amazing people. Strength, courage, intelligence, articulate and integrity ate just a few of the attributes I was honored to encounter.
I truly hope next years event will touch many more people.

The following is a letter of thanks from a local venue.

"...we’re extremely grateful for what you did for our guests on Saturday. It was a great day of building community, forging some friendships and nurturing relationships. Many of our guests have Christmas memories they would rather forget because of the circumstances they were going through at the time.
What you did for them on Saturday was create new memories that they’ll be fond to look back on years from now. The last lady to be photographed at our venue walked into the elevator and said “It’s a Christmas to remember.” Another fellow had not had a picture of himself in more than 10 years. He said he’d give his picture to his 82-year-old mom. Yet another man said he’d use the picture on his resume.
I want to especially commend you for taking the time to talk with the people you photographed. You got to them a bit, asked them a few questions and helped them feel at ease – all in a very respectful way that provided dignity.
I hope you know what you’ve done for the people you photographed.
This wasn’t just about a photograph; this was about somebody coming in from the outside to show them that people do care. It was about creating a sense of identity for many of them, boosting self-esteem and creating memories, thank you..."

I have to say, not only the guests, but the staff as well touched us profoundly.
So it's us that want to thank you (you know who you are).

This is my friend Shandi. I have known Shandi for a number of years, she was helping me with my early photography work, she's veryknowledgeable in the art of photography as well as the technical angle of photography she knows about doing pictures and she knows about equipment and so she would help me greatly when I was starting out.
I remember one time when I needed equipment badly I needed two lenses...in a hurry. I had some equipment stolen and was in a real bind? I called Shandi and she was able to get me two lenses quickly, top-of-the-line equipment i might add! I was really happy that she was able to help me out with that.
Shandi is now going through a very rough time in her life, she is faced with many difficult decisions. I wish I could be more help to her, I feel so sad for her and some of the decisions that she has to make. I also feel very sad for many of the situations that she's been placed in, I wish I could do more.
She was so incredibly supportive to me in the early days. I'm so honored to be able to give her support back through a difficult time that she's facing now. I wish I could do more, I wish I could do more.
This is my friend Shandi.

Ok so I know it's late November and the snow usually comes a bit earlier, but it's coming fast and furious this morning!
Liviah is glued to the window checking it all out, very cute. We are going to head out into the fluffiness in a little bit! I have my camera loaded with my fav Medium Format film, should be fun!

Remember there's no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end. ~Scott Adams

So Ive been super busy the last few days and missed some entries. What I figured out, is, how supportive and kind Liviah and Amanda are when i get crazy busy. So, for the last few days, my family has done really kind and sweet things for me. I'm not going to elaborate, but the kindness from them hasn't gone unnoticed. Thanks girls!!!

When you carry out acts of kindness you get a wonderful feeling inside. It is as though something inside your body responds and says, yes, this is how I ought to feel. ~Harold Kushner

Today I held a door open for the UPS guy, he said thank you and kept going. I saw him a short time later after he had delivered his parcels, he said to me, "you have no idea how nice it is to have someone just hold a door for me, thanks again"! That was all I needed to hear.

Today I bent the truth to be kind, and I have no regret, for I am far surer of what is kind than I am of what is true. ~Robert Brault

Liviah and I were at the Bay this morning, we were in the elevator with an elderly woman who had just come from the salon and had a rinse & set. I told her how lovely she looked this morning and gave her a big smile. She beamed a smile back at me, it was nice. As we exited the elevator Liviah waved at her and said "buh-bye"!

Beginning today, treat everyone you meet as if they were going to be dead by midnight. Extend to them all the care, kindness and understanding you can muster, and do it with no thought of any reward. Your life will never be the same again. ~Og Mandino

Today, while Liviah and I were in line at the bank, a man behind us was very agitated at the wait time for a teller. He was impatient and not impressed with the whole situation. As I was called to go to the counter I stopped and offered the man to take my place. His entire mood changed and he became much more appropriate. It was a RAOK from me, to the teller.

Kindness trumps greed: it asks for sharing. Kindness trumps fear: it calls forth gratefulness and love. Kindness trumps even stupidity, for with sharing and love, one learns. ~Marc Estrin

I was photographing near the forks today, kind of a normal, nothing spectacular day at that point? I noticed a woman with a camera looking very bewildered at how to use it. I casually asked if I could help her, she gratefully accepted. I gave her some basic help and info but didn't want to overwhelm her with a ton of info.

As we chatted a bit further, she revealed that she got into photography to help pass away time since the recent death of her husband, from Cancer. The emotion from her was very somber, and sad, my guess was that he had passed quite recently. In fact, it wasn't recent at all, he passed 7 years earlier? But for her that was recent and still very painful. What an incredible relationship that must have been? It made me think how lucky and grateful I am to have Amanda in my life.

By the end of the encounter we were both laughing and carrying on like school kids, Liviah was laughing too, making fun of us i think? The lady's smile was so genuine and kind.

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion. ~Dalai Lama


Today, Liviah and I sat with a VERY intoxicated person downtown waiting for an ambulance to come and pick him up. We didn't chat, he was too drunk, but he did smile at us.