Dancer/choreographer Noam Gagnon invited me into his home to create intimate portraits of him and it was a dream.
Soft diffused light bounced off white walls and white furniture and into his gorgeous eyes. Noam was completely as ease in front of the camera and we were able to create some stunning fine art nude images of him.
“If comfort or credibility is to be gained by omitting parts of myself, then I don’t want comfort or credibility. ”
I was thrilled when author Amber Dawn asked me to create 2015 promo images for her.
One of these beautiful images we created together will be used on the back of her new book jacket. Amber Dawn's new book of poetry will be revealed Spring of 2015!!
This one is dear to my heart. It's not often you see beautiful portraits of elders on the COVER of my community newspaper.
Colin Tilney is the Elton John of the harpsichordist musical world.
Gay Vancouver.net wrote a wonderful feature on me and I used the F-Word. Sorry Mom.
Always exciting to see images I've created for folks featured on their websites. Check out the brand spanking new website for Vancouver's Funktastic Queer As Funk.
Click HERE to see images I shot during their spectacular sold out September 2013 show with the Leadfoot Butch Choir.
21 fabulously attired singers, 3 hair stylists, 3 makeup artists, 2 wardrobe stylists, 2 set stylists, 3 shoot assistants and one photographer.
That is what it took to create this image of Cor Flammae, Vancouver's new classically trained choir.
This shoot was a milestone for me as it was the most people I've ever photographed in one sitting!!
What a wonderful experience it was to be a member of Team Flammae.
Go Team Flammae !!
Wardrobe Styling: Adam Dickson (lead) and Jennifer Gagne
Hair: Missy Clarkson, Soo Jeong and Shea April
Make-up: Andi Alexander, Sande Rees and Belinda Siu
Shoot Assistants: Reem Abdel-Jabbar, Lindy Cairns and Robin Toma
Photographer: belle ancell
Contributing to my community with my photography is important to me. So, when I was asked to create a group portrait for the Vancouver Trans and Gender-Variant Working Group, I was honoured to say YES!!
READ THE FULL XTRA NEWSPAPER ARTICLE ON THE GROUP HERE.
UPDATE April 28th, 2014: Parks Board unanimously approves the Group's recommendations to make Vancouver Parks & Rec facilities safer for trans and gender-variant folks. Read the Xtra Vancouver article HERE.
These folks from playwright Dave Deveau's new play 'The Lowest Common Denominator' were such fun. I wish I had more than 20 minutes with them to create these images for Xtra Vancouver. We could have gotten into some trouble!!
Shawn Macdonald (bearded), Dallas Sauer (brown t-shirt), Deborah Williams (striped shirt).
Of the ever so lovely Linda Fillmore, Matriarch of the Fillmore Family Foundation. My first 'pitched' cover to Xtra Vancouver.
Exciting to see my concept in print on the newsstand!!
My Freelance job at Xtra Vancouver permits me to meet amazing people. Case in point when Xtra hired me to shoot 7 of the 30 folks honoured in their 'Top 30 Under 30' List of B.C.'s brightest young Queer leaders. Meet the Top 7!!
This Project just keeps giving and giving.
I entered four of my Primal He{Art} series images in a wee contest and received an Honourable Mention.
I love it when a photography gig includes belly laughs, hugs, flirting, a slow dance with a handsome butch and the occasional nip from a flask.
Thank you Queer as Funk and Leadfoot.
The Primal He{Art} series was inspired from a photo project I was invited to participate in based out of Toronto called the 10x10 Photography Project. The ten year Project is in its third year and each year invites ten photographers to create ten portraits of individuals who have contributed to the LGBTQ arts in Canada. Those 100 portraits were showcased at a Gallery in Toronto in June and also published in a gorgeous photo book. I was also fortunate to have the Project accepted into Vancouver's Queer Arts Festival Curated Show in August.
My series honoured ten Vancouver artists and the primal heart connection they feel to their artistic expression. I invited my ten subjects to choose words that described what their artistic expression evoked for them. Those deeply intimate words were then spray painted onto their bodies by artist Carole Lagimodiere, and they were then photographed semi nude. I have experienced firsthand the vulnerability of sharing one’s art with the world and I felt that having them pose in the nude would help to illustrate that vulnerability. I also love how light and shadow can create texture, form and beauty when photographing the human body.
I endeavored to create an atmosphere of collaboration with my artists with poses and lighting that would suit their personalities and to some extent their gender expression. I took the duty that the 10x10 Project bestowed upon me very seriously as I wanted to honour these individuals by creating compelling and beautiful images for them. A lot of folks helped with this Project and I’m extremely proud of what we have all created together.
Conceptualized it, planned it, photographed it, retouched it, printed it, framed it, mounted it!
The Primal He{ART} Project debuts at Queer Arts Festival Vancouver.
Being in the same show as Joe Average was mind warping for me !!
Two of my artists featured in the Project. Mandy Randhawa and Eileen Kage.
My future husband, dancer and choreographer Noam Gagnon.
Zoee Nuage, a photographer I admire and have now photographed.
It was fun to watch people's reactions to the images.
David Robinson poses with his powerful image we collaborated on and created together.
Mandy Randhawa in front of the beautiful image of her we created together.
Amber Dawn and I goofing it up in front of her stunning image.
The Sun never says to the Earth,
"You owe me."
Look what happens with a love like that,
It lights up the whole sky.
~Hafiz
Congratulations to my clients Andrea and Fiona on your surprise engagement!
It was an honour to capture your luminous love.
Please visit my portraiture website to view more of my he{art} work.
I LOVE WEDNESDAYS!!
My 2nd cover for Xtra! and I am so proud and honoured that it is the cast of Canada's 1st Lesbian Opera.
Opening on August 5th at the Queer Arts Festival in Vancouver.
I never thought I would utter these words. I loved this Opera. I saw the workshop last summer at the Queer Arts Festival in Vancouver. Well, I had to see it. I was photographing it for them. Seriously, it was not what I expected. First of all, I developed an instant crush on the lead soprano. Secondly, the male role broke my heart. Like tears in my eyes and heart crushing compassion for his story, that kind of broke my heart.
This was the largest, longest and most elaborate photo shoot I've ever done and involved the collaborative efforts of 12 people to pull it off. It was so worth it. We created some awesome images for the Opera. The Georgia Straight, Xtra and the Courier all featured the images which had enormous impact in its promotion.
The Opera is so poignant today in a 2013 world where we can still be tortured and murdered for simply being who we are.
From the Queer Arts Festival website - "When the Sun Comes Out is the world premiere of Canada’s first lesbian opera, commissioned by QAF. This ground-breaking new work is written by composer Leslie Uyeda and poet Rachel Rose, and directed by James Fagan Tait.
A story of forbidden love, divided loyalties and culture clash, the opera explores the oppression that queers face, and the risks they take, in nations where homosexuality is illegal."
From left to right: Aaron Durand, Teiya Kasahara, Julia Morgan, and Leslie Uyeda (with baton).
I might be just a wee bit proud standing in my room at the 10x10 Photography Project Opening in Toronto, Ontario.
Once upon a time I did a photo project called the Mr/s. Movember Project and a curator named James Fowler from Toronto, Ontario discovered it online and asked me if I'd like to participate in his Project (this is the part where I reveal my special project).
The 10x10 Photography Project is a ten-year photo project currently in its third year. Each year ten photographers are chosen from across Canada to create ten portraits of LGBTQ Canadians who have contributed to the Arts.
I was incredibly honoured when James asked me to participate in the Project, and I almost said NO. I'm proud of myself for facing my fears and ultimately saying yes, because the Project has challenged me on so many levels. It has challenged my creativity, my confidence, my fear of failure, my photography skills and my communication skills. I'm halfway through the Project now and it has been a wonderful experience collaborating with talented people I so admire. We've had a blast playing in the studio and I'm excited for the upcoming shoots in April.
Alas, I cannot share the images with you until after the Toronto Gallery Showing and book launch in June. I can tell you that the concept for the Project involves vulnerability, body language, and having my people posed semi-nude. I've been collaborating with body painter Carole Lagimodiere (pictured below) and her work has enhanced the Project significantly. I am so grateful to my ten artists Amber Dawn, DJ Miss M, SD Holman, Paige Frewer, Gwen Haworth, Eileen Kage, David Robinson, Zoée Nuage, Mandy Randhawa, and Noam Gagnon. What an amazing gift it was to collaborate with you.
I feel like a giggly school girl.
