CoaCH

I was absolutely thrilled and honoured when the National Lacrosse League hired me to cover the 2014 Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

To bear witness and to be counted on to document great people receiving such prestigious awards is without question the greatest honour that can be bestowed upon a photographer. I believe that to make truly meaningful photos, the photographer must be a part of the photo and to do that, they must be accepted into the lives of their clients and trusted as one of their own.

Over the course of my photographic career, I have met some amazing people and formed some great relationships, so it should come as no surprise that I share the exhilaration of their successes and the sadness of their losses. As in my own personal world, the lacrosse world suffered a great deal of loss recently. We lost pioneers, leaders, players, and mentors of the game.

The following link is a very well written piece from the staff at Inside Lacrosse. Although it may seem trivial to some, I simply cannot express with words of how honoured I am to have the above photo chosen to accompany the story. The loss of these individuals touched me deeply. I am saddened yet blessed to know their stories. They have left their individual marks in this material world and now we owe it to them to continue to grow the great game.

http://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/chris-hall-was-a-winner-but-a-teacher-foremost/30370

For Love or Money

I'm no Liebovitz, but very recently, I got my first cover shoot for a major magazine and after nearly 35 years from when I held my first SLR, I feel like I'm just beginning to get to be where I want to be as a photographer.

Despite a half of a life time learning the craft, the opportunity actually came to me in a way I least expected. Although I had been shooting for Inside Lacrosse magazine as a freelancer for several years and had quite a few pics published in the pages of the mag, it was by virtue of the Professional Lacrosse team Washington Stealth relocating to Langley, B.C. to become the Vancouver Stealth and the newly appointed equipment sponsor of the National Lacrosse League, Under Armour taking the helm in the new year, that opened this door of opportunity for me. I was literally in the right place at the right time.

What is that saying? "Preparation + Opportunity = Success"? I can believe it, now.

The world is filled with people who are passionate about what they do and in sports it's no different. With lacrosse, that passion can run deep and sometimes borderlines pure obsession. The game is often referred to as "The Fastest Game On Two Feet" and justifiably so. The pace is fast and it makes for great entertainment and challenging photography. My #1 goal covering this game has always been to try and represent the athleticism, urgency, and emotion in the best and most honest manner possible. Easier said than done when you are shooting stills, but I try, and I try!

There has been a growing buzz in the lacrosse community for the past few months now and as we near the historical home opener on January 11, 2014, the excitement has got this guy restless enough to stay up late and write a blog! Seriously though, I hope for all the lovers of the game, that this "new" team is embraced by old and new fans alike and that financial stability keeps them here forever. I've said it before and I will say it again, this is the best sports entertainment value for your buck and with an overwhelming ratio of B.C. born players on the roster, the Stealth are the closest you will ever get to a true "Home" team in any professional sport anywhere. Check out a game or two this year. Take the family, it's affordable. Games are played mostly on Saturday nights at the Langley Events Centre.

With less than 48 hours to go to start the season, I am anxiously looking forward to being a part of it all with much anticipation and I plan to have more fun than ever trying to capture the action frame by frame...and if I get another cover shot for a magazine, it'll just be gravy, baby!