Feb

28

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Artist Samantha Pederson, age 9, of Chilliwack and a member of the Tzeachten First Nation at “The Spirit of Place” exhibit on Granville Island. (Photo by Julia Pelish)

You don’t have to wait for the next Culture Crawl to support our city’s emerging artists. Some of the very youngest of them are displaying their work right now as part of the Cultural Olympiad.

“The Spirit of Place” exhibition features 75 images created by young artists from British Columbia. Under the guidance of alumni from Emily Carr Institute, the students produced artwork that evoked culture, sport and sustainability in the province.

I had the pleasure of photographing the opening reception, which was held Thursday night on Granville Island. The exhibition was sponsored by Emily Carr, Arts Umbrella, Save the Children Canada and the Cultural Olympiad. It can be viewed through March 8.

The artwork can also be seen online at the SpiritofPlace.eciad.ca website, which was designed by our friends over at Pica Interactive.

Feb

26

event-photographer-vancouver.jpgA street performer struts her stuff at Winterruption. (Photo by Julia Pelish)

Artists, musicians and performers of all kinds filled Granville Island during the weekend for the Winterruption festivities. As its name suggests, the celebration was meant to bring some warm feelings and enthusiasm to beat the winter blahs. It helped that the weather cooperated, making things seem more like spring.

Hopefully, Winterruption will come to mark the end of the cold and rainy days rather than a respite from them. I had the chance to get out there and shoot as part of another assignment on Granville Island. Now, I can’t wait for summer!

Feb

21

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The UBC Boathouse rises up from along the Fraser River. (Julia Pelish Photography)

As part of my scouting for a client’s wedding I had the opportunity this week to visit one of the newest wedding facilities in Metro Vancouver, the UBC Boathouse. Located on River Road in Richmond, the Boathouse is an eclectic structure that mixes modern architecture with graceful flourishes.

The $6-million building opened in 2006 to house UBC’s rowing club as well as to serve as a training facility for Olympic hopefuls. It’s also a venue for group functions, including weddings. Stretching out into the Fraser River, the Boathouse is a fabulous blend of nature and the high life, literally. You can stand on the concrete walkway and watch planes taking off from YVR while eagles circle above the water’s edge.

I think it’s a truly unique place to celebrate your wedding and I’m looking forward to photographing there for the first time in a few weeks.

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Feb

18

vancouver-wedding-photographsAndrew and Mauritza, photographed in 2007 at Queen Elizabeth Park. (Julia Pelish photo)

Candid or formal?

As Featured On Ezine ArticlesFinding the perfect ratio between the two will be a topic you discuss with your wedding photographer. On one hand, candids are fun and free and capture life as we lived it. Formals, though, are more likely to provide the two or three images that you will want to have printed large and displayed prominently in your home.

So how do you ensure that you have a mix that works on your wedding day? First, you and your photographer need to make sure you’re on the same page about what you want. Most photographers excel in candid, or photojournalistic, photography because it relies almost entirely on their eye. They will have an on-camera flash (and ideally a stand-up strobe to provide cross-lighting at your reception) but the key to candid photography is more about instinct than technical understanding of the craft.

Formals require high-end lighting equipment as well as patience from all involved. That also means adequate time needs to be set aside for a photograph session. If you’re using a wedding planner, she or he will likely allot about 90 minutes between the ceremony and the reception for formals. That may not be enough time, depending on how long it takes to get to each location. If your formal photograph session includes parents, grandparents, other close relatives and a bridal party of four or more couples you can be looking at more than two hours to get all the photographs on the checklist.

What I suggest is keep things simple.
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Feb

14

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“Pure is the white rose/ In the compost earth/ growing eternal strength/ in the nights that so hurt” (poem by Edgar Allan Poe)

Happy Valentine’s Day from Julia Pelish Photography. I hope you got roses, chocolates, teddy bears, and/or something sparkly and shiny, like an engagement ring!

Here are some fun facts I found on Valentine’s Day that I thought you might enjoy:

  1. More than 90 million roses were delivered today in North America
  2. The most popular rose given is the “Signature Rose” - which is defined as a long-stemmed, dethorned red rose surrounded by baby’s breath
  3. 192 million greeting cards are exchanged today
  4. Who receives the most Valentine’s? Teachers
  5. As we told you a couple of days ago, more engagement rings are purchased in February than in any other month
  6. More than $62 million in jewelry will be spent for Valentine’s Day gifts.

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