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• Vancouverites Celebrate Canada Day!
• Jazz Fest and Dragonboat Fest Launch Vancouver Into Summer
• Vancouver Hairstylist Ready to Hit the Web
• Father’s Day Portraits a Gift from the Heart
• Dalke Family Enjoy Life on Their Picture Perfect Farm
• Leo Awards Crown ‘Centigrade’, ‘Elijah’ and ‘Smallville’ as the Best of BC
• ‘Centigrade’ and Colin Cunnigham Roar at the Leo Awards
• Kids’ Fest a Spectacular Treat at Vanier Park
• Demand Rises for Corporate Headshots in Vancouver
• Diana Brown of Vancouver Turns 100!

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There was lots of activity on Granville Island on Tuesday as Vancouver rejoiced Canada Day. (Photo montage by Julia Pelish)

Was there a better place to celebrate Canada Day 2008 than Vancouver?

The weather was perfect, the fireworks at Canada Place were breathtaking and the pandemonium at Granville Island was delightful for the nation’s 141st birthday.

Thanks to the Vancouver International Jazz Festival, revelers were treated to free musical performances by top-notch artists like the New Orleans Ale Stars. Dancers swung along to the tunes outside the bandshells erected by Apex Tents and theatre performers like the hilarious stilt-walking hockey players added to the festive spectacle.

Throw in a parade, free cake, beer gardens and great food at the Public Market and you had the ingredients for quite the birthday bash.

What a weekend we just had in town. Free shows in Gastown to celebrate the arrival of the Vancouver Jazz Festival plus a real party atmosphere around False Creek and Science World during the Dragonboat Festival. Then there was the glorious sunshine. Summer’s finally here — yeah!

My friends at Apex Tents helped keep the sun off the heads of the performers and vendors while I got to take some wonderful shots of our city in all its splendour.

It’s these kinds of weekends that make Vancouver spectacular and truly one of the world’s great places to live. Now, it gets even better because it looks like we’re in for the best weather of the year just as Canada Day approaches. The Jazz Fest extends into this weekend and next, with more free shows at Granville Island on July 1.

Hope you’re able to get out and enjoy!

Jennifer shows her new style, above, and then she joins Patrick to pose for photographs for the Travelling Tresses website. (Photos by Julia Pelish)

Downtown Vancouver’s Travelling Tresses recently had some photographs taken for their website, which is launching this summer. Congratulations to Robyn for putting in a decade’s worth of work to get her enterprise to where it is today. And where it is happens to be among the elite hair salons in the Lower Mainland.

For our photo shoot recently, Robyn cut and styled the hair of our two models, Jennifer and Patrick, then delivered the lovely couple to my studio on Hamilton Street, where we worked on creating some fun, energetic photographs.

I think we got some great shots … and only a little bit of wine spilled!

PHOTOS FROM TOP: Annah surveys the farm from behind her shades; Adolf and Annah stroll to the barn; the three generations of the Dalke family, Adolf and wife Alice, daughter Christy and her kids, Annah and Julia.

Adolf Dalke spent his early childhood in West Germany playing with wood blocks that passed as toys in post-World War II Europe. Adolf said the closest he could come to a tractor was what his imagination would conjure. Times have certainly changed for the owner of Aliados Farm Corporation.

His favourite piece of equipment is a bright blue Ford 77A tractor, a sturdy machine that Adolf uses to tend to his Surrey chicken farm, which features a sweeping view of the southern edge of the Lower Mainland.

In his 37 years in the industry, the biggest change he has seen is in the health safety standards. “We have to be super vigilant about disease,” Adolf said during a family portrait shoot on his farm on Monday. “Since the Avian flu in 2004, the paperwork has been out of this world, but it’s for our own good and we do it to make sure the consumer gets a safe product.”

Adolf said he still enjoys farming and being his own boss, and also takes pride in the fact he provides a service the public needs and demands. “More and more people eat chicken every day,” said the father of two, whose company is a member of the Chicken Farmers of Canada and the chief supplier to Lilydale, the giant poultry company based in Edmonton.

The name of Aliados Farm derives from a combination of the first three letters of Adolf and Alice, his wife. The happy couple were photographed with their daughter, Christy, and her two children, Annah and baby Julia.

Christy snuggles Julia before the baby goes for a ride in an antique carriage.

‘Centigrade’ star Colin Cunningham swashbuckles along the red carpet on Saturday night.

Colin Cunningham arrived at the Westin Bayshore on Saturday resembling a pirate and proceeded to raid the coffers of the Leo Awards for a second consecutive night. The Vancouver actor followed a win on Friday for Best Direction with the top acting prize in the Short Drama category for his role in “Centigrade”, a 17-minute, 11-second-long thriller that he wrote.

“Centigrade” also won for Best Short Drama as the British Columbia Film and Television Industry wrapped up its 10th annual celebrations of local filmmakers and their work. Producers Madison Graie and Derrick Garland claimed the best-in-show prize, the fifth for “Centigrade” during the two-night showcase. Other big winners included: “Elijah”, which won Best Feature Length Film as well as three other awards; “Smallville”, the Best Dramatic Series; “jPod”, the winner of four Best Dramatic Series awards; and documentary standout “The Suicide Tourist”, which tied the innovative dramatic series “Tin Man – Night 1” for the most Leos (six).

“Centigrade” emerges as the headliner, though, because of its consistent rate of success at awards shows this year and the efforts of its writer, director and lead actor. Considering Cunningham never planned to star in his movie, the award for Best Male Performance in a Short Drama seems ironic. “I didn’t want to act in it. As the director, I just wanted to focus on that aspect of the film. But the actor I had couldn’t make it and I said, ‘Okay, I’ll have to do this myself,’ ” he said. “This particular part is very difficult to play, let alone direct.”

Cunningham, who is a native of California, said he relied on Graie’s feedback to help him as an actor and director. Graie, meanwhile, said the film’s success is in part due to the ability she and Cunningham have to communicate with each other, an aspect of their working relationship that has been honed over the course of two decades.

“We’re very honest,” she said. “We have an acting background, both of us, we have a critical eye for each other. That becomes invaluable as a working tool.”

“Centigrade”, which may be turned into a full-length film, is about a man locked in a trailer and battling to get out before he burns up. Cunningham wrote the script 17 years ago and said it was a tribute to Steven Spielberg’s first feature, “Duel”. Shot on a budget of $20,000, “Centigrade” qualified earlier this year for Academy Awards consideration when it won Best Narrative Short at the Cinequest Film Festival.

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The Leo for best director in a short drama went to Colin Cunningham. (Photo by Julia Pelish)

Colin Cunningham was born on August 20, 1967. That makes him a Leo. Fitting, because the film he wrote, directed and starred in earned three statues bearing the name of his Zodiac sign on Friday night. Cunningham came away with one of the most-coveted prizes on the first night of the Leo Awards when he won for Best Direction in a Short Drama for his thriller “Centigrade”.

The victory continued an incredible trend for the picture. “Centigrade” qualified for Oscar consideration earlier this year when it won the Best Narrative Short award at the Cinequest Film Festival, an Academy Awards-sanctioned event. It has also been accepted for screening at such prestigious events as the Cannes Short Film Corner, the Toronto Film Festival and Jackson Hole Film Festival.

This weekend, it’s up for seven Leos, including two that will be presented on Saturday night following a red-carpet celebration at the Westin in Coal Harbour. Cunningham will be up for Best Performance by a Male in a Short Drama and “Centigrade” is nominated for Best Short Drama. On Friday, the film also won for Best Make-up (Jane Dancose) and Best Overall Sound in a Short Drama (Real Gauvreau).

“I’m humbled and I have to say this city has been incredibly generous to me,” Cunningham said when he accepted the director’s prize, which was the penultimate award of the evening.

A veteran of the Vancouver acting scene, Cunningham is relishing his success. “It feels fantastic. You work so hard, you bust your ass, and it’s nice to be recognized,” the native of California said.

“Centigrade”, which also stars producer Madison Graie, is about a man trapped in a trailer and struggling to get out. It was written 17 years ago but “literally sat in a box” collecting dust until Graie suggested last year that she and Cunningham, her long-time collaborator, dig it up.

“You’re basically playing a caged animal, so it was hard to go there as an actor but also to direct the material as we went along was very, very hard to do. But it also saved us a lot of time because I didn’t have to give anyone direction. I knew what needed to be done in telling the story, so that sped up the number of camera shots,” Cunnigham said of his directorial debut.

While “Centigrade” dominated the short drama category at the awards show that celebrates the British Columbia film industry, “Tin Man – Night 1” captured six Leos for dramatic series and the documentary “The Suicide Tourist” won five.

Here’s a complete list of winners from the first night of the 10th annual Leo Awards on Friday (number of awards won in parantheses):

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The creatures from Big Nazo were a big hit at Vanier Park. (Photos by Julia Pelish)

Hundreds of happy kids — and more than a few odd creatures — descended on Vanier Park on Saturday for the Vancouver International Children’s Festival. The weather couldn’t have been more perfect for Kids’ Fest, which runs through the long weekend as it celebrates its 30th anniversary.

Beneath and around the big tops provided by Apex Tents, the festival features such performers as Kling Klang, Comedy 4 Kids and the funky aliens from the BIG NAZO Intergalactic Creature Show. I had a fantastic time taking photographs and even got some close-up shots I wasn’t counting on!

Stiltwalkers stood tall among the throng of kids and their parents.

Alica, photographed for a corporate headshot in studio. (Photo by Julia Pelish)

If you work for a small- or mid-sized company it’s likely you’ve been asked to have a corporate headshot taken. The advantages those companies have over large businesses is their ability to offer personal service and to be community focused. Headshots allow customers to connect with the faces of the people they do business with, and are necessary complements to bios of executives, managers and office staff.

Where large businesses tend to control their brands by spotlighting only one or two faces in their companies, smaller businesses benefit from being open and inclusive. They can also make a great impression with an online storefront that’s professional, fun and contemporary. Attaining such an accomplishment means having top-notch web design, copy content and imagery.

With corporate headshots, the key is consistency. The photographs will likely be a standard size on the website to fit the page template, so no one person’s headshot should stand out or be minimized. Taking the photographs in front of a backdrop and under professional lighting will ensure consistent images of all staff members. The corporate headshots, which start at $95 and include a CD of images, can also be taken in your office or at a location of your choice. One reason why you might want to take the headshots outside of the photographer’s studio is to take advantage of an environment where your staff and customers feel comfortable.

The difference between corporate headshots and acting headshots is surprisingly vast. With acting headshots, directors and producers have certain poses and looks they want to see. For a corporate headshot, the desired look is usually professional and friendly. When you’re ready to have yours taken, contact me to book the date.

Yosem and Gabbie underneath the cherry blossoms in Stanley Park on their wedding day. (Photo by Julia Pelish Photography)

Thanks to the many customers who became friends and who helped me fulfill my dreams of providing the level of photography services I’ve always wanted to deliver. You are all the best and thank you for the kind words you’ve recently shared:

“Oh my goodness!! Everything just arrived and I cannot believe how fantastic they are!! I really thought it couldn’t get any better than the website you put up but these are just unbelievable - thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!!!!!!” – Diana on her and Ian’s wedding photographs and custom web gallery

“Those pictures are amazing! We really enjoyed the wedding and are so happy to have you as our photographer. The day (and everything since!) couldn’t have been more perfect. The eloquence of your blog really impressed us with its description of the day.” – Yosem and Gabbie

“WOW - Julia they look amazing. Thanks so much. I think we owe you a big hug!” – Brett and Mickey on their wedding photography in Vancouver

“Oh, my goodness, Julia, it’s a work of art! I can’t believe it! Thank you so much!!” – Rosa on her family portrait and baby pictures of Angelina

“Julia, you do such a wonderful job and with such love plus you are so adorable!! I have to get going but I just wanted to say thank you for capturing our wedding day in such a beautiful way.” – Mary on the wedding photos of her and Brent

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Kal Suurkask, Elevation PR’s general manager. (Photo by Julia Pelish)

Good looking, rich, ambitious, talented and he still spends Sundays with his grandma. Kal Suurkask is the real deal, ladies.

He celebrated his 28th birthday on Wednesday by working. That’s a sure sign of someone who’s going to the top, isn’t it? But his colleagues and friends at Elevation PR interrupted a photo shoot for the company’s website to make sure Kal got his just desserts … if not a date for the night.

The team from Elevation was over at my studio for some corporate headshots and concept photos as they prepare to launch a new site. We took a break to cheer Kal, who is the general manager of Elevation. I’ve benefited from his smarts and business expertise, and I can also vouch for his character. So, send all love-related inquiries to info@elevationpr.com right now before he gets hooked. Not to jump the gun or anything, but you’ll at least know who your wedding photographer will be!

The Bill Reid Gallery hosted revelers who contributed to a stupendous fundraising drive. (Photos by Julia Pelish)

A day after the world celebrated our planet, members of Vancouver’s philanthropic community gathered for the benefit of one particular piece of extraordinary territory in our province.The Great Bear Rainforest was the headline attraction for concerned corporate citizens and conservationists at the Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art on Wednesday night. Attendees cheered the completion of international fundraising efforts that brought in $60 million to help protect the 21-million acres of temperate rainforest located in the Bute Inlet.

The achievement was hailed as “a great beacon of light” for environmental protection, according to Tides Canada Foundation board member Alan Broadbent. The national public foundation, which is focused on social justice and environmental causes, organized the celebration and also raised $4 million in Canada.

In January 2007, the Great Bear Rainforest Conservation Campaign Fund was created in a watershed moment for shared environmental programs. The federal and provincial governments teamed with businesses, non-government organizations, First Nations communities and charities to contribute a total of $120 million to preserve the forest, which includes 30-storey red cedars and an array of wildlife such as the rare white Kermode bear. The Canadian government pledged $30 million to help finance the project, a figure that the B.C. government matched.

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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.

The ticket booth in Bryant Park. (Photo by Julia Pelish)

New York’s been in the news a lot lately with the turmoil on Wall Street and the death of Heath Ledger in Manhattan. So it got me to thinking about home. Here’s one of my favorite photos, which was taken way back in the early part of the decade. This shot is a scene of Bryant Park, a lovely little spot between Times Square and Central Park. It’s behind the NYC Public Library and across from the International Center of Photography.

You won’t find the ticket booth in the photo there any more. It was temporary and set up for when the circus came to town. The shot’s now in my New York City travel gallery and part of my print collection.

Former president Bill Clinton, photographed in Hyde Park, New York. (Photo by Julia Pelish)

For obvious reasons, people often comment about the portrait of Bill Clinton that has been displayed on the home page of my gallery website. Way back in the ’90s when I was just starting out in my career I had the opportunity to photograph the president’s summit meeting with then-Russian leader Boris Yeltsin. I was working for the local paper in Hyde Park, New York, which was Franklin D. Roosevelt’s hometown and the summit took place in one of the several mansions in the Hudson Valley.

To tell you how different those days were, the president actually came up and shook my hand, as well as greeted a group of firefighters who had stopped to watch his appearance. (No, he didn’t try any pick-up lines.) I think someone on his PR staff had pointed out the members of the local press and he made a point of introducing himself. Pretty cool, I thought.

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