Awards, Honours and Thanks

Wow things are coming in, fast and heavy.

First off, I've just won a photography award in my country of origin. Called NOISE 2012 Singapore, my work will be displayed on billboards in the transit system. I am honoured and was a little surprised to receive the award, but happy as heck that I won! :) Roughly 3 million people take transit in Singapore everyday and that makes me smile. 

I have been selected to be at a roundtable discussion with Hon. Peter Kent, Minister of the Environment next Monday. 

Minister’s Round Table 2012 convenes a select group of Canadians to help set direction for the future and will focus on Connecting Canadian Youth to the very essence of Canada through Parks Canada’s places. Trends such as urbanization, increasing diversity through immigration and a lack of awareness among youth of our country’s rich natural and cultural heritage are driving forces for Parks Canada’s renewal and outreach. There is a need to remain relevant to a variety of populations, especially young, urban and new Canadians, who are less familiar with Parks Canada. 

I am all of the above and I am again, honoured to be considered. Thanks to all the amazing Canadians that showed me Canada to begin with. This is for you. 

Alastair Dickson - Uncommon Objects

Here is a short clip I have been working on about Alastair Dickson, resident artist at Artscape Gibraltrar Point on Toronto Island.

Announcing Short Film - CAR

What was I busy doing in Asia? Besides hanging out with my family, I shot a series of short films exploring the dynamic of being a Singaporean. It is something close to my heart yet totally new. I saw Singapore from a foreigner's eyes, after being away for so long and furthermore, returning as a photographer. Being there and shooting from the simplest perch, my own, irrevocably made it a memoir of returning home.

As my first ambitious foray into short film making, I owe a lot to the prowess of my indefatigable family for being so "drama".

Surprise! Here is the trailer for CAR - Sequence 1: Child
Watch it in 1080!



CAR - A trio of short films on being Singaporean. Through the eyes of a child on his way home, a young mixed-race adult contemplating her existence between two worlds and a grandma, returning to the place of her birth.

Bengawan Solo

Where do I start? I've been in Asia for 20 days now, with 5 left to go. I've been staying in Singapore for most of it, but have been packing it with little day trips to Pulau Ubin, Sentosa and Johor Bahru. My family also held a wedding reception for myself and hubby and the last week was spent in Malaysia, Kuching [Borneo], Seremban and Kuala Lumpur visiting relatives.

Kuching was particularly special due to the fact that I had 70 people to meet, all immediate and from a range of senior relatives, aunties, uncles and cousins. My grandmother was born there and immigrated to Singapore when she married my grandfather. She lived through the Japanese Occupation and brought up 5 daughters by running her own business. I see where I get the wanderlust from. She told me about the slow boat ride over, how my grandpa refused to ride an airplane and nearly drowned when his ship capsized, while she herself happily skipped onto planes in her fancy sarong kebaya.

So many things touched me on that trip. I got in contact with my long lost cousins just in time, before we were all grown up and too jaded to care. I spent a night going out to 'shake' with them at Paragon, a favorite among locals for bringing their foreign guests. I also visited my uncle's chicken farm where he harvested bird's nest and grew pink dragon fruit indigenous to Borneo itself. Also, for the first time, I appreciated Kuching, the town where my grandma grew up, its murky river and its unique cuisine, heavy on the seafood. There was a hint of just how headstrong she was back in the day to leave her wealthy family for a life rich in travel instead.



Here is an awesome song that almost sums it up. Bengawan Solo, a song originally about the Solo river in Jakarta and one that my grandma loves is also a tune synonymous among Southeast Asians as a reminder of the 60s, World War II, the Japanese occupation and Singapore's independence.

I've already got the outfit for the shoot. All I need is a model.

In Singapore

I am having the time of my life in Singapore. It is amazing to be back among family and friends and the food is ever so good in this little country. I've been trying to keep in touch with Canada for the last two weeks but my family isn't letting up. I have had cousins who have grown up, friends who barely recognize me and I am spending as much time as possible with the people here.

I even feel I should just let everything go to seed since my family reunion has been long overdue. However, I feel obligated to show you guys awesome pool pictures.

This pool was my teenage haunt. 5 minutes away from my home, I used to be there every single day.

xoxoxo
gwen

The German Sparkle Wall

At German Sparkle Party,  we have a wall of costumes for emergency sparkle assistance. People can take, swap and improvise :)

Remember to RSVP and bring your friends!

RSVP

Latest! Check out our SWAG that we are giving away tonight from TEDx Toronto, Indie Week 2011 and Delicious Food Show

SWAG for Best Dressed tonight at German Sparkle Party 

Occupy Toronto Market Exchange

Occupy Toronto was quite a show. It took up most of my Saturday with Melissa [the other editor at Toronto Social Review] and myself to get ourselves downtown, film and experience the thing and get back to process, edit and clip our shots together for this video. I'm pretty happy, we were the first ones with an edited video out among all the other media there. Sure, the news crews had clips out right away. But I daresay if we had a media truck with a giant satellite, data runners, sound crew and automatic SD cards that wire images as they are taken...

Haha I am just jealous. Here is the video.

Veronika Swartz - Courage

Here is a shot of Veronika Swartz with her new tattoo, "I'd rather die on my feet than live on my knees" Hers was the first shoot hosted at my new studio at 1266 Queen St West @ Noble.

Party People!

Happy Autumn! Just in case I haven't sent you an invite, here it is! 

Greetings to you, oh sparky, talented person. It would be amazing to have you come to my studio opening bash on OCT 21. Come and meet other like-minded souls in the space of 36 Chambers Art Collective. Feel free to bring friends as well! DJ Hali from Harvest Festival 2011 is playing and there will be a cash bar. Entrance is free, just come ready to party! If you like art, feel like mingling with a bunch of people in the creative industry, cool music or playing a round of pool, come by! You're the nearest and dear, because all of you helped make this possible.

Costumes also encouraged :) Come by to fuel up for the night ahead, or hit the after party after 3AM. 

If you'd like to RSVP, go to http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=290872330929006

Can't wait to see you there! 

Golden Pan with Olive-or-Oliver

A triumph of talent, support and an idea. This is in frame with no editing. I am desperately waiting for my trip to Asia and the 24 hour flight when I will edit this and a couple of other shoots.

Thanks goes out to the extremely talented people, without you, I am truly short of a shoot.

Model: Olive-or-Oliver
Makeup: Melissa Johnston

One of the best summers so far.

When I started this year, I had no idea how I was going to top the massive year before, with the G8 and G20, meeting the Dalai Lama and shooting in Cape Breton. 

However, I think this summer has been generous to me. I am 

- opening a studio on Oct 1

- Toronto Social Review is taking off [3 months = 180 000 unique viewers and counting!!!]

- my video production company just got it's first gig

- Going on a TV show 

I am also throwing a MASSIVE PARTY. My studio has a stage, people. It also has a weenie park connected to it and is next to the railway tracks. Very urban chic. 

Also, I'd like to say a big thanks to the 24th Street Wailers for the spread on VIEW. 

Harvest Festival at Midlothian Castle

I went to the best party of my life at Midlothian Castle. It was Harvest Festival and I met some extraordinary people. Here is a list
- Man that built the Midlothian Castle
- Fellow redditor who made the Big Lebowski Monopoly.
- A guy who inspired the `LIKE`button
- A man who called himself German Sparkle Party and gave out Jagermeister
- Several DJs
- A girl who offered me a vial of love
- Happy-face balloon men
- The Wizard
- Uncle Steve

I feel a little heartbroken that it is all over. So, I shall dedicate my studio launch night to a German Sparkle Party.

Pan : The Making

Here is the final shoot! Golden Pan with Oliveoroliver

THE MAKING

Here are some shots of a shoot I am working on. This is the headgear for my Pan costume. It will go under several layers of fabric and maché and will be accompanied by an arm piece, a sceptre and some funky body pieces. I am still deciding on the look of the shoot, but the costume itself it will most likely be neon pink and silver with silver and gold detail.

Trucker Dan Storyman

It was an interesting day in Kensington Market. You meet all sorts of people, especially ones with stories to tell. Trucker Dan Storyman is a regular face in Kensington Market and even gave me a CD. I got permission to post his music online, so I will do that sometime soon.

TIFF - Toronto International Fhoto Fight

Ok, TIFF does stand for Toronto International Film Festival. It is one of the roughest weeks of the year for the close-knit community of pit photographers in downtown TO and more so for the ones that come over to shoot the event. It can get nasty in the pit during the red carpet rush. The world is the size of a little black box filled with an image you may or might not manage to capture.

More pictures here at FLICKR where I've nearly tagged it to death. 

Here is a hint of what an actual TIFF event is like. There were about 300 media peeps there. Of course there are no 500lb fingers-only meat platters.Yet, at the latest press conference, we got fed really well. I mean.... the apple pies had teeny Fairmount Royal Hotel chocolates balanced atop whipped cream. Luscious.

It is like emerging from a dream where you can kind of control what happens, but give in to whatever flies. You can only notice the people close to you and they are usually the most random characters, recurring every September.

All Caps Island Festival

I had a really special time at the All Caps Island Festival. Here are some pictures from this magical weekend. It was the first time that people got to camp over at Toronto Island. We were surrounded by art and natural beauty. I didn`t want to leave.

The water was clear and inviting. It was organised simply and worked brilliantly. Many thanks to Artscape Gibraltar Point, Wavelength and Whippersnapper Gallery and thumbs up to Lisa at Artscape for doing a great job.

Alistair Dickson in his studio where he makes many special, small things. He concentrates on found objects.

A perfect world

This is a new series I started. Check out the website www.toaperfectworld.com. It`s just 3 days old!

The Turning On Project

Here is the first in a series of short films for the Turning On project, an initiative to publish the viewpoints and opinions on how to really turn a woman on.

Parkdale protests Rob Ford

Burlesque and Video

Here are more videos, this time from the Toronto Burlesque Festival.

Jett Adore


Dew Lily and Charlotte Webber


Trixie Little & The Evil Hate Monkey


Melody Manger

John Butler Trio - Another media pit

Here is a shot of John Butler Trio from the media pit with a fisheye/wide angle lens. It was pretty awesome to be so close, even though it was just for three songs. It was a harried media experience..... cameras were not allowed in the concert and we were only allowed to get passes just at camera call, which means we didn't have any time to fool around with light testing. 3 songs or 10 minutes later we were booted out from the best seats in the house. We also didn't get to do video, which is my new favourite thing to do.

I suspect it was on request of the band. I understand.... a person with a camera can be annoying if they don't shoot right. Be fast, be courteous, let people have their turn and do the best to get your own angle without blocking or take the time to let people know you'll only be there a short while.

I think things still went pretty well and I have a bunch of awesome shots that I may or may not put up online :)

Sandman Viper Command - Media Pit

Here is a video I shot of Sandman Viper Command at Edgefest 2011. It was fun but the security guys needed to lighten up. You catch more [media] flies with honey.

Motion : Newfoundland & Labrador location video

I shot this video as part of the Newfoundland & Labrador ad campaign. There were three of us and we mashed all our shots together. Mine show 0.36 seconds in with the huge projections of whales.

Swamped!

I might as well make this a quarterly blog for all the lack of posting :P I have been busy setting up Toronto Social Review for video and its taking up a LOT of time on my end.

Things are going super well! So, here is a couple of videos I shot. Toronto is the best in summer. I hope you all are having tonnes of fun yourselves!

Willy Wonka's Pure Imagination - The Shoot!

I really like how the tribute to Gene Wilder turned out. Joseph was an amazing model and could even sing lines of the song for the camera. It was a good day in Trinity Bellwoods Park. I hope all of summer ends up this way.

The Willy Wonka Outfit

Willy Wonka Outfit

It only took me a day to complete the look of the upcoming Willy Wonka: Pure Imagination Shoot. Believe it or not, it was mostly luck that scored these clothes. That and an obsession with every vintage store in downtown Toronto.

Thanks to Malabar, Flashback 1 and 2, Courage My Love,Value Village and Black Market for stocking all this awesome stuff! Not only did they have it, but I managed to get discounts for most of the items in the pic through haggling, spending loyalty stamp cards and asking. 

1971 Willy Wonka Outfit

- Brown Top Hat $15

- Bow Tie $6.21

- Ruffled Shirt $22.40

- Dickies $2

- White Cuffs $13

- Tan Trousers $10

- Purple Blazer $15

- Wonka Ray Glasses $10
- Patent red leather shoes $10

Total = $103.61

Sure, you could buy a ready-made outfit online for $95 + shipping + taxes, but this is so much cooler.  All I am missing in purple piping and rainbow socks for the look to be complete. 

This was the prop that started it all. I got it from Tin Taj, a 14-year Toronto landmark that is now closed.

Bruno Billio Interview: Stacked-A 15 Year Retrospective

Willy Wonka's Pure Imagination

A thunderstruck me walked out of a store carrying the best prop, which immediately makes a Willy Wonka shoot, circa 1971. The response to this shoot has been great, and I thank everyone who applied to cast.

Joshun Lazaruk plays Gene Wilder's Willy Wonka

Out of about 50 people submitted their head shots. We selected some amazing talent, by the name of Jordan Lazaruk. It should be a fun time getting the outfit for this shoot. We are going to be location shooting and filming a sequence, and I am planning on going OTT with this. Walking around with Jordan, who has an uncanny similarity to Gene Wilder, will be amazing.

Melissa Johnston will be the MUA, and Christina Degasperis will be camera assist.

Having a solid crew supporting me also sets the tone for some amazing work. Lookout for the photos soon!

blogTO Tearsheet

Here is another tearsheet! This one is from blogTO, for its Morning Brew Toronto, posted by Brianne Hogan / JUNE 3, 2011.

Photographer Pow Wow

This was what I was up to yesterday. I went to a photo shoot with a group of media pit photographers, part of a Fashion Magazine shoot coming out in August. I took a bit of video and made a clip out of it. I am pretty proud, it only took me a day to process, edit and post this.

Studio Time

Wow, has it been two weeks since my last post? I have been up to more madness, including making tutorials on the Red Camera system. If you aren't sure what I am talking about, check this out! www.red.com/experience .

I am also producing a couple of shorts that I am planning to film in Singapore with my buds at the end of the year. It should be a fun go. 

Today was an awesome day spent hanging out with my media pit buddies. We were props at a photoshoot for a fashion magazine and they thought it would be fun to have 30 photographers swarm, mocking a live media pit. Each one of us had one, if not two giant lenses. I promise, I will publish the video soon!

Now, I swear, the next post will be a photo. I chanced upon an awesome prop for a Willy Wonka shoot and am now getting the deets in order! Looking for one camera assist, one prop crew and one androgynous body. Get the word out!

There's nothing to it.

Looking for studio space! Here are two shots of different spaces I am looking at.

It is a great time right now. Here is a video I think sums it all up. 

If you want to view paradise

Simply look around and view it

Anything you want to, do it

Wanta change the world?

There's nothing

To it

Its my Birthday!

Its party time, people!

Backstage at FAT Toronto Alternative Arts and Fashion Week

I love having a blog to put up the stuff you won't see on a newspaper :) Check out the full article here ! GET FAT 

Backstage at FAT aka Toronto Alternative Arts and Fashion Week 2011. 

One of my fave photos of the week... and as below, these are the characters I have to work with in the media pit!