Christian J. Stewart Photography: Blog

Drive By Shooting (photographically that is!) in Costa Rica

Sun, 27 Dec 2020 22:42:18 GMT

Exploring the Cultural, Social and Physical Landscape of a Country While Photographing out the Passenger Window of a Car.

Don’t let anyone ever tell you that it is impossible to get great images out the window of a moving vehicle (or in some cases a moving boat).

On a trip to Costa Rica in November of 2018, I found out, somewhat by accident, that this is an amazing way, in a short period of time, to really capture the cultural, social and physical landscape of a place…the housing, the towns, the businesses, the people, and to create amazing images at the same time.

November 2018, Guápiles, Limon Province, Costa Rica - Locals gather to do their shopping and catch up on gossip at La Casa del Pollo - a butcher shop, in Guápiles, Costa Rica.

It started innocently enough when I was forced to be a passenger on a tour bus for a long drive to and from the Caribbean Coast and the town of Tortuguero and the National Park found there. Fortunately, the bus windows could open and during our initial route through the urban jungle of San Jose and then en route to the coast, I began exploring shots out the window and started to like what I saw.

November 2018, Near Guipiles, Costa Rica - A young woman enjoys a smoke break outside a small corner bakery.

After that tour, the group of 10 of us that were travelling rented cars and I was supposed to be one of the drivers. Things got confused and I ended up riding shotgun in the passenger seat and in hindsight, I was glad that I did, as I could then explore with my camera, the passing landscape as we traveled first south from San Jose to Manuel Antonio National Park, then back north to the Arenal Volcano and LaFortuna, then to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and finally back to the west coast and the lovely little beach town of Samara.

November 2018, Nuevo Arenal, Costa Rica - A cobbler goes about his business in a rustic shoe repair shop in the village of Nuevo Arenal, Costa Rica.

I captured images that I would not have been able to capture if driving, unless we stopped every 10 minutes (not possible), and I captured far more images than I would have been able to get if on foot. I also captured many images that I probably would have been too shy, self-conscious, or fearful of taking, had I not had the comfort and security of a moving vehicle to wisk me away before any bystander had a chance to voice any opposition to my photography.

November 2018, Tilaran, Costa Rica - A man walks by a series of parked school buses under a stormy sky in the mountain town of Tilaran, CostaRica.

I truly believe that I was able to capture an amazing cultural and geographical cross-section of the country in a very short period of time, with an ease and simplicity that caught me by surprise.

November 2018, Quepos, Costa Rica - A lone proprietor waits for customers in a small supermarket in Quepos, Costa Rica.

Technically things were quite simple, using my Canon 1DX and a 16-35 F2.8 wide angle lens, I shot at a high shutter speed (usually 1/2000 of a second), using a high aperture (f8 or so), AI Servo, with a high frame rate (10-12 frames per second) and basically looked for an interesting structure or scene (sometimes anticipating an interesting structure or scene) and then literally “sprayed and prayed,” panning the camera as I went by and trying to frame what I could, while keeping the camera level.

November 2018, Limon Province, Costa Rica - A rustic house along the roadway between San Jose and Guapiles, Costa Rica.

The real fun came later, in post-processing. That is when I could start exploring the frames of raw images to see what I captured…what the best angle was, what the best crop was, what was hiding in the shadows that I did not see when I quickly snapped the image out of the window.

November 2018, Tilaran, Costa Rica - Abstract detail of a bus terminal roofline, near Tilaran, Costa Rica.

For me, that was the real artistic endeavor...getting the crop just right, enhancing color and details where needed, enhancing cloud details, or enhancing the shadows to reveal hidden details and turn a basic snapshot into a work of art.

November 2018, Near San Carlos, Alajuela Province, Costa Rica. Large trees break up the lush, green rangelands in the flats near La Fortuna, Costa Rica.

In this series I kept the crops wide and in a bit of a panorama mode on purpose. There is so much color and texture in the buildings and the landscape here in Costa Rica and there is so much intricate detail, I wanted to capture as much of this in each and every image.

November 2018, Monteverde, Costa Rica - A tourist receives directions from a supermarket owner in Monteverde, Costa Rica.

Part of the fun in exploring each image is investigating the various layers and level of information that is present….the colors of a small “soda” or supermarket storefront, the lush greenery of the Costa Rican physical landscape, the looks of any people captured in the photos, the texture of the weathered buildings, the various pieces of furniture, or other items that many of us might consider junk, but that form a part of every day life here in Costa Rica.

November 2018, Guapiles, Costa Rica - Two groups of men hang out in front of the Super Dan liquor store in Guapiles, Costa Rica.

These images may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I invite you to take your time exploring each one. Make your first impression, then explore the backgrounds, the shadows…the details. That is what ultimately defines the culture of a people, their home, their lifestyle and I hope you enjoy what I have captured here in this gallery.

November 2018, Tilaran, Costa Rica - People wait for a bus on the corner of Calle 1 and Aveinda 5 in Tilaran, Costa Rica. Please see more of my Costa Rica "Drive By" images HERE

Please see the full range of my images from Costa Rica HERE

My Journey With Team Finland to Gold at the 2019 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships

Sat, 19 Jan 2019 22:36:26 GMT

The 2019 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships were played this past Christmas in Victoria and Vancouver and like most Victorians, I was looking forward to taking in a game or three here in Victoria. But an e-mail one morning from a press agency in Finland - All Over Press, one of the leading picture agencies in Scandanavia - changed all that.

2019 IIHF U20 Ice Hockey World Championshipsxxkeikkaxx Victoria, Canada, DECEMBER 21, 2018: U20 Ice Hockey World Championships Canada vs. Slovakia. Team Canada's MacKenzie Entwistle (16) prepares for a face-off during a pre-tournament game against Slovakia at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre in Victoria (Photo by Christian J. Stewart / All Over Press Finland)

"Would you like to photograph Team Finland for us during the tournament?" Well of course the answer was yes, and it led to one of the top sports photo experiences I have had in my career so far.

Team Finland was not expected to fare well at the tournament and my expectations and that of my editor, were that I would photograph the four preliminary games here in Victoria and that would be that. However, Finland had different plans.

2019 IIHF U20 Ice Hockey World Championshipsxxkeikkaxx Victoria, Canada, DECEMBER 25, 2018: U20 Ice Hockey World Championships. Team Finland prepares to do a practice drill during a Christmas Day practice session at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre in VIctoria, Canada. Team Finland begins play on Wednesday night against Team Sweden.(Photo by Christian J. Stewart / All Over Press Finland)

After going 2-2 here in Victoria with wins over lowly Slovakia and Kazakhstan and losses to the Swedes and Americans, the Finns were slated to play the Canadians in a quarter-final in Vancouver. So off I went across the pond, with my editor even e-mailing me that he expected that to be the final game for me and that he did not expect Finland to win.

2019 IIHF U20 Ice Hockey World Championshipsxxkeikkaxx Victoria, Canada, DECEMBER 26, 2018: U20 Ice Hockey World Championships. Finland vs. Sweden. Team Finland's Linus Nyman (23) and Sweden's Nils Lundkvist (9) battle for the puck in front of Sweden goaltender Samuel Ersson during the opening game for both teams in Pool B at the 2019 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre in Victoria, Canada. (Photo by Christian J. Stewart / All Over Press Finland)

Again, Finland had different plans and dramatically defeated Canada 3-2 in overtime to advance to the semi-final. That guaranteed me at least two more games and Finland then defeated Switzerland in the semi-finals and the USA in the finals to take the gold.

2019 IIHF U20 Ice Hockey World Championshipsxxkeikkaxx Victoria, Canada, DECEMBER 27, 2018: U20 Ice Hockey World Championships. Finland vs. Kazakhstan. Finland's Aarne Talvitie (25) is squeezed out by a pair of Kazakhstan defenders during Pool B round robin action at the 2019 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre in Victoria, Canada. (Photo by Christian J. Stewart / All Over Press Finland) 2019 IIHF U20 Ice Hockey World Championshipsxxkeikkaxx Victoria, Canada, DECEMBER 27, 2018: U20 Ice Hockey World Championships. Finland vs. Kazakhstan. An exhausted Team Kazakhstan goaltender Demid Yeremeyev (30) talks with his trainer during a timeout of a Pool B round robin action at the 2019 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre in Victoria, Canada. Yeremeyev faced a total of 56 shots in the 5-0(Photo by Christian J. Stewart / All Over Press Finland)

It was an amazing run and provided me with some great hockey images. I had my first experience shooting games at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, my first experience in shooting through photo holes in the glass (for which I amazingly had priority for in Vancouver for most games), my first experience in filing images to a press agency on tight deadlines and my first experience in learning Photo Mechanic software, which greatly speeds up selection and editing of images for processing and filing to said agency (Thanks to Adrian Lam, Kevin Light and Jonathan Hayward, among others, for tips and trick on quickly learning that program).

2019 IIHF U20 Ice Hockey World Championshipsxxkeikkaxx Victoria, Canada, DECEMBER 29, 2018: U20 Ice Hockey World Championships. Finland vs.Slovakia. Finland's Oskari Laaksonen (2) congratulates goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (1) after Finland's 5-1 win over Slovakia in Pool B round robin action at the 2019 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre in Victoria, Canada. (Photo by Christian J. Stewart / All Over Press Finland)

It was cool to see my images being used in the Finnish and Swedish press and even more fun to try and use Google Translate to read the articles in English. Trust me, the translation does not work well and the resulting headlines and articles were very entertaining to read. Try it here to see what I mean.

2019 IIHF U20 Ice Hockey World Championshipsxxkeikkaxx Victoria, Canada, DECEMBER 29, 2018: U20 Ice Hockey World Championships. USA vs. SWEDEN. Team USA's Quinn Hughes (7) has a glorious chance to score in overtime of a Pool B round robin game aganst Sweden at the 2019 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre in Victoria, Canada. (Photo by Christian J. Stewart / All Over Press Finland)

Some of my favourite images from the tournament are presented here. The full lot of the 16 games I ended up photographing can be found HERE . Enjoy!

CJS Photography Official Photographer for 2017 WBSC U18 World Cup of Baseball

Fri, 30 Jun 2017 21:23:58 GMT

MEDIA RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - June 30, 2017

Christian J. Stewart Photography Selected as Official Photographer, 2017 WBSC U18 Baseball World Cup

Victoria, BC - Mr. Christian J. Stewart is pleased to announce that Christian J. Stewart Photography of Victoria, British Columbia, in conjunction with James Mirabelli Photography of Thunder Bay, Ontario, have been selected as the official photographers for the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U18 Baseball World Cup that will be held in Thunder Bay, Ontario from September 1-10, 2017.

2016 Victoria HarbourCats Baseball ClubJune 30, 2016, Victoria, BC - Members of the Victoria HarbourCats celebrate in the locker room after defeating the Kelowna Falcons 9-1 at Royal Athletic Park Thursday, clinching first place in the first half of the 2016 West Coast League season and thus securing their first playoff appearance in team history.

WHY I CHOSE THIS PHOTO: This photo highlights a couple of firsts, including my first ever locker room celebration and the HarbourCats first ever playoff appearance, coming in a season that saw them eventually reach 40 wins - the best in the league and a WCL record. The boys certainly did a good job of celebrating the first half title here and gave me a great "Joy of Victory" photo. The tournament serves as the World Championships for the Junior age category (16-18 year olds) and will feature a record nine of the Top 10 ranked countries in the 12-nation tournament including the Canadian National Junior Team (#10), the United States (#2 and three-time defending U18 champions), Cuba (#5), Mexico (#6), Nicaragua (#15), Japan (#1), Korea (#3), Chinese Taipei (#4), Italy (#12), Netherlands (#9), South Africa (#29) and Australia (#8).

2016 Victoria Eagles Baseball ClubApril 9, 2016, Victoria, BC - Victoria Eagles pitcher Brody Stark delivers a pitch during a BC Premier Baseball League game against the the Parksville Royals Saturday at Lambrick Park in Victoria. The Royals would emerge with a 3-2 win.

WHY I CHOSE THIS PHOTO: This pitcher has such an exaggerated "backswing" to his wind up and I wanted to try and capture it as best as possible without his face being blocked out. Perfect lighting and the perfect angle from behind the plate, led to a perfect shot of his unusual delivery. The tournament includes 50 games over the 10-day period, played at Thunder Bay's Port Arthur Stadium and Baseball Central and will showcase some of the top baseball prospects that the world has to offer, including, under a new agreement between WBSC and Major League Baseball (MLB), a number of players recently drafted and signed by Major League Baseball teams and their affiliates.

2016 Victoria HarbourCats Baseball ClubJune 30, 2016, Victoria, BC - Victoria third baseman Brad Pluschkell (left) puts the tag on the Kelowna Falcon’s Michael Cianco (right) just before Cianco reaches the bag on this play in the third inning during a West Coast League game at Royal Athletic Park in Victoria. The HarbourCats would emerge with a 9-1 win to clinch a playoff position for the first time in team history.

WHY I CHOSE THIS PHOTO: I will often be asked by players and sometimes umpires "Did you get that play? Was he out or safe?" In this case, I loved that what was a "bang-bang" play to the naked eye, is clearly an out, by inches, when frozen in time. The soft, warm evening light, also made this a great baseball capture. "I am extremely excited to have this opportunity to work with the WBSC," said Mr. Stewart, "and to be working with Mr. Mirabelli to provide the high quality baseball imagery that the tournament requires. Both Mr. Mirabelli and I are very well known baseball photographers in our respective areas of the country and we now look forward to sharing our images on the world stage."

2015 Arizona Fall LeagueNovember 19, 2015, Scottsdale, AZ - New York Mets prospect Jeff McNeil (10) of the Salt River Rafters heads toward first base after making contact during an Arizona Fall League game against the Scottsdale Scorpions Thursday at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale, Arizona.

WHY I CHOSE THIS PHOTO: This one is simply about light. Those of you who follow me know I love shooting baseball and this year I had a chance to go down to Arizona and shoot the Arizona Fall League. During this game, home plate is in beautiful late afternoon sun, while the stands are in dark shadow. This sets up a nice contrast to get shots like this of the batters. In this case, the batter's form, the dirt from the impact of the ball that has bounced up and is reflecting the light, plus the flare off the top of his helmet, all against the dark background, add up to make for a nice shot. This is the 28th WBSC U18 Baseball World Cup and the event is expected to draw over 50,000 spectators in total to the games in Thunder Bay, with fans in close to 100 countries tuning in via live-stream broadcasts.

Details on the tournament may be found at http://www.thunderbay2017.com

2016 Cactus League Spring TrainingMarch 19, 2016, Peoria, Arizona - The Seattle Mariners host the Arizona Diamondbacks in a Cactus League spring training game at Peoria Stadium in Peoria, Arizona. The Diamondbacks would come away with a 4-2 win. All Photos Copyright Christian J. Stewart and Christian J. Stewart Photography 2016. NO UNPAID USE without the express written consent of the photographer. Editoria use allowed with credit to Christian J. Stewart and Independent Sports News. Telephone: 250-744-7277; E-Mail [email protected] About Christian J. Stewart Photgraphy

Mr. Stewart has been involved in the sports photography field since the late 1970's and early 1980's and has now evolved into one of the top sports (notably baseball) photographers in the Pacific Northwest. He has covered baseball extensively in Victoria and is the Official Photographer for the Victoria HarbourCats Baseball Club (West Coast League) and Victoria Eagles (BC Premier Baseball League), as well as a Senior Contributing Editor and Photographer for Independent Sports News (ISN) a national web-based sports media outlet. He has also covered games at the Major League Baseball level and prior to the U18s, will serve as the Official Photographer for the 2017 Baseball Canada Senior Men's Nationals that will be held in Victoria in August. Visit http://christianjstewart.zenfolio.com for more details.

A life-long resident of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Mr. Mirabelli has been photographing sports in the area since the early 1980’s. He has worked extensively in the sports media field and has been published nationally and internationally by wire services such Reuters, AFP and Canadian Press, as well as being a regular contributor locally to the Chronicle Journal and TB Source. Mr. Mirabelli is the official photographer for the Thunder Bay Border Cats Baseball Club (Northwoods League), the Thunder Bay Chill Soccer Club, the Lakehead University Thunderwolves Hockey Club, and the Thunder Bay Minor Football Association. Visit http://www.jamesmirabelli.com for more details.

2010 Victoria Seals Baseball Club - Golden Baseball LeagueVictoria BC, May 29, 2010 - Victoria Seals third baseman Brian Rios (5) trots home to his waiting teammates after hitting a walk-off home run to give the Seals a victory over the Orange County Flyers in GBL action at Royal Athletic Park. About the World Baseball Softball Confederation

World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) is the world governing body for the sports of baseball and softball that was established in 2013 by the historic merger of the International Softball Federation (ISF) and International Baseball Federation (IBAF), the former respective world governing bodies for baseball and softball. Headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, the WBSC was granted recognition as the sole competent global authority for both the sports of baseball and softball by the International Olympic Committee at the 125th IOC Session on September 8, 2013. The WBSC has 208 National Federation Members in 143 countries and territories across Asia, Africa, Americas, Europe and Oceania. Visit http://www.wbsc.org for more details.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Mr. Christian J. Stewart

Phone: 250-744-7277

E-Mail: [email protected]

The Sports Year in Review: My Top 25 Sports Photos of 2016

Mon, 02 Jan 2017 02:48:54 GMT

Another fantastic year of sports photography is in the books and for me, it was pretty good.

I had a number of firsts in the sports shooting realm, including the highlight of the year as an accredited photographer for Cactus League Spring Training in Arizona where I covered four Seattle Mariners games, went to the camps of the Texas Rangers, Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers and the Mariners, caught a couple of college games and covered the BCPBL Langley Blaze as they were down for some pre-season training work as well.

Another first was covering my first ever professional golfing event at the Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship Senior PGA Tour event in Victoria, where I got to watch and photograph a number of golfers that I have have admired over the years. Also a first was a Monster Truck and Freestyle motocross spectacular that was held in Victoria.

Also on the baseball front, I continued my work as the official photographer for the Victoria HarbourCats of the WCL, the Victoria Eagles of the BCPBL and the Greater Victoria Baseball Association and managed to work in some games for the BCPBL Victoria Mariners as well.

I continued my work as a freelancer with Independent Sports News / Island Sports News where I had the opportunity to shoot a range of hockey events, notably the Victoria Royals of the WHL, the VIJHL Junior B All-Star game, a Vancouver Canucks old-timers game, the Victoria Grizzlies of the BCHL and where I provided comprehensive coverage of the Lower Vancouver Island High School Basketball League and various high school tournaments, as well as coverage of the UVic Vikes men's and women's basketball programs.

It is always an interesting task to whittle down the thousands of photos I take in a season to a select 25, but one I feel is worthwhile, not only for me as a learning tool - a way of critiquing my own work and selecting those images that stand out - but hopefully for you, my faithful readers and viewers, who ready my articles on ISN and enjoy the photographs that I decide to run along with those news items.

So without further ado, in no particular order, here are my top 25 sports images of 2016, along with the reasons why I selected the photo. Hover over the image to read the caption and see my reasons for selection, or alternatively click on a photo to go to a larger version of it in the gallery on my website (where you can also purchase images if so inclined!).

Please enjoy and share and if so inclined, leave comments for me as to which which was your favourite!

2016 Monster X Truck Destruction TourJanuary 9, 2016, Victoria, BC - Motocross rider Jeff Banks thrills the crowd with one of his freestyle motocross tricks at the Monster Tour at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre in Victoria on Saturday.

WHY I CHOSE THIS PHOTO: Shooting Monster trucks was a first for me, as was motocross, and while our position in the arena was not the greatest for any cool shots of the trucks, it was great for the freestyle motocross. This trick, his pose and his eyes visible through his goggles, plus the nice soft background with the hint of the crowd present really made this shot pop for me.

2016 Cactus League Spring TrainingMarch 21, 2016, Glendale, Arizona - Los Angeles Dodger outfielder Yasiel Puig heads to first after stroking a base hit in a Cactus League spring training game against the Seattle Mariners at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona. The Mariners would come away with a 6-3 win.

WHY I CHOSE THIS PHOTO: Baseball is often a game of athleticism, power, finesse, grace and some ballet all mixed together and I felt that this swing pose illustrated that concept perfectly. PGA Tour Champions 2016 Pacific Links Bear Mountain ChampionshipSeptember 20-25, 2016 - Veteran PGA Tour Champion golfer Colin Montgomerie keeps his eye on the ball as he chips out of a bunker beside the 18th green during final round action of the 2016 Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship at Bear Mountain Resort in Victoria, British Columbia. Montgomerie would win the tournament following a three hole playoff against Scott McCarron.

WHY I CHOSE THIS PHOTO: It is kind of a cliched shot in the golf photography world, but I loved how his eyes, with a fantastic glint of light in them, followed the ball out of the bunker. Add to that the fact that this shot was a crucial shot that allowed Montgomerie to save par on the hole and thus force the playoff and it easily becomes one of my favourites of the year.

Eagles Snap Skid, Hand Whalley First Loss of Season

Sun, 24 Apr 2016 04:41:29 GMT

Story and Photos by Christian J. Stewart (ISN)

Victoria, BC (ISN) - The Victoria Eagles snapped an early-season, seven game losing streak with a 10-8 win over the Whalley Chiefs Saturday afternoon at Lambrick Park in Victoria and in the process, handed the previously unbeaten Chiefs (7-0) their first loss of the 2016 BC Premier Baseball League season.

Victoria game two starter Kobe Morris would get the win Saturday, going 4.2 innings and giving up 3 runs on 4 hits (Photo: Christian J. Stewart / ISN)

The Eagles win came in the second game of their double-header with the Chiefs and gave them some measure of retribution for an 8-1 loss earlier in the day.

It has been a season of tough knocks so far for the Eagles in 2016, as following an opening day split with the Parksville Royals on April 9th, the Eagles hit the road for six straight games, losing a pair each to the Abbotsford Cardinals, the Langley Blaze and the Coquitlam Reds before coming back to the friendly confines of Lambrick Park on Saturday.

Eagles catcher Jayden Wakeham had a pair of hits, including a 2-RBI double in the first inning, to help the Eagles to a 10-8 win over Whalley on Saturday (Photo: Christian J. Stewart / ISN)

If there is good news to come out of their eight losses thus far, it has been that four of them have been by just a single run, including two nail-biters to the Blaze and six have come when last year's BCPBL offensive player of the year, Tyler Duncan has been out of the line-up while attending with the Canadian National Junior team and playing at other showcase tournaments.

What that has meant for the Eagles is that their young guns are getting the chance to see a ton of innings so far this spring, which will only benefit the team down the road when Duncan is back.

Eagles pitcher Kobe Morris would help himself out at the plate Saturday with a 3-RBI afternoon in the 10-8 win (Photo: Christian J. Stewart / ISN)

It was also a big benefit to the team on Saturday, as it was a number of those young guns who sparked the Eagles offence in the first inning of game two, notably when Premier rookies Jayden Wakeham and Luke Seginowich had key back-to-back, two-out, RBI doubles, followed up by an RBI single from rookie Colton O'Brien in what would be a five-run first for the Eagles.

Wakeham would finish the day with a pair of hits, a pair of RBIs and a run scored , while Seginowich would also finish with a pair of hits, RBI and two runs scored to pace the offence.

It was a busy day at second base for both teams during the Eagles 10-8 win over Whalley on Saturday (Photo: Christian J. Stewart / ISN)

Another big contribution from a Premier rookie was an RBI single from Parker Swinton in the bottom of the sixth inning that plated what turned out to be the game winning run for the Eagles.

The story was no less different on the mound in game two Saturday. After Eagles veteran Kobe Morris pitched the Eagles into the fifth inning with a 7-2 lead, he faltered with two-outs and the Eagles went to Junior call-up Mike Musselwhite.

Musselwhite would take his knocks, surrendering a walk, double, balk and a single that saw the Chiefs score three runs and cut the lead to 7-5, but he would get a big strikeout to end the inning and keep the Eagles in the lead.

Eagles relieves Mike Muselwhite (top) and Noah Doorschot (bottom) were clutch when they needed to be, getting big plays to deny Whalley rallies late in Saturday's game (Photo: Christian J. Stewart / ISN)

The Eagles would score a pair in the bottom of the inning to bump the lead to 9-5 and then hand the ball to another Junior call-up Noah Doorschot, who like Musselwhite, would have some difficulty and thanks to some errors behind him, give up a pair of runs to the Chiefs in the sixth to cut the gap to 9-7.

The Eagles would score another insurance run in the bottom of the sixth and the Chiefs would threaten again in the top of the seventh, loading the bases with nobody out on a walk and pair of singles surrendered by Doorschot. The rookie would then make his best pitch of the game to induce a huge 6-4-3 run-scoring double play and then use the momentum from that to strike out the final batter of the game and preserve the Eagles 10-8 win.

The Eagles Andy Weir rounds second en route to scoring a late insurance run against Whalley (Photo: Christian J. Stewart / ISN)

"We just have not had the bounces going our way so far this year," said Eagles assistant coach Jay Longpre, "so it was nice to see the kids get some breaks here and hang on for the win. "

The win moves the Eagles record to 2-8 on the season and hopefully gives them some spark moving forward. It does not get any easier though for them, as they now travel Sunday to the North Shore to face the Twins, the 2015 BCPBL Champions who have also started the season undefeated with a 6-0 record. They return to Lambrick on Saturday the 30th to host the North Delta Blue Jays.

Eagles catcher Jayden Wakeham (right) congratulates pitcher Noah Doorschott (left) after closing out the win against Whalley (Photo: Christian J. Stewart / ISN)

Whalley falls to 7-1 on the season and they will stay in Victoria to have a big early season match-up with the also undefeated Victoria Mariners, who have surprised many by starting the season at 6-0, including 8-3 and 8-1 wins Saturday over Abbotsford. Game times for those are at 11:00 am and 1:30 pm at Henderson Park.

My Top 25 Sports Photos of 2015

Tue, 26 Jan 2016 22:00:23 GMT

Every year in January, I conduct a bit of a self-introspective exercise by going through all my sports photos from the previous year and selecting what I feel are my top 25 images of the year. It is a very educational activity and one that I learn from moving forward.

Some of these photos tell a good story, some have humour behind them and many are just good action shots, including my football image below.

So without further ado, here they are, in no particular order, my top 25 for 2015. CLICK HERE to go to the gallery overview, or click on the image below to go to the first image in the gallery and browse from there. Be sure to scroll down below each image to see why I chose the photo for this collection.

I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Mariners Take Downey Memorial With Drubbing of White Rock

Mon, 21 Sep 2015 02:42:56 GMT

Story and Photos by Christian J. Stewart (ISN)

September 20, 2015, Victoria, BC (ISN) - The Victoria Mariners capped off a successful weekend Sunday afternoon, as they drubbed the White Rock Tritons 8-0 to capture the championship game of the second annual Zack Downey Memorial Baseball Tournament at Layritz Park.

The Mariners rolled through the tournament with a 4-1 record, winning games against Parksville (9-1), the Victoria Eagles (9-6), White Rock (9-3) and Nanaimo (8-3) before dropping a meaningless game to the Coquitlam Reds (10-2) in the last round robin game Sunday.

The M's Tyler Schindel chugs around second en route to a first inning triple in the final against White Rock on Sunday (Photo: Christian J. Stewart / ISN)

That put the M's up against the Tritons, who captured second place in the round robin by virtue of their wins over Coquitlam (3-2), Parksville (7-2), and the Victoria Eagles (5-2).

Jason Willow strokes an RBI base hit in the first inning against White Rock Sunday (Photo: Christian J. Stewart / ISN)

In the final, which started on time at 3:00 pm Sunday despite some earlier weather delays, it was really no contest, as the M's, drawing inspiration as they have done for the past few years from their former teammate Downey, jumped all over White Rock starter Matt Leeder for three runs in the first inning, highlighted by a triple from Tyler Schindel, and solid RBI hits from Jason Willow, Caleb Piechnik and Chris Niketas.

The Mariners Duncan Brens-Knight got the start Sunday and pitched 4 innings of scoreless baseball against White Rock (Photo: Christian J. Stewart / ISN)

They would add four more runs in the second thanks to RBIs hits from Tyler Schindler and Jason Willow, a bases loaded walk to Niketas and an RBI single from Harrison Hurford. One more run in the third made it 8-0 and put things out of reach for the Tritons.

The Tritons did have some bright spots defensively Sunday as here, second baseman Jansen Crossley turns a double play on a sliding Tyler Schindel (Photo: Christian J. Stewart / ISN)

On the mound, starter Duncan Brens-Knight was solid, going nearly five full innings before being relieved by Mike Varley who came in to close out the mercy-rule shortened win.

The Mariner's Nick Seginowich had a pair of solid hits in the final Sunday against White Rock (Photo: Christian J. Stewart / ISN)

The Downey Memorial Tournament has been established by the Mariners to honor the memory of former player Zack Downey who passed away from cancer in May of 2014. Prior to the game, his mother Tania, father Wayne and sister Brooklyn were presented with a plaque that the Mariners will be installing at their home field - Henderson Park - that will serve as a permanent memorial to the inspirational young man that was taken way too early from this world.

The Mariner's Mike Varley (right) presented Brooklyn Downey with a plaque that will be installed at Henderson Park to honour former Mariner Zack Downey who passed away from cancer in May of 2014 (Photo: Christian J. Stewart / ISN)

The plaque nicely sums up what sports, competition, self-motivation and more importantly, what Zack was all about. It reads:

The Downey family, Brooklyn (left), Wayne (centre) and Tania (right) with the plaque that will be installed at Henderson Park to honour their son and brother Zach (Photo: Christian J. Stewart / ISN)

"Sports are my life…I live, eat, breathe and dream of the action. The wild adventure of each new game is like walking on the edge of the horizon, knowing whatever is at the end, I will have given to the game everything I have. In loving memory of Zachary Downey #6 May 1, 1996 - May 25, 2014."

Rams Continue to Build for Season With Exhibition Win Over Lord Tweedsmuir

Mon, 21 Sep 2015 00:59:23 GMT

Story and Photos by Christian J. Stewart (ISN)

September 19, 2015, Victoria BC (ISN) - The Mount Douglas Rams used their no-huddle, quick-strike offence to perfect effect on Saturday, building a 38-9 halftime lead, en route to a 45-15 drubbing of the Lord Tweedsmuir Panthers in BC High School Football AAA Varsity exhibition action at Mount Douglas High School in Victoria.

Mt. Doug running back Declann Michielin had a big game Saturday, running for three touchdowns and scoring a pair of two-point conversions (Photo: Christian J. Stewart)

For Lord Tweedsmuir, they started well, scoring on the very first play from scrimmage on a nice pass from quarterback Jonathan Chwaklinski to a wide open Joel Klaassen, but then would not see the endzone again until the very final play of the game, when running back Drey Blair punched one in from the five-yard line.

See you later! Mt. Doug kick returner Gavin Cobb leaves everyone in his wake, en route to an 80-yard touchdown scamper on Saturday (Photo: Christian J. Stewart)

In between those two scores it was all Rams, most notably running back Declann Michielin, who punched runs into the end zone from six, three and eight yards out to score the Rams first three majors of the day. Add to that a safety on a sack by Manny Lopez and a pair of two point converts and the Rams quickly overcame the early deficit to build a 24-6 lead early into the second quarter.

Moments after escaping a near safety on this play from a tackle by the Rams Michael Olson (70), Lord Tweedsmuir quarterback Jonathan Chwaklinski (2) would be sacked for a safety by Manny Lopez (Photo: Christian J. Stewart)

That lead was sparked in part by the Rams impressive hurry-up offence which they unveiled on their second possession of the game, when after an interception on their own 20, they seemed to get the ball into the Panthers end zone a mere minute or two later. It was an impressive drive, one that the Lord Tweedsmuir defenders had no clue how to defend and one from which they would never recover.

The Rams Gavin Cobb (11), also contributed as a receiver Saturday, finishing with 59 yards on 4 receptions (Photo: Christian J. Stewart)

Following Michielin's third touchdown run of the day, the Rams would strike again, when the Panthers made the mistake of punting to the Rams Gavin Cobb, who took the ball at his own 20-yard line and in explosive fashion, cut and deked his way downfield for an 80-yard touchdown return.

Lord Tweedsmuir's Drey Blair (1) would score a late touchdown on this play for the Panthers, beating the tackle of the Rams Spencer Meldrum (Photo: Christian J. Stewart)

A three-yard Manny Lopez scamper made the score 38-6 before the Panthers finally got back on the board with an 18-yard field goal to end the half at 38-9.

In the third quarter, the Rams took the ball first and in a complete turn-around of their hurry-up offense in the first half, showed everyone that they can play the control game as well, using up the entire quarter with just one drive that culminated in a five-yard touchdown run from Richard Innes-McDonald that put the Rams up 45-9.

Rams quarterback Gideone Kremler (right) looks for an opening behind the block of Declann Michielin (22) (Photo: Christian J. Stewart)

A running time fourth quarter left very little room for much else, save the closing touchdown from the Panthers, rounding out the score at 45-15.

Michielin finished Saturday's game with eight carries for for 58 yards and his three scores, plus a pair of two-point conversions. Quarterback Gideone Kremler had another strong outing completing 9 of 12 passes for 134 yards. Adding to his spectacular punt return and touchdown, Cobb was the leading receiver with 4 receptions for 59 yards.

Lord Tweedsmuir back Colton Zayshley (45) gets ready to take a hit from the Rams Oliver MacKenzie (4) (Photo: Christian J. Stewart)

On the defensive side of the ball, Michielin led the team with 5 tackles, followed by Justice Kremler with 4 and Trystin Waters with 3. Lopez recorded a safety, Josh Lucas had a fumble recovery and Gevhahn McNally-Hardisty had a huge interception in the 1st half that eventually resulted in the Rams second score.

"I thought this was our strongest first half effort thus far this season against a quality opponent in Lord Tweedsmuir," said Rams Head Coach Mark Townsend. "Our line play on both sides of the ball was excellent. We will need to maintain our physical game against our Island rival and always very tough John Barsby next Friday."

Junior Varsity Rams Defeat Tweedsmuir

The Junior Varsity Rams also went on to victory on Saturday, scoring a pair of second-half touchdowns to top Lord Tweedsmuir 22-6.

Mt. Doug Junior Varsity quarterback Isaiah Cardilicchia (12) gives a solid stiff arm to Tweedsmuir defender Yosef Drysdale (17) during the JV win Saturday (Photo: Christian J. Stewart)

The Panthers scored first and missed the convert, with the Rams responding with a score and convert of their own to hold a 7-6 lead at the half.

In the third quarter, the Rams Isaiah Cardilicchia set up his own 5-yard touchdown run, with a heroic 40-yard or so run on the previous play, just failing to reach the end zone.

JV Rams quarterback Gideone Kremler (1) escapes the grasp of Lord Tweedsmuir's Trey Jones (87) on this running play Saturday (Photo: Christian J. Stewart)

The Rams would control the game after that, scoring another late touchdown by Logan Sekyer and adding a two-point conversion to round out the scoring at 22-6.

Mt. Doug running back Logan Sekyer charges ahead for some hard earned yards against Lord Tweedsmuir on Saturday (Photo: Christian J. Stewart)

Both the Varsity and Junior Varsity Rams now travel to Nanaimo next Friday Sep. 25 for a match with the John Barsby Bulldogs. The JV game kicks off at 4:00 pm while the varsity game goes under the lights at 7:00.

The Abstract Earth

Mon, 25 Aug 2014 03:49:24 GMT

Long before I ever picked up a camera to shoot a baseball game, or looked through the pages of Sports Illustrated, I was a subscriber to National Geographic and a wonderful magazine called Arizona Highways (both thanks to my Auntie Fran who gifted both to me).

Hot Spring, Yellowstone National Park Copper Tailings, Clarkdale, Arizona

Through those magazines and through an appreciation of iconic nature and landscape photographers like Ansel Adams (USA) and Freeman Patterson (Canada), as well as university degrees in physical geography and geology, I have gained an appreciation and understanding of the diverse physical features found in the world, an appreciation that is reflected in many of my images.

Hot Spring, Yellowstone National ParkNOTE: Due to the panoramic crop on this photo, please note the finished dimensions noted in the price list are approximate. Please contact me for details on the sizing and format of this photo if you are interested in it.

I truly believe that the difference between a "nice" photo and a truly great photo, is first, seeing what everybody sees, but then having the ability to see what others do not. With this in mind, I try to look for the "detail" in a scene, or else concentrate on other aspects such as dramatic color, texture, composition or lighting. The right combination of these factors, result, I hope, in images that provide unique and unusual perspectives on otherwise ordinary subjects.

Sand Ripples, Sauble Beach, Ontario Sunrise, Grand Canyon

This is the focus of this collection of images, "The Abstract Earth"...picking out the abstract from the ordinary, focusing on geologic or geographic detail, looking for juxtapositions of shapes, features or elements (earth, water, sky), emphasizing textures or colours.

The Great Salt Lake, UtahNOTE: Due to the panoramic crop on this photo, please note the finished dimensions noted in the price list are approximate. Please contact me for details on the sizing and format of this photo if you are interested in it.

The earth around us is much more than the scenes we see from highway rest stops, canyon overlooks, or park trails.

Look closely and you will be amazed!

Sizes and prices shown for each image in the gallery are my standard formats and pricing. Prints larger than 13 x 19" are available, as are canvas wraps and other options. Please contact me directly for details on these if interested ([email protected])

Shooting Baseball is A Lot Like Fishing

Tue, 19 Aug 2014 07:10:55 GMT

Over the course of this spring and summer, by quick count, I have photographed about 80 different baseball games.

Everything from house league Mosquito (9-10 year olds) right on up through high school, our summer collegiate team - the Victoria HarbourCats - and just last week, at the MLB level, covering the Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays series in Seattle.

It has been a busy summer covering everything from Mosquito (left) to MLB baseball (right)

I am apparently a rare breed here in Victoria, in that I actually REALLY, REALLY enjoy shooting baseball. Some of our local press photog's don't like baseball assignments mainly because they have a limited time to shoot a game and always want the "big play" images - double plays at second, plays at the plate - plays that do not always happen early in a game, if at all, or at least by their deadline.

http://christianjstewart.zenfolio.com/harbourcats
Plays at the plate can be relatively infrequent at most baseball games, but when they happen you need to be ready for them.

I tell them that shooting baseball is a lot like fishing....you sit quietly and patiently for long periods of time, waiting for that big nibble, or the fish to take your line, and when it does, you have to be ready to reel it in (i.e. snap away and capture the big play) before it is gone. Sometimes those nibbles come early and rapidly, sometimes they don't come at all.

When plays at bases happen in baseball, be ready for them so you can land a nice "catch"

Fortunately, I like fishing, and with the work I do with Independent Sports News (being a web media outlet), we rarely have to worry about hard print deadlines and can stay for the full length of most games, allowing for more time to catch that big fish, and capture a key image or series of images from a particular game.

Sometimes the best image of the game happens on the very last play, like this example of a celebration after a walk-off base hit won the game.

And just like an expert fisherman who knows where and when to get the big fish, anticipating and understanding when that big play is going to happen in a baseball game is key.

While sometimes it can be obvious, I find that because I have played and coached the game, and am a connoisseur of baseball's finer points, there are times when I can anticipate what is going to happen and set myself up for a better angle and photo.

For example, knowing a bunt situation and turning to photograph the player bunting, or knowing a certain batter's tendencies and focusing on a fielder that he has a high percentage of hitting the ball to.

http://christianjstewart.zenfolio.com/harbourcats
Knowing when a player might be called upon to bunt can often lead to nice photos of the play if executed.

This latter example worked out well for me in the image of the diving third baseman shown below. Three previous batters, including the guy at the plate this time, had all earlier scorched line drives down the line. So this time around, I focused on the third baseman and sure enough, the same batter hit another down the line and I captured the resulting image.

http://christianjstewart.zenfolio.com/harbourcats
With a little knowledge of a batter's tendencies and a pre-focus on an infielder, you can capture shots like this.

Or stealing signs from coaches or infielders and being in position (with my lens) to capture a pick-off attempt or a player stealing a base.

Plays at second are also big on a baseball photographer's hit list, especially when a shortstop or second baseman attempts to turn a double play in the face of a sliding runner. Ideally you want to capture this from the first base side, with the defensive player leaping over the sliding runner and at the same time releasing the ball toward first. Of course, given how infrequently double plays happen (well at least at the level of games I have been covering) and when they do, the fact that sometimes you are on the third base side, capturing such an iconic image can be difficult.

Quite often you can be on the third base side when a double play attempt at second base happens but with a little luck and the right timing, you can get acceptable results.

Fortunately for me, the "perfect storm" occurred in the very last game I shot (so far) this season, in a MLB Blue Jays and Mariners game, and I got TWO such images in the same game, the second of which, is probably the best such photo of this type of play that I have ever captured!

Two of the best double play images I shot all season, came in the very last game - my 80th - that I shot last week in Seattle, showing how rare the "perfect" double-play photo (the bottom image here) can be.

Ironically as well, in both of the above photos, the players are the same players, just switched on offense and defense!

In lieu of the big plays, one often has to resort to other ways to capture images that make the game interesting for the readers and viewers of the images. One way I like to do this is by using close-up shots of, for example, pitchers as they deliver the ball to the plate. With the right lighting and background, these can be very powerful images, especially if that pitcher ends up throwing a good game.

http://christianjstewart.zenfolio.com/harbourcats
With the right lighting and background, close-up shots of pitchers like this can be quite dramatic.

Another good sight line I like is from behind the plate. Either a close up that really captures the exertion on a pitcher's face, or in the case of the first photo below, the stress on his arm, or in the case of the second photo below, shooting a bit wider to give the viewer more context for the game and situation.

Shooting pitchers from behind the plate in a close-up mode can really emphasize their effort and exertion (top) while shooting a bit wider (below) can add more context to the situation.

Capturing shots of batters is always another dilemma for baseball photographers. Many like to capture the batter at the time of impact, when the ball hits the bat. These are called BOB (bat on ball) shots and many photographers seem overly elated to get them, but for me, I don't like them because in most instances you don't see the face of the batter.

My preference is to capture the batter as he comes out of his swing and his eyes begin to follow the ball as he follows through on his swing and begins to move toward first base. Most times, such shots are best from the third base side, photographing right handed batters who pull the ball, but lefties from this side will also work well. Cropping closely in post (like the Jose Bautista shot below) is another way to add variety to the shot.

http://christianjstewart.zenfolio.com/harbourcats

Outfielders are another challenge for baseball photographers and often get ignored, unless you are using a fairly long telephoto lens and are specifically shooting them. Fortunately, there are times when turning to shoot an outfielder works out OK, especially if you are using a newer camera with sufficient megapixels on the sensor to allow close cropping of the image in post-processing. The images below are such examples and can be nice catches if you get them!

http://christianjstewart.zenfolio.com/harbourcats

Finally, sometimes the biggest fish can be caught off the field of play. Look for shots of fans or other promotions happening during the game that can make compelling, interesting or just plain weird photos. Depending on the game and the level of action, these may be the best images of the evening, so try not to ignore them!

http://christianjstewart.zenfolio.com/harbourcats
http://christianjstewart.zenfolio.com/harbourcats
http://christianjstewart.zenfolio.com/harbourcats

My Favourite Sports Images of 2013

Mon, 30 Dec 2013 22:17:40 GMT

Every year at this time I force myself to go back through the myriad of sports imagery that I shot during the year and select my Top 25 Sports Images of the year. I find this to be an educational exercise as it forces me to really focus (pardon the pun) on the aspects of the photo that I liked, or to pull out images that I felt were from a unique event, or captured a unique moment in time. I was fortunate enough this year to cover a number of high profile events, including World Championships in curling and sport climbing, National Championships in climbing and university field hockey and Provincial championships in baseball and football. I also shot a range of other local sports and activities. My Top 25 Images and the reasons I chose each image can be found in my FULL GALLERY HERE. Thumbnails of each image are also provided below. Click on the thumbnail to go directly to the image and descriptions in my gallery.

The Places In Between

Thu, 21 Nov 2013 20:00:46 GMT

Commonly when I travel, I have a final destination in mind, like Arizona, or New York City, or in the case of my travels last summer, Yellowstone National Park, where I captured some amazing imagery (see galleries here). Of course in getting to those destinations, especially when driving, there are many pit stops along the way - the "places in between" my home and my final destination and back - that offer great opportunities for photography.

On that trip last summer, one of the first such places was the central Washington town of Leavenworth, a picturesque, tourist trap of a town that is a replica of an Alpine village, complete with ornate chalets and Oom Pah Pah bands in traditional garb. The architecture is very distinct and that is what caught my eye while there, focusing on doors and windows and other things that made up the town's unique character. A couple of highlights are below (full gallery here)

Window Detail, Leavenworth, Washington

Up next on our journey east was a stop in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho, a well-known summer resort town on the shores of the lake by the same name. We only spent a single night there, but a walk around their main marina and resort hotel provided a few neat shots.

Boardwalk Detail, Coeur D'Alene, Idaho

Wave Runners, Coeur D'Alene, Idaho

Continuing east through Idaho, one traverses through a number of old silver mining towns, many of which still maintain their historic character and some of which, if you really stray off the beaten path, are old ghost towns. While we did not get to one of these, we did stop in Wallace, Idaho, the principal town of the Coeur d'Alene silver-mining district, which produced more silver than any other mining district in the United States. In 1979, several blocks of downtown Wallace were listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district, and as such, the town has a great mix of historical buildings, as well as many that satisfied my lust for the texture, colour and character that old, decrepit buildings provide (see gallery here).

Building Detail, Wallace, Idaho

Following our visit to Yellowstone, we opted to head south toward Salt Lake City and to visit the Great Salt Lake and the Salt Flats (see further below), but on the way, we bumped into the town of St. Anthony, Idaho which is known for a seemingly random field of dunes that fringe the western side of the town. I can never resist the opportunity for some creative dune photos, so off we went to check them out. Did not have a lot of time to really explore, but grabbed some cool images nonetheless (HERE).

Sand Dunes, St. Anthony, Idaho

After St. Anthony, we hit the bizarre landscape of the Great Salt Lake, Antelope Island and the Bonneville Salt Flats. After Yellowstone, I wasn't sure I could come across anything that would rival its unique geology, but the Great Salt Lake area sure comes close. Dreamlike and eerie are two good adjectives that apply. We had hoped to drive on the Salt Flats at the Bonneville Speedway, but recent rains made for a very wet surface and we decided not to chance things. A few samples are below and you can see the full gallery HERE.

Freemont Island, Great Salt Lake, Utah

Great Salt Lake and Antelope Island, Utah

The Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah

Last but not least on our return home was the City of Roses, Portland Oregon. A very walkable and photogenic city, with a neat mix of both new and old architecture and that west coast, granola eating, tree-hugging, environmentally friendly vibe, not to mention blocks full of wonderful food trucks. We walked the city for a couple of days and also headed out to their world famous rose gardens for some great image making opportunities.

Berbati Restaurant, Portland, Oregon Portland, Oregon

Rose Garden, Washington Park, Portland, Oregon

The 9/11 Memorial: New York City - A Moving Experience

Mon, 16 Sep 2013 02:29:08 GMT

Story and Photos by Christian J. Stewart

They are just random names engraved into a plaque...Harry A. Raines, Taimour Firaz Khan, Sophia B. Addo, Richard John Kelly Jr., Edward James Day, John Daniel Marshall...and 2,971 more.

The 9/11 Memorial in New York CityBuildings are reflected in the waters of the South Pool at the 9/11 Memorial in New York City.

To the many tourists passing them by, especially I thought, by the small group of older Asian women laughing and giggling about some joke in a language I did not understand, the names probably mean nothing.

But they should.

The 9/11 Memorial in New York CityA single white rose marks the name of one of the 2,983 victims of the 9/11 attacks.

Every person in North America, check that, every person who lives in a country free from strife, free from terrorism and with the freedom that we as Canadians and our friends to the south, Americans, have forever taken for granted, should always and forever remember the names on these plaques, the names of those who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001.

One World Trade Centre, 2013 - The Freedom Tower

Standing at the 9/11 Memorial was for me incredibly moving. Like many, I recall watching the horror of that day unfold on TV and of course in fascinating documentary after documentary after that, but it wasn't until I stood at Ground Zero, looking up at the empty sky where the two towers stood and then into the deep and somewhat dark abyss of the pools of cascading water (designed that way on purpose I suspect) that were their foundations, and also up at the new One World Trade Centre - the Freedom Tower - that I could fully grasp and comprehend what the citizens of New York went through that day and what incredible horror and impending doom those in the buildings who survived the initial impacts and the first responders who went to rescue them, must have felt. It brought tears to my eyes. It brought tears to my wife's eyes. It is bringing tears to my eyes again as I write this.

The 9/11 Memorial in New York CityA woman and her young daughter stand in quiet contemplation of the North Pool at the 9/11 Memorial in New York City.

The literature for the 9/11 Memorial states that it is a place for "remembrance and quiet reflection", yet in addition to the laughing Asian ladies, I was astonished at how many people were not respecting, or were oblivious to this, at how many people seemed to be there just because it was another one of the many tourist sites in New York to knock off their list, or on their bus tour...to have their photos taken with the Memorial and the new tower as a backdrop, smiling and laughing all the while. I just didn't get that.

Fortunately, I think those people were in the minority, and when I saw an elderly lady doing a rubbing of a name, a NYPD fireman in his dress blues standing with friends and family in front of one of the panels honoring his fallen comrades and a mother with her young daughter (who would not have even been born when the attacks happened) standing silently, almost as if in prayer, at one corner of the north pool, my faith in those who came to see the memorial AND properly honour the fallen, was restored.

The 9/11 Memorial in New York CityA woman makes a rubbing of a victim's name at the 9/11 Memorial in New York City.

Many years ago - 1991 - in travelling past New York city, I had the opportunity to take a black and white picture that many of you have seen here on my site and that some of you may have on your walls at home. It is a shot of the New York skyline from Liberty Park in New Jersey, with a sculpture of a U.S. soldier (Korean War era) rescuing a prisoner of war. While I took this photo in 1991, the image of the soldier, rescuing a fellow human being from a tragic situation, with the Twin Towers in the background, suddenly had much more meaning to it in 2012, than it did when it was a simple snapshot back in 1991, especially after the U.S., in response to the attacks, began the war with Iraq.

Twin Towers and Liberation Monument, Liberty State Park, New Jersey

While I do not want to get into any political argument here as to whether that decision was right or wrong, or the pros and cons of how it was executed, standing at Ground Zero today, I can certainly understand WHY the war that continues today was initiated. I can only imagine the fury on that day of New Yorkers, those in Washington D.C., and Americans across the country and their demand for swift and ultimate justice and punishment on those responsible.

New York City Skyline, 1991

New York City Skyline, September 2013

I know that the justice has not been swift, and that the war on terror, sadly, will need to wage on, despite the death of Bin Laden and many of his Al Queda partners in crime. But if everyone, everywhere, remembers 9/11 and the people who made the ultimate sacrifice - those whose names are randomly engraved on a series of simple plaques - and if the history books and educational curriculum across the world can properly teach and document what happened and why and the consequences, then perhaps everyone here in North America and around the world can begin to treat people of other races, nationalities, and religious beliefs like we should all be treated, as fellow human beings on this tiny planet. If that can happen, then perhaps there is some hope that future generations in all countries can live without the threat of terrorism or war and at peace with one another.

New York City Skyline, 2013

An Aside
I am very honoured that my 1991 Twin Towers photograph mentioned above, as well as two others taken on that same day, have been included in the 9/11 Memorial Artists Registry. You can see them here: https://www.911memorial.org/profile/1694566.

I am also now very honoured to have visited the Memorial in person to pay my respects and to capture some new images that I hope will also have meaning to those that view them.

The actual 9/11 Memorial Museum is slated to open in 2014 and given how I felt today, I am pretty sure that I will find a way to get back to New York City sometime in the near future to visit it when it is open.

May we never forget.

Having Fun With the Staff of Duncan Orthodontics

Sat, 09 Mar 2013 01:00:16 GMT

The fine folks at Duncan Orthodontics have been an excellent client and I have provided photography of their offices as well as their staff back in 2010 and 2011. Last month they approached me about updating their photography for 2013 and they had a specific request for a "fun" shoot, with staff all bringing mementos that represented their out-of-office hobbies and the like. They also had a request that it all be shot on a white background. So off the the camera store I went to get a seamless white background and last week we spent a fun morning at their offices creating some fun images. A few examples are presented below. Click on an image or head to the full gallery to see more!

Architectural Portfolio Continues to Expand

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 23:50:27 GMT

I am very pleased to have added a number of new architectural clients to my portfolio over the past year or so. In addition to the work I continue to do for Rayn Properties, I have added Harbour City Kitchens, Hauge Construction, HES Developments and IKAN Installations to my list of clients. Some examples are presented below for each. Please click on the images to go to the full gallery of images for that project.

Hauge Construction - Glen Lake Residence
A stunning million dollar plus residence on Glen Lake featuring a large, main level aquarium and a media and entertainment room in the basement to die for.

Hauge Construction Hauge Construction

HES Developments - Harbour City Kitchens
A beautiful arts and crafts style home in Oak Bay with intricate details and finishing work.

Harbour City Kitchens Harbour City Kitchens

IKAN Installations
A sleek modern galley style kitchen in a new build in Cordova Bay

Harbour City Kitchens
A large modern kitchen in View Royal (left) and an amazing new build near Henderson Park (right)

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Hockey, Hockey, Hockey...

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 19:00:00 GMT

It has been an exciting hockey season this year and I have kept busy shooting a number of teams and events this season. This includes my regular duties as the Official Photographer for the Saanich Braves Junior B Hockey Club, as well as the odd excursion to shoot the Victoria Royals of the WHL. I was also fortunate to shoot the 2013 VIJHL All-Star Classic and the Team Russia vs Team WHL in the Subway Series game played here in Victoria. Click on the links above to head to the full galleries.

2012-2013 Victoria Royals Hockey Club

Top 25 Sports Photos of 2012

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 23:15:00 GMT

Well in case you missed it, back in January I posted my Top 25 Sports Photos of 2012 HERE. I find that in doing this over the last three years it provides not only a nice overview of the various sports I've covered over the year, but allows me a chance to provide some insight as to why I feel a particular photo was worthy of selection. A few examples are presented below. Please be sure to visit the full gallery to see them all.

2012 Mt. Doug Rams Football

2012 Mt. Doug Rams Football Victoria Highlanders Soccer

Sports Shooter

Sun, 05 Aug 2012 06:23:41 GMT

I am happy to announce that I am now a member of the popular Sports Shooter community, which features the work of sports photojournalists, photographers, etc. from all over the world. You can see my page HERE.

Risk vs Reward - The Benefits of Exclusive Access

Fri, 03 Aug 2012 05:46:05 GMT

I just completed a weekend of shooting the British Columbia U18A Women's Provincial Softball Championships, where, as the official tournament photographer, I had exclusive access on the field while shooting. I call this a "risk-reward" situation in the heading above, because as you may know, there is not a lot of room between the foul lines and the fences on the infield of a softball diamond and often times I was shooting from just near 1st or 3rd base, or in other cases, along the fence halfway up the baselines, between the on-deck circles and the coaches box.

IMG_9573

Of course the risk in these positions is that the girls at this age can hit and throw hard and the danger of being hit by a foul ball or an overthrow is very real and as such, I had to be aware of that on every pitch. I also wanted to be as inconspicuous as possible so as to not interfere with the game or the focus and concentration of players and coaches.

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The reward however is getting to capture images that you know nobody else has, even parents with cameras and gear that rivaled my 1D Mk IV and EF70-200 f 2.8L that I used for all of my shots. I did not have to worry about trying to shoot through chain link fences, or over or around players in the dugouts, or being confined to one location, as I could move from side to side freely.

IMG_9738

As to the risk part, I managed to avoid being hit by any foul balls or any overthrows. I suppose a large part of that was some good luck, but I think in that situation, you also pay closer attention to the tendencies of hitters, or how a play is developing and your "spidey-senses" kick in to make you aware that danger is approaching or is possible and you shoot accordingly and get ready to move a little bit quicker.

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And the reward? Well I've placed a few of my favourite images here in this post and I hope you will agree that being this close to the action certainly pays off in a big way. Please visit the full tournament gallery (HERE) to see more.

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Baseball Championship Season is Here!

Wed, 27 Jun 2012 05:09:42 GMT

Our spring baseball season has come to its end, and with that come the City wide division championship games. As I have for the past few years, I have been photographing the finals for Greater Victoria Baseball. Four of the five divisions are complete and after shooting in a torrential downpour Saturday to shoot the 14 year olds Saturday, I had much nicer weather Monday to shoot the 9-10 year olds. Always a fun group to shoot and challenging at times to get decent action shots. Here are a few samples below. Click on any of them to go to my GVBA Championships Gallery.

2012 GVBA Division Championships 2012 GVBA Division Championships 2012 GVBA Championships 2012 GVBA Division Championships

My First Soccer Game - Victoria Highlanders

Thu, 21 Jun 2012 07:54:00 GMT

I had the opportunity to shoot my first ever soccer game this past Wednesday night as the local USL Women's League team - the Victoria Highlanders was playing. It took a bit to get the flow of the game and where to point lens and such, but I managed to get some decent shots. You can see the images that were used for the Island Sports News article on the game HERE. Click on the image below to go to my Gallery here of all the images. All shot with the 1DMk IV and EF300 f2.8L. ISO varied as light decreased from ~800 to 3200. Shutter speed was kept high and aperture around 3.2-4.0. For some shots I may have had the 1.4 extender on the 300.

Victoria Highlanders Soccer

The Story Behind the Photo: #6 - Grain Elevator Roof Vents, Churchill, Manitoba

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 04:59:22 GMT

Note: I previously published installment #6 as a Note on Facebook but wanted to re-publish it here to "migrate" the series to my Blog. If you would like to read the previous five installments, please visit my Facebook Notes Page Here. And if you see any images on my site that you might want to have as Installment #7, please let me know!

This image was recently downloaded from my iStock portfolio and I thought it would be a good candidate for the next installment in my "Story Behind the Photo" series. See the previous 5 installments in the Notes section of my page.

This was a good example of an interesting and unique image that happens though a happy coincidence of luck and circumstance.

Way back in university, our class took a summer field trip to study climatology and other geographical goodies (including polar bears) in Churchill, Manitoba on Hudson's Bay.

One part of the trip was a tour of the local grain elevator....a key industry in the town, as it supplied grain transported from the Canadian Praires to many foreign ships. On the tour, our guide who was trailing behind us, told us to keep going up to the top of the stairs.

Well, taking him literally, I led the way to the VERY top of the stairs, opened the door and found suddenly that we were actually on the ROOF of the structure - the edges of which you can see in the photo (note there are no protective rails!).

The scene you see in this image, is the scene I was greeted with from the doorway....dust blowing around, the clouds were pretty cool looking and the shadows of the vents and the vents themselves...it all just looked so neat, I had to take a photo.

Shortly after pressing the shutter, our now freaked out guide was yelling at us to get back inside and down to the level we were supposed to be at. I had perhaps 15 seconds of time, if that, on the roof to see and take the image and I know that I was the only one in our group to capture this moment and get what I think is a very intersting shot!

I hope you think so too!

Tech Details: Shot on Kodachrome Slide Film (probably 64 ISO)(you youngsters can Google "slide film" to know what I am talking about!) on a Canon AE-1. Scanned to digital. Available royalty free on my iStock site and as prints on my main web site (click on image above to go there).

National Track League Brings Olympic Excitement to Victoria

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 04:43:52 GMT

The National Track League's Victoria Track Classic was held June 13th at UVic's Centennial Stadium and I was there to cover the event for Island Sports News. It was an incredible event that featured a number of top track and field athletes, many vying for a spot in the London Olympics this year. I wrote an article on the event for Island Sports News (HERE), which was also picked up and ran on the National Track League web site. Click on the images below to go to my gallery of images. I hope to add a few more soon.

Victoria Track Classic

Baseball Season in Full Swing

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 04:33:17 GMT

I continue making the rounds to shoot a range of different baseball and softball associations throughout town. I shoot the Victoria Eagles Premier and Junior Premier Teams on a regular basis, as well as the Senior Men's Mavericks league and various other minor baseball and softball. Click on the images below to head to my Baseball Galleries.

2012 Victoria Eagles Baseball Club 2012 Victoria Eagles Baseball Club

Lacrosse Season Underway - Victoria Shamrocks

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 04:12:29 GMT

The Victoria Shamrocks are our Western Lacrosse Association team and they are rocking early in the season with a 5-0 record. I have covered 2 games so far for Island Sports News and I must say the shooting conditions are challenging. The hockey rink that they play in is dark enough for hockey, with bright white ice in place, and of course even darker for lacrosse with the dark concrete floor. I have found that I am shooting at 10,000 ISO to get the shutter speeds that I need to adequately stop the action. Thank goodness my 1D MkIV handles high ISO noise well and that Lightroom has nice tools for cleaning noise as I manage to get some useable images out of this. CLICK HERE for my recent Island Sports News article on one of their games. Click on the image below to head to my galleries of Shamrock images.

Victoria Shamrocks Lacrosse

My Day as a Papparazzi - David Foster Foundation Gala, May 26, 2012

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 04:00:23 GMT

I was invited to shoot the red carpet last Saturday night for the David Foster Foundations 25th Annual Gala Concert here in Victoria. The concert featured artists such as Kenny G, Sara McLachlin, Josh Groban, Reuben Stoddard and others. The papparazzi experience was pretty cool and we even had a bit of a photographer spat as well as we scrambled to get the shots. I documented my evening here for Island Sports News (there were a few sports celebrities there so there was a loose connection!).

http://www.islandsportsnews.net/features/2527-my-day-as-a-papparazzi-david-foster-foundation-raises-over-4-million-at-victoria-gala

You can see all my shots in my gallery by clicking on the good looking ladies below, or if you are into tagging and commenting and all that stuff see the same in my Facebook Gallery HERE.

USA vs Canada - Women's Field Hockey

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 03:47:07 GMT

The Canadian and United States National Women's Field Hockey teams met in an exhibition series in late May and I was on hand for one of their games for Island Sports News. The USA team will be heading to London for the Olympics so it was cool to see such a top level team in action. click on the images to head to the full gallery for the game.

Canada vs USA, May 23, 2012

Vancouver Island Track and Field High School Championships

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 03:39:53 GMT

I had a chance in May to photograph the 2012 Vancouver Island High School Track and Field Championships for Island Sports News. This was my first opportunity to shoot Track and it was an interesting two days of activity. I tried but gave up on how to shoot pole vault! You can see my two ISN articles on the event at:

http://www.islandsportsnews.net/sportsa-z/track-and-field/2445-island-high-school-track-and-field-championships-at-uvic-wednesday-and-thursday

and

http://www.islandsportsnews.net/sportsa-z/track-and-field/2456-island-track-a-field-championships-crown-winners-thursday

Click on the image below to see my full set from the meet

The Arizona Desert, April 2012

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 03:25:43 GMT

Our trip to Arizona also took us to the Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix, where in one small area, you can see pretty much every desert plant there is to see in the U.S. Southwest. We were probably a week too early to see some really spectacular blooms, but what we saw was impressive enough. Full gallery HERE.

Sedona, Arizona 2012

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 03:12:54 GMT

Took a brief trip to Sedona, Arizona back in April and was able to add a few more images of that stunning landscape to my Arizona Gallery. A few examples are presented below. My full Sedona Gallery can be found HERE.

Red Rocks, Sedona

My New Blog!

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 03:01:00 GMT

Thanks to my great service provider Zenfolio, I now have a Blog page built into my site. This counts as the first official post and is a simple request to check back here often to see what's new. Also, if you are looking for nay of my previous updates from my old "New" page, you can find them HERE. Enjoy your visit here!