It was memorable to feel the spirit at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics and witness first hand a collective energy that I will never forget! The power of collective support is incredible and watching the growing success of the Canadian athletes was truly inspiring and motivating and made Canada truly proud.
Other than watching all my favorite athletes compete, my additional interest while there was to capture events at the Aboriginal venues that featured a growing number of talented Indigenous musicians and artists from across North America. The Four Host First Nations 2010 Aboriginal Pavilion drew huge crowds and quickly became a symbol of pride and success for Aboriginal Peoples all across Canada. The Talking Stick Festival featured fantastic performances nightly with First Nations, Metis and Inuit dancers, writers, and musicians. Here are some moments from the week I was there.
Finally had some time to do some camping in Southern Alberta this past summer. We drove from Edmonton to Calgary then to Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump then Fort Carleton and finally our destination Milk River. This place is literally a little paradise in the middle of nowhere? It felt like we where driving for ages and then suddenly we where amongst the hoodoos and a desert like oasis. We body surfed down the Milk river during the hottest time of the day, hiked to the Police Coolee and met a rattle snake on the way. Everynight I started to experiment with night photography tutorials I found online. It was a great spot for photographers since every night at sunset the colors would come alive with deep blues and fantastic red and orange highlights everywhere. I happily took photos to my hearts content. Enjoy a few of my favorites.
I have always had an interest in the Moroccan culture and in 2007 I finally had a chance to explore Northern Africa. I first arrived in Marrakesh on a flight from Venice during late August. I was met at the airport by a driver from the Riad Djemmana who thankfully drove us to the Medina and carefully directed us to the Riad. The Riad Djemmana was absolutely fantastic and I recommend it to anyone who wants to experience staying inside the Medina. They provide beautifully decorated and air conditioned rooms, high speed wireless internet, delicious Moroccan meals and friendly staff. While in Marrakesh, I enjoyed a hammam bath, toured the El Badi Palace, explored the Jemaa El Fna Square, bought a Berber Kilim rug and had the most memorable dinner at the Comptoir Darna.
My next destination Tangier was a long but relatively pleasant twelve hour train ride from Marrakesh. Tangier is located near the Straight of Gibraltar and is also the entrance to Europe via Malaga, Spain. I stayed with two friends who where locals in Morocco and they invited me to join them at a relatives wedding during my stay with them. With no hesitation, I agreed to join the celebration and with approval from the family I also had a chance to photograph a berberiska henna ceremony and the wedding the following day! I am forever grateful to my friends for their kindness, generosity, and wonderful family. Check out some of the photos from the trip.
Location: Marrakesh and Tangier, Morroco – August 2007
