A Fernie Summer

I always enjoy the peaceful grandiosity of the mountains. They present a beautiful challenge. I for one, love challenges and beauty.
I am a photographer after-all.  

We were invited by Fernie Alpine Resort to stay right next to the mountains at Lizard Creek lodge with my friends for a weekend. That plus the promise of happy adventures in the mountains.  An invitation I dare not turn down, I don't think my friends would have forgiven me. I embarked upon the small resort with Emily, Preston and Ryan, all dear friends of mine. 

These three beauts were my weekend shenanigan companions. 

So, i'm the competitive one. I need everything in my life to challenge me, and this was no exception. (I have found ways of making LEGO a competitive thing) It's sad really. 

Our first adventure was a climb in the trees in the Aerial Park. This is what happens if people design a play structure for adults that actually enjoy a challenge. Children still manage to be better at finishing this obstacle course than grown ups. :(

Ryan opted for mountain biking (jealous). The fun part, one takes the ski lift to the summit and rides down on trails (no need to exert yourself in paddling). Just pure speed and hot brakes. 

Click to expand images

A small safety/how-to is the first step in going along this high wire combo. A series of checks and balances are drilled into your brain so you don't fall off a 50 foot lookout in a tree. The 2ish hour path in the trees require a physical dexterity that few people possess, unless you've mutated into an octopus. 

Day 2. We opted for a hike (ski lift) to the Lost Boys Cafe . From there we hiked another 1000ft in elevation, and nearly made it to the peak of elephant head but determined we lacked the energy to go all the way.

I was snowboarding here last winter, and went up this ski-lift 10 times. The view was ok, but the view in summer...beats that by a mountain mile. The lush greens, and blues - eye candy. 

The above photo gives a good sense of scale on the mountains with a small downhill biker visible. 

The evenings were spent playing board games and drinking in Fernie. Because friends. :D

Updates on my book

After 5  years of working on it (I started it as a Highschool project in 2010) I am finally ready to publish my first book. A photo book about Hutterites. 

My first step is to run a Kickstarter to get the critical mass to publish at a reduced cost. That'll come in less than two months. 

Here's the concept. The pages come with just the photos. The stories will be posted on my social channels and blog in the year following. One by one. You can follow along here:

Instagram
Pinterest
Twitter
Facebook - Page
Tumblr

Note: Some don't have any relevant content as of yet. You'll see it pop up once the book is released. 

To get updates and stories sent to your inbox, sign up to my email updates. 

Of neon and love

Michelle and Brett Friesen 

Back in the days of living on the colony, weddings were such a happy affair. The drama was all happy drama, the people were there to be merry. 
That's how I felt at Michelle and Brett's wedding. An overarching sense of happiness. A group of friends, family and relatives that all wanted to be there. I couldn't get enough of it. 

The sun was shining all day, having no alternative. Romping around Heritage Park prior to the 6:00 ceremony, we got some dreamy, clean shots and some dramatic ones too. I need to edit a dinosaur behind them all in the photo of them running. 

The venue, being a old car museum was wonderfully eclectic. Nothing like having a real airplane hanging above the guests as they're enjoying the spread of food. The neon too, soo much. 
I wish for more weddings this summer that make me feel this happy, comfortable and energetic. 
Thank you to Michelle and Brett for the merry time. And Brandie Sunley for helping me capture the day. 

And then, of course, there's the photobooth: