Metric, Muse, Phoenix

My girlfriend and I started dating just about a year ago in December. Our first concert together(actually, first date) was not any one of those bands. It was the Trans Siberian ‘in your face lasers, beard searing fireballing, eye blinding, Metallica meets Christmas’ Orchestra at GM Place.

However, our second concert was Metric at the Vogue Theater downtown Vancouver. I had never really been a fan of Metric as I only ever heard the song “Combat Baby,” and assumed lead singer Emily Haines and band were just another Courtney Love, Hole, Garbage spinoff band from the fast paced beat of the song and edgy grunge voice. Well, thankfully Kristen(that’s my girlfreind) opened up my eyes a little more to the band. As I knew she really wanted to go the concert(Jingle Bell Rock Tour 2009), I had to check out Metric a little more for myself. I soon became wallowed up the in the Album “Live it Out,” and quickly found my self buying “Old World Underground,” followed by “Grow up and Blow Away.” I waited in anticipation for five months for  “Fantasies” to come out. The lyrical genius, combined with Metric’s sound makes for a plethora of music that you can listen to for weeks if not months on end! Oh, and they’re Canadian!!

I have found that each song of Metric’s suits so many diferent moods. My favorite time to listen to music is driving in my car. If I feel like rolling the windows down, blasting the tunes for everyone to hear and cruising along on a summer day all I have to do is turn up the volume and really almost any metric song will do. “Dead Disco,” “Combat Baby,”(Which I love now), ” Hustle Rose” and “Soft Rock Star” are four songs I especially love to crank! On the other hand, If I am in any sort of weather based melancholy the music can also easily suit. Cloudy, rainy, winter days equal the best days for listening to Metric. As the music can have a bit of gloom to it, I find it slowly becomes uplifting. One of my new favorite ways to listen to Metric though, is at a lower volume. The music can be very relaxing and enlivening. “Grow up and Blow Away” is an especially good album for this.

Emily Haines voice now has to be one of my favorites. With the ability to sing grunge and do it well, she can also have a very soft, soothing tone. As Kristen and I were talking about it one day, we determined she would be a great jazz singer. We were listening to “Grow up and Blow Away” when we came upon this thought! Recently, Emily collaborated with the worlds most popular techno artist, DJ Tiesto. The track is called “Knock You Out,” and Emily’s voice reminds me a bit of Madonna in this one. Emily has also released two solo albums called “Knives Don’t Have Your Back” and “What is Free to a Good Home?”

After that concert, Metric had a new spot in my heart. As of today they sit higher than all others as my favorite band. I have been continuously listening to their albums for the last three weeks and have not gotten sick of any of them. Not even any one song. And incase you’re wondering, my favorite songs are #1 Hustle Rose, #2 Soft Rock Star(The second one on Grow up and Blow Away), and #3 Dead Disco

Acoustic version of their newest albums first hit, “Help, I’m Alive”

Dead Disco from Old World Underground

This is Soft Rock Star form Grow up and Blow Away, I could not find a video for this one, so its just music over rotating pictures.

I am running out of time now writing this blog, so I will be very brief with the rest. As of the last 2 years I have fallen in love with the darker, heavier, and powerful music of the band Muse. I especially love the most recent orchestra laden album, The Resistance. It’s got the usual Muse sound with a good touch of Queen, and three powerful instrumentals at the end of the album. I also really like Muse front-man, Matt Bellamy’s style as of late. He definitely has influenced my style somewhat.

The main hit from the new album, “Uprising”

Lastly a group I just started listening to this morning and I am now quite enjoying is Phoenix. A friend told me about them last night. LOVE the very retro music videos.

Nick & Stephanie’s Wedding

Well, here are the long awaited pictures of Nick and Stephanie’s wedding. I had a fantastic time at this wedding. It was the most beautiful wedding I have been at this year. Stephanie’s dress was gorgeous, the green colors really tied in everything well, and overall it was very tastefully put together.  Nick and Stephanie also have to be two of my favorite people to work with as they are both very real, genuine, caring, and all around nice people. In addition to that, they are a ton of fun to be around, and don’t waste any time in getting a party going!

It was a pleasure as well for the first time to have my girlfriend, Kristen as a second shooter! She is new to photography, but learning fast. She has a really good artistic eye, that is quickly coming along. It almost frightens me.

One of my favorite shots of the day. I love all the expressions!

My absolute favorite shot from the day!

This is the Greek Hellenic Center in Vancouver where the reception was held. I could not believe how amazing this gym looked. It was stunning!

Some of my engagement photos used on their guest registry table.

I loved these. Nick and Steph used my engagement photos of them to put on their wine bottles! The wine was delicious, and they gave me two bottles of my own afterwards. They now sit proudly on my kitchen counter.

The chocolate Pear filler with ice cream was one of the most incredible deserts I have seen or eaten!

This little guy is a Simon Pegg(Shaun of the Dead) in the making.

Volkswagen Magazine

I had some of my work featured recently in Volkswagen Magazine. Anyone who has a new VW or is still on records with their VW dealership will get this magazine from VW every few months. Mikal’s R32 and Jonothan’s Beetle were the two cars with brief features.

 

Cover(not my photo):

One of my photos from their engagement shoot in the table of contents(top right):

The R32 shot:

Jon’s Beetle:

Brrrrrr.

Winter has hit around Vancouver. Christmas lights are popping up on city trees, “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas,” and “Winter Wonderland,” can be heard in the various shops and boutiques, people walking the streets are bundled up in scarves, winter coats and boots, and there is a very present chill in the air.

I hadn’t been out in awhile to take any shots of downtown Vancouver, and with my recent upgrade to the Canon 7D, which was just sitting on my desk waiting to be used since I bought it a few days ago, I couldn’t wait any longer and decided to brave the wind and the cold last Friday night. Fortunately, the wind mostly let up by 8pm when I went out to shoot, but my fingers still just about fell off. As some of my first shots with my Digital Rebel XT, which I have been using for about three or four years up to last week, were of the Lions Gate Bridge, I had to go back. I went to a different viewpoint from Ambleside this time. After trekking in pure dark with camera in one hand and tripod in the other to the edge of the rock laden beach where I took the shots, I made my way over the Lions Gate Bridge and basically toured around Stanley Park for the rest of the shots. The shots of the olympic rings are from a spot that is usually a few feet under water when the tide comes up to seawall by the lighthouse.

So here are the shots. I love my new camera!

Rally Crashes from Finland

The saying goes, “It’s like a bad car accident, you just can’t look away.” Well I think that directly applies here. It’s ten minutes of rally driving car accidents. I was planning on only watching about two minutes but couldn’t look away. There is no music to go along with this either, just the sound of the cars, bending and breaking metal, smashing glass, cracking trees, and some hysterical laughs from onlookers. Crazy Finns!