Richmond Night Market

June 5, 2015 - Finally had a night off to catch up with some friends I hadn't seen in a while, so we decided to hit up the Richmond Night Market.  For those who don't know, it's a giant outdoor market that opens up in the summer in Richmond, a city in Metro Vancouver.  It boasts being the biggest night market in North America and has since prompted other markets to spawn in the area (such as in Chinatown, North Vancouver, and even another in Richmond).   

Vendors are generally pretty similar, selling mainly socks and other cosmetic items, phone cases and assorted electronics.  There are few other niche retail/service vendors such as swordsmiths and psychics.  For those who love carny games, those are present too!  Hell, you can even jump into an inflatable watertight bubble for 10 minutes for $10 and attempt to roll around.  

The main reason most people end up going though is definitely for the food.  One can easily burn $40 with the wide assortment of food that is available to them, including but not limited to: takoyaki, ice cream crepes, deep fried mars bars, rotatos and squid!  There's something for every taste, be it from familiar and simple to exquisite and exotic.

Anyway, didn't take too many photos but I thought I'd share for you to see!



The market itself is open from May 15 to October 12th, Fri-Sat from 7 to midnight and Sun & stat holidays from 7 to 11.  Admission is $2.75.  


Lindsey Stirling - INB Performing Arts Center

May 22, 2015 - So I once again had the amazing opportunity to shoot Lindsey Stirling on the road again, this time in Spokane, Washington at the INB Performing Arts Theater.  (The first time was with Archis in Portland at the Crystal Ballroom).  

For those who don't know, Lindsey Stirling is a cross between a violinist and dancer; a performing artist crossing the genres of electronic music, classical and even hip-hop.  She first uploading videos onto Youtube back in 2007 (Crystallize being the 8th most watched video of 2012), was a contestant in America's Got Talent and has collaborated with many other musicians such as Pentatonix and Lzzy Hale.

The show in itself was a spectacle to see with fantastic costume design, extraordinary set design and brilliant choreography.  Lindsey really brought the show to life and got the audience wanting and roaring for more!  Basically, if I haven't sold her enough, please go check her out - it's such a breath of fresh air to find a musician who breaks the mold and constraints of working in a particular "genre."

Below you will find my final images (click to enlarge) as well as a set list and gear guide.

Setlist:

  1. Ascendance
  2. Senbonzakura
  3. Moon Trance
  4. Master of Tides
  5. Shadows
  6. Elements
  7. Nerd Medley (Assassin's Creed, Game of Thrones, Skyrim, Dragon Age, Halo, Zelda)
  8. Song of the Caged Bird
  9. Swag (Acoustic)
  10. Transcendence
  11. Take Flight
  12. Firefly
  13. Stars Align
  14. Roundtable Rival
  15. Shatter Me
  16. [Encore] Beyond the Veil w/ Phantom of the Opera Medley

Gear List:

- Nikon D610 with 24-70 2.8
- Nikon D7000 with 70-200 2.8

SuicideGirls Blackheart Burlesque @ the Rickshaw Theatre

April 7, 2015 - Beginning in the early 2000s the SuicideGirls have been putting on their acclaimed and sold-out Blackheart Burlesque shows across the United States.  They've opened for legendary acts including Guns and Roses as well as Courtney Love, and eventually conquered Europe and Australia where they opened for music festivals.  

To be honest, I haven't been legal for too long, so I am unaware of how often the ladies have come to Vancouver but I had gone for my second time when they arrived on April 2nd at the Rickshaw Theatre.  To sum up what the performance entails, it is a blend of sex-positivity, raw energy and humour - drawing their satirical dances from pop-culture references such as Game of Thrones50 Shades of Grey and Star Wars.  Much of the choreography was put together by Manwe Sauls-Addison, whose clientele has included Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez and the fame monster, Lady Gaga.  Essentially, it is a paradox of sexy and geeky; a night of fun for anyone who has loved the look of the "bad girl" to know that they're just like us!

The lineup changes depending on locale, but on the Canadian leg of the tour, Sunny Suicide (all the girls have a persona followed by Suicide, as their names) was hosting with Radeo DJ-ing.  The other dancers included Whiskey, Liryc, Cadorna, Mahneeguh and Peneloppe.  A lot of the local girls came to support too, so it was nice to meet others such as Ceres and Stormyent.  Here's a quick pic of the crew that I caught:

The Rickshaw doesn't have the best lighting situation, presenting a challenge but a very rewarding payoff.  Let me know in the comments if you can get all the pop-culture references! You can click on the photos to enlarge them :).  Gear list at the bottom for you photo junkies. 

Gear List:

  • Nikon D610 using 24-70 2.8, 50 1.4
  • Nikon D7000 using 10.5 2.8 fisheye, 35 1.8, 70-200 2.8




Angelmaker // Deathcore // Promo Pictures

Hey everyone,

It's been a long time!  Things have been super busy and I've got a lot of material coming up for you guys in the next month so stay tuned.

I recently got to talk to Cole Rideout, bassist for the Deathcore band "Angelmaker" and we put aside some time to put together some promo pictures.  Angelmaker themselves hail from North Vancouver and was founded in 2011.  The band has released two EPs and one full length studio album.  They play melodic deathcore and currently consist of six members:

  • Casey Tyson-Peace (Vocals)
  • Mike Greenwood (Vocals)
  • Colton Bennett (Guitar)
  • Matt Perrin (Guitar)
  • Cole Rideout (Bass)
  • Jesse Price (Drums)

We had planned to capture the beauty of North Vancouver and implement it with the personality of the band: a bunch of chill guys who have a love and appreciation for metal music - hence the slightly brighter colour palette but muted blacks.  The photos were taken near nightfall which made things a bit difficult.  Put this on top of shooting on a hillside without an assistant and it got a little messy.  Difficulties aside, we had a lot of fun and it went by pretty quickly.

You can check out Angelmaker on Facebook here.  They're currently at 13,000 fans and have toured with acts including Veil of MayaFall City Fall, and Take the Earth Beneath Us.

Their latest album, Dissentient, released on February 25, 2015 can be listened to and purchased on their Bandcamp.

The pictures are attached below!

 

Gear used for all you techies:

  • Nikon D610 
  • Nikon 24-70mm 2.8, 85mm 1.8D
  • 2x SB-700s, Silver Bounceback Umbrella, 20" Softbox