Doepker Family

Meet the Doepkers. Celebrating a high school graduation and a university graduation within weeks of each other, the Doepker family let me drag them all around downtown to capture the photos that would commemorate this important year in the family's life. Great family, great fun!

Baby William

Baby William's kind of a rock star, but then he come's by it pretty naturally as his dad's a musician and his mom just looks like a movie star!

Blended Jive

For the last issue of Fine Homes Magazine, I met up with Brandy and Joline of Blended Jive Paint & Decor at a beautiful loft creatively decorated by Willow Studio here in Saskatoon. I love stopping in at Blended Jive because, aside from the great paint, they always feature local artists and unique design items. If you time it right, you may even fine some of my fine art canvases hanging on their walls. Here are a couple of my favourite shots of Brandy and Joline.

Joline & Bandy

Brandy & Joline

Saskatoon Opera Behind the Scenes

Those who know me personally know that I can't sing (under statement) and I have what can be (and has been) pretty plebeian taste when it comes to music. So imagine my surprise when I find myself chin deep in the opera and loving it. Maybe I grew up or maybe the Saskatoon Opera is just that good! Either way, one of the most amusing parts of my experiences with last years Opera season was scuttling around backstage. I loved how this cast of cool cats were transformed into Victorian Dukes, Duchesses and peasants, not by the costumes and make-up but by the internal switches they flipped when the curtain went up! Enjoy!

It's National Learning Disability Day

I've got two bright kids. One has a complicated series of learning disabilities that make it extremely difficult for her to learn in the traditional school system. The Learning Disabilities Association of Saskatchewan has changed our lives by offering the Arrowsmith School in Saskatoon. It was through this association that I had the pleasure of photographing local school Michael Karras who couldn't read until he was 22 years old. It was through the amazing resources offered by the LDAS that he was able to learn to read, work through his learning disabilities and graduate from university.

LDAS...thank you.

LDAS - Provincial Office
Learning Disabilities Association of Saskatchewan
3 – 701 Second Ave N
Saskatoon SK S7K 2C9
Tel: (306) 652-4114

The Marriage of Figaro-Saskatoon Opera

As the Saskatoon Opera begins to look forward to it's new season, I thought you'd like a peak at last year's main stage performance, The Marriage of Figaro. It was such an honour to photograph last season's events, I can't wait to dive in again.

The Shannon Tweed Photoshoot

If you've read my post about the Fine Homes Magazine article (click here to see and read the feature by Thom Barker in it's entirety)then you will already know that I was briefly in Los Angeles this summer to photograph Shannon Tweed. This came just after the announcement of Gene Simmons' proposal and just before the announcement of their wedding date. I get asked often "what are they like"? hmmm, how well can you get to know people who are used to a media frenzy after spending 5 hours photographing their home?...not sure. All I can tell you was how they seemed in the hours that I spent clicking through their beautiful home.

Shannon is softer in person. Tall and lithe, graceful and kind, lovely to photograph and easy to talk to. She skipped through her house, hummed or sang non-stop and clapped her hands whenever she remembered something in particular she wanted to tell me. My favourite part of the entire experience was flipping through her photo albums while she told me stories about growing up on the water's edge in Newfoundland and pointed out especially cute photos of her kids. Nick and Sophie were in and out during the photo shoot, checking in with their mom, patting the dogs, asking if we had everything we needed. Not exactly what you'd expect from two young reality TV stars raised in Beverly Hills.

Gene Simmons was exactly like he had been portrayed on the episodes of "Family Jewels" I managed to watch before I headed to California. He made sure branding was evident in his office, wandered through in his pajamas eating orange popsicles and playing practicals jokes on us.

It was a great experience but between you and me I think Gene Simmons married up! (Canadian girls kick ass!)

Here are some of my favourite images from the day...many of which didn't make it into either of the Fine Lifestyles articles.





This is an un-retouched version (replete with dogs) that was featured full page in the magazine.

I visit a super-star's house and the only thing I want to pocket is the banana bowl!
That's Squirrel!