In August, while the world was still coping with a pandemic, the province of BC was contemplating calling an election in the fall. A TV spot and stills campaign was thrown together in the event the election was called. When I shot the stills, we didn’t know if they would ever see the light of day. Just in case we shot COVID themed and “regular’ versions of each setup. So mask on, mask off. Was a great day on set.
Producer: Laurie McGuiness - Elevator Strategy
DP: Byron Kopman
H/MU: Leah Roberts
Was lucky enough to photograph this promo for Family Services of Greater Vancouver. The team that day was so amazing to work with. The cause is fantastic.
Model: Fiona Forbes
Hair: Ana Luisa Valdez
Make up: Swank Make Up - Kym
Crew: Thomas Bucham, Thomas Wilson, Michaela DW
Stylist: Joanna Kulpa
Art Director: James Filbry
This was an inspiring video production project where I was asked to tell the story of the evolution of a brand over it’s 25 year existence. Lunapads becomes AISLE! What an honour it was to help tell this inspiring story of a brand doing business with a conscience. The founders are two power house women, building a successful business with a focus on social change.
Video available to watch on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/395043346
Video available to watch on Vimeo. https://vimeo.com/395043346
A fun collaboration among creatives… Learning to direct drone cinematography was an absolute challenge and a total blast!
Directed by: Mavreen David
Drone Cinematographer: Scott Reynolds
Camera: Mavreen David
Editor: Scott Reynolds
Choreographers & Dancers: Chanel Lacasse & Greer Whillans
Music: “Strange Design” by Uh Huh Her
From a photographic perspective, this shoot was an unplanned, under-equipped, happy accident of sorts. I was on vacation with my bestie, Melissa, and I only brought my pocket sized Canon M100. By the time we decided to shoot, an adequate number of Pina Coladas consumed, the sun was setting. We were staying in the lush jungle of Tulum, Mexico, so we found a secluded pocket where Melissa felt comfortable undressing.
So my critical eye goes directly to the flaws in the photos, and all I see is noise from lack of light. But, what my heart sees is one of my favourite humans being as brave as ever, confident and stunning in her skin. We spent a lot of that trip talking about this major milestone in our lives. Turning 40 carries such stigma for women. We are basically told that our desirable days are behind us. That we are past our “prime” and that everything goes downhill from here. And to that notion, Melissa and I say a big F*ck You!
We decided that these images should be captured in order to celebrate this moment in time. I was so happy to give her these images to look back on and feel amazing and beautiful about her body and all that it has experienced to this point. And to feel empowered to move forward into this new decade, absolutely feeling herself… As she should. As we all should.
Here are some beautiful words from Melissa…
After an impromptu nude photo shoot in Mexico with my best friend, Mavreen David, I decided to write about what it means to love myself at age 40.
Thank you Fashion Magazine for the published piece. And thank you Mavreen David for your brilliant photography, and for being the only human I would ever let photograph me in the nude :)
Turning 40
On the cusp of my teenage years I found myself making a definitive mental list of things I loved and didn’t love about myself. I was sure I hated my hands; all bony knuckles and skinny wrists. My mother called them otherworldly, but to me they were simply extraterrestrial. I longed to trade in this so-called “character” for more plain, unassuming hands. My nails were ragged and dirty, so I preferred to keep them hidden. I would bring them out to crack my knuckles and then I’d nervously shove them back in my pockets.
Once, around that time I found an old activity book of mine in our basement. I must have filled it out when I was 6, because that’s how old I said I was on the first page. It was overflowing with drawings and questions and answers. Listed in the back among the Q&A: what is my favourite physical feature about myself and why. My answer? My hands! My stated reason: “I like the way they look.”
I loved them at 6, hated them at 13. At what age did my feelings change? When did I decide my favourite feature was my least favourite? Had I been taught that different is bad? I made a pact with myself to honour that 6-year-old who loved her hands. It’s as though women are formed by subtraction, by ‘taking away’ things we once loved about ourselves. Now, at middle age, I’m ‘taking back’ more of what I love about my body.
I love more than my hands now. As I approach 40 I find myself enamoured with my entire body. It can be a source of frustration and sometimes pain, but also of accomplishment. It’s a body that is well used, but still indignantly youthful. I’m grateful for both sides of that coin. Breastfeeding may have stripped away the erotic thrill of baring of my breasts, but as my son pulled and sucked and gazed up at me, I somehow felt sexier than ever. I am THE giver of life! It was a power I hadn’t fully realized. The body unfolds in new ways and the spirit follows.
I’m not saying that it takes being a mom to become a woman, but for me, this experience erupted in me some kind of Medusa/Madonna hybrid. I am all powerful, but softer than ever. Beyond motherhood, beyond postpartum, a redefined autonomy is taking shape. Now, I am sexualizing myself from this new place of ease. A cougar in comfortable shoes, shamelessly enjoying her own reflection. I’m having sex instead of being had by sex. It’s carnal and thrilling and I’m only half annoyed that my post pregnancy tits have started to lose their buoyancy when I suddenly feel so at home in my skin. But I remember my adolescent pact: I will love all of myself.
From the moment I decided to love my hands again, they have been unstoppable. Aching from the girth of the guitar neck and the sharp steel strings, they’ve made music. This instrument is mine; calloused flesh to mahogany wood. They’ve touched lovers with gentle power and held my baby with a certainty I didn’t know I had. I felt it as if the force of love itself exuded straight from the tips of my fingers and palms, like when my dad would put his hand on my forehead when I was sick or my mom would stroke my cheek and call me by my nickname, Mitzi. I channel this and pay it forward. Sometimes ready for a fight, but mostly creating, nurturing; these hands are composed of strength and tenderness.
But I don’t have control over time. Or how it will age my body and mind. Smile lines may give me character, but only until they literally kill you. Old age will win - if I’m lucky - and then death. I’ll do my best to at once laugh in its face and pay my respects. I’ll be equally humbled by life’s hardships and privileges. I’ll hopefully do more than survive. I’ll live. It’s obvious, but still a revelation, to say I am fortunate to possess this complex body filled with feelings, thoughts and music. I’ll try not to hang desperately from the precipice of youth, but I’ll no doubt, from time to time, gaze longingly at it from where I stand. Middle age, middle earth, middle of nowhere- I’m ready to explore these uncharted territories.
Melissa McClelland ~ As published in FASHION Magazine, September Issue 2019
Sometimes you meet humans that shine so bright, they light up your heart 💗 This can be said about the team at https://www.thegetrealmovement.com/ and all of the amazing people they bring into their world ☀️
Check out their gear at https://wegetreal.ca/
Proceeds from merch sales support the Get Real Programs in schools. Money well spent! Go get yours now!
Local actor/model, Lauren DeSilva, shows us how to properly rock a hat, sport killer footwear, and define a unisex tomboy look. Swagger for daaaaaaaaaayyyyyssss!
I had the privilege of shooting a campaign for Family Services of Greater Vancouver, who are putting on a fundraiser for Directions Youth Services. The focus of the campaign is on youth homelessness. Please consider supporting or donating to this event. Here’s some important info from FSGV:
“Hundreds of street-entrenched youth use Directions Youth Services, a division of FSGV, each and every year. Usually, it's because they have nowhere else to turn. Just imagine if homelessness was safer than facing violence, abuse and neglect at home. This reality seems so far out of the realm of possibility for most.
More than 40% of our clients have been involved with child welfare services, 40% are Aboriginal, and 30% identify as LGBTQ2S. Directions provides immediate support to youth in crisis, and works with them to get closer to the lives they want. But they can't do it alone.”
To get involved, please visit:
It’s PRIDE weekend in my hometown of Vancouver and I wanted to find a way to celebrate the people in my LGBTQ community and share them with you. In order to reach beyond our beautiful city limits, I thought I would create a digital portrait series featuring queer people of colour; a historically under-represented segment of the community, particularly in mainstream media. Each portrait highlights an individual whose sexual identity falls under the LGBTQ umbrella and whose ethnicity or cultural background is not exclusively white.
I waffled on whether or not to include myself in this series, but ultimately chose to take part. I struggled with it because my appearance has provided me privilege and has coloured my experience. While I appear white, and am often presumed straight, I am a half Latina, lesbian identifying woman. I was born in the Dominican Republic to a Latin mother and white European father and I immigrated to Canada as a very young child. The fact that my ethnicity and queerness isn’t stereotypically obvious isn’t lost on me. I realize that I navigate the world with far more ease than so many others. But that doesn’t diminish the pride I feel about my identity. On the contrary, it makes me own it even more.
With privilege comes responsibility. I want my art to connect people; to open their hearts and minds.
So I introduce you to a small handful of outstanding humans who are out, loud and proud, doing their part to change the world for the better. I thank you all for your openness and willingness to share; the process has been educational and filled my heart with such joy and pride!
Matin - L"G"BTQ
Age: 50
Occupation: Tennis Coach
How do you identify? What does your identity (label) mean to you? What, if anything, do you want people to know about it? Gay, although the label doesn’t define me, it creates a community of shared experiences. I want people to know we all come from different backgrounds and can’t be fit into the same mold.
What are typical stereotypes/assumptions made about your identity and what is inaccurate about them? People make assumptions that those with same sexual identity have the same interests, being an athlete growing up and coaching tennis was always a surprise to people based on their preconceived notions of a gay man.
What is your ethnicity/heritage, and how has that cultural backgroud affected your queerness? Middle eastern/ Iranian
Having seen a revolution and 8 and half years of war made me aware of the importance of being true to myself and people around me, hoping that I can inspire the next generation.
Generally speaking, POC (People of colour), are under-represented in media, particularly queer POC. What are your thoughts about representation and visibility? I think this is a wide spread problem in the media and by having more people of diverse cultural background in the media, we will give inspiration to those who don’t have a voice.
What does PRIDE (the celebration) mean to you personally? It’s a celebration of inclusion where we all come together to say we exist.
BETHANY - LG"B"TQ
Occupation: Actor & Occupational Therapist
How do you identify? What does your identity (label) mean to you? What, if anything, do you want people to know about it? Bisexual/Pansexual - I love the pan definition as I have had the pleasure of dating someone who was trans ftm.
I identify as human who has the capacity to fall in love with another consenting human. There is a lot of fluidity, growth, acceptance, and freedom in how I feel about my identity day to day/year to year.
I don’t find labels as comforting to me, although I will take them on to make my partner feel comfortable and people in general feel ‘comfortable’. To me, a label is like taking something fluid, like water and freezing it in time, so it’s fixed and no longer as easily transmutable. So if I identify one way because I am dating someone and together, we present a certain way publicly, and then later I’m dating someone else (different gender, sex, sexual orientation, etc.), people sometimes assume that I’ve been lying about my ‘true’ identity. When my truth is fluid and changing as I meet wonderful people and continue to grow.
What are typical stereotypes/assumptions made about your identity and what is inaccurate about them? I find that people tend to assume I’m straight, which comes with its privileges. When they find out who I am dating and their assumption is challenged, I have not experienced much push back at all - which I am very thankful for. I have really amazing people/colleagues in my life who are very supportive and understanding💛 which I am absolutely thankful for as it has allowed me to be the best me that I can be.
What is your ethnicity/heritage, and how has that cultural backgroud affected your queerness? I am half Nigerian and half Scandinavian/Ukrainian/European. I was adopted and raised by a German couple. They allowed me to be my own human, understanding that not only would I have my own genetic/epigenetic information coded in, but that they would have to get to know ‘me’ as I grew and learned. They knew that I would become my own person and could never be them - and they didn’t want that for me. They are amazing 😍💕
Generally speaking, POC (People of colour), are under-represented in media, particularly queer POC. What are your thoughts about representation and visibility? I remember looking up to Halle Barrie as one of the only women/POC in media that looked like me. I am so thankful that she opened doors for me and I can only hope to continue opening doors for the next generation by being visible 😊
What does PRIDE (the celebration) mean to you personally? It is celebrating diversity, celebrating inclusivity, celebrating love, celebrating acceptance, celebrating family. Connection is what increases the tensile strength of our community - a community that will catch you if you fall and hug you when you need it. I am proud of our community who is ready to embrace you, just as you are, in your truth.
TRU - LGB"T"Q
Age: 15
Occupation: Student
How do you identify? What does your identity (label) mean to you? What, if anything, do you want people to know about it?
Transgender and Pansexual
My identity is just that. It’s who I am and people need to love my identity before they can love me.
What are typical stereotypes/assumptions made about your identity and what is inaccurate about them? A stereotype about transgender people is that you will be able to tell, because they will look like the gender assigned to them at birth. That is not true. I look very feminine and pass really well as do a lot of other transgender people.
What is your ethnicity/heritage, and how has that cultural backgroud affected your queerness? I am Jamaican and First Nations. This hasn’t really affected my queerness in any huge way.
Generally speaking, POC (People of colour), are under-represented in media, particularly queer POC. What are your thoughts about representation and visibility? I think that more representation is needed to give the next generation a chance to see themselves in media, to show there are others out there like them.
What does PRIDE (the celebration) mean to you personally? Pride is a way for us to show how strong our community has become over the years and how far we’ve come. And it’s also a way of saying “the fight isn’t over!”
LAUREN - LGBT"Q"
Age: 27
Occupation: Barista
How do you identify? What does your identity (label) mean to you? What, if anything, do you want people to know about it?
Queer, Gay, Non-binary
As it is right now, at this point in history, I feel that Identity involves two disparate movements, one towards inclusivity as well as one celebrating distinct narratives, separate from one another yet complimentary. It’s a way of putting people in a box and also a way of breaking down the stereotypes associated with these boxes.
What are typical stereotypes/assumptions made about your identity and what is inaccurate about them? Great question. We should never assume someone’s gender as a rule. Obviously I’m femme-presenting, yet find myself to embody more masculinity than femininity.
What is your ethnicity/heritage, and how has that cultural backgroud affected your queerness? I’m half white, half Sri Lankan. Coming from a mixed race background, I experienced differential treatment both interpersonally and institutionally (I’m not white passing). This negative experience has had some beneficial effects on my life including giving me a skill set to deal with societal prejudice.
Generally speaking, POC (People of colour), are under-represented in media, particularly queer POC. What are your thoughts about representation and visibility? Right now I’m seeing a huge shift in the media. Companies campaigning to advertise their products are calling for more open ethnicities as representatives for their brands. Broadcasting platforms such as Netflix are also pushing for more diversity on screen. A shame that the movement takes hold here and is dictated by consumerism but hey, we are getting somewhere and it’s important.
What does PRIDE (the celebration) mean to you personally? I feel quite ambiguously about Pride as a celebration. Historically, Pride is a testament to the history of the LGBTQ+ movement; it’s the struggle to be acknowledged and accepted as individuals all positively contributing towards a society where inclusivity prevails. It’s also a great marketing strategy.
