Olympic Torch Relay

I've been kind of grumpy about the Olympics for a while now, but I have to admit that it's hard not to get a patriot lump in your throat when the torch comes through. It was nice seeing it going by in Britannia Beach, as it's a long way away from the big Olympic machine


The flame is handed off to a new runner


The runners do a little dance at the trade off

Chances Casino - Squamish

My friend Alan Forsythe is a newspaper publisher in Squamish. When I have the time, I come down and shoot the pictures for his paper, the Garibaldi times.

This is a story on the opening of the new Squamish Nation casino in Squamish. Alan was interviewing Gibby Jacob, the Chief of the Squamish Nation band, and asked how he felt about the new casino. He didn't say much, but his expression gave it away.

Back in Whistler

Dave and Kathleen, from Scotland
After 2 1/2 months in South Africa, I'm back in Whistler. The first week back, I had a small wedding to photograph, and three commercial commissions. The first was to shoot a beautiful local house (I'd love to show you pics, but the home owner requested that they remain private), and two public spaces.


BonBon anyone? The Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory
This was shot for the contractor who had just done a recent renovation. When I was still in South Africa, I ordered three Alien Bee strobes to replace my old Norman strobe set up (although I did keep the 2000w/sec pack, and a couple of heads, just in case I need some real horsepower). When I got home, they were sitting in my studio ready to go. The Norman's were great, but heavy and awkward to use, and took a small truck to carry on location. Three Alien Bee 640w/sec heads, all the cables, speed rings, and a couple of folded up soft boxes, all go in a full sized LowePro roller case that used to hold my RZ-67 set-up (another great technology sadly gone the way of the buggy whip).



This is the Whistler Museum and Archive. I was hired by Panther Management, the company that did the museum exhibits and design, to do some photos of the newly renovated museum. They called me Thursday afternoon, said they needed pictures ASAP, as they were needed for a bid on another project. I shot the job Friday morning, did the photoshop work after lunch, and had the pics uploaded to Panther's FTP site by late Friday afternoon.

The key to this shoot is that it had to look like a museum, with low key warm lighting, but it can't be so dark that you can't see what's going on. In the large photo, you can see that I have a large light source to light the chairs and front of the scene, and another smaller light to brighten up the exhibit just off to the left of the frame. In the smaller photo, that's what the scene looks like without the extra strobe lighting.

This week coming, I have two more clients with work to be done before the Olympics start.

The Sani Pass

My Dad took us up the Sani Pass, which is the main southern access road into the Kingdom of Lesotho. Lesotho is a separate country that is actually completely inside South Africa. It's a pretty desolate place, and all they seem to do is raise sheep and provide hydro electric power to South Africa. If you've ever seen the movie "The Gods Must Be Crazy", this is the view point where the little San Bushman throws the coke bottle off the end of the world.


The Sani Pass cuts right through the Drakensburg Mountains, and the views are truly amazing.


This what passes for a major highway up here.


Custom 4x4 minibus taxis climb the final switch backs into Lesotho. If you're a local on your way home, you get to ride in one these nail biting machines.



Ah, scenic Lesotho

Joyce in Jo'burg

Joyce flew in from Whistler for Christmas, and after three days of the Buzzard family goings on (Christmas lunches on the 24th, 25th, and 26th), we decided to pop up to Johannesburg for some peace and quiet.


Joyce riding a WWII German 88mm antiaircraft gun, and about to get us thrown out the Johannesburg Military Museum. Take that Ken Melamed.


We had lunch in the arty suburb of Melville, and while Jo'burg is a huge cosmopolitan city, it never quite lets you forget you're in Africa.




Finished the day off with a great meal on the patio in Sandton.

The Durban Club

A close family friend invited my father and to lunch at the Durban Club, the self declared final bastion of the British Empire. It's an exclusive men's club located in downtown Durban. The club has been operating since 1861, and has been in the current building since 1903.

Arnold is my sister Joanne's father-in-law. He and my father have been doing business together since long before Joanne and Simon ever met, and now have the pleasure of having their children married to each other.


Head waiter Dennis Zondo, chef Khanyisile Mhlongo, and waiter Bernard Khuzwayo






My host, Arnold Taylor

The Blue Horizon Club

I had the pleasure of attending the retirement party for my father's friend, Colin Govender, at the Blue Horizon Social Club. Colin was a shift supervisor at the chemical plant my Dad ran on the Natal South Coast. There was a terrible accident where a huge chemical reactor failed, and Colin crawled on his hands and knees to the control room to shut it down, saving the plant, and everyone in it. After 43 years of service with the company, he's retiring, and he asked my Dad to speak at the party. I thought it would be interesting, so I tagged along.

Funny enough, we came directly from our lunch at the Durban club. We had two fantastic curries, back to back.