Taking a Stab at Wedding Photography

This past weekend, I had a chance to attend my friends, Jen and Jay’s wedding. The ceremony took place on Grouse Mountain, overlooking Vancouver. At first, I wasn’t going to take my camera along, but how many times do you actually get a chance to shoot a wedding? Besides, there’s no better experience than the real thing and I doubt I’d shoot my own wedding.

Since I knew that they had hired a professional wedding photographer, I decided to go a bit low profile and left my main body, the Nikon D200, behind. Instead, I took my smaller Nikon D80 with me and popped on one of my favorite lenses, the Nikon 35mm f/2.0. Unlike my D200, this setup allows me to hold my camera one handed with my strap wrapped around my wrist. Since there was an open bar, it would also let me take pictures while enjoying a beverage. Not to mention, the smaller camera and lens lets me get shots without people trying to pose on me.

Here are a few of my favorite shots…

The top of grouse was covered in a layer of cloud and mist, making it difficult to get really tack sharp photos sometimes. Everything I shot outside seemed to have a fuzziness to it. I did my best and surprised myself with the results.

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Big Air to Brave Art in Whistler

Although there have been some impressive competitions like the Big Air Compeition and the Orage Masters, the Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival has other things to offer. One of the exhibits at the festival includes an art exhibition featuring pieces inspired by extreme sports and the street. Known as BraveArt, it has nothing to do with the movie “Brave Heart” which the name of the how obviously plays on. Here are a few shots from the show.

For more information on the exhibit, you can check out their official website. The show runs till April 18th so if you’re in Whistler tomorrow for the final weekend of the festival, you can go check it out.

Catching Big Air in Whistler!

One of the most anticipated events of the 2008 Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival is the Big Air Competition. This year, unfortunatley, there was no Lingerie Fashion Show so I guess big air and potential carnage will suffice. Unlike the Orage Masters Competition, the Big Air Competition is all about getting…well…Big Air. Sticking the landing would help too. The event is open to Snowboarders and Skiers alike and they both throw down hard for prizes and glory.

Before the big night, atheletes have a chance to throw down during designated practice times. There was some serious elevation during the practice featuring mainly skiers. The snowboarders, unfortunately, weren’t giving me the high elevation thrills that the skiers were dishing out. Nonetheless, there were some pretty impressive displays of air superiority.  For more pictures, check out the Futurelooks Photo Gallery. We’ve got two galleries featuring pictures from Brice Wong and Myself.

When the lights go down, that means showtime! Whistler explodes with spectators spilling out of every bar and hotel in the village and for good reason. The show is about to begin!

The atheletes put on some hugely impressive displays of airborne acrobatics. Through the fire and the flames, skiers and boarders alike threw down for big prizes and glory. Of course, in the heat of battle, there was carnage, but what I was most amazed with was the fact that each crash was boarded or skied off with style. Crash? What crash?

Unlike during practice, the boarders were definitely pushing a bit more elevation in the heat of competition. The only performance I was disappointed with was mine. I was pushing a f/2.8 17-55 Nikon lens and what I really needed was a Nikon 70-200 f/2.8 VR.  Combined with the low lighting and the high speed action, I was really struggling to get the exposures I needed. I was also having to crop a lot because I just couldn’t get in close enough. For more pictures check out my Big Air Competition Photo Gallery.  Brice has also created a Big Air Finals Gallery. He had some better results with an f/2.8 70-200 Nikon Lens.

After the event was over, we were treated with a short fireworks display, performers who played with fire, and a DJ and Drummer that were both on fire. Although we all wanted to party, the free alcohol was seriously lacking this year as LG wasn’t sponsoring the big air party, Kokanee was, but wasn’t giving out free drinks, probably due to legal reasons, and Crocs, who was also sponsoring, was being lame and wouldn’t give us free booze. Crocs needs to learn how to throw a real party.

For even more pictures and video of Big Air Competition, you can check in with Ed Lau, Leo Chiang, Michael Kwan and John Chow.

Orage Masters at the 2008 Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival

Most folks don’t know, but Brice Wong is actually one of the original members of the Futurelooks crew. As the least techie of the bunch, he makes up for it by being willing to wake up early and do all the stuff that the rest of us find too early to wake up for. During our visit to the Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival, we sent “Bricer” up the mountain to check out the Orage Masters event.

The Orage Masters event is an event for all the “two planker wanker” fans out there. Factory teams go all out and hit huge jumps at the top of Blackcomb for all the glory and street cred for their sponsors. The event was also known for the colorful costumes. One of the teams sported a Tibetan Monk motif while another Team went as characters from Star Wars.

At the end of the day the Biker Gang, AKA the K2 Factory Team, took the grand prize and spiffy white jackets.  For more of Brice’s pictures check out the HUGE 2008 Orage Masters Photo Gallery at Futurelooks. Stay tuned for more pictures from the wicked Big Air Competition.  If you can’t wait, you can check out coverage of the event from Ed Lau, Michael Kwan, Leo Chiang, and John Chow.

Off to the 2008 Telus World Ski & Snowboard Festival!

This week’s DOT COM PHO has been postponed! Though it isn’t uncommon for us to change venues and maybe do a Dot Com Wally’s Burgers (RIP) or a Dot Com Dim Sum, this week the Dot Com Crew takes off to Whistler, British Columbia for the 2008 Telus World Ski & Snowboard Festival!

Running from April 11 - 20, 2008, this celebration of Ski and Snowboarding is one of the biggest parties on the planet featuring competitions all week with live entertainment from the hottest acts. Last year, Leo begged me to go because LG had a Lingerie Fashion Show. This year, there is no lingerie that we know of, though knowing Leo, he will find some way to see some. As long as he doesn’t prance around in it, I think I’m OK with that.

This year, I’ve hooked up the Dot Com Pho Crew with full access press passes and we’ll be live blogging from the event. Joining me this year will be Leo Chiang of course, John Chow, Ed Lau, and Michael kwan. Also joining the group will be Futurelooks’ second in command, Brice Wong. Brice is much more normal than the rest of us so hopefully we won’t scare him too much with our shenanigans. He’ll be helping me cover the latest in Ski and Snowboard technology on the hill while I take in all the tech you care about in the village.

Stay tuned for Dot Com Crew Shenanigans this weekend including videos, pictures, and more!