One Way to Stay Cool in May

So way back in May just as we – and the rest of the city – were digging out from that intense winter and were beginning to enjoy the warmer temperatures, we began working with the City of Mississauga.  The first assignment that we shot for them was, as it happened, the cover and some interior shots for the City of Mississauga’s Fall/Winter Active Guide.  So essentially on the first really warm day in May we went into a giant freezer and didn’t come out for 6 hours.  Why not?

Two of the models that we used for the shoot – the two you see above – are children of a client we worked for at Downsview Park. We had used these kids for a few projects at the park over the years, and in all honesty they are two of my favourite kids. They were really patient and tireless skating around all day to produce the shots we needed. Awesome kids. When all the necessary shots had been captured we did portraits with each of them – and as it turns out they might end up being banners in the arena, we’ll have to wait and see, but I’m hoping if I ever go back into an arena in Mississauga I see my two favourite kids up there on posters – larger than life.

 

Heavy TO Returned to Downsview Park and This Time – Things Got a Bit Messy

The last concert of our 2012 concert season was HeavyTO. We have been very lucky with the weather this year, it has been dry and warm for each of the concerts we have covered – with the exception of  Deamau5’s set at last week’s VELD Festival – but this time it rained leading into the concert weekend and it continued raining on and off all weekend long.

The weather didn’t seem to get the crowd down though – they ’embraced’ the mud and the mud embraced them right back. By the end of the day we were covered in mud but had captured some images that will certainly set this concert apart from the rest when reflecting on the concerts of 2012.

At the end of it all, after the storms had passed, this one even featured a rainbow.

The VELD Music Festival Was – HUGE

This past weekend the VELD Music Festival was held at Downsview Park, and as official photographers we were there covering everything from the bands – with Deadmau5 and AVICII the headliners on Saturday and Sunday respectively – to the massive crowds, vendors, and well… the rain that left its mark on not only the throngs of mau5-heads in Saturday’s crowds but also on the not-so-waterproof equipment of the man himself, Deadmau5.

We have covered every concert and music festival held at Downsview Park this year, and with the new event space layout it has really become a prime concert venue.  We have to compliment the Park (and not just because they hire us for these events… ahem) but because we’ve watched Downsview Park evolve over the past 4 years and have witnessed the planning that has gone into creating the kind of event space that can handle events of this magnitude. The events at Downsview Park are well orchestrated and from our perspective (which at times is several storeys into the air – see photos at the end of the strip above) well laid out.

As a whole, the crowd at VELD was the happiest crowd we have experienced this year. And why not?? With a full spectrum of vibrant colours, flashing lights, seamless transitions between pounding beats, and toys of all sorts (who didn’t encounter the seemingly ubiquitous penguin on a stick?) together turning the park into a veritable playground – you really have to love an event like this.

Edgefest 2012 Headliner – Billy Talent

The headliner at Edgefest this year was Billy Talent, fronted by Ben Kowalewicz. Ben is one of the most animated and intense performers out there – so animated in fact that we decided he deserved his own blog entry.

So here he is: Ben Kowalewicz of Billy Talent, in all his rockstar glory.

It Was Huge. It Was Dry. Edgefest 2012

For the 5th year in a row (accounting for the hiatus the festival took in 2010) we covered Edgefest at Downsview Park. This particular Edgefest was the biggest one the park has ever hosted, due in large part to the space made available by the changes in landscaping that the park has gone through in the last year to create an event area that is impressively malleable to a range of production types, but is perfect for this type of multi-stage concert set-up.

After several years of cold, rainy, and mud-soaked Edgefests – and the threat earlier in the week of the same this year – we were very happy when Saturday arrived with blue skies and abundant sun.  The concert goers who managed to stay hydrated and layered in sunscreen (you could smell it, thick in the air) evidently had the kind of concert experience they will remember for years to come.

Probably.

Well, MOST of them will remember it…

Above: evidence of the bands, the crowds, the blistering heat of summer – and what happens when it all comes together in one awesome, purpose-built venue.

Station Rising, Fog Rolling In – The Latest TTC Construction at Downsview

The mild winter has seen construction continue at Downsview Park. Like everywhere else in the city, the mild temperature in wet areas has created a lot of fog. Above you’ll see some of that fog adding a ‘dramatic’ element to the scene.

Editorial – Canadian Builder’s Quarterly

Last week we were asked to create an editorial portrait of Project Manager Sandra Cooke. The photo is intended to accompany a written piece on Sandra as part of a series of interviews with University of Toronto faculty alumni from the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design, and will be published in the April issue of Canadian Builder’s Quarterly. The perfect location for the shot presented itself in Downsview Park’s old Tiger Moth building and Sandra was the perfect subject – an absolute natural.

TTC’s New Tunnel at Downsview Park

TTC construction at Downsview Park has continued through the month of October.  Above, a view into the new TTC tunnel.

Concert For Japan at Downsview Park

We shot our last concert of the summer on Labour Day weekend.  The Concert for Japan featured two days of entertainment and live music and even offered concert-goers the opportunity to ride a zip-line across the main concert area or have a drink at a bar suspended from a large crane.  That’s something we’ve never seen before!

We met up with Darrin Pfeiffer, at the concert – some of you may know Darrin from his days on 102.1 The Edge.  We’ve missed hearing him over the airwaves and hope that he will be back on the air soon. Right now Darrin is spending his time drumming for both ska punk band Goldfinger, and Canadian rock band, The Salads. He also manages and produces punk bands under his own record label, High 4 Records. Darrin was a lot of fun to hang with (and to shoot) and we think that we could do some awesome work with Darrin (hint Darrin – hint, hint) on the promotional material for the bands on his label.

Most importantly we hope that the concert was successful for the promoters and that the money raised will benefit the people of Japan, where relief efforts will most certainly continue for a long time to come.

Edgefest Returns to Downsview Park

After a hiatus in 2010 Edgefest returned to Downsview Park last weekend.  This is the first DRY Edgefest we have covered, as both the 2008 and 2009 Edgefests were mudfests after experiencing torrential rain. For those of you who attended the 2008 or 2009 festivals, refresh your memory with our coverage HERE. This year the weather was perfect and the bands –  with headliners Rise Against following sets by A Perfect Circle, The Weakerthans, Tokyo Police Club, Arkells, and The Reason – were loud.  Some photos of the bands and the crowds, above.