Vancouvers Gift of Gastronomy

Over the past few years, Vancouverites have been privy to a plethora of new places to get their nosh on, from cozy cafes to upscale eateries. We’re lucky enough to relish in the spoils of our multi-cultural city and learn a little bit about each others backgrounds while we’re at it. Now that we’re on the heels of the biggest international event to ever take place in our fair city, we felt it was time to shed some light on Vancouver’s food culture.

From the trendy watering holes of Gastown to the yuppie-yet-friendly haunts in Yaletown, this is just a mere nibble into the Vancouver foodie scene. Our eclectic mix of ‘hoods’ is what keeps our city happening when it comes to food, in our humble opinion.

Among some our faves is the Salty Tongue on Abbott Street. Whether you’re up for a hearty lunch or looking to share a long table dinner with friends, be sure to pop in and say hello. Goldfish on Mainland is great for a little glitz and some sinfully delish seafood. Try the BC Albacore and Ahi Tuna Tataki to start. Parlais vous en francais? Us neither, but the folks at Les Faux Bourgeois will take care of you in this quaint yet happenin’ spot on E 15^th where Fraser and Kingsway collide. Toulouse et Puree – do it.

 

Heading to the West End, long-time local favorite Tapastree is tucked just off Robson, yet patrons never seem to have a problem finding them. Go with a group and gourmandize on a fine selection of tapas. Speaking of tapas, shoot over to the Drive and let your Latino lover tendencies take over at Latin Quarter. After dinner, burn off the sangria by getting your krunk on to the live house band.

Refuel on West 4^th features some fabulous local offerings like their Crispy Skin Ling Cod. Check them out for brunch on the weekend, their buckwheat waffle will make you go buck wild. Moving on over to the hipster scene of Mount Pleasant, The Cascade Room has a cool and casual vibe, with much of their menu sourced locally.

Some local advice to our international visitors from near and far – be sure to explore the outer areas of our city as well as the downtown core. You never know when you’re going to stumble upon your next great meal and meet some friendly Vancouverites too.

Bon appétit!

A Man and His Horse

During my morning stroll to the studio, I was visually accosted by the image of this giant white horse with a man strapped to his back. Not enough coffee, I thought? Not the case. Turns out John Fluevog has graciously agreed to display the work of David Robinson, specifically his Equestrian Monument piece, in the storefront window of his Water Street location.

 

To say that the sculpture is eye-catching would be an understatement. The enormous size alone demands the attention of nearly every passerby. Just over lunch today, I watched as people passed by the store, not one able to walk by without taking a peek.

The way Robinson plays with exaggerated proportions reminds me of a Salvador Dali painting, at least from my uneducated perspective. With all the international visitors pouring into town, it’s a great time to showcase some of Canada’s greatest artistic talents.

 

Artist’s Statement:

The equestrian monument prevails in endless variety across the history of art.
In a time before I had learned of their often violent and imperial past, with the eyes of a child I saw these archaic bronzes in their simplest and most mythic form: full of narrative, free of history.

This first impression has stayed with me as I find myself returning time and again to the unraveling and reprising of the equestrian theme in my own artwork. Now thoroughly out-moded, and thus freed of its political harness, I periodically inquire after this troubled partnership of man and beast as they wander the imagination – a vivid motif in search of a better story.

David Robinson’s Equestrian Monument can be viewed at John Fluevog on 65 Water Street until July. www.fluevog.com

“Robinson’s work underscores the possibility that the sacred is with us still, even in the midst of our secular, consumerist society.” – Vancouver Sun

Birch Bark Biting

While walking around Gastown last week, we stumbled upon an art gallery around the corner featuring some really beautiful pieces that we wanted to share with you. The art form is known as Birch Bark Biting. There was a little girl playing in the front window that reminded Jonathan of Sofia, and given he’s missing his little girl who has been vacationing in Brasil, he had to pop over to say hello. The girl’s Grandmother came outside and invited us into the gallery to have a look.

Years ago, before technology took over as our primary source of entertainment, an ancient First Nation tradition was used to entertain the kids during the shorter days of winter. Prior to European contact, the art of Birch Bark Biting was commonly used as a source of entertainment. The people would create patterns on birch bark by simply biting it, which would light up when held in front of a campfire, depicting dreams and stories that were shared and passed on to newer generations. Today there are only 3 known First Nation artists in Canada (and possibly North America) who still practice this traditional art form.

 

 Pat Bruderer, also known as Half Moon Woman, was born in Churchill, Manitoba and is the mother of 5 children. Pat grew up in the Mosakahiken Cree Nation Reserve in Manitoba and now resides in Chase, BC. An acclaimed artist, Pat has won many awards at the Annual Trappers Festival in The Pas, Manitoba and was the Juried Art winner in 2000. She also facilitates several workshops in traditional Birch Bark Biting.

Pat believes Birch Bark Biting has many teachings: patience, respect, kindness, creativity, medicine, imagination and sharing. Birch Bark Biting is like people – no two are the same and every one is special and beautiful in their own way.

Pat uses the 4 elements in her work: earth, water, wind and fire. She strongly believes that First Nations people should strive to maintain their traditional art forms. Her art has been featured in the Glenbow Museum, Museum of Man and Nature and several private collections in Canada, Switzerland, Scotland, France, Germany, Africa, China, Malaysia, Hawaii and Alaska. 

The gallery is now closed until after the Olympics and is being used as a media centre throughout the Games. It’s disappointing that these pieces won’t be featured over the coming weeks, given their rarity and close ties to our Aboriginal history, which is why we felt it was important to share this fascinating artwork with you.

To view Pat Bruderer’s online gallery, visit the Half Moon Studios website: www.halfmoonstudios.com

Tony goes to Barcelona

 

A good friend of mine, Tony Millares III, owns an exceptional architectural woodworking firm called Urthwurks Furniture Inc.  Starting in Brooklyn, NY, he moved his shop to Vancouver in 2001 and has designed and built for Jasper Johns, Francesco Clemente, Bette Midler, ALIFE NYC and the list goes on and on.  Last year, he worked on the restoration of the Wing Sang building, which is now the home of the Rennie Collection . In the end of 2009, he was busy completing Canadian artist, Rodney Graham’s   new line of work called POSSIBLE ABSTRACTIONS, which is a series of sculptures in the shape of a painting made out of wood and corian.  Tony was hired as the artist’s technical advisor and built the entire collection which is now showing at the Museu Pablo Picasso in Barcelona.  He has written a few words on his blog about the process.

In mid-January, the pieces were shipped to Barcelona along with privately owned Rodney Graham pieces that were lent to the museum for Through the Forest, Rodney’s first solo exhibit. Unexpectedly, Tony was given a well deserved first class ticket to Barcelona to attend the opening and unveiling of POSSIBLE ABSTRACTIONS and as I write this article, he is on his way home.

Over the past year and a half, I have had the opportunity to shoot a lot of his work, and looking through te lens, I have learned that he is an extreme perfectionist when it comes to his own work.   I have never seen so much passion and love put into every detail.  With each job, he hones his skills as a designer and craftsman and he blows my mind every time I shoot his work.   The photos I took are only a fracture of what went on behind the scenes in the last few weeks before the opening in Barcelona.  

 

“Ok, what’s next?”

 Welcome home Tony, and congratulations to you and your team at Urthwurks! 

5 more sleeps

  

 

With my lovelies  in southern Brasil for almost 5 weeks now, I’ve found so much comfort in being able to see them occasionally on my screen. Thank you Skype! 
After 4 weeks of being at a beach with low tech, minimal technology, lots of caipirinhas and shurascarias they’re back  to spend their last week in Porto Alegre at their granparents house where there’s a pc! -whew!

Last week Gabriela told me that our daughter woke up saying “I want my papa.”
I asked if she said that in english and she said, “no, there is no more english honey, she’s all Portuguese now”. 
Thats how she’ll be speaking when we go snow shoeing on the 6th guys! 

   

Kla-how-ya

The phrase Kla-how-ya, which is the Chinook word for “welcome”, was the phrase of the day as visitors were greeted at the Pan Pacific yesterday during a media event which marked the erection of an aboriginal village in the lobby of the hotel. Representing First Nations from around B.C., the village will showcase their culture and remain in the Pan Pacific’s spectacular lobby throughout the Olympic Games.

We were lucky enough to shoot the ceremony side-by-side with the talented Deo Cruz, who was able to help us capture all of the key moments as an event of this scale usually requires more than one shooter. We call him our secret weapon.

16 First Nations members got a hand from the hotel’s kitchen staff to carry the massive 40-foot ceremonial canoe Raven’s Song, which will be the focal point of the village, through the front doors and up two flights of stairs to a stage. The canoe was built by Bill Helin in 1993 for a journey to the Commonwealth Games in Victoria and is said to have been on eight different journeys since then.

 

Helin, along with six apprentice carvers, took more than four months to carve Raven’s Song, representative of a Tsimshian war canoe, out of a 540-year-old red cedar log. The raven is also the most profound character in First Nations mythology.

The Kla-how-ya village officially opens to the public on Feb.12. For 16 days following, it will showcase traditional dancing, cedar-bark weaving, aboriginal fashions, jewelry making, carving and storytelling.

Vancouver Comes Alive

Who’s got the fever? We’ve got the fever…Olympic fever that is. The city is transforming before our eyes, with a new pavilion, party house or building wrap by the day, so it seems. Vancouver is alive with Olympic buzz, so we’ve been buzzing about town shooting and capturing as much of the excitement as possible.

Stop by the GE Ice Plaza at Robson Square for free ice skating in the heart of the city. This is something suitable for the entire family and skate rentals are available onsite. The kiddies will love it!

One block away, standing in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery you’ll find the Vancouver 2010 Countdown Clock with a huge Olympic building wrap just across the way. The Hotel Georgia’s Canadian flag wrap is a slight testament to our patriotism (I use the word ‘slight’ in jest ofcourse – the sucker is massive!). The Bay building across from the art gallery is decked out with banners of folks sporting the official Olympic memorabilia. Has everyone snagged some red mittens?

Take a stroll through Yaletown and check out Flagwalk, a series of flags placed along the sidewalk representing all of the competing countries that will be gracing our city streets in just a few weeks.  Meander a bit further along the seawall for views of the Olympic Village on the south end of False Creek. We snagged a few shots here.

As the excitement continues to build, we have to concur with the below vid:

You Gotta Be Here

 

Deo day yo!

 

 

 

Unless I’m booked shooting, a regular work day tends be more of a day of distractions.  I tend to be more productive during the odd hours.  I’m an early riser and with my gals still on vacation in Brasil I find myself getting a lot of things done before the rat race begins. Yesterday my son Deo wanted to borrow my tripod and 14 mm rectilinear lens for a test shoot he was doing for a hotel on Robson Street.  I decided to drop off the equipment and drive Deo to his location. Deo explained the hotel is under major renovations for the Olympics and the hotel owner wanted new photographs as he wasn’t happy with the previous shooter’s work.  I thought this was a great opportunity to work on a project with Deo.  We wrapped fairly quickly and decided to pick up his girl friend Marija to eat some serious, all you can eat sushi at Tanpopo. -stuffed! 

The weather was amazing, 14 Celsius (48 °F) Carpe Diam!
We busted out our cameras and skipped out the rest of the day.
 Life is Good!
 

 

It’s Evan Haveman, the polar bear’s birthday tonight at Fortune Sound Club.  –oh boy.

 

Rodney Graham Through the Forest

As the buzz begins to grow, famed Canadian artist Rodney Graham prepares to present his work at the prestigious Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona later this month.

Starting out in Vancouver in the 1970s, among one of his earliest works was Camera Obscura (1979; destroyed 1981) a site-specific work that consisted of a shed-sized optical device on his family’s farm field near Abbotsford. Entering the shed, the observer was confronted with an inverted image of a solitary tree. Both prior to this and throughout the 1980s and 90s, Graham employed the technique of the camera obscura in his work.

During the crazy snowstorm of ’08, we had the pleasure of shooting the artist in his home here in Vancouver. We were asked by Tony Millares III of Urthwurks to come by Graham’s home to photograph a book shelf he had designed for the artist and ended up capturing a few candid snaps.

 

An outstanding element of Graham’s upcoming exhibition – Through the Forest – is a major compilation of books and sculptures, installations and machines based on books of Graham’s that come from a peculiar library that shows his interpolations, appendices, bookmarks, reading and exhibition devices in the style of Judd, among other pieces. The exhibition also includes the series of 21 pictures Picasso, My Master (2005), his first incursion into painting, which reconstructs the aura of mastery that surrounds Picasso’s work with a touch of humour.

Through the Forest runs from January 30th through May 18th. If you happen to be in Barcelona over the coming months, be sure to swing by.

30 Days, 30 Nights

 

As we continue the countdown to the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games, which seems to be coming at us fast and furious with only 30 days to go, the city is preparing with a few final touches. One of which was the resurrection of the famous Birks Clock.

Situated on the corner of Hastings and Granville in front of the Birks store, the clock hasn’t worked for years, confusing many as they hoof it to work in the morning or back to work after a boozy lunch. They actually removed the time piece temporarily for 2 years to make way for Canada Line construction on Granville Street. The clock was first erected in 1909 and was moved to the corner of Georgia and Granville in 1913, where it remained until 1994 when it was moved back to its original home. Back in the day people used the clock as a meeting place before hitting the town – “meet me under the Birks clock”. I wonder if people still say that? Seems like it’s more common to say “meet me at the Starbucks on…”. How boring.

We had the opportunity to shoot the re-installment of the clock, following some much needed repairs by horologist Ray Saunders who gave the clock a complete overhaul and restoration. It was an exciting moment to see a piece of history put back in its place, where it will sit for many years to come. Now visitors to Vancouver during the Games and beyond will always have a point of reference while exploring our beautiful city.

 

 

The world through my eyes

inang, my grandmother. i was born in her house in Baliwag Bulacan

 

Hello, I’m Jonathan Cruz and this is my very first attempt at blogging. My first attempt at writing for that matter. I am a professional photographer living in Gastown, Canada with my family. I am extremely fortunate that i make my living by being able to shoot. Photography is a hobby that i started with my older brother, Alex almost 30 years ago. Some folks say that People photography is my forte. But really, I just love to shoot everything, all the time. I hope to finally have an opportunity to do something with all my images through this blog. so here goes…

 

 

 

 

  oh, my website: 

www.jonathancruz.com

 

  stand by for more…

  

Michael Buble

    

 

 

 In 1999, I first met Michael Buble when I was shooting a promo campaign for my studio. Krista, my assistant at the time recommended this “local kid with an amazing velvety, young Frankie voice” from a cd she heard from her grandfather’s friend, Mitch Santaga [Mike's grandpa]. We contacted his manager, Beverly Delich, and set up the shoot. With minimal budget plus working with an “independent artist”, we had to be clever to pull off a sophisticated shoot with this young classic artist. My neighbor, Franco Nigro of Quorum Fashion, came to the rescue by offering to outfit Michael with this amazing 2 piece. Michael had been playing the role as Elvis on a production called “Red Rock Diner” at the time [in case you're wondering about the hair]. In a future post, I’ll explain why there is an “H” on the cigar ring that he’s holding. We did this shoot on Granville Street and the gold reflector gave us that “this hurts but I’m looking HOT” attitude as the city transit buzzed by behind him. Michael and I hit it off famously as friends that day and this shot turned out to be the best candidate of the cover for his 2nd independent album “Babalu”.

Prior to this album coming out, we shot lots of stuff. Beverly and Mike had me shoot on such low budgets, it started to get a bit annoying as far as the business part was concerned, but we were already such good friends by this time that the money became the least of my concern, in all honesty. Michael had me so impressed with his talent and his ability to get out there and belt it out and dazzle crowds, regardless of how tired or even sick he would get at times. He performed 6 days a week for Red Rock Diner[twice on Saturdays] and still played at the clubs on Sundays and Monday Nights. -where does one fit REST in there?  I know he feeds off his crowd. Once he gets them going, that’s it, “what cough? what flu?” And he got that crowd at Babalu screaming every time. How could I not be impressed, and be anything but proud as a friend. Plus, he promised that “WHEN I get big John….”  [i think he's the only guy that got away with calling me John. -errr!]

 

 

What I have to wake up to every morning.

 

  

I woke up yesterday at 8am to my wife saying, “Honey do I get to sleep in this morning?” I complained of course, saying that I too was tired. Gabriela and Sofia have been under the weather over the last week and I had no excuse really, other than having stayed out late at a Shoe party in North Van. Sofia [20 months old] had been wide awake for an hour already. She lies in our bed and has her bottle of milk, and then wants to play. She tugs at our arms and says “go”.  Jake [our dog] is also in bed with us and he needs to out for a pee by this time. Gabriela suggested that if Sofia and I take out Jake, she’ll make pancakes for our return.  So off we went. I noticed before we even left that Gabriela had already made the bed and was getting breakfast started. So much for sleeping in.

Yes, every day I have to wake up to these 2. Woe is me… 

 

see more of my morning:
www.jonathancruz.com/sofgabs08n09

 

 

 

 

Gloria Macarenko, Guest blogger

 

 

 

 

I just had a memorable photo shoot with Jonathan Cruz.  People assume that it wouldn’t be a big deal for me because I spend an hour and a half every day in front of a tv camera anchoring the news, This is not the case.  I feel much more self-conscious being the subject of  a still photographer. 

I was paired up with Jonathan by Bob Mercer, the editor of Vancouver Lifestyles Magazine (VLM), for a piece entitled MY VANCOUVER.  It’s a brief look at my favorite things about the city, and my thoughts and concerns about Vancouver’s future.

I had met Jonathan a few years ago when he photographed me and others at the Women’s Media Golf Classic.  I must stress that I only golf once a year, but Jonathan’s shots made me look like a pro! We also teamed up for a fundraiser for Ja Pace, a beautiful young woman afflicted with a rare blood disorder, in need of a non-donor transplant only available in Rome.

I was impressed with the warmth and compassion demonstrated by Jonathan at the time.  He put together a gorgeous calendar of Ja and her salsa dancing friends that was sold to raise funds for her cause.  He also softly coaxed a generous donation out of Michael Buble. (actually, from what I understand, there was no need for coaxing… he just told Michael about Ja’s story and he was naturally compelled to contribute.) Jonathan has that effect on people.  He has a wonderful ability to put his subjects at ease and bring out the best in them.

That’s what made this most recent shoot so much fun.  I had chosen the Burrard St. Bridge and  “Go Fish” on the Seawall as two of my favorite places in Vancouver.  We walked along the bridge on a cool, sunny fall day… chatting and trying not to get too ‘posy’ with the shots.  It was fun and easy and I often forgot he even had a camera in his hands.

From there, a yummy lunch (halibut and chips and spicy Salmon taquitos) at Go Fish.  Again, I was oblivious to the camera.

It was a totally win-win day.  I got to spend the afternoon with a wonderful man with a big heart, and I was thrilled with the photographs.  Thank you Jonathan!

 

 

the dream team presents…

 

 

 

“Deep within this city,

In the cracks and in the alleys,

There lies a hidden back drop

And a model in disguise….

Just Leave it to the dream team

To capture the unseen

We’re crazy and wild

 And all things between”

 

-Ja pace

 

 

 

 

 

 

www.jonathancruz.com/clients/jamanda08dc

 

 

Sofia Day: 2009 jan 02

 

 

Happy New year ya’ll!  Guess who got a water color kit from Gaile and Evan? 
Sofia Loves to paint!  check out www.jonathancruz.com/family/sofia09ja02

Carol Hyunh, Canada’s Olympic gold medalist

 

               

 

  I recently had the pleasure of meeting Olympic champion Carol Huynh [pronounced: "WIN"] while doing a photo shoot with DTHK Communications for a new client, Superior Tofu.  Carol was Canada’s first athlete to win a Gold medal at the Beijing games last summer. Our small town girl from Hazelton [180 miles west of Fraser Lake] beat Icho of Japan, the 3 times world Champion. Her triumph was broadcasted around the world and she quickly became a hero and a role model for many. 

                I was excited to meet and work with her. Carol was an absolute pleasure to work with. She has a great sense of humor, very easy to work with, not to mention gorgeous. She literally swept me off my feet….

  

 

 

 

 

… effortlessly.

My friend Dan Ax shot some more behind the scenes stuff that day.
check out his teaser:

Sofia turns 2

 

 

 Presence

The greatest gift you could give is your presence
 in Sofia’s life.

We are so fortunate to have such wonderful, loving family and friends
and we want to express our gratitude for this.

Sofia truly loves all of you, and is so happy to have all of you

 here to celebrate her special day with her.

For such a little girl, she sure has a lot of love to give
and genuinely cares for people in a way that is so rare to see.

She quickly and easily makes friends, and frequently speaks
about these friendships and the experiences shared within them.

We hope that you will be a part of Sofia’s life
 for years to come, and join us to celebrate the many joys of the life she has ahead of her.

God bless you,

The Cruz Family 

By: Gabriela Cruz

 
check out Sofia’s party:

www.jonathancruz.com/family/sofias2nd_09mr08

 

 

Ja Pace

 

I first saw Ja Pace while dancing salsa on Commercial Drive back in 2001. It was in a beginner class, but she was amazing and so graceful. It was always a treat to see her dancing at the Latin nights. Ja stood out because of her amazingly positive energy and her unique fashion sense. She quickly became one of the best dancers in Vancouver’s local salsa scene.

     
 

2 years ago, in the spring, I got an email from Ja about a fundraiser. I did not pay much attention to it until she called a few weeks later asking me if I was coming to the event. Not having read the email, I asked her what the fundraiser was for, she said that it was for her… she went on to tell me about her rare blood condition. She went on to tell me how surprised she was that her story was on the cover of the Province newspaper that day.
 http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=5450378d-f14b-44b5-b389-30cb0a3f1253

My heart sunk reading the story. I never knew that anything could possibly be wrong with such a beatiful, positive person. She always looked so healthy. I never noticed the machine she wore daily to pump medication into her blood stream as she hid it well under her clothes. Blood transfusions once a month since 4 years old? Not expected to live past 40 years? She never told many people about her situation because she didn’t think anyone could really help until the opportunity came along to go to Rome where a doctor has had success doing a bone marrow transplant with the patient’s mother. The procedure was not covered by medicare, and cost $200 000, not including the cost of living in Italy for almost a year for preparation and recovery. I spread the word to as many people as I could. So many of our friends were shocked to hear about it. A few came to the fundraiser event with us.

I’m not sure how much was raised that night, but I knew she had a long way to go to raise the $200,000 needed by September. I mentioned Ja’s story to Jacquie Underwood, the editor of Vancouver Lifestyles magazine, introduced her to Ja and the following cover story was published shortly after.  

  

I couldn’t get Ja and her difficult situation out of my mind. When Viktoria, one of our friends approached me about doing a calendar in order to raise funds for Ja, I got excited. The calendar consisted of some of our lovely Salsera friends. We spent months putting together the project with a lot of help from many people. My amazing manager, Annalissa headed this project and turned the campaign into a huge success; we had a launch event, where Gloria Mackarenko got on board as the MC. The calendar raised over $30 000 for her cause. Michael Buble made one of the largest donations. By the time we launched the calendar, Ja had already made her way to Italy with her family.   

www.jonathancruz.com/ja07

 

 

The procedure went well, however there were complications. Ja had to have her own bone marrow re-introduced, was kept in isolation for several months trying to recover from the many complications that resulted. At one point she was temporarily blind.

Ja has since returned to Canada, and remains the positive, creative, and wonderful human being that she has always been. She is an inspiration to me, and I have always enjoyed being around her. I have gotten to work with her on several shoots in the past few months. She is an amazing makeup artist and stylist.

She continues to go into the hospital for regular blood transfusions, and frequently encounters hurdles in regards to her health. She didn’t get the cure from her illness that she was expecting, but you’d never know it looking at her. She does not portray a sick individual, but rather lives her life to the fullest. She loves her family, loves her friends and truly enjoys every day she lives.

      
   

 

Breakfast with Carol Hyunh by guest blogger: Oribu Yokota

   

Tito J (aka Jonathan Cruz) and I quickly became good friends after being introduced by a very special lady, Gaile Guevara (aka JC’s cousin). They both amaze me and inspire me in ways they could never imagine.  Tito J very quickly invited me into his home and studio to meet his two angels, Gabriella (his wife) and Sofia (his baby girl).  

I fell in love with the Cruz’s so quickly that it truly made me see things in a different perspective. Long story short, having experienced September 11th, 2001 a few blocks away from Ground Zero, I became a very closed and shy person, having extreme difficulty with letting go of fear and seeing the truth and good in people around me. Moving back to Vancouver in 2008 and meeting what I now call my “Gastown Family” was the BEST healing experience I have ever had, and it still heals me to this day in different aspects of my life. I never saw Tito J as the amazing photographer that catches the true essence of everyone he shoots, but he asked me if I wanted to do a shoot, so of course I said yes.  To me, it was a fun day of laughs and hopefully good eats with a crazy long haired buddy that never sleeps.  When he told me the subject, I was extremely excited to meet her. A true hero with a shining personality, inspiration to all,  the beautiful and passionate Carol Huynh.  She grappled Canada to a gold medal in the Beijing Olympics in 2008, and the tears she shed while the Canadian anthem was playing, to this day gives me the shivers. 

 

We started pretty early in the morning so we made breakfast.  A spread of bacon cooked crispy, medium, and soft, scrambled eggs, pastries, longanisa (if you haven’t tried these Filipino sausages, then you haven’t lived) etc etc etc… After the delectable meal, we went on to hair and makeup.  Let me tell you one thing about Carol. She glows. And when a woman glows from working hard and is skilled at what she loves to do, no matter how young or mature you are, you really don’t need much makeup. So, we gave her a little natural smokey eye to go with the stunning dresses lent to us by Manuel Mendoza.  Nothing too extravagant, as she mentioned she had sensitive skin and didn’t wear much makeup on a daily basis.  

 

Being a makeup artist, I get to stand in front of astonishing talent. You are pretty up close and personal and through conversation, you really get to know the person that is in your chair on a personal level.  She shared her stories about family, her husband, her future, on being the first woman ever to score a gold medal for Canada in wrestling, how she felt when she stood under the Canadian flag on that historical day, on how she feels about being a role model, and how excited she was to just go back home. You can see that she values the gift of strength, courage and perseverance her parents gave her and lives each day and each step without forgetting what she has. 

Coco Chanel once said that a woman should be two things, classy and fabulous. Carol is just that and then some. 

Thank you Tito J for having me as your guest blogger.  I love my Gastown Family. [ Gabby, Sofia, GG, Evan, Tony, Coco and Moko]

 

 

Arts Umbrella with Deo

Deo and I in Vancouver Sun for sponsoring and shooting the Arts Umbrella event at the Opus Hotel.

 Malcom Parry from the Vancouver Sun had a wonderful surpise for Deo, www.deocruz.com  
and I last saturday when he added our photo and story in his Westcoast News section. 
It was a real pleasure being a part of The Arts Umbrella. 

http://www.artsumbrella.com/events/fundraising/preciouselement

‘Stay tuned for event photos!’

Roedde House 1910-2010 Vintage fashion Shoot by guest blogger, Beverley McEwan

   

  

Roedde House Museum

Roedde House Museum

Roedde House Museum

Roedde House Museum

Roedde House Museum

Roedde House Museum

Roedde House Museum

Roedde House Museum

Roedde House Museum

Roedde House Museum

Take a fabulous photographer, a wondrous collection of turn of the century fashions, a motivated “A” team and a grateful impresario; add one of Vancouver’s best-kept secrets and mix. The result is “Vancouver’s Roedde House 1910-2010”: a stunning series of photos of Edwardian gowns photographed by Jonathan Cruz, during an incredible day at in Barclay Square that resulted in even more incredible photos.

 The day was one I will never forget: magical, with everyone wanting to make the gowns, the house, the shoot, nothing but perfect.  It began with us on deck at Jonathan’s studio at 7:30 AM, where Myles was at work with Tia’s hair and wigs, David was setting up, Sofia was being enchanting while Maureen and Annalissa watched. Jonathan took pictures of Eric Hamber’s design students, everyone was smiling and the day continued from there, as we moved to Roedde House and enlivened it for hours as Jonathan took shot after shot of Tia. Beginning  in a spectacular collection wedding gown, complete with dozens of hand-sewn pearls  and ending  with at the piano in a  flapper era dress, while David Wilkes  and Myles Lepham, who had been working non-stop to make all of this possible, watched from the sidelines.

 “Magical” does not begin to describe the day for me.  I was-and continue to be-knocked out by the generous donation that Jonathan made by making the day possible, his invitation to Myles and David to join him in donating their day…and everyone’s willingness to do so.  Tia, who posed endlessly with grace and poise, also gave her time as a professional model and I couldn’t imagine anyone else in the collection’s dresses.

 Jonathan, whose energy equals his talent, turned my request for “ a few photos, please” into an event that saw a community of Vancouver’s talent, including Jonathan, model Tia Spowart, hair artist Myles Lepham and stylist David Wilkes combine to donate their time and professional skills to this shoot, done on site at the 1893-constructed home of Gustav and Mathilde Roedde.  Attributed to Francis Rattenbury (the architect of the BC Legislative Buildings, the Empress Hotel and Vancouver Art Gallery), Roedde House is a restored and furnished house museum, one of the finest of its kind anywhere in Canada.  My task was to write a handbook for area secondary school teachers that would somehow “lure “them into visiting the house and bringing their teenaged charges with them.  The” mission” evolved slowly until I visited Eric Hamber’s fashion design program, where the students design vintage dresses, and where student Daisy Leung was named to represent Canada at a world skills competition.  That visit, seeing Jonathan’s stunning photograph of Chloe at the CNIS gala and discovering the boxed vintage gowns tucked carefully away in Roedde House led to my request for a few photos.

 As the “impresario” writing Vancouver 1910-2010: A Roedde House Handbook, I am totally knocked out by what a community coming together can do.
Thank you , Jonathan and “A Team” for a unforgettable day. (Thanks also to Gabriela and Dan Ax , Avocado Films).

  The pictures speak for themselves. 

             Bev 

Beverley McEwan
Presentations Canada
Consultant

Party for Pankow on Friday, Oct. 02

—— 

 

 

  

 

 

Planning a Fundraiser for the evening of Friday,Oct. 02 here at the studio.  Please save the date. more details to follow…

 

 

Greetings to All who Know and Love Kent,

As you may know, Kent Pankow and Deb Hurford will be going to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota tomorrow morning for treatment of Kent’s brain tumours. Family and friends of Kent and Deb will also be raising funds to offset the costs of Kent’s treatments.

 

 

Kent, February, 2009

 

Kent’s Diagnosis

2000 – In January of 2000, Kent had a seizure and was diagnosed with a glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) tumour, the size of a golf ball, in the right frontal lobe of his brain.  Kent successfully underwent 2 skull surgeries, maximum radiation, and Temodal chemo treatment at the Cross Cancer Institute in Edmonton.  The surgeries resulted in minor memory loss and Kent remained free of cancer for 7 years.  Given the aggressive nature of GBM tumours, Kent’s recovery was considered remarkable – but for anyone who knows him, he’s no quitter, so you know the rest…

 

2008 – During his annual MRI in the spring of 2008, two small tumours appeared in Kent’s right frontal lobe.  He was treated with a second chemo, called Temodal, from May 2008 to January 2009.  The chemo appeared to be working for the first nine months but, by January, the tumours had adapted to the drug and they were growing.

 

2009 – Since Temozolomide chemo was no longer working, Kent was treated with a second chemo, called CCNU, from February to August 2009.  In the beginning, CCNU appeared to be shrinking the tumours but, by August, the tumours had adapted to the drug and they began to increase in size and spread.

 

August, 2009 – Doctors at the Cross prescribed a third chemo, called Etoposide (VP-16), for Kent on a daily and indefinite basis.  The chemo and tumour activity were having an impact on Kent’s quality of life.  He was feeling nauseous, had low energy, was sleeping a lot and couldn’t remember phone numbers of friends and family members.  He also broke his collar bone on August 13, 2009 while doing stamina training at then gym. 

 

When the third chemo was prescribed, we decided to contact the Mayo Clinic for possible treatment.  The doctors at the Mayo examined Kent’s medical file and they feel he would benefit from treatment at their facility.  They had scheduled an appointment for him on September 23^rd, 2009.  This was very good news, as the Mayo rejects international patients if they do not believe the Clinic can offer a promising treatment strategy, given the expenses associated with travel to the Mayo.

 

Kent’s Current Condition

Kent was losing his balance this past week, and he was falling down a lot so his doctor ordered an urgent MRI on September 10, 2009.  The MRI revealed that there are currently 3 tumours in Kent’s right frontal lobe.  The largest was 3.5 cm three weeks ago, but it has increased substantially in the past three weeks.  There is now tumour activity in the centre of Kent’s brain, where surgery is not possible.  Additionally, Kent has three sizeable cysts that may need to be drained in the very near future, and there may be some bleeding near the cysts.  As a result, his doctor suggested we try to obtain an earlier appointment at the Mayo. 

 

We managed to get an appointment for Tuesday, September 15, and we are flying to Rochester tomorrow morning.  Kent has been assigned to Dr. Ian F. Parney at the Mayo.

 

Why the Mayo Clinic?

There is only one chemo left on the market in Canada available to Kent, and it would take 4 weeks to start working – and living every day with chemo doesn’t feel like a real solution.  The doctors at the Cross did not want to do surgery until Kent loses speech, motor coordination, etc., as they have a philosophy of “do no harm.”  Although we respect that philosophy, there is also no guarantee that Kent would regain those functions if surgery were to take place, after the fact.

 

The Mayo Clinic has access to drugs that are not yet approved in Canada, they have a state-of-the-art Gamma Knife surgery machine, and they attract the best doctors in the world.  “Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, is ranked No. 1 in Neurology & Neurosurgery in the U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals rankings.”

 

Why Fundraise?

According to the financial advisors at the Mayo Clinic, the costs for Kent’s treatment could be as high as $120,000 US.  The cost of skull or Gamma Knife surgery ranges from $76,000 to $84,000 US, for example.

 

Although we have some funds available, and our families are trying to help us out, the $120,000 US figure is a bit daunting.

 

 

 

Team Kent Fundraisers

We will be holding some fundraising events over the months to come to help offset the costs of Kent’s medical treatments at the Mayo Clinic.  The band “Blackboard Jungle” will be donating their groovy stylings for a celebration on a Saturday night in October or early November, and we will likely have a silent auction and accept donations, etc. 

 

We also need to investigate income tax laws on this front, so everyone involved benefits, rather than paying additional taxes or penalties.  We just haven’t had the time to deal with this yet. Please stay tuned for more details, after we return from the Mayo.

 

Be a Part of Team Kent

 

 

 

Email us at Team.Kent@hotmail.com to let us know if you would like to receive regular email updates from Kent and Deb.  We’ll be sending updates on our trip to the Mayo with Deb’s mom, Paula.

 

You can also email Kent to wish him healing vibes at the Mayo – and recommend your favourite comedy movie to him, as he has a lot of free time on his hands these days.

 

Feel free to drop by the house and visit Kent and Deb any time, upon our returmn. Our address is:  10945 – 81 Street, Edmonton, Alberta  T5H 1L6.

Phone: 780.642.1664

 

 

Kudos

A Big Thanks to everyone who has provided support to us.  Your friendship, love, humour and prayers mean a lot.    – Kent and Deb

 

Learn More about GBM Tumours, Gamma Knife Surgery and the Mayo Clinic

 

Dr. Ian F. PARNEY

http://www.mayoclinic.org/bio/15095771.html

 

GBM Brain Tumours

http://www.mayoclinic.org/glioma/glioblastoma.html

 

Gamma Knife Surgery

http://www.mayoclinic.org/stereotactic-radiosurgery/gamma-knife.html

 

Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota

http://www.mayoclinic.org/brain-tumors/?mc_id=comlinkpilot&placement=bottom

Team Kent Update – October 6

 

 

 

 

Team Kent Update – October 6, 2009

Greetings All, 
Me and mom crashed hard and slept a lot over the last few days, so that’s why we haven’t emailed sooner.  

At 6 AM on Saturday morning, Dr. Parney’s Resident entered Kent’s ICU room to find him reading his book.  Kent was immediately moved out of ICU, and he proceeded to spend the day phoning people “collect,” walking laps around his new ward on the 9^th floor, critiquing the hospital menu with the assistant nutritionist and trying to get Deb and Paula to sneak him out of the hospital for a steak dinner.  We left him around 6 PM and said we would be back around noon on Sunday with real coffee and a nice takeout breakfast.  His instructions were to get some rest. 

At 10:30 AM on Sunday morning, the phone rang in the hotel room and I answered it from a sound sleep.  Kent blurted out that there was no need to bring him breakfast because he was getting out of cellblock 9 at noon.  He then chirped that he didn’t need a coffee either because one of the nurses hooked him up when she did a coffee run that morning.  All hopes of sleeping in for the next few days immediately vanished – ha.  The energizer bunny was reborn. 

True to his word, Kent the Wonderboy was released from the hospital at noon on Sunday.  Dr. Parney said that Kent was having an amazing recovery and there was no need for him to stick around.  The doctor said that he would contact the neuro-oncologist, Dr. Uhm, so we could see him before we returned to Edmonton. 

When we showed up to see Dr. Uhm at 12:30 PM on Monday, Dr. Uhm looked Kent up and down and said, “You’re just not the average bear, are you?”  Kent just laughed.  Then Dr. Uhm said that he just wanted to see Kent in person, because he couldn’t believe that he would be released from the hospital so soon.  He then confessed that when he tried to contact Kent at the hospital that morning, and Kent was not registered as a patient, Dr. Uhm feared that Kent had died – because they never release a brain surgery patient less that 48 hours after surgery.  He told Kent that he was having a remarkable recovery, and that it was truly unbelievable.  Kent said, “I never had any doubt.”  Although we’re sure that all of your prayers must have played a role in this. 

Just to put things in perspective for you: 

1. They removed approximately 80 grams by volume, or two man handfuls, of tumour tissue from Kent’s coconut;

2. He has 24 large stitches in the shape of a “T” on his head (he has nicknamed himself the new Mary Shelley’s Fran-Kent-Stein);

3 He had a 25 % chance of having temporary neurological problems, an 8-10% chance of permanent neurological problems, and a 1-2% chance of coma or death.  No wonder the doctors were shaking their heads. 

Dr. Parney is referring Kent to a team of doctors at the Tom Baker Centre in Calgary for continued follow up and chemo treatments.  We plan to meet with the Calgary team within the next month, as Kent cannot start chemo treatments until his incisions heal, and that will take at least a month. We are then hoping that the chemo treatments will happen in Edmonton at the Cross Cancer Institute every three weeks until the rest of the tumour is gone. 

Interestingly, Dr. Parney and Dr. Uhm are very keen to work in concert with the doctors in Calgary, and continue to play a role in Kent’s treatment.  They seemed very impressed with his attitude, his ability to keep his body strong, and the fact that he is somewhat of an anomaly when it comes to patients with GBM tumours.  But we all knew that – ha 

We managed to get on a flight home to Edmonton this morning and arrived home late this afternoon.  We plan to spend the next few days catching up on sleep before heading to the farm for Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday.  We all have a lot to be grateful for this Thanksgiving, that’s for sure.  

Heads up on Kent’s new beauty scars.  The doctors cut into the same area where he had his previous two surgeries, and they reduced his much-loved divet.  However, the new scars are quite dramatic and one of them starts in the centre of his forehead.  A lady at the Chicago airport asked him if he was wearing a “downtown Chicago hair cut”.  She told us she thought the stitches were tattoos.  The good news is that Kent got a free facelift out of the deal.  Seriously, they removed all of his forehead wrinkles and he looks like he’s 20 years old. Lucky for me.  Now I’m really lookin’ like I robbed the cradle.  Me and mom, on the other hand, want to sign up for Botox treatments after this last week on the road.  But it’s nothing that a few good glasses of Malbec won’t fix.  And that’s another reason why we’re going to have the Splashdown Soiree on October 22nd.  We sure hope to see you all there to celebrate Kent’s amazing recovery from surgery. 

Party for Pankow in Vancouver a Huge Success!

Jonathan Cruz reports that the “Party for Pankow” on October 2nd was a huge success.  Tons of people came together to have fun, raise funds and send healing energy to Kent.  Jonathan and his son, Deo, shot some great photos of the event, and Deo recorded parts of the event.  Here are the links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M67SrtAi1tc

www.jonathancruz.com/partyin4pankow 

We would like to thank Jonathan, Richelle and Joanne, Annalissa, Katie, Gabriella, Deo and everyone else who was involved in planning this amazing event.  We would also like to thank the many sponsors, as well as the folks who donated time, funds and/or products in honour of Kent.  The kindness and generosity of this community of people is truly incredible – especially since we have never met most of them. 

Check out the cool pic above of Rex Weyler, a co-founder of Green Peace, at the Party for Pankow.  We sure wish we could have been there…

Splashdown Soiree – Edmonton Fundraiser October 22, 2009
Mark your calendars – the Splashdown Soiree fundraiser will be held in Edmonton on Thursday, October 22, 2009 from 8 – 11 pm at After Dark/Shark Club.  You might need to take Friday off…

Highlights Include:
8 pm to 9 pm – Complimentary Snacks
8 pm to 10 pm – Silent Auction
8:30 pm to 9:30 pm – Musical Stylings of Blackboard Jungle
9:30 pm to 10 pm – Open Mic for folks who want to roast Kent, tell stories, etc.
10 pm to 10:45 pm – Blackboard Jungle
10:45 pm to 11:00 pm – Closing Remarks

The event will be emceed by Miekio Ouchi and Elizabeth Marsh.  Elizabeth, a professionally trained auctioneer, will be auctioning off a few select items, at some point during the evening. 

Please see the Splashdown Soiree poster at the bottom of this email, for more details.

If anyone has a product or service to donate to the silent auction, please email Tracy at: reception@elizabethan.com 

Fundraising Update

For those people who are interested in making a donation to Kent’s medical fund, we would like to encourage you to use the Scotiabank system if you are in Canada, and PayPal if you are outside of Canada, since PayPal charges a fee to for their service. 

Scotiabank Account # 61903 1244183
Transit # 80689
Address: Terra Losa Centre, 9740 – 170 Sreet N.W., Edmonton, AB T5T 5L5
Phone: 780-448-7506 
Donations can be made at any chartered bank, but it is probably easier if it is through a Scotiabank.

Pay Pal Web Page
We The GoTeamKent webpage now has a Pay Pal button, for those of you who are Internet savvy.  Here’s the link: www.GoTeamKent.com 

Kudos
Thank you very much for the donations we have received to date.  We are in the process of sending out thank you cards to those people who we know have made contributions to Kent’s medical fund (via Mayo account, Scotiabank account and PayPal).

Photographic movement makes its way to Vancouver

Philanthropy and photography will go hand-in-hand December 12th as local shooters set up shop in the downtown eastside to photograph families for the holiday season. As the newest member of the Jonathan Cruz team, I seem to have arrived at a good time. Aside from the edgy glamour of Gastown, teeming with artsy folks and film sets galore, I find myself working among some truly dedicated people. Dedicated to giving back to their community at a time of year where it always seems to mean the most.

Help-Portrait is a movement that started with one Nashville-based photographer, who set out to create a social network to engage and inspire photographers around the world to give back to their communities in the form of a photograph. This quickly spread world-wide and I’m excited to get involved here in Vancouver with Jonathan and his crew of talented volunteers.

We’ll be setting up shop at the Carnegie Library on the corner of Main Street and E Hastings Street on Saturday, December 12 from 10am-7pm or until the last shot has been snapped. If you’re in the neighborhood, stop by and say hello!

Follow the Help-Portrait movement on Twitter or visit http://www.help-portrait.com/  for more information on how you can get involved or coordinate an event in your community.

Guest blogger – Heather Magee

Pan Pacific Vancouver Skating Event

The team from the Pan Pacific Vancouver and their families spent an afternoon on the ice of the Richmond Olympic Oval. Check out our video of the shoot below:

Video by Dan Ax – www.youtube.com/DanAxFilms

The many faces of Sarah Smyth

Over the summer, we partnered with the talented Sarah Smyth, a Vancouver-based actress who has appeared on shows like Smallville and Harper’s Island. The concept was to coordinate a series of creative shoots, demonstrating how multi-faceted and multi-dimensional Sarah can be.

Check out Sarah’s YouTube channel here: www.youtube.com/TheSarahSmyth

Several different looks and many characters later, Sarah uses her acting chops to work it for the camera going from a rock star and 1950’s pinup to the girl next door and – wait for it…a bearded man.

Check out some of the snaps from the shoot below:

 

 

 

 

 

Credits: Make up by the fabulous Maria Rahmany, Costumes by Sara Rakhshandeh,Hair Design by Trish Aye,  Hair Design by Cara Doell. Photography by Jonathan Cruz , Assistant/Video: Dan Ax

Kimiko Zakreski Makes Sportsnet Top 10 Hottest

Sportsnet – Canada’s leader in high definition live-events – launched a campaign, encouraging viewers to logon to their website to cast their votes for Canada’s Hottest Athletes.

Hailing from Calgary, Canadian snowboarder Kimiko Zakreski is ranked 9^th in the list, however she’s #1 in our books! We had the pleasure of shooting Kimi this past summer and really enjoyed getting to know the girl behind the strong, athletic persona.

Kimi won her first career World Cup medal (silver) in December, 2008 and was ranked 18^th in the parallel giant slalom at the 2009 World Championships. She’s ranked 16^th overall in the 2008-09 World Cup alpine snowboard standings. All this and beauty to match!

Watch for Kimi competing for Canada on home turf during the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games.

Check out Kimi’s gallery (featuring snaps provided by us!) on Sportsnet.ca.

 

Attention Last Minute Christmas Shoppers!

Still scrambling for those last few gifts to stick under the tree?  Perhaps you’re after that extra special stocking stuffer and you’re plum out of ideas. Look no further people – we have something that will make your mother-in-law swoon or your sweetie’s heart skip a beat.

Stay clear of the mall and avoid the stress of last-minute shopper pandemonium. Give the gift of timeless memories with a gift certificate from Jonathan Cruz Photography.  Packages start at $500, which includes a professional portrait shoot and 1 prepped image, touched up to perfection.

Perfect for corporate gifts or something to spoil your family, contact the studio for more information.

Happy Holidays!

 

Help-Portrait Warmed the Hearts of Downtown Eastsiders

Several days following the international Help-Portrait event, the team at Jonathan Cruz Photography and the many amazing volunteers are still reeling from an extraordinary day spent with some extraordinary people. 

The crew set up shop at the Carnegie Library in the heart of Vancouver’s downtown eastside.  It was snowing lightly – the perfect day to come inside, have something warm to drink and have your family portrait taken by one of five local photographers, volunteering their time to give back to the community.

It was a busy day, snapping pics, running to and from Gastown Photo (who kindly donated all the beautiful black and white prints!), and framing each portrait for our subjects.  All the frames were donated by Homewerx on Davie Street – stop in and check them out – and we were also fortunate enough to have five fabulous makeup artists on hand to gussy up all the gals before each shoot. Special thanks to William F. White International for donating all the lighting and equipment and Off-Set rentals for the makeup stations!

The purpose of the event was to demonstrate that each and every member of our community matters and everyone deserves to have their photo taken with their loved ones. The positive response from the community lead to nearly 400 people having their portraits taken that day.

Thanks to all the many volunteers that made this event a success and a big congrats to all the other events around the world! See you next year.

Bahala Na!

Loosely translated to happen what may, bahala na is a popular Filipino philosophy that we felt was fitting to share with everyone during this frantic festive season.

This time of year means more parties and get-togethers in one month than you’d attend in a year. Social butterfly burnout, if you will. The anxiety of catching up with all your friends and family in one short month often detours you from the point itself – to enjoy one another!

So next time one of your friends rocks up late for after-work drinks or one of your closest pals is a no-show due to extreme holiday burn out, don’t fret. Remember what’s really important, which is to enjoy our loved ones when we can. If not over rum and eggnog this Christmas, there will be plenty of time to toast one another in 2010.

Bahala na…

Winter Warmers on Water Street

On this eve of Christmas, many of you are nestling in with the family for a few days of rest and rejoicing in an age-old holiday tradition – booze.  Aside from the feasting and singing and enjoyment of good company, nothing enhances ones jolly mood more than a festive Christmas cocktail. So in the spirit of the season, we have concocted our own cocktail, sure to put the jolly in your holly.

The C3 is a delicious blend of ingredients, mixed with Ciroc Vodka, distilled from Mauzac Blanc and Ugni Blanc grapes, grown in the Gaillac and Cognac regions of France. Why C3 you ask? It’s the Cruz Christmas Cocktail, ofcourse.

- A fifth (1½ oz.) Ciroc Vodka -
- Generous splash of Aloe juice -
- Stirred, not shaken -
- Add a few cranberries for color -
- Finish with a sprig of mint -

Refreshing and festive, the C3 will have your family and friends rockin’ around the Christmas tree til dawn.

From everyone at Jonathan Cruz Photography, have a safe and happy holiday.

Merry Christmas – Joyeux Noel – Buon Natale – Feliz Navidad – Feliz Natal – Maligayang Pasko

55 Water Street

Gastown, situated in the heart of Vancouver’s heritage district, has become more than just a popular tourist attraction. Gastown and its vibrant neighborhood has quickly become Vancouver’s creative mecca, home to many local artists, photographers, furniture designers and the like.

Our studio is located in one of the neighborhood’s original structures – 55 Water Street to be precise – originally built in 1912 as the Malkin & Company grocery warehouse. Today this 6 storey building is still full of charm, with its brick walls, exposed cedar beams and eerie historical vibe. It’s also full of some very talented Vancouverites, so we thought we’d give a shout out to some of our fabulous neighbors:

Twenty One Inc. – www.twentyoneinc.com
Gajoum D’Art Studio Inc. – kalgajoum.com
James Northy – www.jamesnorthyfd.com
Kontent Creative – www.kontentcreative.com
Pace Group – www.pacegroup.com
Coastlines Creative Group – www.coastlinescreative.com
Wallop Creative – www.wallopcreative.com
Endgame – www.endgame.ca
Burke & Hair www.burkeandhair.com
Metta Healing www.mettahealing.ca
Red Rocket Creative Strategies www.redrocketcreative.com
Metalogix www.metalogix.net
Smart Web Canada www.smartwebcanada.com
Foot Prints Recruiting www.footprintsrecruiting.com
Blue Olive Photography www.blueolivephotography.com
The Old Spagetti Factory www.oldspaghettifactory.ca
Dirty Laundry www.ilovedirtylaundry.com
John Chen Photography www.jcphoto.ca
Free Agency Creative freeagencycreative.com
David Wilkes www.davidwilkesbespoke.com

Please click here to let us know about anyone we’ve missed!

Looking for a one-of-a-kind cocktail dress for New Years Eve? Perhaps you’re outfitting your new Woodward’s condo with some fine art or a funky conversational piece or two? In any case, cruise around these cobblestone streets and re-discover this hip yet understated hood.

The countdown is on

With less than 7 weeks to go, Vancouver is putting the finishing touches on the city to ensure a spectacular arrival for our international and home-grown guests alike. The Olympic vibe is the air folks, so we thought we’d get in the spirit and share a few Olympic-esque snaps with ya’ll.

By the way, anyone have any hook ups for the Molson Canadian Hockey House? Looks like it’s going to be one hell of a party. Check this.

O’Canada

What’s your New Years resolution?

Happy New Years Eve everyone! Some of you probably have big plans to hit the town tonight, while others are going to chill at home and maybe watch the ball drop into Times Square. However there’s one thing we all have in common this time of year ­– resolutions.  A silly tradition perhaps, yet there’s something about this time of year that inspires us to reflect on the year past and resolve to do even better in the next. Like hitting the refresh button .

In light of this reflective time of year, we thought we’d share some of the resolutions floating around the studio today:

Walk the dog more often.

Spend more time with family.

Spend more time outside.

Get into the Olympic spirit as much as possible.

Explore more of Vancouver’s fine eateries.

Dance more.

We know it’s sexy, but try to quit smoking people.

Laugh more.

Drink less…well, maybe in moderation. Ha.

So here’s to you and yours this New Years Eve! May you celebrate in style and kick off 2010 with a bang.

Salut!

Happily Ever After

Disclaimer: Bridezillas, please disregard this post.

Attention all brides-to-be, wedding planners, bridesmaids and stagette coordinators.  Wedding season is quickly approaching and what better way to start than to secure a fabulous photographer. Someone who understands your needs, but also adds a creative edge, transforming your photos into memories that will last a lifetime. Look no further ladies.

Contact the studio for details on how we can arrange your custom bridal photo package. Let us capture each moment while you’re busy enjoying them!

Aside from the romantical, we’d also like to announce a little something we’re working on to help out all the gals gearing up to host stagettes this year. This can sometimes be as challenging as planning the wedding itself, so let our team alleviate some of the work with our Pre-Party Stagette Package!

Available for Stagettes planned after February 15^th, our team has put together a fun-filled start to any stagette. We guarantee this will help your bride get her boogie on.  

Planning a big night on the town in and around downtown Vancouver? Kick things off with a pre-party at our funky Gastown studio on Water Street, crawling distance to several fine eateries, bars, nightclubs or a quick cab ride to Granville Street (as the walk would be hell in heels). Learn how to pose for the camera, get style tips from a well-known local stylist, receive beauty tips from our hair and makeup artist, all the while the event will be captured by a professional videographer. Complimentary cocktails are included as well as an 8×10 group shot for the bride to take home as a keepsake from her last wild night as a single gal!

More info to come. Click here if you’d like to receive further details.

A Chilly Start to 2010

Some of us were hung over. Others were busy having brunch. Or maybe, some people kept the party going well into the next day (you know who you are). However nearly 2,000 clinically insane people braved the frigid waters of English Bay for the annual Polar Bear Swim.

The New Year’s Day Polar Bear Swim originated in Vancouver with the inaugural plunge taking place in 1920, coordinated by Founder and President Peter Pantages. In those days, you had to register to become a member of the Polar Bear Swim Club, which started out with only 10 members. The Sylvia Hotel housed the club’s headquarters until popularity around the event grew, forcing the club to move to the Vancouver Swimming Club just west of the English Bay pier.

Today the event attracts thousands of participants and spectators, spilling onto the beach in complete pandemonium, some decked out in costume, others simply rocking a speedo or a bikini. Youch.

Over the years the Polar Bear Swim has been covered by major media giants like CNN and National Geographic Traveler as well as countless other media outlets around the world. This year, the team at Jonathan Cruz Photography made their way to English Bay armed with a crew of nutball participants that took the plunge while we captured the chaos. Check out our YouTube vid below: