The Small Time Visionary

New Toy: Fujifilm x10

2012-01-18T23:33:00.023-07:00

I've been looking for a new camera for the longest time now. Not something to replace my beloved Canon 5D Mark II, but something that is compact, lightweight and discrete. I was looking for something that I can carry comfortably while traveling, cycling and snowboarding. Obviously, while the 5DMkII is my favourite, it is cumbersome. After careful research, I decided on the Fujifilm x10! I actually own one Fuji compact camera, which is the Fujifilm Natural Classica film compact. I loved the camera so much that I gave Fuji a second shot with their brand new x10!

Fuji is well known in the industry for their extremely sharp lenses, vibrant colour saturation and for their beautiful camera designs. I'll admit, I'm a sucker for the old school look and feel of the x10, borrowing design cues from the 1971 classic Leica M5 Rangefinder. However, the functionality and operation of this camera is all 21st century. The 12MP CMOS sensor is a gem! Low light and high ISO performance is outstanding for a compact camera. Shadow detail and dynamic range is comparable to that of Micro 4/3 cameras (ie; Olympus Pen and Panasonic G-series). The lens is not interchangeable but will prove to be all you will need, offering a variable f/2.0-2.8 aperture and around 4X optical zoom! I couldn't really ask for much more from a compact camera

Did I forget to mention she's good looking?

Alright, enough camera porn and gear talk! The proof is in the pudding! Here is a little taste of what the little black beauty can do! I've only owned the camera for just short of two weeks now and here are some test shots from around town.

BYE!!

Munny Exchange 2012

2012-01-16T20:35:00.007-07:00

It's that time of the year again, ladies and gents, where the 'In Laws' and I exchange original pieces of art. I'm talking about the yearly Kidrobot Mini Munny Exchange (in case the title didn't give it away)! Our creativity and mental toughness is put to the ultimate test as we painstakingly produce our masterpieces. Abilities are pushed to the limit in an effort to make the best Munny of the year and more importantly, NOT the worst Munny of the year! In any case, here are the Munny's; check them out and you can judge for yourself!

Walt Disney Concert Hall

2011-09-27T20:25:00.006-06:00

Behold the awe-inspring Walt Disney Concert Hall! Home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, the concert hall opened its doors in 2003. Designed by one of the masters, Mr. Frank Gehry.

After checking out the "Art In The Streets" exhibit at the MOCA, I needed to make the trip up about 10 blocks to take photos of this beautiful building. It was extremely hot that day, we were hungry and I was still battling a bout of food poisoning. Needless to say, this shoot was rushed but it was still very inspiring!

loves,

stv

Sounds of Minerva

2011-09-18T19:38:00.014-06:00

One week ago, I had the rather special privilege to shoot portraits for a friend of mine and her new band. They are called Minerva and they are an up-and-coming Calgary band who described their sound as a sort or girl version of Jack Johnson. The band is composed of three members, Lauren, Jess & Leela, all of which have an extensive history of working together, so really this band is a long time coming! Each being great musicians in their own right, Minerva are a sort of super group, much like Them Crooked Vultures or Velvet Revolver, but way hotter! I got a chance to hear them sing during the shoot. They had the stones to sing A capella smack dab in the center of 17th Ave. SW and it was seriously amazing. I'm definitely excited to hear more from the girls and get my hands on a copy of their upcoming album.

The photo shoot was freaking brilliant; there were a lot of times where we'd all just start laughing our asses off which was not very professional but screw it! The weather was beautiful that day and the photos turned out really well. But seriously, I'd have to be pretty bad to screw up a shoot with three beautiful models. Thanks ladies for the opportunity and for helping me look good because obviously you didn't need any help! Special thank you goes to Chloe for being my most supportive assistant for the shoot, love you girl!

loves,

STV

Ethnic Hammers Rule The World: Glamor Shots

2011-07-07T19:36:00.011-06:00

I have some really good looking friends. No. Seriously. I would sleep with each and every one of them if it was socially acceptable. Actually, that's wrong. Haven't you seen the Jersey Shore?! They totally sleep around with each other! Well, then consider this my formal invite for sexual favors care of STV! There will be a screening process to ensure the spread of all VD's is at a minimum. Act now and receive a free Papa Burger Combo from participating A&W's...

Hope you enjoyed the photos!

stv

Ethnic Hammers Rule The World: Action Jackson

2011-07-05T15:25:00.013-06:00

Here are a series of action shots featuring the amazing Ethnic Hammers Slo-Pitch team!

Unfortunately the team didn't bring home the gold this Spring. A good majority of the team members skipped town during the first round of the playoffs to attend a Bachelor/Bachelorette party in Las Vegas and it ended in a first round loss and the end of a remarkable undefeated streak. These photos were taken during the third place final, which the team won handily!

Great season Hammers!

Keep posted for the second part of this post!

stv

Welcome to Neverland

2011-06-24T14:09:00.024-06:00

After a strong four days in the Most Magical Place on Earth for the inebriated, a last minute trip to Disneyland was a welcomed change of pace. My life altering case of food poisoning had finally decided to pass for good and I was ready to stand in lines for hours and hit up some awesome rides! Churros were a plenty, laughs & smiles were abound and my eyes were skimming for photo subjects! Unfortunately, I was sane enough to leave the 5D Mark II at home, so I opted for the iPhone and Camera+ app to capture all the magic! I'm definitely feeling slide film and cross processing lately; good thing there's an app for that! Enjoy!

stv

100th Post!!

2011-06-14T00:29:00.008-06:00

We did it, friends! We made it to 100 blog posts on STV! It took about a year and a half but the dream has finally come true. This is definitely a major milestone for the blog and I am very proud to have reached it. A lot of hard work and careful thought is contained in this blog and I'm so very appreciative that the medium exists for me to express myself. You followers have been most kind and supportive of the journey so far and without folks like you it wouldn't have gone this long or far! Thank you so much for being a part of my art & culture; I am quite flattered and truly honored! I love you!

To celebrate the occasion, here are some photos I took with a smokin' hot Canon macro lens. The lens in particular is the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 L IS USM. It's fantastically sharp and the Image Stabilizer is quite effective. Normally I'm not a fan of IS but in this case I may make an exception. Anyways, enjoy the eerie photos and keep being inspired!

Did I forget to mention this is the first post made with my new Mac Book Pro?! I'm so cool! Big things happening here on the STV front, thanks for stopping by!

Art Saving Lives

2011-06-07T21:05:00.008-06:00

I had the pleasure of meeting two very interesting and inspiring young ladies on the weekend. They are Lauren and Jocelyn and they are amazing artists! winJuan and I had the honor of being interviewed by the two ladies for an upcoming vlog feature they are doing on local Calgary artists. They are big fans of the Rad Men 365 Project and wanted to find out what inspires us to be photographers. They were a lot of fun to hang out with and it was a perfect way to enjoy an amazing Sunday afternoon!

The ladies have an art show coming up at the Higher Grounds Cafe in Kensington on June 19th 2011 called Art Saving Lives. It's going to feature amazing live performances by the wonderfully soulful Jocelyn, as well as other talented local musicians and spoken word artists. Be sure to check it out and support local art!

To help promote the show the ladies asked winJuan to do a photo shoot for their poster. I thought it would be a good chance to get some behind the scenes candid portraits of the ladies in action. MAD #BAMPS!

MMMMMmmm tasty....

stv

Hype Track

2011-05-22T10:21:00.004-06:00

Few of us are heading to Vegas in just over three weeks. Here is am ill hype track to get your blood pumping and make your nights seem more sleepless. The strip is going to be off the hook!

I posted on Philip Bloom previously. He's the master of DSLR video and timelapse. In this clip he creates timelapses of Las Vegas but takes it up a notch. To capture the seduction of the neon lights, Bloom uses HDR images in his timelapse. I can't imagine how much time this must have taken! Even batch processing had to have been time consuming as the lumosity of the images changes as the available light changes. I'm not going to get technical anymore, just check it out!

24 Hours of Neon from Philip Bloom on Vimeo.

I Got A New Lens!

2011-04-22T17:16:00.023-06:00

Yes yes ya'll! I got a new lens and I'm in love with it! Working at a camera store has it perks... when things are slow you get to play around with some pretty high end equipment. You also have co-workers who know a whole lot more about equipment then you and they make some pretty awesome suggestions.

That's when I first laid my grubby-ass hands on the Canon EF 135mm f/2.0 L USM lens! It was love at first sight. I was interested in a telephoto lens for travel and initially looked at the two versions of the 70-200mm lenses. After my co-worker Phil told me about the horrors of lugging a Nikkor 70-200mm VR II lens around Japan, I was convinced that I needed something light. He showed me the Canon 135mm and it was love at first shutter!

Here are some test shots that I took with the lens around town. Well, I guess they're not entirely test shots because I did add a little STV spice to the photos, but one miraculous thing is that I didn't even bother fooling around with sharpness; the lens is so sharp and accurate that it's not even necessary! Check em out:

Like I said, the lens is very VERY sharp whether it's the center, corners or extreme edges. The Ultra Sonic Motor is super intelligent making for some extremely accurate auto-focusing. The shot below was taken with my 5DmkII in track focusing mode while aiming through a metal fence. I couldn't believe the results considering the challenges of this shot.

The 135mm focal length is a great working distance without compressing too much of your scene. In fact, this lens is great for street photography. It gives me tonnes of distance from my subject so I can float around unnoticed or at least have a running head start when I'm seen! Very Ninja-esque!

If you haven't seen this guy do his thing on Stephen Ave., he's really talented!

While 135mm is not a focal length commonly used for architecture it is an interesting way of focusing in on certain features that you would want to exploit which would otherwise be lost with a wider angle lens. While skyscrapers aren't exactly its strong suit, as can be seen with the photo of The Bow, it does expose some great architectural details!

The aperture of the 135 is an f/2.0. Prime lenses are always going to be faster than zooms and the benefits are low light capability and high speed photography. Yup, I have examples of both!

Last but certainly not least is the bokeh (out of focus blur) that the lens produces. It is by far the most creamy smooth bokeh of any lens I have fiddled around with to date. The very shallow depth of field makes for a very dramatic effect. Perfect for portraits; this is one of the main reasons I opted for this serious piece of glass!

Well, that's my little "fan boy" moment over the 135mm f/2.0 lens. Hope you enjoyed the little review and the photos!

stv

Munny Exchange 2011

2011-02-25T16:47:00.007-07:00

Christmas is the time of the year for giving. It's a tradition that has gone on since the birth of Jesus Christ, just over 2010 years ago, when brilliant marketing execs made up the campaign to boost the sales of their clients. I kid. But one Christmas tradition that remains genuine and pure is the yearly Munny Exchange. This year marked the second anniversary of the event and everyone went big this year. Check em out!

Chococat by Kiko

My Interpretation by Miko

Keroppi by Kali

Zombie Munnicorn by Kathryn

Piggy Munny Bank by Stevie

Gabby the Giraffe by Chris

Master Chief by Gabbi

Lux Munny by Ron

Laa Laa (Teletubbies) by Chloe

Tyrone (Backyardigans) by Nicki

Chris Hongz by Keanna

Chia Katrina by Cassey

Mummy Munny by Katrina

Impressive, no? These Jr. High kids have skills!

stv

Top of the World

2011-02-21T16:45:00.013-07:00

I had these bracketed photos from a top the Empire State Building for almost nine months now with the intention of creating HDR images. For those who aren't familiar, HDR stands for an imaging process called High-dynamic-range. Three images of varying exposures (+2 0 -2) are merged together and tone mapped to produce increased luminosity between the lightest and darkest areas of an image. In other words, you get greater tonal detail then you would out of a single image.

I used a program called Photomatix to create these images and Adobe Lightroom to clean them up. To give you an idea of the real difference HDR creates, I included a before image for comparison. I'm not super thrilled about the results but it can likely be due to having crappy originals to work with. I guess they're still kinda cool but have a look and tell me what you think.

West, facing the Hudson
Before

After

South, facing Downtown/SOHO/LES/Chelsea/etc
Before

After

I suppose practice makes perfect. Expect me to play around with this technique a bit more in the near future.

stv

Smiling Is My Favorite Exercise

2011-02-18T21:38:00.003-07:00

Homemade ring flash, coming soon....

My Song

2011-01-24T14:06:00.004-07:00

Taken @ Mercury Lounge 01.22.2011

stv

San Jose: The Groom's Suite

2011-01-11T13:07:00.007-07:00

If you liked the other photos I took around San Jose, prepare yourself because I am finally getting to the good stuff. Sorry it took me so long to get to this point but here is the beginning of the photos that I took of John & mell's wedding day!

Let's start with the Groom's suite. If you can recall, the previous night was when we had the party at the suite where everyone passed out. Obviously, getting up the following day was difficult but there was a buzz in the air and everyone wanted to look their best for John & Mell's big day.

Proud Papa

Lets go!!

What does a Groom carry in his satchel on his wedding day?

stv

Movie Review: Black Swan

2011-01-05T11:07:00.027-07:00

I could have easily started off the 2011 film season with a different movie. Perhaps something more macho, like True Grit. Maybe something more true to life, like 127 Hours. Or how about something more cool, like Tron Legacy. But no. Instead, I opted to start the season off right by watching a movie about ballerinas; and I can't say that I regret it.

Little Nina (Natalie Portman) is uber excited about her dance companies newest production; a re-imagining of the Russian classic Swan Lake. Gunning for the main role as the Swan Queen seems within Nina's grasp as all the years of studious practice and the careful nurturing of her domineering mother, Erica (Barbara Hershey), has accumulated to her getting the part. However, the part of the Swan Queen requires a little more than technical perfection. The pure and elegant Nina is urged by her ballet director, Thomas (Vincent Cassel), to find her animalistic and sensual being. Though Nina prefers to be imagined as perfect and pure, her behaviour leads us to believe that she may in fact be impervious to her own desires and impulses. The new arrival to the company, Lily (Mila Kunis) from San Francisco, proves to be a worthy foe. Not only can she dance well, Lily dances with an unbridled passion which Nina begins to envy. In a whirlwind of lust and psychosomatic paranoia Nina is guided by her counterpoint Lily and urged by her director Thomas' solicitation to discover her inner Black Swan.

Black Swan is directed by Darren Aronofsky, who is one of the most important modern directors. This movie in fact falls right into Aronofsky's territory. Usually suited to directing films that contain themes of overt sexual deviance and characters who overwhelmingly display obsessive compulsive behaviours, it should come as no surprise that he has also directed such family friendly classics such as Requiem for a Dream and π. Aronofsky finally received the mainstream admiration he deserved with the success of his 2008 drama, The Wrestler, starring the then obscure Mickey Rourke. The often dark and twisted themes of Aronofsky's films may not be to the taste of mainstream cinema, however, they portray all too real mainstream ills of our modern society and explore the inner recesses of the human psyche which many would rather leave in the background. Some think of Aronofsky as a horror film maker. I think that may be a fair criticism...

Who would be your free pass? You do know what a free pass is, right? A free pass is the one famous person that you are allowed to, for lack of a better word, bone without any punishment or repercussions. Now, I know this is bending the rules a little bit but I have two candidates for my free pass. If the situation called for a one night stand, I may be swayed to choose Miranda Kerr. If the situation called for a much longer endeavor I would choose Natalie Portman. The rational is quite sound, if you'd hear me out. Miranda Kerr is the obvious choice as a one night stand because she is an astounding Smoke Show. Natalie Portman is an obvious choice for a long-term endeavor because she is not only a smoke show but an unbelievably talented actress who is Harvard educated, trained in ballet and has geek-cred as she starred in the Star Wars movies episodes 1 through 3 and the graphic novel V for Vendetta. The choice is quite clear, really. For one, Natalie and I (since we are on a first name basis) would have plenty to talk about as she is an obvious fan of the liberal arts. Natalie plays such a wide range of characters and no matter how damaged they are I find myself falling for her. For all I know, she could be a total dud in person but since she is such a great actress I could only imagine the role play that could potentially erupt in the bedroom. I assume you are nodding in agreeance.

So what did I think about the film? Well, to sum it up quite briefly, Black Swan is a fantastic psycho-thriller that will transform into something you never really expected. It had me at the edge of my seat just waiting for the inevitable climax which is sure to exhilarate and terrify the audience all at the same time. That phrase will come off as a sort of oxymoron but just hang in there for the last 45 minutes or so and you will know what I'm talking about. Black Swan has the potential to make you cringe, laugh, weep, scream and get aroused; all very important features of a well made movie in my opinion. It is a fine example of story telling in a genre that is usually reserved for kitschy effects and scares. Black Swan lives up to the hype, is a great start to the 2011 film season and an obvious front runner for the Oscars. If I found it worthy of a previously defunct Small Time Visionary Movie Review, you should probably go see it.

9/10

stv

Favorite Photos of 2010

2011-01-03T11:54:00.018-07:00

With this being the 90th post in just over a year, I have managed to upload hundreds of photos on the Internet for your viewing pleasure. Well, I mean, I'm not merely doing this for you or to pat my ego. I do this because I love photography, I love travelling, I love culture and I love my friends and family. This initially started as a sort of experiment but quickly transformed into a lifestyle. Yes, I have been slacking off lately. I'd be lying if I didn't say that 2010 wasn't the most challenging year yet. But one thing is for sure. This blog was a monumental positive and I appreciate all of you that followed along. So here's to 2011 and the many stories and photos to come.

To commemorate 2010, here is a selection of some of my favorite photos over the last year. Sure, they may not be technically the best photos or even the most interesting, but each photo captures a feeling and is usually accompanied by a story. This is, after all, what makes art and creating so appealing. Enjoy.

Going Off Like Fireworks

Some photographers claim that the better the equipment you have the better photographer you will be. I too took to this thought and upgraded my camera body and picked up a new lens. They were produced to the highest standard and are considered top of the line. However, some also believe that having all the newest and best gadgets also places a limit on creativity. This photo was taken at the Global Fest Fireworks Exhibition in Calgary and was my first outing with my new gear. I almost feel like the lines created by the bright lights resemble brush strokes. Remember, don't be THAT guy.

Iced Out

Spring and Fall are some of my favorite seasons. Remarkably enough, this photo was taken in the spring along the banks of the Elbow River during a photo mission with Kiko. There really wasn't much to shoot that day but we had a hell of a time kicking up these ice crystals. Sometimes, the bigger picture requires you to get really close to your subject rather than getting a wider angle.

National Pride

The 2010 Olympics were the most thrilling and memorable Olympics I have had the pleasure of remembering. Even though Calgary hosted in '88, I can't say I remember much about it. But the overwhelming sense of National Pride was too much to resist and for two weeks the entire country was united and enamored with our best athletes. I get chills when I think about our rush for the podium or the Gold medal winning goal by Sid the Kid against the USA hockey team. We were all witnesses!

RIP Banks

The only thing that sucks more about the Brooklyn Banks being closed is the fact that I visited it and didn't bring a skateboard! Yes, the Banks are like the Mecca of the Skateboard world. Yes, I just referred to a brick park in the middle of Manhattan as Mecca. But seriously, this place is legendary and is a sacred institution to a world I loved/love so much.

Cheese Please

MmMmm, this pizza looks so good. Using a camera flash is a finicky thing. Something the light is just too hot and overexposes your shot. For this photo I used a flash cord which allows me to point the flash where I want it. Want a bite?

The Character

If you saw the original of this photo you'd be unimpressed. The composition is terrible and it was overexposed. However, with a little tweeking, this photo turned into my favorite portrait of the year. This photo represents how a little digital darkroom work can make a dud a gem. Black and White doesn't hurt either.

My Perfect Sunday

There is so much to like about this photo. The texture of the wooden steps. Chloe's inquisitive pose. Her cute little red mittens contrasting with the gloomy sky. This really was my perfect Sunday. New Years resolution: Take a walk with the one you love and get lost.

Question Answered

Self explanatory why this photo is so great. Congrats again Tre & Lynne. I can't wait until the wedding! And if you want engagement photos, holler at yo boy!

Misinformed Solidarity

Yup. Another black and white shot. This was taken at the Anti-Racism Rally at City Hall. The day was quite uneasy. Police were everywhere and the expectation of retaliation by the White Supremacists had everyone on edge. Finally, they arrived. It was quite uneventful, but in this case that might have been a good thing.

Being Green in a Grey World

The human brain looks for pattens all the time, so when the pattern is broken things become a little more interesting. This photo was taken from a "socially conscious" post I made about sustainable development in urban centers. I'm sure you all were enthralled with my political forum.

The Roc

New York obviously left a profound impression on me. New York is the socio-cultural center of the entire universe. The entire experience was surreal. This collage of the Rockefeller is part of a series starring some of New York's most iconic buildings. It may not be the Empire or the Chrysler but the Roc represents so much in itself.

Where Brooklyn at?

This kid is growing up so fast. Soon enough it won't be Hello Kitty on her back but LV on her arm. You can't help but love her. Some of the best summer days were spent babysitting Boo and just observing her for a day. It's nice to have a young influence on my life.

stv

San Jose: Rehearsal Dinner

2010-12-10T12:35:00.028-07:00

Day two in San Jose started slowly. I couldn't really sleep due to my booze fueled evening prior so I stayed up watching sports highlights and took a little drive around town in my feisty Toyota Yaris. I soon realized that on the plus side, San Jose has a taqueria on every corner but on the negative side San Jose is an ugly city. It also goes without saying that San Jose has cool people; bonus!

I'm not really feeling up to writing much more, so just enjoy the photos of me meeting up with the other Calgary homies, going to the mall, going to the wedding Rehearsal at the beautiful St. Francis Assassi church, having dinner at some Chinese joint and then the after party in the grooms suite where the pre-celebration kicked off. John & Mell are defs one of the coolest couples out there. These photos should help prove it. Enjoy.

The Arena Hotel is one classy place.

Donny didn't seem to appreciate the subtle elegance of the rear cabin in the electric blue Toyota Yaris. A simple "boo" would have been suffice.

My boy J.C. and Lupe Fiasco were also in town.

"Touch it why don't ya"

That church had such a nice view that it would actually make me look forward to going to church.

A rare documentary style photo of the Shizzap in his natural habitat.

John B. Deleon; defined.

Bryan had a unique way of dealing with spilled Doritos. You grind them into the carpet until all traces disappear. Set it and forget it.

Say Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh

Wrestling broke out. That kid is only 15 and was the runner up at the Canadian National Championship. That guy on top is a U.S. solider who is posted in Germany. 30 seconds later, the kid pinned the solider. He then asked if I wanted a go. I fearfully declined.

Wings praying or passing out. Your call.

Goodnight Moon

stv

San Jose: Night Life

2010-11-19T11:34:00.013-07:00

After all the fun and games at John's apartment, it was time to loosen the reigns and let ourselves into the wild. We were trying to get a hold of the other gents but they decided to hole themselves up in their hotel room and nurse their wounds from the evening previous. My memory of this night is rather fuzzy; I don't recall the drive to downtown San Jose but apparently we hopped into a cab and our first stop of the evening was some punk show. It's helpful having a camera. Imagine how unfunny and short the movie The Hangover would have been if they found their camera from the start.

We didn't stay too long and opted for the club across the street. We walked from the frot to the back and noticed the over abundance of angry cholos so we left immediately. Down the street we went where Donny found us another spot.

Cheers!

Henry needed one twice as big to cover his genitals. Now where to?

Not sure what this is about and I'm out of clever commentary.

Pit stop. One thing the angry cholo bar had going for it was a taco stand. I don't remember if they were good or not but Donny enthusiastically approves.

Things get a little sloppy from here on. Of course, we have the crazy ass groom to thank for getting the crazy started.

This photo is the only evidence we have about the whereabouts of Henry's glasses. RIP.

We caught a cab from downtown and I'm not sure where we were headed? Strippers perhaps? In any case, Donny and I were fighting in the back and if anyone is familiar with wrestling, Donny managed to give me a "Mr Socko" when I wasn't looking. We got kicked out of the cab in the middle of no where. Tony doesn't seem phased, as he flashes his best Sinatra pose.

We ended up at some hotel that looked a lot like the one we were staying at. Donny tried to cut us a wicked deal while the rest of us just shook our heads. We needed a cab.

To pass the time Henry and Donny had a little red flower eating contest. Fun, right?

Eventually we caught a cab and made a run for Carl's Jr. We ordered extra sodium as a joke and I think they held that request against us. Most places close early in San Jose on a Thursday night and the crowds are a little off, but, with the right people you can still have a good time while spending less than a total of 30 minutes in all bar establishments.

stv

San Jose: The Prequel

2010-11-16T11:35:00.031-07:00

I'm sorry for the recent absence. Things have been a little weird lately, especially with work and the job hunt. I kinda shelved the blog for a bit as I have been reconsidering what direction I want to go with my art. After careful consideration, the blog is still important to me and the Small Time Visionary "brand". Even though I'm still not sure what direction I want to go, I will continue to blog and share my photos for others enjoyment.

Anyways, on with the show!

I knew what kind of trouble I was in for when I arrived to San Jose for John and Mell's wedding. Considering the company I had the pleasure to be with, calling it a potential shit show is a major understatement. I normally reserve myself for the yearly Donny Wong Birthday Blow Out but now I was in line for a weekend's worth of the same debauchery in a different city with a whole new set of laws that none of us were really familiar with. I wondered how much bail for a misdemeanor is in the state of California.

These photos are from the pre-game session of my first night in San Jose. A few old friends came out for the evening; Sailor Jerry brought a litre and a half of his 92 proof spiced rum and Senor Petron brought his silver tequila. Gentleman Jack made a brief cameo as well. The camera was passed around quite a bit so some photo credit goes out to Donny and Henry; especially the ones out of focus¹ *wink*. You can credit me for the "photo magic" *double wink*. Enjoy!

¹Actually, the amount of focus in the shot is directly related to the level of inebriation of the man behind the camera. The further you go in the set, the less focused things get. Just wait until you see the photos of us in town! Stay tuned...

The Groom. We were trying to get info for a gym so we could play some ball. Instead, we bought 3 litres of liquor and got mashed up.

The Best Man. If your sneaker game ain't on point, you're lookin' real dull.

Bartender Extraordinaire. What swill am I serving you ask? One part Sailor Jerry's and one part Dr. Pepper. Seriously smooth. Seriously dangerous. Let's Go!

I told John to pose like he was Al Pacino in Scarface. Not bad.

The Groomsman. Official job description: Get this shit poppin'.

Taking it to Mell & John's condo. First thing's first; Street Fighter!

A glance into the masterpiece Henry calls The Faces of Street Fighter.

Beware of what lurks behind every corner, Cat.

The Other Best Man. Most would pay top dollar for this man's good looks. Bryan just found a suitable donor and with a steady hand, surgically removed said donors face and had it attatched to his own mug. Paramount heard about the story and had a movie made out of it. Now everytime Face/Off is on tv Bryan makes $50,000. Syndicated!

The Character.

North East Set.

Salute.

The Budding Bride. She laughs at what you call a devistating right hook.

Note to self: If you are allergic to cats, don't rub your eyes no matter how good it feels at the time. You're going to regret it later.

The score from the previous night. Game, Groom.

stv

Bay or Bust

2010-10-21T10:20:00.009-06:00

I'm sitting at gate B21 in YYC right now awaiting the boarding time for my flight to YVR, my eventual transfer to SFO and drive to The Silicone Valley (FALSE. I'm now actually in my hotel room in San Jose, but the entire post was written at the airport. The image above was also created while at the airport. I ran out of time to post it because I was boarding). Yessir, using airport codes rather than the actual names makes you sound both like you know what you're doing and a pompous ass! I just charged two hours of free wi-fi to a special someones Rogers phone account, so when you see something on your statement, surprise; you win! I'm pretty well versed in airport security so that was a breeze, but when did they stop instructing passengers to take their pants off prior to walking through the metal detector? I thought that was still common practice. Homeland is slippin'.

For those not in the know, my long-time friend from high school, John, is getting murde... I mean married. After three years of planning and civil matriarchy, John and Mell are finally making it honest in the house of God. Good times are certain. Following the wedding I'll be spending two nights in Frisco and enjoying the many fruits (no homo) the from which the city shall, allegedly (since I've never been), bore.

I want to apologize to you all for my lack of updates lately. I guess I haven't really given myself the time to blog and such lately. It's quite tragic and I really miss posting close to three times a week. Well comrades, I should have heaps of content from this trip so expects many updates to come.

Thanks again for following my blog and enjoying my photos. I think you guys are great and I'd be content if those sentiments were even slightly mutual.

Loves,

stv

Celebrity Sighting: Nicole Richie

2010-10-13T11:20:00.009-06:00

It's a funny thing about having a girl friend. Some think "I don't want a girl friend. She'd only hold me back". I'm not one of those people. For one, a girl friend can open up a world of opportunities and secondly, my girl friend reads my blog so there's no way I'd write anything on here that will awaken her inner She-Hulk.

But really folks, with the 'Ol Lady working at Canada's Only Luxury Department Store, it gives me the opportunity to shoot photos of famous people that I otherwise wouldn't be able to or even care about...

Take Nicole Richie for example. I'm not a fan of anything she has accomplished but I do think her father is fantastic, however, it would be rather tasteless to ask her to autograph a copy of her fathers album. She was in town to promote her lines House of Harlow and Winter Kate at Holt. Of course, I caught word of the event from the gf. You don't get to see celebrities in Calgary very often so I figured what the hell, lets take some photos of The Other Richie.

Naturally, a few local celebrities were in attendance.

stv

Melancholy Bee

2010-10-07T12:16:00.005-06:00

I doubt the franchise would be as successful with a name like Melancholy Bee. You can guaruntee that I'll be having some Chicken Joy with Palabok in SFO come late October!

stv

Rag & Bone

2010-10-01T14:25:00.021-06:00

Over a month ago I received the opportunity to attend an exclusive party at Holt Renfrew to meet the creators of the designer label Rag & Bone. If you don't follow fashion, the words Rag & Bone should mean absolutely nothing to you. But if you do follow, then you should know that Rag & Bone is one of the fastest growing labels in North America. How excited are you to meet some of the biggest designers in New York City?

Ughhh, ok. I guess you're pretty psyched.

Buck up KSam! They have free cocktails in there!

We came into Holt expecting a swanky spread and we weren't disappointed. Free cocktails were flowing and there was a DJ on hand to keep the indie/electro/alternative music pumpin'. There was an abundance of h'orderves but I was saving my appetite for Jones Cream Soda & Vodka cocktails. Whoa!

Taken directly from their website; Rag & Bone was founded in 2002, with one very clear vision in mind: to make clothes that they and their friends would love to wear every day. With no formal fashion training, Marcus Wainwright & David Neville set about learning how to make jeans. Beginning in Kentucky, rag & bone surrounded themselves with people who had been making patterns, cutting fabric and sewing their whole lives. Working with these kinds of craftsmen taught them the importance of quality, craftsman-ship and attention to detail early on. These principles soon became the keystones of the rag & bone philosophy, the definition of what clothing can and should be. With these principles in mind, whenever possible rag & bone produces the majority of their garments in U.S. factories that still sew clothes the same way they did 50 years ago. In 2006, rag & bone was selected as a finalist for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund award and won the 2007 Swarovski Award for emerging talent in menswear, after also being nominated for that same award in 2006. In 2010, David Neville and Marcus Wainwright were named Menswear Designers of the Year by the CFDA. Enough with the bio, if you want to read more click here. In the meantime, here are some photos of their Fall line:

A few of the usual suspects were on hand:

Aritzia in the house, What What! chloepenguin & KarleenSAMson

Kat, Christina, janeyfromtheblock, The FPOE and winFresh.

IYBC with his first lady and second lady.

When I met the designers I had no idea what to say to them. All I ended up doing was complementing them on their line of clothes and congratulating them on winning an award. David and Marcus were extremely polite and acted like complete gentleman in spite of my stupidity. I guess I forgot that these guys are normal blokes too who would rather talk about the weather, beer and sports then go on about themselves. Luckily, Chloe is very beautiful and they were more then glad to take a picture with her. Marcus is on the left, David on the right. David seems cheesed to meet Chloe. I can't blame him.

It was a great party and it was a pleasure to make an ass of myself in front of some famous designers. Keep posted for the next one!

stv

That 80's Show

2010-09-23T23:19:00.012-06:00

Way back in June, I was invited by my friend Lauren to take some photos of a concert she was hosting with her singing students. I'm always one to support a friend and their creative endeavors, so I was all for it!

The concert was 80's themed. Everything from the costumes to the songs were full blown 80's and you better believe that it was the bizznass! Some of my personal classics were performed; such legendary hits as With or Without You, Sunglasses at Night and Sweet Child 'O Mine. You could tell a lot of hard work went into the preperation of the show, whether it was the set pieces or the band learning the songs. I was uber impressed!

It was a great show. The kids were superstars on that stage and showed a lot of courage and talent. Cheers Lo, you directed and produced a fantastic concert! Here are some photos that I put off for far too long; hope you enjoy them!

There is a lot more where this came from! Click here to see a boat load of photos from the show. Remember folks, I'm freelance and for hire!

loves,

stv

City and Colour

2010-09-22T13:56:00.003-06:00

We're not talking about the Canadian folk singer Dallas Green. We're talking about how fun it is to play with colour!

stv

Open Doors

2010-09-15T13:34:00.006-06:00

The saying goes, when one door closes another one opens. This proverb means that when one opportunity is washed up, another one becomes available.

Doors serve as the perfect metaphor. They are the passages we must go through to get to our locations. Doors close to keep people and things out. They open to invite them in. Doors can reveal pleasant surprises while they could also hide terrible secrets. A closed door is a rather mysterious thing. There is no saying what lies behind until you decide to step through. Doormen protect certain doors. Only once you have been granted access shall you enter through their doors, much in the same way the once popular football star from high school protects the door of a trendy nightclub on a Friday night. At the mercy of the doorman, one must follow their rules or know someone on the inside that can vouch for them. Beware of doormen! Charm and charisma may not always work!

Finding a job out of University has been an extremely frustrating experience. You assume all doors are open once you attain a degree, however, this can't be any further from the truth. It's not easy getting used to having doors shut in my face, but perhaps I have just been trying to enter to wrong doors. Another door has been closed, but maybe someone else needed to enter more then me? Maybe they were more experienced? Maybe they have been looking to enter longer then I have? Maybe that door just wasn't the one I was supposed to go through? Who's to say really. At least I can say I got close. Another door else where has opened and I'm going to make the best of it because it's not always about the destination, rather, the journey; but that's a whole different proverb altogether.

stv

Just Blazer

2010-09-01T21:10:00.002-06:00

Lookin' sharp.

stv

Taking Off

2010-08-30T21:41:00.008-06:00

...like fireworks!

I don't think I would like to meet the one guy in the entire world who doesn't enjoy an explosive fireworks show! That guy would have to be a bigger dud then a firecracker that fizzels up without a bang! That guy would probably think that parades, laser tag and baby laughter are also a drag! That guy must have the most disappointing sex life known to human kind! Are you that guy?! Yeah, I didn't think so.

These shots were taken at the annual Global Fest. It's been around for some time and if you haven't checked it out yet, you just might be that guy! I haven't gone for a few years now. It was a lot of fun, a great location for a date and an opportunity to try out some new gear. I like to think the photos are a lot of fun, but that's because I'm not that guy. That should mean that you will enjoy them too!

ps. never ever be THAT guy. No one likes THAT guy.

loves,

stv

Skirt Flirt

2010-08-24T10:31:00.005-06:00

I almost feel like I've seen this photo on a paper Aritzia shopping bag.

stv

Beadharmony Jewellery

2010-08-20T10:49:00.014-06:00

My Mom has been making jewelery for about 8 years now. It all started with a favorite turquoise bead necklace that broke. She studied the necklace and decided that perhaps she can fix it herself with the right tools and supplies. So she trekked over to a bead store in the city. She was so excited to see beautiful beads made of semi-precious stones, sterling silver, glass and even plastic. Needless to say, while she picked up the tools and supplies that she needed to fix her necklace, she also picked up some beads and decided to try her hand at the jewellery game. Before she knew it, beading started to take over her life like a creative infection. She would spend nearly every weekend making bracelets and necklaces, finding gratification in knowing that she will not run into someone wearing the same jewelery as her.

Soon, friends and family started noticing my Ma's jewelery, as she was receiving so many compliments. She began to believe that maybe there is an opportunity for her to sell these pieces and at least get some of her investment back so she can make more jewelery; a cheap and less evasive form of therapy, she would say. She took them to work on several occasions and people were enthusiastically buying her creations. Once in awhile, she would come to work with a piece of jewelery and come home without it because someone at work had paid money for it. And that's when she decided to create a small business, named Beadharmony.

It is my Mom's intent to create a website and try to sell her pieces online but her career has always stood in her way. Someday soon, it will happen. In the meantime, she will just continue to keep doing what she is passionate about. If someone decides they want to buy a piece, she might be convinced to part with it; her dream is for people to enjoy wearing her jewellery as much as she enjoys making it.

If anything in this post caught your eye, don't hesitate to contact me via email, Twitter or Facebook.

Loves,

stv

A Taste of Asia

2010-08-16T12:23:00.005-06:00

James and Rice hosted a dinner party where we got our hands dirty and made our own sushi. It was a lot of fun. This one is going to make you hungry. Hopefully you have a towel to soak up all your droolzz...

Handsome Al approves of this blog post and would like to take your daughters on a date. He promises to respect them and return their calls in a timely manner.

I'm hungry.

loves,

stv

Cookie Monster

2010-08-10T10:42:00.002-06:00

Num num num num num num num....

Take Me There

2010-08-05T12:04:00.004-06:00

Summer is dwindling away faster then we all wish to accept. Days are melting off the calender at such a fast rate that soon we'll be experiencing the winter freeze. Days get shorter. Jackets get heavier. But let's not think about that, rather, lets enjoy shorts season while it still lasts.

But it's always summer in Boracay... If you want to view paradise, simply look at the expression on my little cousins face and you'll be instantly transported to a world of pure imagination. I close my eyes and I'm there. What do you see?

Loves,

stv

4 1/2

2010-07-29T11:01:00.011-06:00

It's the night of the big date. She gets really excited just thinking about it. Everything you tried on didn't seem to make your extremely high standards for the evening. The pants fit funny. The collar on your shirt is creased weird. After numerous changes, you settle on something, though you're not convinced it's good enough for her. You get in the car and are finally on your way to pick her up but realize you forgot your camera and go back to get it. Great, another set back. FINALLY you're on your way; wait, where are your sunglasses?! Forget it, you're already late.

You get to her house, late, sweaty. She walks up looking a bit perturbed about your tardiness, yet looking as stunning as the first time you laid eyes on her. You get to the parking garage and notice you're short change for parking. You ask her, shyly for a loonie. She hands one over. The back of your shirt is creased because your back was sweating profusely on the car ride over.

You start walking around the park and notice your shoe rubbing your heel in an uncomfortable manner. You hope it's not a blister. You stop for a second to check the damage and there is a hole in the skin of your heel the size of a dime. You hobble over to the hot dog stand and ask for a band-aid. You soon realize one isn't enough. You ask her, embarassed, to get you another. She does and now your heel is heavily padded. You walk a bit, cautiously... what a disaster

You survive long enough to get to the restaurant. You both settle down inside and notice the calm summer breeze through the wide open window that over looks the river and park. You sip on your ginger mojito as she does the same with her mamosa. This all feels more familiar. You're with the girl of your dreams. 4 and a half years to the day. Yet it still felt like the first date.

AWESOME!

I'm such a disaster, but I'm your disaster. Love you!

New York City Giants

2010-07-27T12:15:00.013-06:00

You didn't think that was all I had from New York, did you?! Actually, I forgot these photo's existed until last night. When we went to the MoMA, Chloe was scheduled to meet her Aunt at the Ritz-Carlton to enjoy a spa treatment. I chose to opt out and explore the city a little bit. I ended up walking South on 5th Ave and took these photos of some of New York's iconic giants. I took the photos as a series of landscapes and combined them into large collages. The idea came to me in the spur of the moment and I don't think anyone else is shooting architecture like this. It's very hard to make the photos merge seemlessly due to plain geometry but it adds a sense of surrealism to the pieces and makes them more visually appealing. Unfortunately I didn't get to shoot all of the buildings I wanted to, but I'll be back. Enjoy.

The Sherry-Netherland Hotel

The Solow Building

Trump Tower

St. Patrick's Cathedral

Rockafeller Plaza

Radio City Music Hall

stv

Check the Rhime

2010-07-23T11:28:00.009-06:00

The city has a Stampede hangover

stv

Wanna Bite?

2010-07-15T13:18:00.008-06:00

Summer means Bar-B-Q's. BBQ's mean smokies. Smokies mean satisfied palets! MMMMmmmm, I bet this is going to make you crave a phalic shaped piece of meat. Yeah, I'm reaching for content.

1. Buy it.

2. Dress it.

3. Chomp it!

stv

Everyone Loves a Parade

2010-07-13T13:03:00.016-06:00

It's that time of the year again. That's right, cow-pokes, it's the Calgary Stampede. The time of the year when the city becomes bi-polar for 10 straight days. When business casual is replaced with western tacky. That time of the year when pancake batter and sausage grease is seeping through your pores. That time of the year when safety meetings are held on sun drenched patios. Yeah, I'm not the biggest fan of the ''Ol Pede, but I do enjoy the amount of chaos and disorder the yearly extravaganza causes. Parade day was amazing out and I couldn't resist heading out to snap some shots. And of course, in STV style, the focus wasn't as much on the parade but on the people around the parade. I'm a bit of a people watcher, but you have to admit that the kiddies are just too cute to resist! Enjoy.

stv

Movie Review: Toy Story 3

2010-07-05T13:39:00.015-06:00

This is going to be the easiest and shortest movie review I have ever written. This one comment will pretty much describe the film in its entirety and describe how important it is that you see it. Are you all ready for it? Here we go! I'll even bold it for effect.

Toy Story 3 is the best Pixar movie ever made

(thus far).

Thanks for reading, go see it.

Ok, so maybe it can't be that simple, but you have to admit that single comment says so much. Pixar has a strong history of amazing animated feature films. Their stories always have amazing depth and feeling, sometimes more depth and feeling then most films these days. For a child, the films are fun and for the adults they are all too human. To say that Toy Story 3 is the best Pixar movie yet is a monumental judgment call considering Pixar is the juggernaut studio that produced such masterpieces as the first two Toy Stories, the futuristic Wall-E, the romantic Up and the fun-fueled Monsters Inc. (just to name a few). And while I am now reminded how amazing each movie is, I am still willing to stand behind my initial statement.

Andy is now graduating from high school and I getting prepared to go to college, yet he can think of no better way of repelling the ladies then by having a full toy chest at the foot of his bed. After numerous unsuccessful attempts by Woody, Buzz and crew to get Andy to play with them, the forever loyal toys decide it is time to pack up and retire to the attic where Andy may sometime call upon them again in the future. Following a mishap, the crew splits up and an impending doom is thrust upon them. It is now for the toys to decide whether to ride out a sticky situation or get back to their rightful owner, Andy, before it is too late.

The technical aspects of the film should go without saying. Pixar is always the best studio when it comes to their animation, voice acting and soundtrack. They truly have mastered the art of computer animation to the point that it is seamless and you forget that it is in fact an animated feature. Everything just seems to fit and act natural. Nothing unexpected here.

The story is what really gets me. Now, the love sequence from the film Up has to be one of the best sequences of all Pixar films but Toy Story 3,in its entirety, has the strongest story. It is a seemingly complex story of loyalty and love that harps back to the original two films of the franchise. Yes, we are talking about toys here, but what Toy Story 3 has done is masterfully tricked you into believing that Andy and his toys are bff's! What we're really looking at then is how do you feel about saying goodbye to your best friends? Heavy, right? With tons of laughs and gratuitous slapstick humor, the film flawlessly weaves a spectacular web that concludes that greatest animated franchise of all time perfectly. The Gypsy Kings even cover "You Got A Friend In Me" for the credits! What more could you ask for?!

I'm sure you've seen the other two Toy Stories, right? So what are you waiting for? Forget vampires and werewolves. Forget air (gender)benders. Who cares about A-teams or Kung-fu kids?! Toy Story 3 is the best film of the year so far and, in my opinion, as close are you're going to get to a perfect movie!

9.9/10

stv

FYI. I'm saving my strongest statement of all for the end. I saw this movie two weeks ago and all I can come up with is the most un-clever review I have ever written. HIYO!

A Time to Kill

2010-07-02T10:17:00.008-06:00

“Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

Steve Jobs

“The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once.”

Albert Einstein

Life on Lemonade

2010-06-29T13:25:00.007-06:00

What do you do when life hands you lemons? You make an MTV audition tape! That's what local talents Jenna, April and Reggie have done. MTV is currently host an open casting call to all those who think they have what it takes to create a completely original MTV reality series. This local trio have produced a very intriguing and sentimental casting tape that is sure to be relatable to most of you out there. Ever feel like you were meant to do something bigger then what you're currently doing? Ever feel like your talents and skills are better suited elsewhere? Ever feel like you could learn so much more about yourself or your world? Ever feel like you should be following your dreams? These are just a few of the questions that are confronted in Life on Lemonade; a seriously cool coming of age of sorts for all the dreamers out there. So remember, dreams are attainable.. just keep squeezin' them lemons!

Do us all a favor and check out their audition video below, then follow the LINK to view thier casting page!

Become a Facebook friend of Life on Lemonade!

loves,

stv

Kid 'n Play

2010-06-25T11:51:00.012-06:00

For the past couple of weeks, I've been helping out Chloe's aunt by stepping in and babysitting the family baby. You've seen Brooklyn featured on this blog before and I'm sure we can all agree that she is cute as a button. Here of some photos of us playing in the yard as she shows off her new playground. Chloe took a few of these photos, so it seems she's been finding her inner Small Time Visionary.

A rare serious moment. I wish I could claim I took this beautiful photo, but Chloe was the one behind the lens this time. I love it!

Drivers ed. How flattering.

All that play has the kid tuckered out. Nap time, cutie pie.

loves,

stv

Does Ms. Liberty Get Lonely?

2010-06-23T12:55:00.009-06:00

stv

Taking the High Road

2010-06-22T11:41:00.018-06:00

On the West Side of Manhattan there is an amazing park that stretches through the neighbourhoods of Chelsea, The Meat Packing District and Hells Kitchen. It is called the High Line and it is one of the best examples of modern urban redevelopment. The High Line was originally an elevated track that moved dangerous trains off of the streets of Manhattan. Built in the 1930's and last utilized in the early 80's, the High Line became a decrepit community eyesore and was slated to be demolished until a small group of community activists fought to preserve the High Line and it's significance to the neighbourhoods it served. By taking ingenious design, the High Line magnificently mixes industrial material with natural occurring plants and wood that somehow blend into the urban landscape seamlessly. Beautiful!

Redevelopment is not a new concept to many of us. The City of Calgary has been working aggressively at re-shaping our oldest and ugliest neighbourhoods. Don't believe me? Just take a walk through the East Village, Victoria Park and Bridgeland. Can you think of any old industrial/brownfield sites that would be a good candidate for a face lift? I'm sure you can! Just to name a few off the top of my head, how about the old Firestone site or the Currie Barracks? These are sites that remained nearly deserted and unused, but could certainly benefit from a redevelopment strategy.

Look outside of the box; rethink your neighborhood. Make it yours.

Redevelopment doesn't end simply at placing a condo on top of an old site. There are far more options that may not be as financially viable but add to a city's attractiveness and livability. Adding new high rises simply add to the problem as we consume more and effectively force out those who cannot afford to live in luxury. This is why our civic officials need to take charge of our cities, listen to their constituents and mute out the corporations. We need more low-income housing. More parks. More transit options. Our cities belong to us and we need to dare to be a little different.

To learn a little more about what the City of Calgary is doing in terms of redevelopment, click on the following links: Calgary's Brownfield Strategy, Toward Smart Growth in Calgary, and Plan It Calgary Display Boards. I've done my research, you should too!

stv

Rule #1:

2010-06-18T13:52:00.003-06:00

Movie Review: The Karate Kid

2010-06-17T10:39:00.018-06:00

It has been a little over a month since I have written a movie review and while I have seen two summer blockbusters since the last review, those being Iron Man 2 and Get Him to the Greek, they were hardly worth writing about. In short, Iron Man 2 was a poor excuse of a sequel that deviated more from a weak story line then Tiger Woods cared to deviate from his marriage while Get Him to the Greek was a funny at times film that felt somewhat incomplete in its composition but has the potential to grow on you like it’s predecessor, Forgetting Sarah Marshall.

When I first heard of The Karate Kid remake I groaned in agony as I anticipated Hollywood to yet again butcher a classic and personal favorite. In my opinion, the original Karate Kid movie is a near perfect film; it has your classic underdog protagonist, the douchey and hated villain in Johnny and the Cobra Kai, the wise Mr. Miyagi as the mentor, a challenge for the hero to overcome, a final showdown between the two entities and a love interest in the form of a young and rotund Elizabeth Shue, whom is a direct link to Kevin Bacon in the film Hollow Man, therefore adding to your repertoire of Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon knowledge. I cannot stress how important a direct link to Kevin Bacon is as one would be stumped without such trivial knowledge. If only such wisdom was acceptable to put on a resume; maybe I would have at least gotten a call back by now! But I digress from a weak movie review more then Tiger Woods... wait, I used that metaphor already.

Dre is the new Karate Kid and finds his life in Detroit ripped apart when his mother accepts a new position in Beijing, China. As expected, Dre has a hard time fitting in, not only because the Chinese seem mystified with African American hair styles, but because he has a bit of a salty attitude. Immediately, Dre makes enemies with the neighbourhood assholes and finds himself beat up on the pavement more often then one would care to be. Thank goodness the maintenance man, Mr. Han, can kick some serious pre-pubescent butt! Reluctantly, Han takes Dre under his aged wing and teaches Dre the mysteries of Eastern Philosophy and facial modulation through the use of Kung Fu. Did I just say Kung Fu? Why the hell isn't this movie called the Kung Fu Kid?!

What the poor movie summary above shows is that the remake follows the original very closely. Almost exactly actually, which I am extremely ecstatic about. The new Karate Kid is a near perfect re-application of the original's story line. Almost every scene from the original is recreated and infused with its own Eastern influence. I hate how some remakes try to re-invent the original. The new Karate Kid doesn't pretend to be something new and amazing. In true Confuciast and Taoist fashion, The new Karate Kid sticks close to the game plan and did a great job of keeping hardcore purists like myself happy.

Now, on to my gripes about the film, besides the film being called The Karate Kid and not the Kung Fu kid: (a) I don't like how the hero, Dre, was so young. No diss to Jaden Smith, the kid is going to have a long and successful career, but I just feel that the youth of Dre is too much of a departure from the O.G. K.K. (b) I find it hard to believe that Jackie Chan is an old man. I'm a huge fan, and I know he can still jump off buildings and climb 5 story walls. Seeing him limp around on screen isn't fooling anyone! (c) the villians voice sounds like a little girls. Not very intimidating.

One thing that I find especially exciting about the film is that it is one of the first major alliances of Hollywood and Chinese film studios. Yup, get used to it folks because whether you like it or not, the West will have to meet the East in even larger arenas then the film industries. Soon, there will be more chinese brands on North American soil then you could shake a leg at. Anything from motor vehicles, electronics and furniture will be flooding our markets. Hell, Jason Kidd and Ron Artest are sponsered by Chinese sneaker manufactuer, Peak. What the devil is Peak?! Anyways, could this film just be a larger allegory for how our society will evolve in the following generations. Will the older, wiser East be taking the younger, cocky West under it's weathered yet mighty wing? Only time will tell; but don't take my word for it, I can't even get a call back!

8.5/10

stv

Taking it Back

2010-06-14T13:19:00.009-06:00

Excuse me folks, but I took a little time off from the blog last week. I officially graduated on the 7th, which was certainly a long time coming. I can't help but feel proud about what I accomplished and proved to myself. I learned more useful lessons about life then anything that I have learned from an over-priced text book or inflated professor. While the years in post-secondary have been the most personally challenging, they were also the most rewarding. I just want to give a quick slow jam shout out to all the people who were there with me along the way. Some of you I may have lost touch with, others I may have gotten closer to; either way, you're influence, no matter how long or short it has been (that's what she said) has made me into the individual I am today. You are appreciated, so Thank you.

High Flyin': Washington Square Park, NYC. Pigeon

Lately I've been throwing it back to the old school. I dusted off my dad's Pentax/Asahi K1000 SLR and have been shooting some film. For christmas, my parents gifted me some dark room supplies to develop B&W film, 100 ft. of Ilford FP4+ film, a day light film loader and empty canisters. They've been sitting dormant for 6 months but I decided to dust them off and give them a go. I now load my own film canisters and develop my film in the basement bathroom with the lights completely off and the door seems covered in masking tape. I decided to shoot more film as an exercise in the science and technique of photography. You can't cheat with film, and what you get through the lens is what you're stuck with, but through experimentation one can alter the overall effect of the image. These are things I feel every photographer should experiment with. I've grown up in the digital age, so while film appears completely dated, it doesn't get any purer. As you can imagine, it will take a lot longer to get anything posted from these exercises, but I'll keep you in the loop.

loves,

stv

Times are a Changin'

2010-06-03T12:44:00.011-06:00

When I first saw Times Square, I was flabbergasted at the sheer supremacy it exudes. It is seriously something out of this world. To me, Times Square represents capitalism to it's most extreme limit. It's evident in all the billboards, big screen televisions running ads and the scrolling stock market ticker. Times Square is the worlds largest spam email. The worlds largest pop-up ad. The worlds largest alter to free-market economies. Surprisingly, Times Square was not my favorite place to be. The stores are generic, the resturaunts were crowded and the atmosphere is like a circus. I'm happy we decided to stay in SOHO and Union Square rather then here.

Just days prior to these shots being taken, a terrorist attempt at demolishing Times Square was foiled by a humble t-shirt vendor. It's no wonder why Times Square would be a target, but it's kind of ironic that a t-shirt vendor saved the Times and not a police officer or Spiderman. The place is insane and has to be seen to believed. These photos were chosen because they present Times Square in the grand manner for which I perceived during my visit. Yes, I did another selective colour but I couldn't help it! So please, enjoy.

stv

Noel Crisostomo

2010-06-02T11:41:00.016-06:00

This one here is for all my fashion lovers..

My Tito Noel has been a figure in the Canadian Fashion Industry long before you started wearing high heels, sheer silk tops and jeggings. He worked with some of the more familiar fashion outlets in the world, but more recently, he decided to settle down (for the time being) in Manila. There, my Tito Noel developed his own high fashion label which he named after himself. Designing dresses for some of the Philippines hottest celebrities quickly helped him gain mainstream popularity, eventually earning him recognition as one of the hottest up and coming designers in the Philippines.

The past year and a half has been monumental for my now famous Uncle. He has been featured in numerous fashion magazines, created seasonal collections to rave reviews and has even opened up his own shop in the super trendy business district of Manila, Makati (think the Manhattan of Manila).

Just last week, my Tito Noel hosted his first full collection fashion show for the Premiere B Philippine Fashion Week Holiday 2010. When asked about his collection Noel Crisostomo says, "I was inspired by postmodern architecture, particularly the works of Frank Gehry, the Guggenheim Museum and the Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. Pieces are sleek, clean and modern, with a sense of deconstruction. Using fabrics like pinstripe wool, wool crepe and leather, I intend to show the contrast between rigid[ity and softness], soft matte and shine, as well as masculinity and femininity." I have to say, and call be biased but, his designs are absolutely breath taking and are pieces you can expect to see from the big fashion houses in Europe and North America. I'm so proud of my uncle and I want to wish him all the luck in the future of his label.

Click the image below and you'll be linked to the photos of my Tito Noels collection.

*please note that the photos above were not taken by myself, so credit is owed to an unknown photographer.

Loves,

stv

Late Night

2010-06-01T11:53:00.012-06:00

Chloe and I acquired tickets to be the audience for a recording of Late Night with David Letterman. I've always been a bit of a fan for Letterman because he kind of looked like my friends dad. Letterman is pretty funny too and his goofball skits always manage to make me laugh. In order to get tickets, one would have to sign up online and wait for a phone call from a CBS rep who will then ask you a trivia question which you must answer correctly to win the tickets. Chloe happened to sign up my phone number because she claimed to not know anything about the show. Here's how my experience went:

It's around lunch time and I head upstairs to make myself a little something. I can't really recall what it was, but I'm going to guess it was something like lobster and fillet Mignon seasoned with gold flake and diamonds. When I head back to my room I notice a missed call with a 212 designation. Manhattan? Hmm, better check the voicemail.

Caller: Hi this is Jamie calling from the Late Show with David Letterman looking for Stephen. I'm calling because you requested tickets for the week of May 3-7. Please give me a call back and only leave one message clearly stating your name, phone number and your message. I will have to ask you a skill testing question.

I couldn't believe my luck! I thought those fools at CBS forgot about me already, so in a frantic rage I redial and call Jamie up to leave her a message. I pace around the room in anticipation of her call back, but then it occurs on me; I forgot to leave a call back number! Awww, just my luck! She seemed pretty adamant about the only one message comment on her voicemail. But I figure what the hell, how will she contact me without a phone number?! So I call back, speaking and acting like it was the first time I called, mirroring the previous message I left but including that all important call back number.

A few hours roll by now. I'm growing more and more concerned that Jamie isn't going to call back and my opportunity is gone. But alas, Jamie does call back! I feel like I'm in Jr. High again when the girl you like says she'll call you at home but makes you sweat until the final hour.

Caller: "Hi, this is Jamie from the Late Show with David Letterman. Is this Stephen?
Me:: "Oh hi! This is Stephen speaking. I didn't think you would call me back!"
Caller: "Well I received your messages and I would still like to give you the opportunity to win tickets to see a recording of the show. Now I will have to ask you a trivia question about the show before I can reward you the tickets. Are you ready?
Me: As ready as I'll ever be!
Caller: Alright, you tool. David often visits Rupert Gee at the store around the corner. What is the name of the store?
Me: Ohh I know that one!
Caller: Then please, humor me and give me your answer, you douche.
Me: It's the Hello Deli!
Caller: That is correct, congratulations. Now before I give you the tickets I need a few pieces of information from you..................................

And that's when the line went dead. My phone battery died! Can you believe it?!?! Of all times for my phone to die, it had to be now! So again, I leave Jamie another message; I swear, she must hate the sound of my voice by now. Again, I wait an hour or so and she actually calls me back! In the end we get the tickets and she was a lot more pleasant then I made her sound.

The experience was amazing, but the standing and waiting sucks. There are these 'fluffer' type guys that hype the crowd up for David and eventually make you susceptible to laugh at even the most ridiculously unfunny jokes. The show featured Russell Crowe and the musical guest was Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings, of which I am a huge fan. But the shining light was the CBS Orchestra headed by Paul Schafer! They are so talented, playing U2's Beautiful Day and Curtis Mayfield's Move On Up during commercial breaks. We were fortunate enough to sit in the second row right in front of the orchestra, so I was grooving in my seat the entire time.

If you have about 40 minutes to kill, below I linked the entire show. I suggest you at least watch the first 3 videos and the last one for the musical performance.

Musical Performance @ 4:30

stv

What I Saw at the MoMA

2010-05-31T11:24:00.026-06:00

The Museum of Modern Art was un-be-freakin-lievable! To simply say that it blew my mind would be a monumental understatement. On the other hand, to say that it potentially changed my life would be a bit of an overstatement but it certainly is the most memorable trip to a museum I have ever taken. I'm a big fan of museums but the only art museum that I have gone to prior that is worth mentioning is the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. Not the Louvre in Paris or the Rijksmuseum in the Netherlands. You could say that I'm a bit of a museum n00b, but what can you expect when your home museum is the Glenbow¹.

We started at the top floor of the MoMA and decided to work our way down. The special exhibition featured the performance art of Marina Abramović. Now, a little fish such as myself has never experienced performance art on this scale and to be honest, it scared the crap out of me!² The performances were both twisted and perverse, seeming as a narcissistic attempt to gain attention; but the performances were also intriguing and captivating, often narrating humanity better then any university professor could. The performances were deeply moving, invoking a mixture of emotions that I never knew art could.

In a short 4 hours, I was only able to see 3 floors of the MoMA. It was surreal to admire famous pieces that I have only previously seen in posters and jpgs. Needless to say, we need to go back! What I found to be most interesting, however, is to take a piece of art out of it's frame by considering it in its surroundings; admiring those who admire the piece. It's funny how some people react around a famous piece of art. Some take photos of it, others with it while most just stare in awe. So, here are some spy shots³ in the contemporary art floors of who I saw at the museum.

___________
1. No disrespect to the Glenbow, it's actually a cool museum. In a heritage class I took in the fall I got to tour the museum archives which is an entire floor that stretches two city blocks. I've never seen so many locally recorded mid- 70's folk/country records in my life.
2. There were at least 8 completely nude 'actors' in the exhibit, performing Abramović's art. In one, the audience is asked to step between a completely nude couple as they stand inches from each other(NSFW). When I came up, I was so nervous that I think I stepped on the dudes toe. I faced the girl.
3. It was extremely difficult to take these photos without seeming like a complete creep. I figure a better method for this collection would be to install a small camera or webcam just above the piece so you can capture a photo or stream a video online of the person's face as they view a piece of art. I wonder if there are museums willing to participate. Hmmm..

Roy Lichtenstein - Drowning Girl

Andy Warhol - Gold Marilyn Monroe

Andy Warhol - 32 Campbell's Soup Cans

Jasper Johns - Flag

Jackson Pollock - One: Number 31

Marina Abramović - The Artist is Present

Chloe Pagalilauan - I <3 H.K.

stv

An Engagement in New York City

2010-05-27T10:28:00.015-06:00

As most of you may or may not know (I use this phrase way too much), my friends got engaged during our trip to New York City. Trevor dropped down to one knee atop the Empire State Building, which, according to Chloe, was where Chuck Bass from the deplorable television series Gossip Girl was going to propose to Blair Waldorf before he was shot and left to die in the streets; but I digress. The day had already been a major adventure for Trevor and the boys, but we arrived unscathed so that Trevor could execute the "Will You?" knee drop on Lorena to perfection and not end up left for dead on the streets of Manhattan.

To celebrate the momentous occasion, this blog post is dedicated strictly to you two and the moments leading up to the big event! I hope you guys love it. Again, congratulations; I'm really proud of you guys.

This photo was taken in Bryant Park, just blocks from Charlie Palmer's restaurant, Aureole. You don't want to know the stress that some of us went through to get dinner plans nailed down. Lorena originally expressed her interest in this joint so we had to make it happen. Little did Lorena know that it was a pre-engagement party! It was an excellent meal and a great way to kick off the evening. This is the before photo.

I know that Chloe took this picture because her hand always blocks the flash when she is focusing the lens. But it actually turned into a great photo, because it feels like it separates Trevor from that moment in time; a sort of contemplation piece focusing on what the guy is feeling and thinking before he proposes to his lady. This was taken moments before we started to head to the Empire State Building. No Pressure, Tre.

This photo is not good. It's blurry and the lighting is bad. BUT, it is the last photo taken of the couple before they became engaged! This was on the elevator on the way up to the observation deck.

Dude was sweating on top of the Empire State Building. Not only was he going to propose to Lorena, but he is also afraid of heights and there were some gale force winds! Pretty good form on the knee drop, but I think you're leaning too far forward on the left knee. It should be a perfect right angle. Just Playin'.

She said no.

But then reconsidered and said yes.

I'm messin'. Of course she said yes right away! She was so surprised and had no idea what was going to go down that evening. It was really cute actually. This is definitely my favorite photo from the bunch.

Whoa, take it easy you two! This is definitely the most bonerific photo from the bunch.

And this is the after photo.

Loves,

stv

Take It to the Banks

2010-05-26T10:11:00.015-06:00

When we headed down to Brooklyn and decided to walk the bridge, there was one stop that I absolutely needed to make before we made the trip to Midtown Manhattan. At the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge, on the Manhattan side, there is a small park that has been appropriated by a certain subculture in the 1980's. Aptly named the Brooklyn Banks, skateboarders took over the decrepit area and created an improvised skate park. The steep, red brick banks made for one of the more unconventional skate spots. Over the years, as skateboarding progressed, so did the park. Soon the two sets of stairs and railings were appropriated and permanent obstacles were installed, such as manual pads, quarter pipes and flat bars.

The Brooklyn Banks remains one of the most recognized skate spots in the entire world (so famous, in fact, Tech Deck made a toy version of the spot priced at a whopping $75.00) and is featured in hundreds of skate videos. I can still recall seeing the legendary spot shred by some of the greatest skaters of all time, but unfortunately the banks' future is compromised. Supposedly, the banks were to be fenced off in January 2010, but it still remains open and skate-able. Bridge construction calls for the banks to be closed until 2014, which is extremely unfortunate for locals as the banks remains one of the only spots in NYC where skaters can ride un-hindered by police. I wish I had a board on me to ride the banks, as this may have been my one and only chance, but it was still amazing to see the spot that I grew up admiring in all those videos. Too bad I was there so early; it was almost like a ghost town.

Here's a video documenting, the legend, Mike Vallely's final trip to the banks, as he shares a bit of history about the spot. Some might know Mike V. from the Tony Hawk video games or his small role in the movie The Hangover. He was the dude that was in the van when they were grabbing tuxes on the highway.

Check out these videos of the banks in action:

Hello Brooklyn!

2010-05-20T11:35:00.031-06:00

It's about 2:30 am in New York City and the inhabitants of room 502 are coming into the Hampton Inn Soho on Watts Street. The occupants (Win, Kar, Chloe and myself) weren't feeling tired but rather saucy. Go figure, considering we were in the city that never sleeps. We have a 1 liter bottle of Grey Goose Vodka and four willing participants, so we head down to the lobby, grabbed a table in the atrium and got some glasses and juice from the 24 hour juice bar. We all came down with the same unifying purpose, we're going to get drunk.

Some of you may be familiar with the "Winifrey Valencia Liquor Free Pour". The "free pour" is neither a metric or standard system of measurement. Instead, the "free pour" is a measurement system that relies on taste. Therefore, the "free pour" is the amount of liquor to mix to the degree that it is bearable to drink without actually vomiting, gagging permitted. Generally, the "free pour" consists of 4/5 booze and 1/5 mix. In this case however, we were drinking Grey Goose, so the ratio of booze to liquor was more like 5/5 vodka and a splash of mix. Thankfully, I drink like a fish and due in part to my Polish comrade, Lukian, I love vodka. However, the "free pour" and "love of vodka" quotient made for a deadly combo; more to be described later.

It's now 5:00 am. Two and a half hours and one 1 liter bottle of Grey Goose later (the girls could only bare about two "free pour" cocktails each), the group made their way back up to room 502. The sweet old man behind the desk asked if we wanted a wake up call. We replied graciously, asking for a wake up call at 5:30 am, as we planned to get up early to explore Brooklyn. The sweet old man took a quick glance at his watch, shot us a rather odd look back and shrugged his shoulders. "5:30 am it is, sleep well folks" he said. We piled into the elevator, remarking on how sweet that old man is. He was a really sweet old man.

Arriving at the 5th floor, Win came up with a great idea that we should play a prank on the other groups room. We ran up the stairs to their floor, the 7th, and came to the room 702. We placed the polished bottle of Goose at the foot of their door and Win proceeded to knock like a possessed Donkey Kong. Off we ran, down the stairs, giggling like a bunch of seven year old Japanese school girls. We got into our room, jumped into bed with our better halves and dreamed marvelous dreams consisting of what I can only guess were go-karts and crossbows.

In what seemed like a blink of the eye, the phone started ringing, alarming the occupants of 502 that it was time to awake and drink in the beautiful spring morning that New York had to offer. I'm a rather thankful person and felt there was no better time to pray for my blessings then this moment. So off I went to my alter, in the washroom, to pray to the porcelain God's for the wonderful evening that I had with my roommates. Ahhhh, may I have another cup of New York please?! Room 502 eventually got ready and surprisingly I wasn't feeling all that hungover if you overlook my lack of appetite and extreme sensitivity to sunlight. Here we come Brooklyn!

Side note: The room which we thought was the other groups was in fact not theirs at all. We played that cruel prank on a room occupied by a bunch of middle aged women. They were not impressed with our drinking prowess and brought the bottle down to the front desk to complain about some hooligans who came to their room at 5:00 am, pounded on their door and left an empty 1 liter bottle of Grey Goose at their feet. "Who would do such a thing" is what P.J. overheard them saying to the customer service representative. I would think a group of individuals who were really enthusiastic about being in NYC would do such a thing, so good day to you! Now enough story time, on with the photos!

I saw these kids just outside of the High Street subway station in Brooklyn. They were so damn cute that I had to catch a creepy no look hip shot of them passing by. I love the little blonde girl, how her little pony tail is bouncing with her step and her cute little outfit. The little brown haired boy doesn't seem to give a damn which I think is rather commendable!

These photos were taken in the neighbourhood of Brooklyn known as the DUMBO, an acronym for Down Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass. Kind of an odd name no? But New York City is notorious for these kind of names because you would never forget it. It was once a manufacturing and warehouse district that has been redeveloped into a trendy art district complete with cool cafes, bookstores, furniture and design stores and restaurants. Being at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge makes it a fantastic place to shoot and provides great views of the East River and the Manhattan skyline.

I'm not a huge fan of selective color photography, which seems to be so popular now a days. But when I took this photo of the old tobacco warehouse, I thought it would be tasteful and worth my first attempt. What do you think? Can you imagine having a wedding reception in there under the lights of the Bridge, across the river from Manhattan? Wow!

The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States. Completed in 1883, it connects the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn by spanning the East River. At 5,989 feet (1825 m), it was the longest suspension bridge in the world from its opening until 1903, and the first steel-wire suspension bridge. Information provided by Wikipedia.

I love shooting photos of bridges not only because they are architecturally nice to look at, offer great vantage points and provide converging lines, but because of what they represent. Bridges are built to connect people, places and things. They are entirely necessary for life to function and it's great that they are designed to be nice to look at too!

That's one hell of a skyline.

stv

America's Past-time

2010-05-18T09:59:00.017-06:00

As soon as Chloe and I stepped off of our plane, we had to get to Manhattan as fast as possible because we had tickets to see a Yankee game. To help give you some perspective, we landed at 5. The game started at 7. We landed in Newark, New Jersey Airport. It was Monday afternoon rush hour. What the hell were we thinking?

We were thinking "Damn, the Yankees are the biggest team in baseball! Almost everyone in the world who knows what baseball is, know's who the Yankees are. Ever hear of Babe Ruth? Lou Gehrig? Joe Dimaggio? Reggie Jackson? Derek Jeter? They are the current World Series Champions who play in a brand new multi-million dollar stadium!" Of course we are going to see a Yankee game while in New York, so stop judging us, dicknose!

Suprisingly, we got our bags quite quickly to the dismay of the fuming (not to be confused with flaming) Aussie next to me who has been waiting nearly 45 minutes for his wares. We caught a cab within 15 minutes which gave us just over 30 minutes to get to the hotel Soho. The cab ride was fairly fast considering the circumstances but it cost us over $80! We got to the hotel with some time to spare, but we still needed to take the subway uptown to the Bronx.

Arriving at the arena was surreal. I know I throw that word around a lot when I mention New York, but it is the word of choice that I use to describe the state of awe I was often in. It's a beauttiful, open-air designed, state of the art stadium that manages to take design cues from the old stadium that once stood across the street. It is seriously massive and a little intimidating at first. Once you settle in, you'll notice that it is extremely functional and there isn't single bad seat in the house.

We got to our seats, taking the ELEVATOR! Of course, we had to stop into another New York Institution and grab a Nathan's Famous hotdog and Miller Lite in a World Series Champions Collector Cup. We sat in the 200 section and our seats were great for only $50 a piece. Within minutes of sitting down, the Yankees hit a huge home run! I'm not usually one to get excited about baseball. I never watch it unless it's a tight playoff game. I mean, what's exciting about a bunch of guys standing around bases? But when you're there and the home team hits a home run, you'd have to be dead not to get hyped about it! I'll admit, the game still had it's slow moments and I'd often catch myself people watching or just staring in awe at the spectacle before me. It doesn't get much bigger then the Yanks!

Celebrity Sighting! Can you tell who this hardcore New York Yankee fan is?

The game was awesome. The Yankees won, beating the Baltimore Orioles 4-1 and we all really enjoyed the one of a kind experience. Only in New York, right Tre?

stv

Come Fly With Me

2010-05-17T12:40:00.008-06:00

First and foremost, this post is my 50th on this blog. I have been directing this blog for just over 5 months now and it has been one of the most rewarding projects that I have taken on yet. However, The Small Time Visionary wouldn't exist without your support. I know it sounds cliched, but it's the honest truth. You provide the inspiration which drives this blog, so I humbly congratulate you on making this blog what it is today. Thank you.

As most of you should know by now, my ultimate dream is to have the ability to fly. Imagine being able to take off and fly to any location you could think of. The journey in itself is worth the trip. I can only imagine the sensation of swooping through the air, touching the clouds and feeling the wind on my body. It all sounds a little sensual, no? Fetish? Perhaps. But I'll let my psychologist deal with that some other day.

Nevertheless, flying is cool! Here are some gratuitous "Aircraft" shots that I took on the way to NYC and on the way back from Virginia. I thought I'd ease my way into these NYC photos and posts, so enjoy!

stv

The 2010 Manhattan Tour de Awesome

2010-05-12T11:05:00.015-06:00

By far the best memory that will stick with me from the trip to NYC will be riding around the city on bicycles. It was such a surreal experience and was something that I have always wanted to do since the days I got re-introduced to cycling about 3 years ago and started following the premier cycling blogger Bike Snob NYC. Cycling in NYC is a completely unique experience. Here's my story:

I woke up extremely excited on Wednesday morning. Not only because it was supposed to be the hottest day of the week, nor because the sun was beaming into our 5th floor hotel room, but because we were going to rent some bicycles and ride around the city. I've been hoping for this opportunity to come during this trip, and it is finally coming true. Win and I were on board 100% but I could sense a little of uneasiness in Trevor when we ran the plan by him. Thank God he was a team player and hardly flinched at the idea of riding a bicycle on the crowded streets of Manhattan.

Conveniently, the bike shop was just across the street from the hotel. I could hardly contain my excitement and went ahead of the guys to check out the shop and the bicycles they had to rent. To my horror (not really) the bikes they had were some cheap, wal-mart-esque Raleigh-Townie 7-speed grip shift-kickstand-heavy as hell 2-wheel monstrosities; far from anything that I ride on the regular but they were certainly better then nothing and I was so excited that I'd even ride a p-far at this point.

So off we go, first stop? Who cares! We're riding bicycles on a gorgeous spring day in New York City! In our opinion, we've already reached our destination. But really, work was to be done, and by work I mean shopping. We made our way through Soho to Noho and the Lower East Side, only to find a number of the stores still closed. Dang it! It's f'n Cinco De Mayo! We then decided to make our way to Midtown only to realize that it was the lunch time rush hour! I'm sure many of you have played the game Frogger before. This moment was the active culmination of all the hours I have logged playing that damn game as a kid. You never stop and ponder your own existence until you find yourself squeezing between buses and delivery trucks in New York City traffic atop a slow and awkward excuse of a bicycle, but then again it is these moments that truly remind you that you are alive.

There is no better way to see New York then by bicycle. It's as if every block there is another famous building or monument. If you could please look straight ahead, there is the Flatiron Building. To your left, the Empire State Building. Next stop, Rockefeller. It couldn't have been more surreal to witness these landmarks in any other way. I just had to make sure that I didn't spend too much time looking up or else I would find myself getting intimate with the rear bumper of a pulled over taxi or the clavicle of a jay-walker.

Once I emerged from a store I came to find that Trevor had taken off. He had to head to Times Square to pick up a package from Fed Ex. We were running out of time, as we had to make it back to the hotel in less then an hour, so Win and I had to book it Uptown about 20 blocks to catch up with Trevor. The moment felt like a blur as we sprinted through traffic to meet up with our friend. Time was our enemy at this point and we spent too much of it enjoying the sights the City had to offer. I never knew such a piece of shit bike could go so fast, but it certainly managed under some intense pressure. We met up with Trevor in less then 5 minutes and he received the package in one piece. We took a minute to ponder the moment and it's significance before we took off like banshees for the hotel in Soho while managing to stop by some of the stores that were closed earlier.

How long do you think it takes to get from Midtown Manhattan to Soho by bicycle in early afternoon rush hour? Not very long apparently, especially when all road rules and common sense goes out the window. We were seriously behind the 8-ball at this point and haste couldn't be more of an understatement. Red lights soon lost all meaning, bike lanes seemed to disappear and dodging became a survival necessity. Imagine riding down a Manhattan mainstreet with a huge plastic bag over one shoulder and one hand on the handle bars, ever so slightly gripping the rear brake lever just in case shit got a little hairy. Angels must have been on our side because the bike store was in sight and we were unscathed minus the inflamed taints we had suffered from the uncomfortable saddles. But I spoke too soon and fate caught up with us as Trevor had himself a close call with a vehicle just across the street from the bike shop. Could you believe it?! After all we went through, just before the finish line we almost lose a teammate?! Go figure! But they don't call it a close call for nothing and Trevor will meet his Final Destination much later in his life then that day. We parked the bikes in the the shop and got charged an hour less then we exhausted to boot! What a fantastic end to a fantastic day!

In case you were wondering, the package that Trevor picked up was the engagement ring he used to propose to Lorena that same evening atop the Empire State Building. She said yes, of course, and now he's got a pretty dope story to tell his kids about how he and their Tito's raced across Manhattan on bike-back and risked life and limb to pick up their mothers engagement ring. It was definitely a great experience not soon to be forgotten.

Loves,

stv

A Heart In New York

2010-05-11T14:16:00.002-06:00

If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you should have found out by now that I am no longer in Manhattan and am now in Gainesville, Virginia. The time spent in New York City was like a blur, but also felt like a lifetime. After spending a week in NYC, the 3 hour train ride South to Virginia has landed me in what feels like another planet, let alone another country, state or city.

It comes as no surprise that the spirit of the City is to be constantly on the move, don't get left behind and eat or be eaten. Virginia couldn't be more on the contrary. Being just short of the "dirty South", Virginia expresses the slow and laid back lifestyle we often associate with the region while mixing the preppy elegance of the North East. It's easy to feel like you're at home in VA, but I also felt at home in NYC. Like a fly drawn to a zapper, I'm naturally attracted to big cities and it doesn't get much bigger then NYC.

I loved being on the go, speeding from point a to b came natural. While it was overwhelming at first, I found that I quickly adjusted to the system. The subway system in the city was so efficient, it's almost hard to believe that it was created over 100 years ago. As a pedestrian, you have to be aware and on point because it is easy to be trampled or hit by a car. Don't even get me started on what it was like on a bicycle; all I have to say is you need to be aggressive but it is absolutely the fastest way to get around the city. The constant chaos was inspiring in comparison to the mundane and "everyday" of Calgary, Alberta. Don't get me wrong, I love my home. It's just that I needed to gain some perspective and be inspired.

The people of NYC get a bad rep sometimes as being rude, but I found this to be a false accusation. Sure, they have a bit of an attitude, but you can hardly blame them considering their environment. Majority of the New Yorkers that I came across were extremely helpful and actually pleasant. Sure, they don't appreciate being made to wait, but who doesn't these days? The New Yorker has a mistaken identity and the famous rude attitude is just a misunderstanding of their often dry and sarcastic sense of humor. So a word of advice, don't be intimidated of New Yorkers, they too might be the most pleasant surprise of the trip.

There is way too much to see or do in NYC, but we managed alright considering we only had a week in the big city. We hardly slept for the week and punished our feet but it was well worth it. Here's an idea of what I did for a week:

Yankees vs. Orioles at the Yankee Stadium
Brooklyn Bridge
DUMBO
Brooklyn Banks
NEW YORK STYLE PIZZA
Times Square
David Letterman
West Side Story
Break dancers and freestyling @ Union Square
The Met
Performance art @ The MoMA
Central Park/Strawberry Fields/Fountain Performers
Green, Red, Orange, Blue
Hail a Cab
High Line
Bryant Park
Missing out on Fallon/The Roots @ 30 Rock
Dinner atop the MAD
Cycling the Bowery
YES atop the Empire State Building
Pig ears and sweetbreads
Lady Liberty
Flatiron
Meatpacking District
Breakfast in Chelsea
Chelsea Market
Soho to Noho to Lower East to Madison Square
Nuts 4 Nuts
Common Sense was "Just Wright"
Secretly taken on a "Sex in the City" tour
1 L of Goose killed/Hello porcelain Gods
Train from Penn

I probably missed a lot but that should give you a good idea. We probably saw more in one week then most locals see in 5 years, so we did New York right. Stay tuned, plenty more New York and Virginia to come.

Loves,

stv

Pardon The Interruption

2010-05-03T00:43:00.011-06:00

Ladies and Gents, I'm taking this blog on the road. I'm headed to the Big Apple. The Empire City. The City that Never Sleeps. The Big 'Ol Melting Pot. Gotham. Father Knickerbocker. Yankee Doodle Dandy. For those without a single clue, who lived their entire life in a box and who probably spend too much time playing World of Warcraft, I'm going to NEW YORK CITY!! I think I got an Empire State Building in my pants just thinking about how exciting it's going to be! I plan on keeping ya'll updated while I'm away with a few teasers, stories and the such. Expect some great things from this blog when I get back and I'll catch you on the flip flop!

Loves,

stv

Movie Review: Kick Ass

2010-04-29T15:37:00.021-06:00

I know what you're thinking. "Stevie, what the hell is wrong with you? You're done school and yet you're still writing?!" To you I say, good sir or miss, writing is a life skill and it's more of a hobby then a chore. So suck on that!

This Tuesday, Chloe, Frank, Al and I decided to catch a movie. Nothing else was playing past 10 except for the new comic inspired action/comedy, Kick Ass. I've seen the trailers and the movie looked pretty awesome. I've heard pretty decent things so I figured "What the hey? What kind of asshole says 'what the hey' ?"

The film is based on a comic book of the same name that is distributed through Marvel Comics. It follows the life of Dave Lizewski, a sort of 'everyman' character for the geeky comic crowd. Dave is an ordinary American teenager who spends most of his time floating though the shadows of high school while dealing with the existential issues of identity and angst. Dave spends most of his waking days hanging out at the comic book store with his equally geeky friends or in his bed room 'freeing the soldiers of love', so to speak. But after a few run ins with numerous street thugs, Dave decides that the people need a hero. Taking inspiration from the comic books which he admires so, Dave puts together a costume composed of a scuba suit. Armed with billy clubs and a taser, Dave sets off to save the world but he may have stumbled into something that is way bigger then he was ever prepared for.

The film stars Aaron Johnson, whose curly hair and self-effacing demeanour made me reflect on one of my childhood favorites; the Wonder Years and their lovable protagonist, Fred Savage. Who didn't think that the experiences of Kevin Arnold weren't based on their own experiences?! Seriously, everyone was able to relate with the kid. His narration was always on point; at times hilarious and at others extremely profound. And if it weren't for the Wonder Years, I wouldn't have known the 60's. If it weren't for Kevin Arnold, I wouldn't have known how to love. And if it weren't for Joe Cocker, I wouldn't have known the majesty of a stoned buffoon playing the air guitar on acid (no disrespect to Mr. Cocker, his Woodstock performance was epic). But what my digression proves is that Kick Ass understood this formula for success and employed it effectively through their character Dave Lizewski.

The Film also stars Nicolas Cage and Chloe Moretz. This was by far the best role Cage has played since Matchstick Men. Cage had to almost play two roles, one as the sharp and dark avenger, and the other as the nurturing and dainty father. Moretz shines hardest though, in what is sure to be her break-through role. Some may recognize Moretz from her role in (500) Days of Summer which was very minor at best. However, in Kick Ass, Moretz shows some extreme depth and displays some excellent acting skills. Her character was extremely tenacious and presumptuous while also displaying a light of innocence and vulnerability. What all these contradictions reveal is a film that has more depth then one would associate with comic book fan fare that will appeal to film goers at large.

The film was also technically brilliant. Comic books have a certain knack for capturing blood, violence, and gore; things we should all employ in our every day lives. It created the comic book feel very well and utilized zooms, slow motion and special effects to put the audience into the front seat of all the action. One scene that stands out in my mind is a slow motion of Moretz character set back to a strobe light. Absolutely brilliant!

Kick Ass is a great movie. It had some hardcore action, some great laughs, excellent talent and also looks at a the issue of social apathy that plagues our cities. It certainly is not okay to allow someone to be beaten or mugged, but how far are you willing to go to help your fellow man? Kick Ass is a highly irresponsible answer to that question, but is also a cool f'n movie!

7.5/10

stv

Diners, No-Looks and Crack Dens

2010-04-27T12:56:00.010-06:00

Sorry for the lack of updates, I've been so busy with exams. It's not easy to cram an entire semesters worth of information into one week.

One lazy Sunday, Chloe and I decided that we wanted to go out and try eating somewhere new. As devout fans of the Food Network monstrosity, Diners, Drive-ins and Dives we thought it would be fun to check out the Galaxie Diner on 11th st. S.W. to fill our gluttonous appetites with artery clogging, ass fattening goodness.

Upon arrival to the small commercial block in Connaught Calgary, I became intrigued by what is in my opinion the ugliest building in Calgary. It was so awful that even crack heads would find it unsuitable to smoke crack in. What was this building prior to becoming such a public eyesore? The door looked so beaten, it seems like it had some sort of professional and romantic relationship with Ike Turner. Oddly enough, there was a door mat on the sidewalk. It may be hard to believe but squatters are incredibly polite individuals and they never enter a shit-hole without clearing their shoes of dirt, gravel and human feces. But the entire ugliness of this building truly makes it beautiful to look at.

After waiting outside the diner for what seemed like an hour, we finally got a table; a massive booth at the very back. I was seriously surprised when I got inside. Lets just say that it didn't have vaulted ceilings, a ballroom floor and Rembrandt paintings on the wall. Nope, this place was definitely a diner through and through. It had the required cheesey 50's interior, but it still managed to feel comfortable inside. The building has some serious character and I managed to pull myself away from my corn beef hash and vanilla shake to snap a no-look photo from the hip. I think the guy with the beard is either (a) recieving some bad news or (b) concentrating on not breaking wind in front of his alternative girlfriend.

So check out the Galaxie Diner. It's got good food. It's funky inside. And when you're done you don't need to use the restroom because that dumpy building is just a few meters away! And they say Calgary doesn't have culture!

stv

There's Something About the Look in Your Eyes

2010-04-20T13:54:00.008-06:00

Something I noticed when the light was just right
It reminded me twice that I was alive
And it reminded me that you’re so worth the fight

My biggest fear will be the rescue of me
Strange how it turns out that way, yeah
Could you show me dear?
Something I've not seen.
Something infinitely interesting
Incubus - Echo

stv

Childs Play

2010-04-15T11:46:00.008-06:00

Remember when you were a little kid and you were so small that you could make a fort out of a television or refrigerator box? All you needed were some sofa cushions and some blankets and you had yourself a bonafide bomb-proof lair. Remember when the floor was lava? You used to jump from couch to chair to table like a damn maniac. Now a days I can't jump on a couch or bed without breaking it. Remember playing hide and seek? I used to be able to hide under the sink in the bathroom. I used to be able to climb to the top of a closet and hide on the shelves. Remember being a kid? I sure do. Those were the days, but my baby cousins keep me young.

loves,

stv

Hello there, Beautiful

2010-04-14T10:59:00.003-06:00

My girlfriend has one of the most interesting faces on the planet! I know she's reading this and thinking "WTF EVES!", so let me explain: Her face has so much character. First, her eyes are breathtaking. They change colour depending on her mood and I can stare at them for days. Second, her skin is very light and creamy. She has numerous little freckles on her cheeks, nose and lips and are so subtle that you don't notice them until you're up close and personal. Third, she has those amazingly full and soft lips and, might I mention, a great smile. She's got it going on, and I'm a pretty lucky dude. It's always an inspiration to take photos of her. She thinks she isn't photogenic; what do you think?

loves,

stv

Fire in the Sky

2010-04-13T13:32:00.007-06:00

Does the weather shift have you down too? Don't fret folks, let these fiery photos of the clouds warm you up! I always have my head up in the clouds and find plenty of inspiration from cloudscapes. We're pretty lucky in Calgary to have natural phenomena like this regularly. Hope you like 'em!

stv

Better Days To Come

2010-04-09T15:21:00.004-06:00

I try to be optimistic, but things need to start looking up. Better days are to come and they need come quick. I haven't felt such fear before but I also haven't felt so empowered. I'm focused again.

Have You Lost Your Marbles?

2010-04-08T08:48:00.035-06:00

"Sometimes crazy is a label the average place on the exceptional" - K.West

Lolita's Big Bicycle Make Over

2010-04-07T10:33:00.018-06:00

The nu shooz that I ordered for Lolita from the good folks at Campiones finally arrived and were built! In celebration of the monumental event, I made a little video; a sort of ode to bicycle maintanence and my dear bicycle, Lolita.

Lolita's Big Bicycle Make Over from Small Time Visionary on Vimeo.

And to think I wanted to replace this bike just last week. She looks so good right now, I think I might hang on to her for the year.

stv

Movie Review: How To Train Your Dragon

2010-04-05T10:48:00.016-06:00

To be quite honest, when I first heard about How to Train Your Dragon, I was rather uninterested. Sure, dragons are pretty cool and all, but it just seemed like another movie aimed towards the kiddies. Think of the animation flicks that have come out recently and bombed; Planet 51 or Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeekqual. I was about ready to place How to.. into that same list of lackluster and doomed famliy films, until I read the initial reviews. Remarkably, How to.. got ranked very well and I needed to find out what all the hub bub was about.

How to.. follows an ancient Viking village as they deal with a bit of a pest problem; dragons! Hiccup is the son of the burly, tough village General and is having a hard time finding acceptance because he is so different from the rest of the villagers. Hiccup is desperate for fame and glory, which is reserved for those who are victorious in battle with a dragon. When Hiccup's opportunity to trap and kill the most feared dragon around arrives, he realizes who he truly is and develops an unimaginable relationship with an unlikely individual; together paving his own road to fame and glory and perhaps securing the future of his village forever.

First of all, I watched the film at the IMAX theatre in Chinook center. IMAX never fails to impress me, and this was no different. I love the massive screen, the elite 3D glasses and the monumental sound system. it's a wee bit on the steep side; $17 per person, but totally worth it.

The animation in the film was breathtaking, practically on the same level as Avatar. Generally, I have believed the Pixar is far superior then Dreamworks in terms of animation quality, but How to.. proves that Dreamworks can produce animation just as good or even better than Pixar. I have to level with you. This movie got me a little emotional. Before you laugh and ridicule me, let me explain. My biggest dream is to fly. If I could have any super power for a day it would be the ability to fly. If I could fly or teleport, I would rather fly. Nearly once a week, I dream of flying. Catch my drift? The scenes in which Hiccup flies upon a dragon were magnificent! Dreamworks managed to effectively place the audience in the saddle of a dragon as it glided along the clouds, swooped around the rocky beaches and dove through the crisp Norwegian air. I was completely emerged into the scenes, catching myself gripping the arm rests and pushing my feet off the ground with every nose dive. Honestly, these are the most beautiful scenes in animation history ranking up there with the "Love Montage" from Up. Critically, it took a while to adjust to the faces of the characters; they are a little too cartoony, but that could be because of my Pixar bias.

I have not read the book that the movie is based upon, but I found the story to be fantastic. It has been reviewed as having great dramatic depth, and I can't help but agree entirely with that statement. This is not your normal family film. This movie dares to delve deeper into human emotions then most animation films have, with exception to Up, and does so very effectively. It is definitely a challenge for film makers to effectively make the audience empathize with the protagonist of their film but this was masterfully achieved with How to Train Your Dragon. The movie ends with a bit of a twist and while I don’t want to give it away, let me just say that it just further sets this movie apart in terms of depth and character. The film also has deeper implications as it criticizes brash American war mongering like in Vietnam and Afghanistan/Iraq and the Military Industrial Complex. I'm seriously not reaching! Watch it and tell me you don't see it too!

In summary, How to Train Your Dragon is my favorite movie of the year thus far and it would definitely take a lot to knock it off the top spot. It was amazing visually and heart-touching emotionally. It has everything that makes a great movie, without having to be too dramatic. How To Train Your Dragon is an extremely mature movie that doesn't take itself too seriously. I absolutely loved it and I'm sure you will too; trust me!

9.5/10

stv

Alberta Fashion Week x winFresh

2010-03-31T10:40:00.012-06:00

Last week was the 2010 S/S Alberta Fashion Week. I, unfortunately, was too busy to make any of the shows. I was supossed to be at the Friday show, but something came up. Fortunately for you, my friend winFresh was there and had a media pass from his girlfriend, Kar. We started shooting at the same time, go on shoots together fairly often and we've always been looking to do a collaboration together. Here is the first of many. He shot some really great photos and the clothes looked good too. Check 'em out!

Click the jump to see more shots by Win of the event.

stv

Get Tracked

2010-03-29T12:10:00.017-06:00

The weather has been getting better in Calgary, and while it has been rather inconsistent, I've been riding my two wheeled machine(s) as often as I can. Lolita, aka. The Green Bullet, has been my ride of choice lately. She's my beat around the city frame, her single speed transmission makes for ease of use and little to no maintenance. I built her up last year from random parts and painted her with some rattle can Krylon paint.

In just under a year, I have gotten some great use out of her, however, now that she has some "nu shooz" on order I'm starting to feel like it's time I move on to a more agressive track frame. Don't get me wrong; Lolita is fast as hell, an agile climber and offers a fairly comfy ride. It's just that the long wheel base makes her a wee bit clumsy around the corners and in traffic. So, I've been doing my reserach online for a new frame and I've been looking mainly at steel track frames. It is tax return time, and I think a track frame would make a great graduation gift (can't blame me for trying)! Anyways, here are a few that have caught my eye:

Surly Steamroller

One of the more accessible and cheaper frames that I can find, the Steamroller is a more practical and versitile frame that allows for bigger tires and fenders. The frame lacks the true track geometry, but is still fairly agressive.

Samson NJS

Made in Japan and was a Keirin Race staple in the early 90's, the Samson steel lugged frame is quite the rare find, but isn't she a beaut?!

Cinelli Gazzetta

Brand new for 2010, the Gazzetta is an entry/street level pista offering from the Italian frame builder. It's affordable, probably easier to get and comes in green and yellow! Yeah, it's silly to shop for colour.

Ciocc Enemy Pursuit

This bike in particular is famous because it's owned by one of the members of the MASH SF Crew. Unfortunately for me, it will remain a pipe dream. Super agressive though, and that has a lot to do with the smaller 650c painted carbon Zipp wheel up front. *sigh*

Brooklyn Machine Works Gangsta Track

Another one of my dreak bikes, the BMW Gangsta has a very interesting geometry, as the seat tube is leaning way back over the rear wheel. Opting for a BMX stem, bars, and freestyle forks this frame seems fit to do bar spins or sprints. Street cred.

Truthfully, I could probably only afford the Steamroller or the Gazzetta, but it's nice to dream. I'm not too sure when I'll actually start shopping for a new frame, but in the meantime I'll be lovingly pushing on Lolita.

Loves,

stv

No Races, Only Humans

2010-03-26T12:34:00.019-06:00

For those who didn't know, March 21st is the International Day to Eliminate Racial Discrimination. The Anti-Racist Action Calgary (ARA) organizes a yearly rally to celebrate the day and to spread their forum of racial harmony and the strength of love over hate. The day has been tainted with affliction in the past as the local Neo-Nazi sect, The Aryan Guard, has marched to oppose the ARA. This has resulted with violence and chaos, as numerous ignorant individuals have been arrested on both fronts.

The police presence was obvious and very strong as they too were expecting the worst. Supporters started to roll in very slowly but the crowd soon grew to be about 100 individuals. Fortunately, the Aryan Guard did not show up, and while it would have made for some explosive photos, a peaceful rally was a blessing. It proves that the Neo-Nazi movement is losing steam and this could be attributed to numerous members of the Guard being arrested. A small handful of self acclaimed "White Pride" supporters did show up but it was rather pathetic. I found it to be quite ridiculous that the media and some ARA supporters were even giving them attention. Racism, in any form, does not warrant any publicity whatsoever.

My honest opinion of the whole rally was that it was fairly well organized but still has it's issues. Namely, I was turned off by some of the members of the ARA that seemed to be eager for confrontation. It's amazing that these kids were there to fight for a cause that they are obviously passionate about but they were strikingly immature about it. They were "hamming" it up for the camera, longing to give interviews and when engaged in confrontation with the supposed Neo-Nazi's they acted primitive and moronic. Don't get me wrong, these "grunts" are important to any movement, however the leadership needs to come from the educated, who need to reel in the "bad eggs". The affluent will be sympathetic with the Anti-Racist movement, however, the movement does not appear attractive to the middle class. It is true, the middle class is largely apathetic and activism remains a working class/student activity. If the ARA can somehow get the rich and prosperous to get involved, their campaign will become bullet proof.

Anti-Racism is a worthy cause but it is still a fresh concept in this city. The fact the Neo-Nazi's still exist is disheartening, but it is still amazing that a small group of citizens are willing to fight for equal rights and racial unity in the 21st century; a time where many expect it but few practice or are even conscious of it.

Click the jump for some more photos of the rally.

stv

Spring 2010 PARK Show

2010-03-22T16:00:00.021-06:00

So I tried my hand at shooting a fashion show a few weeks back at the Spring 2010 PARK Fashion Show. The show was held at the Calgary Chinese Cultural Center on Saturday March 6th. PARK is a non-profit organization that stands for "Promoting Artists, Redefining Kulture." As the name suggests, PARK is around to help aspiring artists and designers by providing them a platform for them to present and sell their products. The organization is very "grass-roots" but you won't be finding any hippies or tree huggers here. PARK is professional and polished, composed of an extremely talented design and relations team.

My experience at the recent fashion show was positive. I packed my camera with the intention of shooting the fashion show, however, showing up late made it difficult to find a good location around the runway. Prime real-estate at the front of the runway was reserved for media, so I had to jockey for a position at the crowded sides of the runway. Good thing the runway was shaped as a cross, making for three points to shoot the models head on. Unfortunately, all points of the runway were packed! I made the best of the situation and tried to work around other photographers and audience members. It was difficult to focus on the clothes, so I tried to focus on other things like make-up, hair and details in the clothing. Lesson learned: get to events early and claim your spot! There's no such thing as fashionably late, even in fashion!

The dance performance by House of Dangerkat was excellent. This was the first time I have seen them perform and it was impressive. These guys are getting huge so it was a great treat to seem them live at a small event like this. Keep on keepin' on! Enjoy the mediocre photos.

There's a lot more where that came from. Click the jump to see more photos from the event.

Loves,

stv

Respect My Conglomerate

2010-03-20T12:10:00.032-06:00

My home girl Karleen has been tworkin' her buns off as style director for a project that she has been thinking up for the past few years. Teaming up with her long time friend and design genius, Lionel Cipriano, they set off to explore uncharted territory in the city of Calgary. Conglomerate Magazine is the newest, and in my honest opinion, most beautifully designed, styled and shot, independent fashion magazine in Calgary, maybe the country! It's focus is on fashion week events across the nation, profiling local talents and networking Canadians to their local fashion industry in a serious, intelligent, and honest manner. Kar and Lionel seriously smashed it. All other fashion publications should be worried, these cats have arrived. Click the image of the cover below to see the online preview of the magazine as it's set to hit newsstands at the end of April

Young and Free

2010-03-20T11:58:00.004-06:00

The Fresh Prince of Everything, aka. Francis Bustamante, has recently submitted a video application for the Young and Free Alberta website to be the Official 2011 spokesperson. The Young and Free was started to give the 17-25 year old crowd of Canada a platform to voice their opinions to the faceless financial institutions we've all come to love. Francis is a 21 year old ECON student at the UofC and he would like to represent you! Check out his one minute application video below and then follow the jump to vote for him. No joke!

loves,

stv

Happy Birthday Brooklyn

2010-03-17T10:30:00.006-06:00

Click the jump to see more pics of this cutie pie!

stv

Movie Review: Alice in Wonderland

2010-03-15T14:39:00.009-06:00

First and foremost, allow me to thank the management at the Empire Studio 16 Country Hills Theatre for finally installing some comfortable seating! Empire 16 is notoriously known in the city for having the most terrible theatre seating. The seats are angled so oddly, almost as if the seat backs were < 90 degrees. The cushioning was thin and they were poorly maintained and often stained with substances which should remain unknown. The new seating is amazing and blows away the chairs at Sunridge Spectrum. They rock as the Spectrum ones, but the geometry is orientated in such a way that you feel as you are reclining. The padding is cush and above all, they are new and clean (for now)! I’m not sure if all 16 theatres have been outfitted with the new seating, but make sure you catch a show in one of the 4 big theatres there so you can see what I’m saying. Kudos Empire 16, and it’s about time! Now, on to the review.

Upon reading initial reviews on Alice in Wonderland, I gathered that the film was a mediocre visual orgasm. The film opened to poor reviews, barely garnering a fresh rating of about 52%. The streets were also talking, and the reviews were mixed to say the least. Some said that the film was terrible, that it was a waste of 3D technology and that the story was butchered. Others said that the film was great, that the 3D was great and that the story plays well to the original. After all was said and done, I simply remembered that opinions are like assholes; everyone has one. I had to see the film for myself to form an opinion about it, so I humbly present to you my asshole (no homo) on Alice in Wonderland.

The plot of the film follows the classic Lewis Carroll story, taking from his novels Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. Alice is a 19th century girl with her head in the clouds, questioning the norms and values of the aristocratic society from which she grew up in. Distracted Alice spots a white rabbit in the garden and follows it into the woods where she eventually falls down the proverbial rabbit hole. She soon finds that she has landed into a mysterious world of oddball characters where the impossible is possible. Immediately she is thrown into a whirlwind of events to achieve a sort of destiny as savior to the Underland by dethroning the unruly Red Queen.

Alice is a visual masterpiece, which should not come as any surprise to anyone considering Tim Burton directed this film. I couldn’t think of a better fit for this film then Burton, as he masterfully built a Wonderland that played more to the Jefferson Airplane anthem, “White Rabbit” then the original animated film. Burton is a contemporary surrealist that would make Salvador Dali proud; the wild settings and characters look as though they are something out of a Dali painting, greatly excessive and intensely bizarre. These are two themes that are synonymous with Alice in Wonderland.

As with most Tim Burton films, the costume designs and makeup are highly original and exaggerated. The Red Queen, played by Helena Bonham Carter, is a fantastic example of how important the costume and makeup is to the character design. The fantastic red heart shaped “afro” a top of the Red Queen’s bulbous and enlarged head is a great example of how to effectively create a memorable character through the use of makeup, hair and costume design. The fiery orange hair, eerie yellow eyes and embellished cheekbones of the Mad Hatter or the milky white skin, dark lips and flowing white dress of the White Queen are other examples of how Burton effectively conveys his vision through make up and costume design and displays how important it is to the entire feel and memory of a film.

The use of 3D was understated but I found it to be fairly effective and somewhat worthwhile. One complaint is that the 3D was lame and that it wasn’t as in your face as it has been in other films. I on the other hand liked that the film makers weren’t trying to surprise the audience with things seeming like they are flying off the screen into their faces (that’s what she said). The 3D created great depth to the characters making for contrast from the characters and the scenes. The only discrepancy this created for me is that I was unsure about whether or not the fantastic set pieces were actually sets at all or CGI as the characters popped so much that the sets sometimes seemed flat and lacked depth. I would be curious enough to see the movie again without the 3D just to see/admire the set pieces for this film, because as anyone who has been to Disneyland knows, Disney does not hold back when it comes to creating set pieces. I would be deeply disappointed if I were to find out that the sets were in fact CGI. My favorite parts were the enlarged set pieces for mini Alice.

The acting was stellar, although Mia Wasikowska, who plays Alice, was rather flat and tired. Sadly, the original animated Alice had more depth then the real life Alice. Good thing she was surrounded by the likes of Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter and Anne Hathaway. Depp and Carter are the usual Burton fare, Carter being Burton’s domestic partner and Burton being Depp’s biggest fan. Hathaway, the newcomer, actually stole the show in my opinion. Yes, I have a bit of a crush on Anne Hathaway! I think she is smokin’ hot and a talented actress. She was elegance defined; the way she looked, dressed and moved was completely captivating.

Overall, I found the film to be pretty good. It is a fair adaptation of the original animated film, however, lacks in its ability to challenge reality and logic as the Carroll novels do. It is a visual smorgasbord complete with gorgeous costume, hair and makeup designs, enchanting sets and seamless CGI. The movie is not without the usual Burton morbidity that fans have come to love and expect. It is a film for all ages that should be appreciated in its own right. Burton made up for his adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with this adaptation of Alice in Wonderland. Being a visionary, I enjoyed this film and recommend it.

7/10

stv

In Full Bloom

2010-03-11T13:06:00.013-07:00

Allow me to introduce you to another influence of mine, Mr. Philip Bloom. Bloom is a director, director of photography and film maker who travels all around the world to shoot projects for Discovery HD and other media outlets. Considering himself as the new breed of cinematographers, Bloom has pushed the boundaries of what can be shot with compact and D-SLR cameras. Often opting for a Canon 5d Mk II, Canon 7d or Panasonic GF-1, Bloom creates amazingly visual videos and timelapses. His videos have a sense of personalization to them, mainly because of his utiziation of tight close ups with a macro lens and a feeling of reverence through his use of his wide angle lens; a comination that is very pleasing for the eyes. The soft focus that is characteristic in Blooms work is through the use of a fixed lens with a wide aperture of about f/1.2-1.4. The soundtrack that is edited into the videos is always on point, adding depth and character. He is a true inspiration to me because his videos encompass so much beauty and emotion; things that all photographers aspire to invoke through their photographs.

Be sure to click the icon on the lower right to view in fullscreen

Click the jump to to see more of Philip Bloom's breathtaking videos.

Loves,

stv

"Money Shot"

2010-03-08T11:19:00.014-07:00

I have gone back and forth over this photo for a while now; sometimes I'm in awe about it and other times I'm sick of looking at it. Late last year I entered this photo into an auction to support monsoon stricken Philippines, thinking it would fetch a fairly good price and donation. However, it didn't sell. I just wrote it off as the photo being better suited for a journal or news item; "who would want this photo on their walls?" is what I kept telling myself. I soon started to criticize every aspect of the photo and grew to hate it.

I gave this photo another shot and entered it into the 2010 University of Calgary International Photo Contest that took place 2 weeks ago. I was nervous when I saw some of the other photos for the contest; there were a lot of good shots. But, my photo prevailed and it won "Best People"! Needless to say, I love the photo again and I'll put it on my own wall to remind me of my first contest and first prize winning photo.

I just want to emphasize that I have no intention of exploiting these boys in order to make money from the photo. All I want is to tell a story about how beautiful the people are in the Philippines. It's easy to get caught up in how unsafe and poor the country is. We soon forget that they are people who laugh, cry and dream just as we do. This photo is a testament to the amazing spirit that the Filipino encompasses and it is about time that it deserves some recognition. This photo says to me "don't take life for granted because everyday is a beautiful gift" and I hope that you too can find some inspiration from these boys.

Loves,

stv

Fuji Natura Classica: Roll #2

2010-03-05T10:55:00.007-07:00

Here are a set of shots from the second roll of Fuji Superia 1600 from the Classica camera. You'll notice thatthe exposures are much cleaner and the grain is a little less noticable. With this roll, I learned how the exposure meter worked; something extremely helpful (go figure!), and how to make some interesting compositions with the super tiny viewfinder. Check 'em out!

Click the jump to check out a few more in the photo stream

Loves,

stv

Fuji Natura Classica: Roll #1

2010-03-03T10:57:00.012-07:00

I finally got around to scanning some shots from my pint sized powerhouse. With these, you will see that the little camera does have it's limits in the low light. At first, it was difficult to figure out what the optimal light conditions are for this camera, so there is a definite learning curve. When the lighting is too low the colours are not vibrant and the natural grain in the film really shows. I also wish that I could get the Fuji Natura 1600 film, but that is only available through special order from Japan so these shots are via Fuji Superia 1600 from The Camera Store. Either way, there are some cool pictures in the set. The photos produced are a completely raw and organic version of The Small Time Visionary; what you see is what you get. Enjoy.

Click the jump to check out a few more in the photo stream

Check back on Friday for roll #2

Loves,

stv