I worked with journalist Johan Anderberg last week in Vancouver for Sydsvenskan newspaper out of Malmö, Sweden. We covered a bunch of issues dealing with the City of Vancouver and the Olympics.

Cover of the paper.

Thousands of people met outside the Vancouver Art Gallery on February 12th to protest the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

Les Merson is the director and co-producer of the documentary film Street Sisters, which follows the lives on nine Aboriginal women on the streets of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.

David Eby is the Executive Director of the B.C. Civil Liberties Association.

Kate Kroll (left), and Melissa James made a film called “No Fun City” about the underground music scene in Vancouver.

Thousands of Team Canada fans take to the streets to celebrate Wednesday night on Granville Street in downtown Vancouver after Canada’s 7-3 over Russia in Men’s Hockey.

Cherry blossoms are sprouting up all over the city.  Yup, in mid-February, as the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games continue, it looks more and more every day like Mother Nature is deciding that Spring is the season right now.  Totally Awesome.

I know people back east and in other parts of the world have kind of a love/hate relationship with seeing all of the outdoorsy photos I have been putting up lately….So I promise this is the last one for a little while!  Not a bad place for a paddle, eh?

I shot the Olympic Torch Relay for a corporate client on its final day yesterday as it came down Broadway in Vancouver. It was so cool to see so many kids and families out celebrating. Despite everyone’s thoughts about the many issues surrounding the Olympics and how it will affect Vancouver for some time to come, it was great to see everyone together showing their national pride. I had a bit of tough job running along with the torch (other photogs were in a truck in front of the torch-runners) as the Olympic torch-protector guys made it clear I was not supposed to be running along with them, but managed to get off a couple of good shots before it was over.

When my friend Lindsay, who I’ve known since elementary school (we were nerd rivals back in the day, she was obviously too much of a match for me), asked me to do some family photos for her, I immediately said yes. She was taking off for Sydney the next day and we will miss her for a whole year as she is doing a Masters Degree in Australia. Lindsay is one of those people who you can’t help but be happy around. Always positive, always down to get out and do outdoors activities and get-togethers, she will really be missed in our group of friends here in Vancouver. We had a bunch of fun taking the photos, it was a great way to see her off. All the best in Down Under!!!!!






All photos at Third Beach in Stanley Park, Vancouver.

One of my favourite hikes. I took off at sunset from Evan’s Lake to try to get a hike in at The Chief today before heading to Comox for a magazine shoot tomorrow. Hustled my ass up the Chief in 36 minutes, snapped a couple photos at the top, and walked home down in the dark with the aid of my headlamp.

Click the photo to see the full panorama.

I don’t normally do panoramas, but seeing this view instantly made me think it was worthwhile. The air up here is so fresh it hurts, and the quietness and calmness makes it the perfect place to spend part of February, especially considering it’s about 12 degrees most of the time. We had a fire by the lake last night, and I thought to myself, when was the last time I had a camp fire in early February with a view like this?  It’s been epic.

Fresh Air. Nature. Hiking. Perfectly Calm Lakes. Good people. Good food. Good times.

Right now I am up at Evan’s Lake outside of Squamish, BC. What a change, it’s hard to believe that less than 24 hours after freezing my butt off in Toronto, I was walking around in the woods in BC. Wearing nothing but a hoody. It’s been great up here, one of the things I love most about travelling is that I get to come home to a place I love.