This is the second time I shot some backstage images before the runway shows. Its always great to see the organized chaos and the transformation to the runway show. It is also a good time to talk candidly with the models, make up artists and hairstylists.  Once again I used my 35mm F2 lens for all of these shots (wide open) and it definitely helped with not getting in the way as the make up room was a hundred degrees and we were cramped like sardines.  All good though and a great job done by all artists on both Saturday and Sunday.

All backstage image from both days can be viewed here.

Well it’s another season and once again I am the Official Photographer for the Clothing Show.  Excellent showcasing of new designers and some fantastic repeats from last time.  I missed Friday’s show since I had obligations out of the city that I couldn’t reschedule but I did shoot on Saturday and Sunday.  A couple of changes for the runway shows this season and I think they were for the better.  First was the lighting which was ten times better than last season.  The big spot lights were turned off and the runway was moved slightly to better accommodate the existing lighting in the building.  Definitely an improvement with the light consistency.  Next was the number of shows.  Instead of doing the usual three fashion shows twice in the day, it was changed to just one set of the three fashion shows for Saturday and Sunday.  This was requested by the designers and it definitely helped with building the crowds for the shows.  The only drawback for us photographers was the long wait between shows.  Anyway it was a nice change and I utilized the time between shows to network and meet new photographers.  Another significant change was that I requested to The Clothing Show that all photographers do not use flash in the pit.  The majority  of the photographers agreed with this before I asked and Clayton from the Clothing Show agreed to give it a go on the last runway show of the day on Saturday.  We also continued this “no flash” on Sunday for the 2nd and 3rd runway shows, with a few newbies in disbelief and angered by the announcement.  Thanks Clayton!!  Let’s see how it goes next season…

All runway images from September 24th can be viewed here.

All runway images from September 25th can be viewed here.

Designers included:

The Fairies Pyjamas, Melanie Dubuc, Bravomoda, Cecilia Pan, Diane Kroe, Ashaki Charles Designs, Dotty, Tetiana K Clothing, Espiritu Folk, Ariel Fu, Leave Nothing But Footprints, Carys Belle, Rosred Fashion Design, Palazotto Designs, C-Virtue, Yes World Boutique, Glyfada Dress Designs, Olio Studio, Naila’s Fashion and Plastik Wrap

Thanks to Clayton, Bonnie and Heather!

Awesome night shooting Seether, Three Days Grace and Avenged Sevenfold at the Molson Ampitheater for the Rockstar Uproar Festival. It has been a while since I shot a concert and afterwards I realized just how much I missed doing so. I get such a buzz from the energy of the crowd and the drive of the music. There was a full day of bands but with other commitments at the Festival, I only had a chance to shoot the last three and in my opinion the best three of the day.  As usual we photographers were only allowed to shoot the first three songs and were not allowed flash. All images were shot with my D700 at ISO 2000 with a Nikon 24-70 2.8.  These are my favourite five from the night.

All images can be viewed here.

Thanks to Emily and Tom.

Sullen Art Collective’s Miss Uproar is part of the Rockstar Uproar Festival across North America. The finalists of the model search competition will be flown to Los Angeles to compete for the grand prize which includes ad campaigns for Sullen Art Collective, Rockstar Energy Drink and Jägermeister Canada. The winner will also receive Sullen clothing and a year’s supply of Rockstar Energy Drinks. Today I had to follow the 8 contestants from Toronto around the festival for promo shots in addition to documenting the winner presentation on the Molson Amphitheater main stage. In between that a few of us photographers had a chance to shoot the contestants one on one. I found this bicycle parked behind a rundown popcorn stand and picked Model 5 for a cool looking alternative shot. The sun was peeking behind her and I only had an SB800 with which to light her so I couldn’t make the background as dark as I wanted. I still like how it turned out though.

My images for this day can be viewed here.

Thanks to Emily and Tom from Miss Uproar/Rockstar Uproar Festival.

Great day covering the Mercedes Benz of Buffalo Fashion Week’s main runway event at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center. Fantastic colour and designs from House of Versatile Styles, Jimmy Lee, Zita Pop, Solome Katongole and Lawrence Pizzi. There were also some exceptional styles from a collection of upcoming designers during the “Uncapped” A Vitamin Water Runway Presentation. This was my first time shooting at Buffalo Fashion Week and all I can say is this venue was first class and well organized. I also counted over a thousand seats surrounding the runway, and when the show started there was not an empty seat in the house. Just a great set up and a fantastic turn out for this event. Regarding shooting, I was able to get a space pretty much front and centre although I realized after the first break that at my spot I definitely had some lighting challenges, specifically the models’ eyes being in shadows. The runway was well lit and after the first designer I was able to find the sweet spots to get the best possible exposure. All of the photographers and videographers that were there were very cool and receptive and the overall vibe in the pit was chilled. I’m not really used to that at runway shows but kudos to the local Buffalo media that gave a warm welcome and for creating a friendly atmosphere.

Thanks to Ryan, an awesome Toronto photographer for making the trip with me on this day.

Special thanks to Lauren Byrd from RPM Entertainment Productions.

All of the images from House of Versatile Styles can be viewed here.

All of the images from Jimmy Lee can be viewed here.

All of the images from Zita Pop can be viewed here.

All of the images from Solome Katongole can be viewed here.

All of the images from Lawrence Pizzi can be viewed here.

All of the images from “Uncapped” A Vitamin Water Runway Presentation can be viewed here.