Next Personal Project comes from a love of mine.

Good Sunday from Prospect.

Here's a teaser for ya from my next personal project which involves, you guessed it, the sport of sailing. The primary rule to be a sport is simple, if you can get hurt then it is a sport. Yes it's a sport because participants can, and do, get hurt.

Weapon of choice: Canon 5D mrk II, Canon 70-200 IS f2.8

The project involves group and individual portraiture before, during or after an event, in the flavour of street photography. It is an editorial piece and no photos will be used in product endorsement or commercial purpose except for being in the final book and featured in online blog/website features.

If you're interested in participating, and sail locally, drop me a line and we'll see if we can work you and/or your team in. 

Sorry, no fees will be paid for sessions and all image copyrights will belong to the photographer, but you will get an online copy for your personal enjoyment.

A note on sailing: IMHO

Sailing is the utmost team sport, everyone needs to do their job for the team to succeed. No hot dogs or rock stars, they just rock the boat and create a lack of cohesion, unless the entire team, of course, are as talented. Then it's just an awesome team.

Some, those who have not partaken, say it's foolish and slow. Racing should be fast they say? Well that's all relative now isn't it. Sailing is not just about going fast, although doing 40 knots in 25 knots of breeze is quite a rush and it takes a tremendous amount of skill and superior technology to achieve. If all you want is speed then watch stock car racing, now that's foolish. Going fast left, left, left done.

In sailing you pit your experience and skill against your opponent. It's about making choices of direction as well as knowing how to trim and drive. It's also about becoming a better sailor. Practice makes perfect and what better way than to pit yourself against extreme conditions and other sailors to gain experience where it may otherwise be dangerous to experience for the first time.

Anyway, all I wanted to bring up is, yes, it's sailing season here in Halifax and the teaser is a sample from the gallery, and book, soon to come. 

Canon 5D mrk II, Canon 70-200 IS f2.8

This particular event is off point pleasant and run by the royal nova scotia yacht squadron, the oldest yacht club in north america.

Once a week every sailing club in the area runs at least one race night for the members. It's a great way to hone your sailing skills and, as it was for me, learn to sail.

If you'd like to spectate, other than go out on a boat, you can watch this specific event, from Point Pleasant Park on the Halifax peninsula or from Ferguson's cove off the Purcell's cove road.

I'm quite sure any sailing club close to you puts on a weekly event for you to see or participate in.

From August 14-17 Chester race week is underway. The photos included in this post is from last Wednesday nights rnsys race night. The clubs teams were gearing up for race week and so they were fine tuning their skills.

With fingers crossed, we hope the weeks weather will be awesome sailing weather with brisk breezes and bright skies. No I'm not forgetting about the great partying for the week, that's something you need to experience for yourself after the races in Chester NS.

Keep dropping back, or sign up for rss feed, as this project develops.

Maybe we'll see you in Chester, enjoy, Derek

Beauty from MAYHEM

Good Sunday from Prospect.

I want to share a little imagery I call beauty out of Mayhem. It's a study in space used up as soon as we get in it. 
As a project comes to a close, so does the usable space of my shop.

I find as I build these beautiful little boats (ready to race) my space tends to get more and more crowded as they come to completion. Sort of how I use up every inch around me.

Wonder if it's possessiveness or just working in cramped quarters.

Oh well…Do the chore, clean up, do the choir, clean up, so on and so on.

I hope you enjoy these.
(PS, I'd rather shoot these than dead trees in the fall)

Derek

Shooting one passion with another on Friday

Good Friday from Prospect.

f3.5 1/20 ISO125

This is not the exciting story I've been eluding to. This is one of my pastimes combined with another. I not only enjoy sailing keelboats but I also love to sail RC sailboats. On top of that I really enjoy building them and here I'm photographing  them in progress.

f2.8 1/40 ISO100

These are two I've been commissioned to build, for what will become two new members in the Boddingtons Deep Draught Yacht Club ( http://topsidercs.com/BDDYC/ ). A NSYA sanctioned club dedicated to the enjoyment of competing against your sailing peers in search of bragging rights and of sharing good times with friends.

f2.8 1/20 ISO100

Enjoy these and have a great weekend. All images shot with Canon 5D mkII and Canon 16-35L II f 2.8 under floresents.

Enjoy, Derek

I'm Back from Saint-Pierre et Miquelon

Good Monday from Prospect.

My Possy, Mark, Peter, Richard, Dirk,Tom and me in front

Fishing boats, Saint-Pierre

Hey, I'm back. Been away for the week on the Route Halifax Saint-Pierre Ocean Race and have some stuff to share.

I effectively, lived without internet for a week and survived, funny huh? Lost it off Cape Breton and would only get updates when we were out sailing off the coast of Saint-Pierre. My phone and iPad would populate when I wasn't looking. It's not that the Island doesn't have internet, it was just difficult to acquire what was set up for the sailors. Too many people sharing the same connection. I kept a few logs to keep my mind up to date during the trip since I couldn't post daily.

The Route Halifax Saint-Pierre race starts in early July in Halifax harbour and finishes 2-3 days in Saint-Pierre. It's a sponsored event hosted by the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron and the Saint-Pierre Yacht Club.

The race was an amazing trip. It's not just about racing to Saint-Pierre to win honours, (we did capture 4th in our division for the ocean race and the Grand Prix with our canvas enclosure up) it's about a glorious 2.5 day trip to a wonderful place with amazing people.

I only knew 2 of our 6 crew when we left. Actually only met Dirk de Haan as we left the dock to start the race. By the time the week was over, and I had to leave, I had 5 great comrades with bonds for a life time.

Saint-Pierre

We were, Peter Blunden (skipper), Richard Dube (navigator and cook), Dirk de Haan (driver and main trim), Mark Jollymore (driver and trim), Tom Vokey (trim and driver) and myself (trim, photographer, inshore tactics).

The hearts of the Saint-Pierre people are huge and warm. They couldn't do enough for us and we were amazed. They are so gracious. Our host family, Jean-Pierre and José Poirer, were wonderful and I hope to see them again soon.

Mariners Monument, Saint Pierre et Miquelon

The weather, although I'm told is always foggy and cold, was warm and clear with moderate winds pushing us downwind to what I now refer to as the little northern Bermuda. Little European streets with brightly coloured houses, both shingle and stucco sided and a rich history dating back to the discovery of North America.

Anyone that has never been, or thinks it's not the place to go, needs to rethink. I'll fly back with my wife and daughter as soon as we can. It will be the leisurely cap to a great trip.


I've dropped in a few pics, enjoy, Derek

Peter and myself on Life of Reilly II before the start of the inner harbour race (Grand Prix on Thursday)

Saint Pierre

Post Office in Saint-Pierre

Crab Pots, I think

Our race fleet tied up at Saint-Pierre Yacht Club

Our race fleet tied up at Saint-Pierre Yacht Club

Saint-Pierre Yacht Club

Saint-Pierre

Last night meal on Life of Reilly II before I flew back

Hail the Conquering Hero!

On October 3rd 2010 the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron, Halifax Nova Scotia, had it's annual club championships.

I believe the criteria to enter this race is a club boat, with at least one regatta/series win in that years season, qualifies to enter. All qualifying captains then choose from their 2 or three crew members to compete with them.

All competitors sail the clubs J22 fleet, rotating which boats they sail to even out the field and make the regatta fair for all.

This year we had 8 teams using the 5 club boats. Through a series of round robin starting at 12:00 noon the teams competed in every variation of boat and against all competitors possible.

After a full day of racing the winners emerged. Team Glenesk with Mike Archibald, Mat Archibald and Linda Langley. (above)

BTW, the winning captain receives the coveted parking spot at the club (closest to the door).

The Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron, located on the Purcells Cove Road in Halifax NS, is considered the oldest yacht club in North America. With it's beginnings in 1837, and establishing it's first club house in 1860, it has been running the oldest, continuous regatta in North America, The Prince of Whales, Presented by King Edward VII.

It has since become the home of top notch sailing olympians as Paul Tingly and Lisa Ross leading todays current team.

The RNSYS is primarily a sailing club and it is their goal to encourage and enhance the sport of sailing within the membership and community. Home to close to 900 members from Canada, the United States, and international regions, the RNSYS is proud to offer instructional programs and on water activities for all ages, with our learn to sail program being the largest in Atlantic Canada.

If you are interested in the club here is the [link] to their site.

As well here is the [link] to to event itself. I hope I captured everyone of the competitors. If you are interested in any of these contact me and we can make arrangements for prints etc…

I hope you enjoy the gallery, I certainly enjoyed shooting it from the deck of Ann Aclands A31, Anticipation.