a photographer's blog: rick etkin

Helping in the community

Late last year, I was asked to shoot and direct a PSA for the Binnersproject.org as a public awareness video and fundraiser. I was contacted by longtime friends and collaborators on many projects, Mark Busse and Johnathon Strebly, who were leading the HCMA team helping the Binnersproject with this campaign. Working with lead designer Bonnie Retief and project architect Alexandra Kenyon, we set out to ask the question “What is a Binner?”

This was a very personal experience, the impact that shooting the video had on me was profound and moving . The project participants that we interviewed all had stories of challenges and life experiences that placed them in the DTES. Not the life that I know and can only imagine what life had been like for them as they spoke in front of the camera. Now their involvement with the Binners project led by cofounders, Anna Godefroy and Gabby Korcheva has brought some dignity, pride and purpose to their lives. People can make a difference in the community if you get involved.

“I am always grateful for skilled creative professionals like Rick who generously find time in their often crazy schedules to help produce media with meaning and impact.”           Mark Busse – Director of TILT Curiosity Labs

“Rick was able to capture the true essence of our Universal Cart Initiative, as well as connect with the binners we work with. In the filming process, he was attentive and professional with the interviewees, and the final video was light, meaningful, and the message clear. He was wonderful to work with!” —                                                                Anna Godefroy – Director, Binners Project

I have always believed in the importance of community and not for profit work, offering my time and skills to help others and hopefully make a difference somewhere. The BinnersProject  is one working concept that really does make a visible and big difference to people in the city that I have always called home.

Credits:

Client: HCMA / Tilt for Binnersproject.org

Creative Direction: Mark Busse/Johnathon Strebly

Project Architect: Alexandra Kenyon

Senior Designer: Bonnie Retief

Director/DP: Rick Etkin

2^nd Camera: Jonathan Bell-Etkin

Editor: Alec Richardson

Petcurean Go! Packaging and Campaign

Petcurean Go! Packaging

Dogs, cats, kittens, puppies, sounds like the ideal talent for a photography project. As a complete dog lover, when a client says I want to talk about a shoot that has all of the above as subjects for an integrated campaign and packaging, you just say yes.

Last year I was approached by Matthew Clark of Subplot Design Inc. to produce a new series of animal portraits for their long-time client, Petcurean Pet Nutrition to use on packaging and promotion of their Go! Brand. Matthew had previously commissioned me to shoot their own Subplot portraits in black and white and then saw a photo on Instagram of my family pup, Shotgun, that was done as a lens test. Both of these were heading in the right direction for the look and feel needed for their project. The Petcurean brand is well-defined and the quality of the images, like their brand, is premium.

Leap forward almost a year and I can finally share the results of some of the fun we had. The clients helped with talent casting and I assembled a fantastic crew to make it all a success. Added to lots of planning and preproduction for one prelight day and then 2 days of fun with cats and dogs, we created the chemistry for great things to happen.

Matthew Clark, Founder and Creative Director of Subplot Design, “They say never work with pets or kids. Well, I have done both, sometimes together. And when it came time to photograph dramatic portraits of 10 dogs and 5 cats in 2 days, with a mix of amateur and professional pet models, with all the organization and creative talent required, who did I call? Rick Etkin“

“I have worked with Rick for over 25 years and he is the perfect combination of big-shoot-production-organization-experience with creative-detailed-obsessive photography.” said Matthew.

“And he’s nice, which actually counts for a lot in this business.”

Claire Jensen, Creative Services Director for Petcurean said I’ve been on many photoshoots throughout my career and I can confidently say that the GO! SOLUTIONS shoot that Rick organized and shot was by far one of the best.

The studio was beautiful and spacious, the crew was professional, welcoming, down to earth and fun loving. The food? Where do I begin. How many photoshoots are you on where the photographer bakes homemade bread the night before and brings it to the set for the crew and clients to enjoy for breakfast!?

Aside from the environment that was created for us, the talent and expertise that Rick and his team displayed was clear from the onset. Our end result was high quality images that will carry our brand to a new level on packaging. The images were exactly what we briefed on, and we couldn’t be happier.

If you get the chance to partner with Rick on a project, don’t miss it!

Despite the warning to never work with animals, with the extraordinary talent of Pawsabilities owner, Paul Jasper, the animal trainer working animal magic with the owners of the featured animals, the shoot was a total success with so many image choices for Petcurean.

I am pretty sure everyone worked with smiles on their faces for the entire 3 days. Dog licks and snuggles were being given freely, kitten cuteness was at 11. Who could ask for more?

The Clients:

Client: Subplot Design for Petcurean Pet Nutrition

Design and Creative Direction Matthew Clarke

Project Writing by Pete Pallet

Final digital post was by Matthew at Subplot. 

The Crew:

Co-ordinator Lucie Lareau;

1^st assist @_JayDelaney_

Digital and assist @KevinLanthier

3^rd assist, PA and BTS photographer @lkbelletkin

Craft and catering by Tina Mohns.

The Technical:

The images are being used in multi platforms and media, from the packages to trade show display walls down to Instagam posts. The packaging is printed with black ink on silver foil. Hard edge light and contrast were needed and everything had to be shot against black duvateen. With all of the 15 four-footed talent, it was essential to stop all action, shoot fast and produce sharp huge files. This was accomplished using profoto A10s and nikon D850 with sigma Art 85mm for most of the session.

To see more images visit www.ricketkin.com

#Profoto #profotoA10 #nikond850 #sigmaart85mm #nikon24-120 #petfood #dogportraits #catportraits #packaging #advertising #germanShephard #catactors #studiophotography #vancouver #BTS #betterwhenyoutether @subplotdesign @petcurean @stage6studio @beauphotostore @tethertools

I am quite honoured to be included as an advisor and presenter in the inaugural Phoenix Training and Professional Development Program taking place from August 13-16^th in Squamish BC.  This music industry event is an initiative of Music BC, SFU Beede School of Business and supported by Creative BC and FACTOR

I am deep into creating my presentation, a case study of my real business, using the Business Model Canvas for formulating a future action plan and discussing how business adapts to personal priorities over an extended career.

In addition, I am partnered with Terry Mcbride of Nettwerk records along with 4 other business leaders, as advisors to the lucky 12 music professionals selected to be part of the development program!

Preparing for my Phoenix presentation

I am looking forward to being part of this event and there is no doubt that this will be a great opportunity for everyone to gain some insight and knowledge as well as open a few doors to previously unseen directions.

More Information:

http://musicbc.org/announcing-successful-phoenix-applicants/

 PHOENIX will provide participants with practical business guidance. It will include a comprehensive review of the different business models found in the contemporary music sector, as well as deep analysis of each business model brought to the lab. Advisers and mentors are drawn from both the music industry and the business world, to give participants a range of perspectives on possibilities and ways forward. The work becomes more personalized for each participant as the workshops progress. Psychology sessions are incorporated to give participants tools for working more efficiently and achieving better work/life balance. Resilience, time and behavioral management are also topics that will be covered in the program.

Roy White and Matthew Clark Subplot  Partners

What can you say when a top Canadian design team asks you to do their portraits for their promotional and profiles? Knowing their standards are extraordinarily high, their clients’ are super-stars and I have known them forever, I was genuinely flattered and said sure…

For those that know Subplot’s partners Matthew Clark and Roy White, serious turns to hysterical pretty fast and they wanted to capture something that reflected their personalities. I think we succeeded and given the creative was to work with a superhero look, I expect it will get some comments as they roll them out.

In Matthew’s words:

“Rick really makes our vision come to life – and then some! He is collaborative, inventive, and is technically perfect. And to get that with a bunch of designers as his subject-matter, well that’s a miracle. But we are so amazingly impressed and happy with our portraits. We’ve never looked so good!”

Matthew Clark

Roy White

Subplot Design’s Creative Team

About Subplot

Creative Certainty (tm)

Deductive, decisive, pragmatic, didactic, methodical, empirical, clear-eyed,
fresh-faced, eyebrow-furrowing, poetic, alchemic, chimeric, grenade-throwing, mind-blowing, rule-breaking, breathtaking, kick-at-sacred-cows, maybe-not-what-you-expected-but-for-sure-what-you-need brand design.

assistant: Ehsan Mahdizadeh final digital post: Matthew Clark

Tina Mohns

There are many connections that you can make as a photographer, some random, some from assignments, others through community. I have always been an advocate for community, even an activist. This has brought me on many adventures, along with some detours but almost always leading me to people with similar ideas and beliefs on the way.

Pennylane Shen

I have directed my work to my passion, creating “Imagery That Stirs” for myself and for clients. With most of my community work, although it is related to creativity I don’t often get to indulge my passion and profession as a photographer with camera in hand.

Olivia Sari-Goerlach

When the opportunity does come up, I jump in lens first. One of those opportunities is being part of the great international arts organization, Slideluck, whose irresistible mandate is “building community through food and art’. Along with co-director Tina Mohns, I have involved other influential people with community interests to help and then placed them in front of my camera so we have a consistent series of portraits of the great people who are the jury and team that is behind the event.

Matthew Clark

It was both a chance to recognize the people, that without their help, this event could not happen and for me to have more than an organizational role in Slideluck Vancouver.

Johnathon Vaughn-Strebly

The jury are all accomplished creatives in the design and art community with extraordinarily high standards, international reputations, community leaders, activists, educators and more. Each has pretty lofty expectations and deserves more than just a passport headshot. The organizing team are all photographers with certain expectations as well so the bar was set high to begin with.

Hope Morris

We all had a great time during the shoot and I hope you agree the results speak for themselves.

Avalon Mott

More about the jury

Slideluck Vancouver lV

Ricketkin.com

I recently had the great privilege of being commissioned to work with Backun Musical Services, makers of some of the finest woodwind products in the world, based here in Burnaby B.C.. One of their artists, Eugene Mondie, is currently the Assistant Principal and Eb Clarinetist with the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C.. Eugene had come to Vancouver to meet with Backun for some custom work on his clarinet and to do a publicity photo shoot for them, which is where I came in. This image is one of my favourites of the session with both the artist and the instrument looking their best.

Portrait by Rick Etkin of Eugene Mondie for @backunmusical with ‪#‎BackunArtists‬

This is the start of a new personal photographic series that I have been working on recently.

It is inspired in many ways by classic  black and white photographic technique, a series that explores the world around me. All of these subjects were discovered while out walking in areas of Vancouver and were photographed using only natural available light. The images feature the beauty in the shape, shadow, light and form in nature.

I hope you enjoy the series online and eventually on the walls of a gallery.

All images were created with my iphone 4s. For some people a smartphone is a toy, a tool for others and for me, another means to allow creative and artistic expression.
(all images ©rick etkin 2015 and not for reproduction without written permission)

SFU Coach Chapdelaine – www.sfu.ca/aq

SFU aq Magazine Cover feature on Clansmen Coach, Jacques Chapdelaine and his sons

A few months ago, I had the great pleasure to collaborate once again with Vancouver art director, Jane Edwards Griffin for her client, Simon Fraser University aq magazine. It was the cover and editorial spread featuring Jacques Chapdelaine, the coach of the SFU Clansmen Football Team and his coaching assistants, who happened to be his two sons. The feature is called “Of Football and Family”

There is a great history with the coach and the team, and now they are the first Canadian University team to join the NCAA league in the United States. SFU aq Magazine decided to feature this important story for their readership and Jane called on me to create the feature’s photographs.

Squeezing an hour of the coach’s precious pre-season time was instrumental in the final outcome. In the end, had to shoot on campus in the mid-day sun between 11:30 and 1:00 on a very hot, cloudless day in August. Not at all the ideal time to shoot, so finding the right locations was essential. Fortunately, we were able to take advantage of the sports complex’s busy passageways to hide from the direct sun.

Working with Jane is always a treat; she is very hands on and involved to get the best possible results, always open to ideas. We both feel the results of this shoot were fantastic and as the publication has just been released, we will soon get feedback from the readers as well.

“When art directing, my intention is to allow the best opportunity for “all the stars to align”. In the case of aq’s November cover feature, I could not have wished for better synchronicity. Coach Chapdelaine, his two son’s on set, the glorious light filtering through from the Terry Fox field, and of course Rick’s keen eye, intuition and rapport with those in front of his lens. Thank you for being such a bright star, Rick! “

Art Director Jane Edwards Griffin

   The Chapdelaines – SFU Clansman Football Coaches

Read the full feature at   http://www.sfu.ca/aq/issues/november2014/features/of-football-and-family.html

National Geographic event In British Columbia, Mulling the Role of Natural Gas in a Sustainable Energy Future

    My First National Geographic Society Assignment

At one point in every photographers career you will dream of shooting for the National Geographic Society.

As an organization, the mission of the National Geographic Society is to inspire people to care about the planet. Throughout its 126-year history, it has encouraged conservation of natural resources and raised public awareness of the importance of natural places, the plants and wildlife that inhabit them and the environmental problems that threaten them. The Society also encourages stewardship of the planet through research and exploration, and through education. Through their many media and communication channels, they reach an astounding 500 million people every month.

So you can imagine my response when a friend and client called and left a message asking if I would be interested in shooting for National Geographic. Like a very fast shutter speed with no delay of course I said yes!

The Society has been hosting a series of workshops and think-tanks around the world on the issues of energy and the future called “The Great Energy Challenge” and Vancouver became a focus for a very timely discussion about natural gas and its role in the world’s energy future. The event, held just prior to the Globe2014 conference on the environment brought many industry ( Andy Calitz, Paul Jeakins) and environmental leaders ( Wade Davis, Mark Brownstein, Ellis Ross) along with academics and other stakeholders into one room, to discuss the future of natural gas and how it impacts on the environment, economies, and our way of life.

I was asked by the National Geographic organizing team to attend and photograph the discussions for use on their blog, printed reports and communication pieces. It may not be what most people would think of me shooting and although it wasn’t for the Magazine with months in the arctic waiting for perfect light and polar bears, it was my first assignment for National Geographic and it is already online with my credit as photographer. It is very thought provoking to read and worth checking out.

I felt extremely fortunate to be able to part of this important dialogue about energy and would like to think that there are other National Geographic assignments in my future, time will tell.

National Geographic event In British Columbia, Mulling the Role of Natural Gas in a Sustainable Energy Future

A fun day shooting with Lamarque Films and Relevention Marketing for BC Greenhouse Growers’ Association’s new BC Veggie Day campaign set to launch March 1st. I worked on the print and web campaign alongside the film production crew.

It was a perfect combination of location, light and propping that made every shot look fantastic. The temperature was a chilly -7 at the start of our outdoor session and was much warmer with about 90% humidity inside the beautiful greenhouses of Windset Farms.

With people and food and great locations, no doubt this is “imagery that stirs”

BC Veggie Day

BC Veggie Day

BC Veggie Day

BC Veggie Day

BC Veggie Day

BC Veggie Day

BC Veggie Day

Last week I had the opportunity to do a creative test for an upcoming project that will give me creative freedom to shoot beautiful story telling images, action, moments and emotion.

Jamie full length.

Jamie leopard dress swirl

These images came from the first session of a full day of fun shooting with a great production team and group of people in front of the camera. This space had the most amazing available light for shooting. I hope I can get back there to shoot again soon.

I will post more  of the images from the other sessions over the next few days. Keep tuned to this space for more about the contract, I hope to know the outcome soon.

A very special thanks to Jonathan, Lindsay, Ellen and all the talent for making this possible in an incredibly short period of time!

Iphoneography geometrics photography by rick etkin, all rights reserved copyright 2012

So pleased to be included in this year’s photohaus mobileography show. It’s great to feel recognized for the fun I have had creating iphone based images over the past year. Proving that the best camera is the one you have with you, I have shot more freely and more personally that I have for some time.

I am honoured to have a total of 9 pieces made up of 18 of my images on display in the gallery. The opening is tomorrow (Friday 26th at 7pm) and is open to the public. Come out and see how creative photographers make use of cameras that come with a phone and a computer!

The show is up until August 17th

After a seemingly extended absence from the world of actual image creation, filling my time with producing events,  nonprofit leadership, the corporate world, arts connections, software training, instagram and social media, I need to remind the world I really am a photographer first and foremost.

To get back into the minds of my clients (who must have wondered where I’ve been), I will be doing even more social media, promotion and getting my work back into view everywhere!

I’m already online at www.ricketkin.com,  instagram and on facebook. Not to mention twitter  @ricketkin and on linkedin.com.  So now I’m integrating all of this to get some great followers and creating valuable and exciting content that will be noticed.

Oh right, and of course in between all of the marketing I will be shooting, creating, producing and make a living!

From a series of portraits I’ve started about interesting people

Ah the life of a photographer.

After a rather extended non-blogging period, I have returned to my writing and posting, updating my website and adding images that don’t really belong anywhere else other than facebook or instagram (#rick_etkin) but I wanted to share more than the short bursts allowed in those forums.

I have immensely enjoyed creating and capturing images with my iphone that I might not have taken with my Lumix, Nikon or other heavy pro gear that I have the occasion to use. “The best camera you have is the one that you have with you”…(chase jarvis and many others). It appears I have taken that to heart and find myself shooting constantly and I have amassed a large library of images from my travel, walking, discoveries and day to day visual observations.

The reaction to my personal work has been very strong, positive and encouraging and I am happy to begin sharing some of this with more people in the very public world of the internet.

Feedback and comments are truly welcome.

Watch this space for regular updates! ( I promise)

Here it is late on Friday the 28th and I am still working on my presentation for the photography instructors in Winnipeg. Only about 50 hours till I am on the plane and not really keen on making changes that late!

Its going together very well and I have been getting image contributions from photographers from all over including this one from Australian Christopher Dobie which clearly shows my professionalism during the games. In fact he emailed the image to my photo supervisor at Creekside saying the following:

“I must lodge one complaint though. There was an obvious amateur photographer getting in everyone’s way. I have attached a photo of him. If you recognize him, can you make sure he is banned from all future events.”

I am already feeling the repercussions of this, even though I was clearly shooting the photographers at work in front of me. It is hard to defend against photographic evidence 😉

Next assignment Siberia or is that Sochi?

What is keeping me busy these days?

Inflatable moose, part of "Made in Canada" at Vancouver 2010 Closing Ceremonies

Just when I thought I could get back to do what I love the most by shooting as much as I can, there seems to be a thousand deadlines for other important things that all need to be done first.

WEB SITE, PORTFOLIO, SHOWS, & MEETINGS

Before launching an email announcing this blog, I have had to update my website with my new work, juggle placement, run colour tests, revamp my portfolio, and decide on the cover for a new print portfolio. I also have worked on building networks and reconnecting with many people since the games, including attending the Capalino University IDEA Grad Show, The 2010 GDC Graphex Awards Night, and the Langara College Photography Grad show. Of course there were also CAPIC board meetings and the Langara Photography Program Advisory Board meetings, which I sit on.

View of downtown Vancouver from Granville Island - Yaletown at twilight

CAPIC PORTFOLIO SPEED REVIEWS

Next week (May 25th) is CAPIC’s Portfolio Speed Review, where I am the reviewer contact person and  will be the MC. We have a great panel of reviewers from Vancouver’s top AD agencies and design firms. Cossette, Emdoubleyou Design, Hangar 18, Karacters, Rethink and others, for a total of 18 creative reviewers. I am really looking forward to hearing the comments and getting feedback from both the reviewers and the artists involved.

Kudos to the CAPIC Board and volunteers who have helped make this a reality. A review of the event will be posted after its over.

AN INSPIRING TALK TO PHOTO INSTRUCTORS IN WINNIPEG

On top of the smaller items above, I have been asked to make a four hour presentation, on June 1st, to Winnipeg School District instructors, about my experience at the Olympics and on how to inspire students in photography. This all came about during the Olympics, as one of the Volunteer Press Assistants at the Whistler Media Centre (Ron Weston) was the Superintendant of the School system for Winnipeg. He was writing a daily blog for the students and teachers back home, and included some photo related information that I passed on. There were some great collections of 2010 photography at the Denver Post blog that was a big hit with the students (and almost anyone who sees them). The next day Ron approached me thinking that what I was doing was interesting enough to invite me to speak.

So now I am in the middle of writing and creating a multimedia extravaganza that hopefully might get shown in more than Winnipeg.  It’s been great doing research on other photographers’ blogs to see what the results of all the planning that went into the Games’ Photo Services. I will post a link to an excerpt from the presentation when it’s done.

If you have a group that may be interested in seeing part of the finished presentation, let me know!

OLYMPIC EXPERIENCE COMPILATION BOOK

At the same time as everything else, I am trying to edit my hard drive full of games images into a meaningful collection of my memories of the experience.

" Devotees" Fans of Devo at Whistler Medals Plaza during the Games- wearing the trademark Devo hat in "Games Blue"

I have had many requests from people to see the “inside” of the Games, so I am making it a priority along with an online gallery linked to my website. Watch this blog for the announcement of the completion of my book.

GUEST KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Lastly, there is the ten minute keynote speaker address that I am writing to present to a potential audience of 500 people, on June 3rd. You will have to wait before I can let you know what this is all about. Come back after June 4th.

The start of deflation of BC Place Roof May 4 2010

Today I stood and watched the roof of BC Place Stadium, deflate for the last time. The stadium was  home of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Opening and Closing Ceremonies as well as the BC Lions, The Whitecaps, countless concerts, trade shows and film productions.

It was about 28 years ago, when the view was very different, that I stood inside as the inflatable roof was raised, I won’t say it seemed like yesterday but  it really was something that was important to me at the time…. A few months later, I shot an exterior image from the South shore of False Creek.  My photograph became the official poster for the opening of BC Place. I tried to find it in my archives, but haven’t located it yet, thus is the case with film and print archives, searching through digital archives is so much easier.

BC Place Roof halfway deflated on May 4 2010

The roof is completely deflated - May 4th 2010 about 11:40 in the morning

It only took about an hour in the sunshine for the roof to come down and change the skyline of the city. A new retractable roof will be in place in about 18 months and the stadium will reopen and once again change the skyline of Vancouver.

These photos were taken from the Eastern Shore of False Creek near the Telus World of Science. There was a very patient crowd taking in the moment. A few photographers were in attendance including one of Vancouver’s true veterans, Andy Clark.

Andy Clark captures BC place roof deflation on May 4 2010

Oddly enough, a Bollywood film was being shot on the seawall to the south of where I watched. Interesting to hear “Action” and “Cut”in Hindi

The Torch reaches Whistler Village to a welcome of thousands of cheering fans

It has been an experience that I will remember forever. For those that didn’t know of my contract with the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games, I have spent the last eighteen months as Supervisor of Photo Services for the Mountains in Press Operations. I started in October 2008  and worked inside the Games until late March. In that time I worked closely with my two colleagues, Nick Didlick – Photo Manager and Alain-Pierre Hovasse – my city equivalent (more about them later) with a photo team that eventually reached over thirty managers and supervisors and over two hundred volunteers. That was just our photo operations team, the whole press team reached over five hundred people and the Games more than twenty thousand.

In 2009 I was the Photo Manager at eight World Cups in the Whistler area and helped with the planning for all of the photo positions, infrastructure and technology that would be required for the 740 photographers accredited to the Games. During the Olympics, I oversaw the photography operations for The Whistler Media Centre and Whistler Medals Plaza as Venue Photo Manager. My work expanded for the Paralympics as I was also the Venue Photo Manager for alpine racing at Whistler Creekside.

I was often working in the best, most exciting places at the Games. You can only imagine what it was like to be standing at the lip of the Large Hill Ski jump at Whistler Olympic park as the competitors launched into space at 100kph or at the Whistler Sliding Centre with a Luge blasting by at over 150hph. Blink and they were gone, but the sound and memories will never fade.

My plans were to start this blog before the Games began and share some of my experiences and photos as it happened. The best laid plans often take a left turn as there simply weren’t enough hours in the day, and since there were maybe only 3 days off from Mid January until  the end of the Paralympics I had to shift my priorities.

Waiting in a snowstorm for the Medals ceremonies at Whistler Creekside / 2010 Paralympics

I am now gathering my thoughts and images to share, hoping that I can give you a small insider’s taste of what it was like to be involved in the largest event in the world in a role that played on all of my experience as a photographer, producer, manager, planner, film-maker and scheduler….

More to come.