Happy New Year! 2020 is finally in our rearview. Here's hoping things turn around in 2021.

Back in the Spring, out of the blue, I decided to stop putting off something I’ve always been interested in. It could have been the fact that I was about to turn 40, or it could have been the need to focus my energy on something positive in the midst of the early days of the pandemic. Whatever the case, I bought a camera and dove head-first into the world of photography.

After taking to YouTube to learn the basics, I quickly discovered a handful of awesome content creators who got me up and running quicker than I had hoped. Leading the pack was @petermckinnon. I spent hours watching his videos with my 7 year-old step-daughter, who was equally enthralled. It didn’t take long for me to discover his side project, @petespiratelife; limited edition goods branded with his very own Jolly Roger. Everything from pens to hot sauce, but the most coveted are his pirate coins. These drops (as he calls them) typically sell out in minutes, and when I caught wind of the Kraken V2 coin’s last run, I hinted heavily to my girlfriend that I would love one. To my surprise, a few months later, I opened an awesome little box on Christmas morning that contained a puzzle crate. Inside, the Kraken V2 coin. It’s been months since I took my camera out, and once again I owe it to Peter for getting me behind the lens.

I did this little shoot on my living room coffee table while my daughter played games on her iPad and the dog slept on the couch. I’ve been making excuses about not having time or space to take photos, but I realized I just need to try harder and work with what I have. I’m starting this year off with a fresh set of photos, and hope to continue this trend.

I can’t decide which is my favourite. How about you?

#flytheflag #petespiratelife #piratecoin #coin #medallion #productphotography #photography #50mm #niftyfifty ...

It’s hard to believe that I haven’t even picked up my DSLR in about a month. Especially given that I have a puppy running around the house, but then again, she’s most of the reason I’ve been absent.

Meet Ellie, my 11 week old pup! She’s a Rottweiler/Shepherd mix, and she’s absolutely adored in this household. The biting sucks, but having a nap buddy who loves to cuddle is awesome.

#puppy #puppylife #puppygram #puppyoftheday #puppydog #rottweiler #germanshepherd #mutt #muttsofinstagram #dog #dogsofinstagram #doglife #dogoftheday ...

Back in the garage with @rychrist77, and I think we nailed it this time. Really happy that I decided to reshoot this scene, as it gave me the opportunity to correct some mistakes I made the first time around, and we came up with a much cooler background. Big thanks to Ryan for his patience while I worked all this out, and for being willing to step in (literally) when needed.

I've lived in BC for just over 8 years, and have known Ryan most of that time. We met early on through a family get together, but became friends years later when we realized we had so much in common -- music being at the centre. Over the years, we've spent many evenings playing music and drinking whiskey, so it seemed fitting that we went this route with the shoot. Fun fact -- Ryan's wearing a Social Distortion button-up shirt he was wearing the very first time we met. That was the ice breaker that drove me to strike up a conversation with him.

This is the second in my series of personal scenes. If you missed Pam, head over to my profile and go back two posts. Not sure who's next, but I'm looking forward to it!

#guitar #acousticguitar #seagullguitars #norlanglass #whiskey #bourbon #bulleit #bulleitbourbon #mic #microphone #shuresm58 #capo #thaliacapo #singersongwriter #wasted ...

I have a love/hate relationship with whiskey. The love part is self explanatory -- the stuff is fucking delicious! The hate part is a little more complicated. The short version, is that I have chronic sinus issues that flare up when I drink alcohol... but not all the time. These days, I'm able to enjoy a dram without suffering from an excruciating sinus headache for hours on end, and I'm counting my blessings.

My lady surprised me with this bottle of bourbon last week. When I shot this (Monday evening), I actually didn't even drink the whiskey. I put it back in the bottle without spilling a drop, and revisited a couple days later. On the nose, it's quite fruity, but also smoky. I'm a big fan of whiskey stored in sherry barrels, and this one is no exception. It's very sippable and has a sweet finish. I typically enjoy bourbon on ice, but I always try a new bottle neat first.

Anyway, this was more so an experiment with my some of my new equipment. Let me tell you though, one of the best pieces of kit I've bought so far was the $22 remote shutter release. I use it with almost every shoot, unless I'm shooting handheld. I know there's an app I can use on my phone, but the remote shutter is just so much quicker and more responsive. Highly recommend.

And finally, how beautiful is this glass? A good friend gave me a set for my 40th birthday, and I absolutely love them. Super comfortable in the hand, they have a nice little lip, and they look so cool since they're double-walled. They're made by @norlanglass, if you're interested.

#whiskey #bourbon #legent #legentbourbon #productphotography #norlan #norlanglass ...

Over the weekend I cleared a space in the garage to shoot some photo projects I have in mind. This is something I've been kicking around for months, and I'm stoked to finally get started on it.

Basically, I've created a scene using items that represent someone important to me. In this case, my partner @pambalamm. Our relationship has revolved around music since day one. We met playing music at a local pub, and our first date was spent sipping our favourite drinks and listening to records.

Some of the other items to note -- the leather purse in the back is vintage from the 70s, and I gave it to Pam for her 40th birthday a couple months ago. The ring is fashioned from an antique spoon that was over 100 years old. I bought it for her years ago at the night market in Victoria just after watching The Black Seeds perform.

And you guessed it; her favourite drink is gin and soda (not tonic). We have an award winning distillery right here in Sooke, @sheringhamdistillery and their #SeasideGin is one of Pam's absolute favourites.

I'm pleased with the results here and had fun constructing the scene. I probably spent a couple hours on it before firing a single shot. Then I ended up doing a few rounds of shots, making minor tweaks and adjustments along the way. Looking forward to shooting more of these.

#photography #photographyproject #stilllife #turntable #crosley #crosleyrecordplayer #recordplayer #record #vinyl #gin #ginandsoda #banjo #goldtone #goldtonebanjo #sunglasses #jewelry ...

Had a lot of fun with this one! Since I started my photography journey, I've wanted to try a levitation photo. Of course, I had to use something geeky as my subject.

I'm really happy I got my hands on this cute little piranha plant. I missed the boat when it was first released and price skyrocketed, but I kept it in my wishlist and was notified out of the blue, several months later when it went on sale. I managed to get it for just $20!

#levitation #levitationphotography #floatingobject #makeitfloat #supermario #supermariobros #piranhaplant #smashbros #smashbrosultimate #productphotography #nintendo #playforever ...

Spent my Friday evening shooting a can of beer in my living room. 😂 Was excited to try out some of my new gear, and am happy with most of my purchases. More on that later.

Guinness in a can is good, but nothing beats a fresh pint at the pub. I had my first pint since COVID hit this past week, and it was the best I ever had. What's your go-to beer at the pub?

#guinness #guinnessbeer #stout #beer #productphotography #macro #macrophotography #drops #droplets #waterdroplets #blackandgold #irish #irishbeer ...