As 2016 is now rolling, I spent alot of time considering the past year and also recovering from an exhausting fall season of travel and work. It has been a long time since I posted on my blog, not because I had nothing to report, but because I became very busy with travel related to my work and the constant blur of life. So, as a way to get caught up, here part one of a list of my best, with an explanation, of my top 10 images (ok - eleven; I admit...) for 2015.
11) Linda Blumfield - Safety First. Meet Linda, the most safety expressive FN that I have met in a very long time. Her years with the LA County Fire Department, have formed her into a very respected voice with her program and the hospitals they serve. Captured in action at another Helipad Safety demo on top of a Los Angeles hospital last April, her one person outreach performance is worthy of an Oscar. It was an honor to meet you and capture you passionately in action.
10) Women in Power - Love her or despise her. I generally steer away from political arena, but I was given the unique surprise opportunity in 2015 to photograph the Honorable Kathleen Wynne, the Premier of Ontario, as a last minute guest speaker at the Advancing Womens' Conference in Toronto, where I was the Official Photographer. I shot, edited, and posted a series of these back to the conference in my style in Black and White, but I wanted to share this again with you. She is a force to be reckoned with as the Canadian Political landscape has yet again changed...
Please note - as an important sidebar to an interesting mainstream media story in Alberta, I am "not" a Photo Journalist as I respect many friends who are, but I appreciate the opportunity to capture the Ontario Premier in "my visual style" in the setting she requested to speak at, and her PR office's later appreciation of my imagery. What happened to a smaller "new media" outlet who reports in "their style" in Alberta this past month - and fortunately was rectified; was a wake-up call to all of us regarding free speech. (and that is my only political rant over the past 5 years of blogging - that is all...)
9) CALSTAR 7 - Scene Call, Lompoc, CA. After befriending my FN, I was able to crouch underneath the roar of the engine blast and rotor disk as my FN awaited the EMS Ground team to approach the aircraft. Her concentration and confidence seems to just glow from this capture...
8) REACH - Back to Base. After a day of three missions, and some extraordinary images captured for the AAMS Host Program photography project, this image of FP Mark, glancing out the window as we flew above the clouds, is a memorable image on a very busy day...
7) Burning Man 2015. This was my 9th Burn, and I struggled with the weather and some first timer obtuse neighbors (Birgins, as we have all been, but some years bring new fools...). The event this past year was hit with three windstorms, one typical, but two that were extreme. I found myself caught behind a sign for an hour and a half in the predicted "Saturday morning before the gates opened storm". Then, Burning Man Friday afternoon saw a rare and cold NW wind storm that blew everything the other way, as most shelters were set up for SE winds. However, in the end the very next day, a good time was had by all during the Man Burn, and ironically the best weather I have ever experienced (not too hot - no wind - no dust). I again aimed to shoot the mornings "out there" as it is an amazing environment when the sun rises and the citizens of Black Rock City are starting or finishing their playa adventures...
6) Mercy Air - A Real Mission to the Border. I have been fortunate enough to travel all four corners of the US with my Air Medical work. The below imagery is from an unique mission with Mercy Air, right to the US - Mexico border, which allowed me two great images of a FN in action as we met an ambulance from Tecate, MX with their young patient as I stood in "no mans' land" capturing images...
Thank you for taking the time to read this post, part two will be posted soon! MM
11) Linda Blumfield - Safety First. Meet Linda, the most safety expressive FN that I have met in a very long time. Her years with the LA County Fire Department, have formed her into a very respected voice with her program and the hospitals they serve. Captured in action at another Helipad Safety demo on top of a Los Angeles hospital last April, her one person outreach performance is worthy of an Oscar. It was an honor to meet you and capture you passionately in action.
10) Women in Power - Love her or despise her. I generally steer away from political arena, but I was given the unique surprise opportunity in 2015 to photograph the Honorable Kathleen Wynne, the Premier of Ontario, as a last minute guest speaker at the Advancing Womens' Conference in Toronto, where I was the Official Photographer. I shot, edited, and posted a series of these back to the conference in my style in Black and White, but I wanted to share this again with you. She is a force to be reckoned with as the Canadian Political landscape has yet again changed...
Please note - as an important sidebar to an interesting mainstream media story in Alberta, I am "not" a Photo Journalist as I respect many friends who are, but I appreciate the opportunity to capture the Ontario Premier in "my visual style" in the setting she requested to speak at, and her PR office's later appreciation of my imagery. What happened to a smaller "new media" outlet who reports in "their style" in Alberta this past month - and fortunately was rectified; was a wake-up call to all of us regarding free speech. (and that is my only political rant over the past 5 years of blogging - that is all...)
9) CALSTAR 7 - Scene Call, Lompoc, CA. After befriending my FN, I was able to crouch underneath the roar of the engine blast and rotor disk as my FN awaited the EMS Ground team to approach the aircraft. Her concentration and confidence seems to just glow from this capture...
8) REACH - Back to Base. After a day of three missions, and some extraordinary images captured for the AAMS Host Program photography project, this image of FP Mark, glancing out the window as we flew above the clouds, is a memorable image on a very busy day...
7) Burning Man 2015. This was my 9th Burn, and I struggled with the weather and some first timer obtuse neighbors (Birgins, as we have all been, but some years bring new fools...). The event this past year was hit with three windstorms, one typical, but two that were extreme. I found myself caught behind a sign for an hour and a half in the predicted "Saturday morning before the gates opened storm". Then, Burning Man Friday afternoon saw a rare and cold NW wind storm that blew everything the other way, as most shelters were set up for SE winds. However, in the end the very next day, a good time was had by all during the Man Burn, and ironically the best weather I have ever experienced (not too hot - no wind - no dust). I again aimed to shoot the mornings "out there" as it is an amazing environment when the sun rises and the citizens of Black Rock City are starting or finishing their playa adventures...
6) Mercy Air - A Real Mission to the Border. I have been fortunate enough to travel all four corners of the US with my Air Medical work. The below imagery is from an unique mission with Mercy Air, right to the US - Mexico border, which allowed me two great images of a FN in action as we met an ambulance from Tecate, MX with their young patient as I stood in "no mans' land" capturing images...
Thank you for taking the time to read this post, part two will be posted soon! MM
