This evening I went out to shoot photos around Steveston with some friends. Its been quite awhile since I’ve gone out there. The weather lately is still a little chilly but its been sunny. We got there near sunset and we had to make use of the gorgeous light. I’ve been practicing some different post processing effects to try to achieve a cinematic look. Here are my shots from this evening.

Took one of my old photos and played around with some editing. Always good to try some experimentation. Here’s a shot I took a few years ago of the Queensboro Bridge

Clouds loom behind the Queensboro Bridge

Last week I had the chance to try out the Nikon V1 camera. It was quite small and light compared to my Nikon D90 and it fit in my jacket pocket quite easily. I had a Nikon 10mm f/2.8 prime and a Nikon 10-100mm f/4-5.6 lens to play around with but since I was at False Creek, I decided to use the 10mm prime more. A lot of the functions I had to go digging around the menus to find which is probably why I would never give up my DSLR.

Understandably from a camera with a sensor smaller than a 4/3′s camera, there was quite a bit of noise. I also found that the lens wasn’t very sharp as I would have liked. Every time I used the timer function, I would have to go back into the menu and turn the timer on again for the next shot. The size of the V1 would be ideal for travelling but at the price its currently selling at, I personally would give it a pass.

Science World shot with the Nikon V1

BC Place shot with the Nikon V1

With all the work I’ve been doing over at ArtofStance, I haven’t been shooting much other than cars cars and more cars. I’ve been trying to get out again to shoot more regularly. While over twitter, I found out my friends @GluttonwithaCam and @mananetwork started to organize some local photowalks. Of course I jumped at the opportunity to join them on an evening photowalk through downtown. Though it was a damp and wet night, its a start of things to come as I find myself doing more photowalks in 2012.

Our group also consisted of @dangerphoto, @TiannaNK, @bdashaler, @thepatrickleung and we walked, climbed, and hopped our way through downtown and the Vancouver east side. After shooting photos of cars for the past 7 months, I admit I’m a little rusty but being a part of this group will inspire me to get back into the loop!

A bike sits parked in Blood Alley

The walls watch over the dumpsters

Atomic Indeed

Sometimes you have to jump through hoops..

Gastown streets are damp

Fabric greets Vancouver clubbers

Beams hold up the roof that keep us dry

AJ With a Cam

A few months ago, myself and two other photographers decided to start up a car blog focusing on modified, exotic, and unique cars. We finally launched the site just over a week ago and its been generating some great buzz with the local car scene giving us their support. The blog is called Art of Stance. Its what’s been the focus of most of my time and energy these days and I hope it becomes something my readers will check out also! Here’s a preview of what you can look forward to.

Stance Stance Revolution

Porsche 911

Nick's Nissan 240sx

Trio of Kouki S14s

As you readers know, I’m from the beautiful city of Vancouver. The Vancouver Canucks are in the Stanley Cup Final and there is much excitement in the city. Though I’m not fond of the early start times or the fact that there was only one weekend game, it feels like the Olympics again and it feels great!

Unfortunately I haven’t updated in over a month for a couple of reasons. Some if has to do with laziness, but I haven’t been shooting as much lately. I’ve also been working on a new site with a few photographer friends that will be quite exciting. For the past month I’ve been shooting mostly cars. I don’t do a lot of car photography but that is beginning to change more and more. On with some shots.

Taken on a roadway at the University of British Columbia

Machine and nature

Jason's Honda Civic SiR EP3

You're towing the wrong way!

Lawerence's Nissan 350z

A pair of Mitsubishi Lancer Evolutions

Capture this beautiful Blue Audi A3 in Richmond

My first ever rig shot of a Nissan Skyline GT-R

On April 3, Richard and I went to check out The Speed Syndicate’s 1 year anniversary BBQ meet. There was a DJ, great cars, and Shoei serving up hot dogs. Congratulations to The Speed Syndicate on your 1 Year anniversary!

The name says it all...

A trio of Honda S2000s

Softtop Honda S2000 with a wide stance

A carbon fibre J's Racing rear spoiler

A custom Honda S2000 sporting Enkei RPF1 wheels

The Speed Syndicate's AE86 drift car

The fender work on this Infiniti sedan is a work of art

This 350z Soundsgood!

Some truly beautiful (and truly quick) custom Mercedes sedans

Mercedes E55, SL55, and S55. The Speed Syndicate tuned to go very fast.

This car looks great at all angles

A closeup of the hub of a 360 Forged wheel

This Mercedes S55 AMG is a 12 second sleeper!

This Infiniti G37 sports a carbon fibre hood

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR with blue SSR lightweight Type F wheels and a Voltex carbon fibre spoiler

One of the trio of Mitsubishi Lancer Evolutions

Deciding to go wingless, this Evo has a carbon fibre rear trunk with a lip spoiler

Infiniti G35, Honda Civic and Acura Integra

A very red Audi TT with a unique set of BBS wheels

A checkered pattern adorn these BBS wheels

The engine work on this Subaru Impreza was impressive

For the month of March, Richard organized an automotive photo meet. One which garnered a lot of interest from those who wanted to get some practice in automotive photography and those who wanted to have their rides photographed. Jason from Beau Photo brought out some Profoto gear to give many of us a chance to shoot with some professional lighting equipment. The weather was pretty dreary on Sunday with the forecast calling for wind and plenty of rain. We weren’t able to use a lot of the locations that Richard and I had scouted out a few nights earlier but we had a backup plan. Our setting would be the New Westminster covered parkade on Front Street. It would provide protection from the rain as well as an interesting locale for our shots. Thanks to Richard for organizing the meet, Jason for bringing gear to give us a taste of what the pro’s use, as well as the owners of the cars that let us take photos of their awesome rides.

G-Spec's Infiniti G35

Endless8's Nissan Silvia

Vdub333's Volkswagen GTI awaits to be setup for rig shots

Rcubed's Subaru Impreza STi

G-Spec's stanced Infiniti G35

dL's Mazda 3 - Zoom Zoom

Vdub333's Volkswagen GTI

dL's awaits the shoot

Richard's rig mounted on a Volkswagen R32 for rolling shots

Profoto gear in the background as Jason sets up the lighting

Yesterday I went out in the morning for a few hours for a photowalk with my neighbor Peter. The weather was a bit overcast but the sun started to peek out by the late morning. We checked out New Brighton Park (which I’ll post a few photos in a later post) and the skateboard park by the Pacific National Exhibition in Vancouver. It was the first time I’ve been there where there was nobody using it so we were able to walk around freely inside the bowl. The surrounding park around the area is also worth walking around.

The Dreamer Christopher Columbus

As with most skateboard parks, there was a lot of graffiti.

Graffiti on one of the walls of the skate park

Words to live by?

Who are the Beat Heros exactly?

Wear and tear on the walls

A view from one of the platforms above the bowl

The skate park is pretty big with lots of space to accomodate a lot of boarders

One of the plants around the skate park

The clouds and sun look down on a basketball hoop

One of the concrete sculptures of the Opera Walk

The stoned pavement around the Opera Walk at the PNE

The entry into the park