Leitch Collieries, Crowsnest Pass

Located in Alberta's Rocky Mountains, Leitch Collieries is an abandoned coal mine and processing plant. The location is now a provincial historic site, and the remaining buildings have been stabilized and preserved as ruins. The mine was developed between 1905-1906, but it ceased operation by 1915. Today it's a cool place to explore. The area is lined with walking paths, and it's just a short stop before you reach Frank Slide.

Mike and I inside what was a house at one time.

Exterior of the house. The beams used to hold up a wrap around deck.

Medalta's Black & White Gala 2013

This year I had the pleasure of being hired as the official photographer for the 3rd annual Black and White Gala hosted at Medalta Potteries. This black-tie gala is the largest fundraising event of the year for Medalta, and raises money for their artistic, community, and education programming. Some of the most prominent members of the local business community were in attendance, along with our newly elected mayor.

For my role, I was tasked with capturing the general atmosphere and energy of the event. From the decor, to the main room, to the silent and live auctions, and the on-goings behind the scenes, I was really happy with how much variety I came away with at the end of the night. The 3D printer video I created for Medalta was screened that evening, and I also donated one of my framed prints for their silent auction (which went on to sell above asking price). All and all, it was a lot of fun and a great event to be connected to. Here's a small sampling of my photographs from the gala.

Space Needle: Observation Deck - Part 1

Having wandered around Seattle Centre and the EMP Museum for most of the afternoon, we finally reached the observation deck of the Space Needle as the sun started to set. As you would expect, the views were spectacular. From the stunning skyline, to ferries in the harbor, to Mount Rainier on the horizon, there's no question that this was one of the most iconic moments of our summer road trip through the Pacific Northwest. 

As the sun sunk lower our surroundings became bathed in a warm orange glow as a light breeze circled us on the exterior deck. It was from here that we began pointing out the places we'd been so far, where our hotel was, and where else we wanted to go. For me, it was one of those moments where I made an effort to constantly remind myself of where I was. Having looked at so many images leading up to the road trip, it became a euphoric experience just to finally be there - we'd made it. 

An aerial view of the EMP Musuem.

Mount Rainier from the Space Needle.

An aerial view of MOHAI from the Space Needle.