I’m taking a break from the office to visit my new baby niece in Sweden for the rest of the month. I’ll be back in Victoria at the end of February.

I had a quick session with Angus, Kenneth and Calum MacKenzie following the Piper’s Ceilidh during Celtic Colours. After the finale, we beelined to South Haven to my old piping instructor’s house, and had a quick chat with her grandmother to ask if we could borrow her barn for a few photos. She thought we were a bit crazy, but laughed and said fine…as long as I would take a few photos of the boys in front of the barn on her camera. Not only are the MacKenzie boys super multitalented musicians, they’re among the funniest people I know. Like any good trio of brothers, they were pestering each other the entire session and laughing at the expense of the others (mostly Kenneth). The boys released an album, “Piob Is Fidheall” last year and it’s really great! They kindly allowed me to use a track for my year end slideshow and if you haven’t heard them play yet, make it a priority as they’re pure talent!

In November I had a session with The Fretless. They’re a brand new string quartet comprised of super-talented members Ivonne Hernandez, Karrnnel Sawitsky, Trent Freeman, and Eric Wright. They were meeting in Victoria to record their debut album, and since they come from Vancouver Island via Boston, Saskatchewan and Los Angeles, it made sense to have their promo photos taken while they were all in the same city. It was a freezing day, but we managed to stay warm with hot soy beverages and laughter…lots of laughter. If you head over to their website, you can hear a few tracks they recorded. I was sent three tracks to preview last evening, and it’s really good so I’m looking forward to hearing the whole album! Don’t be confused when you see the name Mile Zero…that one was on the drawing board for a while, but they are now officially ‘The Fretless‘.

I had a session with Sabra MacGillivray during the week of Celtic Colours. She was needing some promotional photos for her upcoming instructional dance dvd, so we met at Little River in between shows and festival clubbing! It was absolutely freezing around the wharf with the wind cutting right through us, but Sabra made it look like a balmy day! Sabra and I go way back and used to spend summers teaching together at the Gaelic College, and even spent a few weeks as roommates in one of the super-haunted dorm rooms. She’s a lovely highland dancer and stepdancer, as well as a Registered Massage Therapist/business owner at Celtic Touch Day Spa…make sure to stop by on your next visit to Cregnish! Sabra’s fisherman husband Iain came along for the session so we managed to tear him away from visiting the fishermen on their boats and in a few photos.

A few images from a session with The Worry Birds at York Redoubt in Halifax, NS. Band members Zach Smith, Adelle Meagher, and Bhreagh MacDonald were so much fun during this shoot and kept park visitors entertained with their tunes. They’ll be working on their album during 2012, so keep your eyes peeled for the release!