Brett Beadle

NEW ADDRESS

2007-11-13T23:02:00.001-08:00

My blog has a new home, and I will place an automatic redirect here in the near future.

Check it out, and please tell me what you think, I always like comments.

www.brettbeadle.com/blog

Another shot of Junior.

2007-11-09T21:01:00.001-08:00

This was one of the shots on my first roll that went through the Hasselblad I just bought. I' m looking forward to shooting some more with it. It's a bit of an adjustment, but I'm looking forward to getting some more film back soon. Using the square format, and holding it differently, there is a lot to get used to, but it's exciting to switch things up.

Remembrance Day.

2007-11-08T10:48:00.001-08:00

One of the shots I came up with for the paper's cover on Remembrance Day.

Cyn.

2007-11-06T09:10:00.000-08:00

Recent Pix.

2007-11-02T11:19:00.001-07:00

I have been pretty bad at updating recently, so I am just throwing a bunch of random photos up for the last little while. Rick Hansen speaks to kids at McRoberts secondary about overcoming obstacles in life.
Illustrative shot on restorative justice, where the offender meets up with the victim and they discuss the implications of what happened.
Cranberry farming in East Richmond. Cranberries are B.C.'s largest berry crop, with fields yielding more than 34 million kilograms annually, contributing to 12 per cent of the total North American volume.
A float plane decends for landing over the No. 2 Road bridge on the Middle Arm of the Fraser River as the sun sets over Richmond Thursday evening.
Major-General Tim Grant, former commander of Canadian Forces in Afghanistan, speaks to the Canadian Club in Richmond Wednesday.
A group of Herons fish for dinner at sunset off of Brunswick point Thursday.
A worker installs large wooden stakes into a farm at the corner of 53 St. and 28 Ave. Wednesday afternoon. It is one of many farm fields around Delta making the transition to blueberry crops, this one installing large wooden stakes for wind protection for the crop.
McMath Grade 10 girls Volleyball player Stacey Bridal watches her spike sail over the net during the team's game versus McRoberts Tuesday afternoon.

A bunch of shots for a story on Richmond boxer Junior Moar, who was imprisoned for 4 years, 27 months of which in solitary confinement, and is now trying to capitalize on life with a second shot at boxing. A video I produced for the story is at the Richmond News Site.

Fall.

2007-10-30T09:09:00.001-07:00

I looked like a nutcase when I was taking this picture.

Some Recent Richmond Pics

2007-10-22T15:16:00.001-07:00

Recent photos from Richmond, including a plane that crashed into an apartment building, what seemed like a million snow geese, a young guy picking oats in the Terra Nova Sharing Farm and a cyclist taking a break under brooding skies. Off to work on a recent video production with new HD video camera, which I will try to share in the coming posts.

Joe Camel would be proud.

2007-10-17T23:10:00.000-07:00

Who said cigarettes were bad for you? Not Gorgeous 2007.

Recent Long-Term Project

2007-10-11T14:05:00.000-07:00

Here are some shots from a recent long term project of mine which ran in the Delta Optmist yesterday, with a headline reading "Farming facing an uncertain future"

Intro to the story:

The industrialization of Delta will impact many people, but perhaps no group will feel the effects as much as farmers. Optimist photographer Brett Beadle and reporter Maureen Gulyas take a look inside one of Delta's oldest farming operations to see how this pioneer industry is being squeezed by everything from port development to treaty settlements. Farming in Delta continues to thrive, but many are wondering how long that will last.

More photos at www.brettbeadle.com and www.sportsshooter.com/brettbeadle

Today's Moment of Zen

2007-10-02T15:44:00.000-07:00

What the Duck Comic #315

Things I've Seen

2007-09-23T13:51:00.000-07:00

This new Ricoh GR-D point and shoot is making photography fun again. I love having a little camera with me at all times and not having to be worried about hauling it around. In my pocket, on the bike for a cruise, and I am gone. 8 MP, 28mm 2.4 lens, come on! This thing is awesome. Rocks by the dog beach in Kits.
Kits Beach saxamaphone.
Couple working a digital camera at the dog beach, starbucks to go but of course.
Joe doing a crazy flip, can't figure out how to make it vertical on here.
Okay, Tristan took this one but I was way too into his performance to be bothered.
Guy reading a book on top of the Chief, awesome.
Another flip guy.

Allison watches crazy runner guy who ran through all of the downed trees in Stanley Park.

Ramadan.

2007-09-18T09:23:00.000-07:00

A couple from Ramadan on Sunday night and one from a single mom who was scammed out of a bunch of money.

Ricoh GR-D

2007-09-07T20:32:00.000-07:00

I just got a new point-and-shoot digital. For all the times I am cruising around on my bike or just am too worried to pack a big SLR everywhere, it is great, and I am pretty amazed at the sharpness. For this shot of the Granville Street Bridge I used a pint glass full of delicious Granville Island Pale Ale balanced with a cell phone as a tripod. 30 seconds, F/5.6

Actor

2007-08-31T15:18:00.000-07:00

Actors are always great to photograph, they are so comfortable around the camera. This was on Granville Island in Vancouver, it's good to start work 5 minutes away from where you work!

Alvin Sanders performs in The Arts Club Theatre's Company at the Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage Sept 13 to Oct 14. After four decades, three Jessie's and many kudos for his funny, sometimes erious and deeply moving portrayals in feature films, movies, television shows and animated series, it's clear the man has done it all.

Mmmm Blueberries

2007-08-28T10:00:00.000-07:00

Van Nguyen picks blueberries at Fisher Blueberry Farm on No. 6 Road in Richmond Monday. The owner, Robert Fisher, says the blueberry crop is down 30-40% this year.

12-year-old Josh Jewell gets "slimed" during the last day of summer camp at the Tsawwasseen Alliance Church. It was one of many messy games kids were playing during the camp including a human sundae game, where they were covered in chocolate sauce.

Laara Raynier claims she is the target of intimidation tactics that include an incessant number of suite inspection notices and other actions. For example, when the outside of the building was painted, only her balcony was left unpainted. Coincidentally, the day she served her landlord Amacon with a harassment lawsuit, she also received her seventh eviction notice.

Disappointment.

2007-08-23T11:38:00.000-07:00

I spent an hour after work setting up a illustrative photo about the fact that we were getting liberal press releases regurgitated as letters to the editor, but we could not figure out who sent them and the photo went unused.

I went and photographed Aino at her apartment and was happy with the picture I made, it seemed to be a good symbol of her driving force as an 85-year-old volunteer, her Lutheran faith. It ended up being used as a "cut-out" with Aino being grabbed with a magnetic lasso and the background dropped. It is something we do all to frequently and is dissapointed to put a lot of effort into a photo and to have it being used as clipart.

My rant for the day, just another usual day at the office trying to fight for photos to be used properly.

Good Ole Golf.

2007-08-21T09:37:00.000-07:00

Callum Graf, 10, gets a pat on the back from grandpa Gordon Brown, 79, as brother Stuart Graf, 12, walks up to his ball on the last hole of the West Richmond Pitch and Putt course Tuesday. The trio had come out from Tsawwassen for a round of golf on the nine-hole course beside Hugh Boyd park.

When to light.

2007-08-20T11:20:00.000-07:00

I really liked how the last portrait of Jonathan worked out. The option of adding in props like pictures from Africa or some of the kids he taught is something that is overdone and somewhat boring. Sure, the focus wasn't bang on. Using a consumer camera makes that a tad bit tough. But the moment was real and was a good insight into who this guy is. Leaning on his kitchen countertop, talking about his trip. Real.

A singers portrait, something a little more graphical and flashy. As a preview to one of her concerts, I think it works. It might be nice to catch her during a practice session, but again under newspaper deadlines sometimes you have to go with what your given. Yes, the horizon line is off.

A new owl at the bird recovery centre. I could see that the office assistant had a relationship with "Baby" already so I just told them to hang out as I took some photos. I think it made a "real" photo with a little bit of flash to add some pop.

There are always choices to make going into a portrait shot, and the possiblities are endless. I guess you just have to go with your gut, but usually I find the simpler I make it, the better.

Inspired by Africa

2007-08-16T15:23:00.000-07:00

Richmond’s Jonathan Conlin taught English in Tanzania this summer, and he’s now raising money for the Children’s Hunger Fund. To date, he has raised $37,500 in aid to help end world hunger.

Some recent Richmond

2007-08-13T13:55:00.000-07:00

Jana Koerner of Vancouver laughs as her horse Thilda nibbles on some hay in her hand in the stables at the Twin Oaks Derby, a four-day show jumping event in Richmond . "My brothers call her mulcher," she says, "because she's always nibbling away on something."

Turning Point support staffer Victor (right) listens as Theo describes his path from drug addiction to wellness. Clients credit Turning Point's Odlin Road centre with helping them become and stay clean and sober.

Wilf Wilkinson, President of Rotary International, was in town to talk to local Rotarians.

What to do.

2007-07-26T11:55:00.000-07:00

The photo on my last post was kind of a last resort, dealing with this story. We met up with Katrina, I photographed her, had the above shot set to run in the paper, when she called saying that she was very uncomfortable with having a "bad" picture of her in the paper. She said it would be okay to come back and take a picture when she had all of her hair done and make-up on. That's isn't what we do at a newspaper. Nor should we let the subject's afterthoughts sway how we present an important story for the community. But sometimes, when you work in community news, you have to give some thought to the community. I would have rather this shot ran, but it was tough to make a decision in an already assignment-filled day. So we ran the shot of the back of her head looking towards the boat ramp where the incident happened. These are times when photo editors come in handy. Did I do the right thing? I don't know.

Some latest stuff.

2007-07-24T13:26:00.000-07:00

A hazmat worker enters Chemcraft Mfg BC Ltd at 711 Derwent Way on Annacis Island mid-day Tuesday. The chemical explosion that rocked the building Tuesday morning sent seven people to hospital, some with critical injuries.

18-year-old Katrina Jensen reminisces at the boat launch at the end of 1A avenue in Boundary Bay. With what started out to be a harmless late-night skinny dip last Sunday turned into a nightmare evening that resulted in the arrest of her, her sister, and her friend. She says she was horrified at the way she was treated by the Delta Police officers.

Alan and Terry Halstead, both 83, met in the Royal Air Force in World War Two, and moved to Tsawwassen in 1964 and have lived there ever since.

Laura Padulo shows off one the outfits she snagged at her local Value Village. For a magazine on the Environment and ways to reduce your ecological footprint.

Hundreds of Starlings sit on a communications tower off of Westminster Hwy as Korean Airlines flight KE 72 departs from Vancouver Internation Airport on its way to Seoul.

New Camera at Work

2007-07-20T09:55:00.000-07:00

Got a new camera at work, a Nikon D80. Yup.

Jean Lamontagne, atop Richmond City Hall, starts his new job as head planner for the City of Surrey Aug. 13.

Richmond RCMP spokeswoman Cpl. Nycki Basra started her new job Monday. While afraid of losing her anonymity, Basra looks forward to meeting the challenges ahead.

Lori Haas, 37, of Richmond has spent every day since July 3 with her son Travis Sheppard, 20. Sheppard had moved to Vancouver four months ago from Winnipeg in hopes of finding his mother. She found him through a search on Facebook.

Some fashion shots on a special magazine we are doing on environmentally conscious products, these being hemp and bamboo clothing.

Richmond stuff.

2007-07-17T11:41:00.000-07:00

A hungry T-Rex eyes unsuspecting shoppers at Aberdeen Centre. The popular dinosaur is part of the mall's new Jurassic Alive exhibit, which opened July 1.

Carly Bishop, 17, has been highland dancing since she was four. She's representing BC at the Canadian Inter-Provinicial Championsip and the north American Chamionships July 4 to 8 in New Brunswick.

Richard Lu goes for a layup while shooting some hoops outside J.N Burnett secondary school on a sunny afternoon.

Eilish Cobb-Erke was stunned when workers, who were forced to dismantle a roadside memorial to her dead brother, reconstructed the monument in exactly the same way three months later.

Various Delta

2007-07-16T15:25:00.000-07:00

Nixon, a rescued shar pei, underwent a three-hour operation at Trenant Park Pet Clinic recently to remove some wrinkles, which had been causing vision problems.

Illuminate Restorante owners Joeqyna Bolirinno and husband Roland Smith are hosting a fundraising Grape Crushing Festival next Saturday.

Hayden Tuba was shooting hoops Thursday in the Be an MVP indoor basketball court, part of ActNow BC's Road To Health Community Tour at the South Delta Recreation Centre.

Point Roberts celebrated Independence Day Wednesday with a parade that featured Brian (Elvis) Simpson aboard the chamber of commerce float.

CCNA Photo of the Month

2007-07-09T12:36:00.000-07:00

This photo won Canadian Community Newspapers Associations (CCNA) photo of the month for June.

Truck Flip

2007-07-03T09:52:00.000-07:00

The driver of a container truck was breathing in oxygen after his rig rolled over at the junction of highways 17 and 99 Monday afternoon. The accident blocked access to southbound Highway 17, causing major traffic delays. It was the second such accident at the location in about a month.

Faces of the Nation

2007-06-29T09:43:00.000-07:00

Richmond: a microcosm of Canadian multiculturalism.

More info at the Richmond News Website

Terry Sakai, Third generation Japanese fisherman

Thomas Fung, CEO of Fairchild Group

John Furlong, CEO of VANOC, 2010 Olympics Comittee

Anjena Gandham, UBC Student

Calvin Helin, Lawyer/Author/Businessman

Strawberry Pickin'

2007-06-22T09:35:00.000-07:00

Five-year-old Michael Nunn came out with his mom Chris and twin brother Alexander to pick strawberries at W & A Farms in East Richmond Wednesday morning. The picking season, which has been open for about 10 days, will wrap up around July 7th.

Another Run/Pan

2007-06-19T10:59:00.000-07:00

Mississauga's Justin McLennan, 22, and others on the Canadian national team used Minoru Track to prepare for the 24th annual Harry Jerome International Track Classic at Swanguard Stadium in Burnaby.

Gallery Show

2007-06-14T16:13:00.001-07:00

Opening this Saturday @ 6, 590 West Broadway.

Portraits

2007-06-11T11:40:00.000-07:00

A few portraits from the last couple of days....

when health care becomes a health hazard.

2007-06-08T09:37:00.000-07:00

Hospitals have an ecological footprint that is a staggering 700 times their size. Before IV's are disposed of, excess fluid is poured down the drain, creating concern about antibiotics in the water supply.

Wally Oppal

2007-06-06T09:16:00.000-07:00

You win some, you lose some. I tried to get the first picture on the front page yesterday. I find it to be more graphical and visually appealing than the other one, and gets the viewer to question what the story was, where the second one pretty much tells it all. The second one ran. What can you do, I tried to push for it but it didn't happen.

B.C. Attorney General Wally Oppal scratches his head during a question and answer period at the Tsawwassen Business Association luncheon meeting on Monday at the Coast Hotel Tsawwassen. Turn-out was higher than usual, many came out to question the AG about the planned overhead powerline route.

B.C. Attorney General Wally listens to a question from Bernadette Kudzin of Tsawwassen Residents Against High Voltage Lines (TRAVHOL) during a question and answer period at the Tsawwassen Business Association luncheon meeting on Monday at the Coast Hotel Tsawwassen.

Delta Bog Fire

2007-06-04T14:05:00.000-07:00

Delta firefighter Brian Hogg wraps up a line of hose through a charred section of Burns Bog Wednesday morning as fire crews hosed down any remaining hot spots. Fire investigators are still trying to determine what caused an out-of-season fire in Burns Bog Tuesday.

Richmond stuff.

2007-05-30T09:26:00.000-07:00

Six-time Olympic medalist Cindy Klassen, seen here mid-stride in a sprint, was among the athletes training with Speed Skating Canada at the Minoru artificial turf field.

Cambie Secondary Grade ten student Nathan Sletten competes in the Junior Discus event at the Richmond Track and Field championships.

Phyllis Leung, 2, hams it up for the camera with her brother Paxton, 5, as her mom May Chun tries to take their picture outside of the Minoru Chapel Monday morning. They were at the chapel for a friend's wedding.

Eddie Adams Application

2007-05-24T12:43:00.000-07:00

I recently uploaded the photos I applied for the Eddie Adams Barnstorm XX with to my Sportsshooter site. I think my portfolio has improved since my last application in school last year, but needs some more work, namely working on more personal projects like the Potter's Place Mission one I did over a year ago.

Which is what I am trying to do now. I am working on a project about the impact of an expanded shipping port in Delta on local farmers. The Deltaport is the largest terminal in the Port of Vancouver, which is Canada's largest and most diversified port, trading more than $43 billion in goods each year. Photos to come sometime in the near future.

2007-05-23T09:32:00.000-07:00

Two-year-old Troy Reid wasn't quite ready for the blast of cold water as he ran through the Kinsmen Water Play Park Tuesday. The spray park, in Ladner's Memorial Park, opened a few days early thanks to the warm weather.

Here a whale

2007-05-22T11:10:00.000-07:00

Danny Hospes (left), 9, and his brother Greig Hospes, 8, and ben Morton, 8, got a close-up look at a dead 30-foot grey whale that washed ashore in Boundary Bay overnight Thursday.

A few from Delta.

2007-05-16T15:55:00.000-07:00

A few recent shots from Delta, this woman was lucky she was in a Volvo.

An elderly woman driving a Volvo rear-ended a pick-up with such force the car ended up underneath the truck. The chain reaction crash, which involved two other vehicles, took place on Tsawwassen's 56th Street Saturday afternoon.

Beverley Mantovani's dance students will perform alongside their teacher in Ole Flamenco.

Alex Deutsch of Sacred Heart leaps his way into the sandpit in the Long Jump event Tuesday afternoon during the Ladner Regional Track Meet at Delta Secondary.

Doctor

2007-05-15T12:46:00.000-07:00

An example of when good window light helps a shot out bigtime...

Dr. Jean Segal, Delta Hospital's director of medicine, says the decision to designate the facility sub-acute was wrong when it was made and continues to be wrong today.

Bridging the Generation Gap

2007-05-07T13:53:00.000-07:00

-SDSS students connect with Kinsmen seniors-

Some English 12 students at South Delta secondary have been studying Shakespeare's King lear and other pieces of literature which examine, in part, attitudes toward the elderly.

Several students have strong ties to their grandparents, but many acknowledge that distance or the effects of again and chronic health problems have taken their toll in developing strong familial bonds. Students also acknowledge that society generally, and adolescents specifically, have little emotional connection to the elderly.

As a result, students recently visited seniors at the Kinsmen Care Home in Tsawwassen. The project's goal was two-fold: to connect the students to seniors in the community, thereby breaking down mutually perceived barriers, and to profile some of our community's senior citizens who have had exciting and vital lives.

A selection of the photos...

Dick Redfern

2007-05-03T14:03:00.000-07:00

Richard Taylor Redfern, 85, has just written The Bexley Affair: A Haryy Potts Novel, a traditional whodunnit. He started writing the novel over 25 years ago. "I read a novel and figured, I can do better than this! So, in my spare time I started writing the book."

Local Seniors

2007-05-02T22:15:00.000-07:00

I photographed some local high school students and seniors lately for a section we did where the students interviewed a senior and then wrote a brief memoir about them. These were some of the photos I took after the original ones with the students, and everyone seemed to have a lot of fun with it.

Richmond

2007-05-01T09:42:00.000-07:00

Takumi Ishikawa, 18, gets some air while BMX'ing at the Richmond Skate Park Thursday afternoon.

Richmond RCMP Cpl. Stephanie Ashton of the Richmond RCMP Family Violence Unit adds a cell phone to the collection bin at the Richmond Caring Place Wednesday afternoon. Cellphones and chargers are redistributed to women at risk for calling 911.

Brad Vader of Pacific Log Recovery, the company contracted by DFO to repair the log boom that blocks debris from entering Steveston harbour, hammers away on the Fraser River Wednesday afternoon.

McRoberts Grade 11 student Heather Tijman plays around with a Corn snake during Eco-Fest 2007, a teacher-organised celebration of environmental sustainability at McRoberts Secondary on Thursday. The snake was part of a display from the Westcoast Society for the Protection and Conservation of Reptiles, who were there to educate students about the value of local reptiles in the natural environment.

Steveston High Closure

2007-04-30T16:02:00.000-07:00

Photos from a special edition of the paper, called Packer Press, which was put out to signify the closure of the iconic high school on its' 50th Anniversary. It was a lot of fun to work on.

First Shot on Fuji MF Rangefinder

2007-04-27T08:44:00.000-07:00

I met Dani sitting on a park bench at Kits Beach feeding the pigeons. He told me his story about escaping the Holocaust as a young Jewish teenager living in Poland back in the early 40's. He was an interesting guy to talk to, and has a life story filled with situations people of my age can only try to understand by carefully listening to someone like him.

Cool Shades

2007-04-26T12:20:00.000-07:00

As fellow tennis students look on, Riley Janssen, 4, concentrates on his volley during a lesson put on by tennis pro Barry Sanderson of the Delta Parks & Rec. at the Brandrith Park tennis courts Monday afternoon.

Rick.

2007-04-25T09:47:00.000-07:00

It was great to briefly meet Rick who is such an inspiring person and all-around great guy. I had about 3 minutes with him in his office and decided I would go with a tighter shot to try to show his more of his personality and less of his disability.

Rick Hansen, pictured here in his Vancouver office of the Rick Hansen Foundation, celebrates the 20th Anniversary of the final leg of his 1987 Man in Motion tour this month.

Find out more here www.rickhansen.com

Vaisakhi

2007-04-24T09:08:00.000-07:00

Richmond Multicultural Concerns Society director Gurdial Singh Neel explains the history and significance of Vaisakhi, celebrating the birth of the Khalsa, at Richmond Caring Place Tuesday afternoon.

Pat on the Back

2007-04-22T22:19:00.000-07:00

Kind of cool thing from this week in an email from around the chain:

The first Pat on the Back for March goes to Richmond/Delta photographer Brett Beadle for a dignified, yet heart-wrenching photo of Manjit Panghali’s father as he sat in a press conference called to announce that Manjit’s husband and brother-in-law had been charged in connection with her murder. Brett captured the emotions of the proceedings quietly and elegantly with a tight shot of the grieving man’s profile, a single tear coursing down his face. No one could look at that photo and not be moved by the palpable grief captured by the photographer.

The photo graced the front page of the Richmond News on March 13.

Past week in Richmond

2007-04-19T15:05:00.000-07:00

This one was tough. I was called right on deadline about an RCMP release we got saying that a local synagogue was vandalized on Holocaust Remembrance Day. When Eve and I arrived, the Rabbi wasn't prepared to talk at all, but after a bit of discussion he agreed. Anyways, just an example of a two-minute setup portrait on deadline in a delicate situation.

Rabbi Claudio Kaiser-Blueth of the Beth Tikvah Synagogue on Geal Road sits in front of walls of Jewish literature in his office on Monday afternoon. He notes that the most fitting punishment for the people who vandalized the synagogue would be to come and learn more about the culture and history of the Jewish people.

And two others:

Erin Fitz-Earle and her son Yewan, 3, watch an Air Canada Airbus A340 take off from Airport Park Wednesday afternoon. They came down from Squamish to pick up Yewan's grandmother and stopped to watch the airplanes take off at the park located just off of Russ Baker Way, east of Vancouver International Airport.

Richmond artist Eliza Au has an upcoming exhibit at the Richmond Art Gallery displaying her collection of ceramic wreaths.

a recap.

2007-04-17T09:49:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been about a year now since I started this blog last year, at the end of my schooling at Western Academy and the start of my internship at the Calgary Herald. It amazing how fast a year goes, and how much things change. This will be my 139th post on the blog, which also acts as a good archiving system and allows you to look at your work from the past very easily. It's amazing to take a look back at the pictures I was taking as I was getting out of school, how happy I was with the pictures I was taking, and how seemingly awful I think they look now.

It is all part of the growing process I guess, and keeps me excited for the future of pictures I am going to take. I still love taking pictures as much as I did before school, if not more, and I hope that doesn't change. Now I am hoping I have enough time and perseverance to work on some long-term projects outside of my full-time job, which I am looking into, albeit slowly-but-surely. I just bought a new camera, and although it was an option to upgrade my Canon digital I chose instead to buy a 20 year old camera without a lightmeter. Because I think I'll have more fun with it. At the end of the day, photography is still fun, and I'm happy as ever to be able to make a living taking pictures, it's a blessing.

-Brett. Apr 17/2007

Recent Stuff From Richmond

2007-04-13T10:10:00.000-07:00

A few recent things from Richmond, I have been behind on the updates recently. More to come soon...

John Kelly got an interesting Telus bill recently, adressed to "Richmond BC Afghanistan."

George Chan sits on the pier at London Landing Monday afternoon, waiting for the flounder to bite.

Shi Ming Deng's distraught parents, father Qian Hui Deng (right) and mother Li Xue Mei speak to media Thursday. They are trying to figure out how their son died in 2005, when they were informed of his demise two months after his death and several days after his burial.

Mustache Shots

2007-03-31T22:36:00.000-07:00

Testing out some lighting for a shoot for work, and Liam had been working on his mustache for Mustache March, so it was time to take some pictures....

67th Annual BC Golden Gloves

2007-03-28T12:59:00.000-07:00

Some shots from the 67th Annual Golden Gloves, held at the River Rock show theatre in Richmond, BC March 23-24th.
It was a long but fun weekend of shooting, about 4.5 hours noth Friday and Saturday nights, about 1600 photos later it was tough to edit through, here are some of the shots along with how it looked in the paper.

Rain Rain Go Away

2007-03-26T11:55:00.001-07:00

There¹s still beauty to behold in all this rain. Optimist photographer Brett Beadle captured this raindrop falling off a daffodil during the heavy rains this week. Environment Canada says 174 mm of rain fell as of Thursday. They were expecting another 110 mm to fall by the end of the weekend.

Cute Kid.

2007-03-23T13:19:00.000-07:00

Five-year-old Shaye O'Donnell was one of hundreds of kids that came out to the Tsawwassen Town Centre Mall on Monday to enjoy a bunch of activies hosted by Delta Gymnastics. The mall hosts a session for kids every afternoon during the spring break from school.

Samantha

2007-03-21T11:14:00.000-07:00

Samantha Harris, 9, watches the snow fall outside her family's Ladner home on a recent day. She has been a member of the War Amps' Child Amputee (CHAMP) program since she was born missing her left arm from below the elbow because of a congenital birth defect. The program helps families pay for specialized artificial limbs, which sometimes don't last long as kids go through growth spurts in their youth.

Hot Pants.

2007-03-20T11:43:00.000-07:00

Shelly Joe designs clothing for fire performers. Her work will be among the 25 student lines showcased at the Kwantlen 25th anniversary grad fasion show at the River Rock March 28th.

Lois.

2007-03-19T11:27:00.000-07:00

88 year-old dynamo Lois Carson Boyce has been a community activist since the 1960s, a tireless advocate for peace, the environment, clean air and affordable housing for seniors.

Panghali Arrests.

2007-03-13T10:58:00.000-07:00

From a press conference yesterday which made the front pages of the Vancouver Sun, Province, and the Globe and Mail. And the Richmond News and Delta Optimist.

*Note: Other photogs photos from the event made the front pages of the other papers. Mine were on the Richmond/Delta papers. Sorry for the confusion, was just trying to say it was big news.

Manjit Panghali's father, Resham Basra, tears up at a press conference yesterday to announce that Mukhtiar Panghali, the murdered woman's husband, has been charged with second-degree murder in her death while Sukhvinder Panghali, her brother-in-law, is charge with accessory to murder after the fact. A charge of assaulting a police officer has also been recommended against Sukhvinder, 27, of Richmond.

Manjit Panghali's sister Jasmine Bhambra places a hand on her father Resham Basra's leg as he tears up at a press conference yesterday to announce that Mukhtiar Panghali, the murdered woman's husband, has been charged with second-degree murder in her death.

A couple of things from Richmond

2007-03-13T09:50:00.000-07:00

A shot for the cover of the "South Shore Business Journal", another publication which has been stacked on to the duties at the paper(s). We needed a colourful graphic image for the front showing how companies attract new employees, so I went and made these guys take a break from work to play foosball. They happily obliged.

Hard at Work - Employees at Nuheat take a break and enjoy a break and enjoy a game of foosball in the employee common room, which also houses a big-screen TV and ping pong tables.

This was just a funny shot I saw as I was driving by. I wasn't as happy with the composition but roosters are tricky devils and was off to chase a hen as I got closer.

A rooster and a rider appear to be rushing for the bus in front of Richmond Country Farms. The rooster, a long with a number of his fine feathered friends, are a familiar sight for commuters taking the Steveston HIghway exit from Highway 99 northbound, as the birds regularly cross back and forth across the road.

Hands

2007-03-08T10:00:00.000-08:00

Jake White, seen here playing a Djembe, has been invited (along with his outstanding African/Cuban marimba band Kutapira) to preform at the prestigious Aberdeen International Youth Festival in Scotland. The group, based out of the Britannia Community Centre in Vancouver's east side, plays instruments such as djembes, marimba, mbiras, conga and bata drums, timbales, and campanas.

2007-03-07T11:51:00.000-08:00

Morgan Boreen, 8, hugs her mom June in their Boundary Bay home. June and others are hosting a fundraiser at the Rose & Crown Pub on March 15th to raise money to buy Morgan a special wheelchair that will allow her to go to the beach just blocks away from their home.

Full story

Mad Science

2007-03-06T16:13:00.000-08:00

Grade 3 student Ryan Johnson inhales some gas from a dry ice experiment at Westwind elementary school's Mad Science Academy showcase at Richmond Centre Wednesday. The academy is an after-school program that teaches science to kids.

Father David

2007-03-05T09:14:00.000-08:00

I was supposed to take Father David's picture a few weeks ago but decided to try to book some time off to follow him around and avoid a set-up shot. He told me Ash Wednesday, where Catholics mark the first day of Lent by putting a cross of ash on worshipper's foreheads, would be a good day to shadow him. I think it worked out, and was glad I could avoid the ever-dreaded setup, especially for a situation like this.

On Ash Wednesday Father David Poirier proceeds to lead the service at the Saint Joseph the Worker Catholic Church where he has been pastor for a little over a year. He is a counsellor, teacher, and spiritual advisor.

Light, devotion mark New Year celebration.

2007-03-02T11:12:00.000-08:00

From a photo story I did on Chinese New Year at one of the Buddhist Temples in Richmond, the Lingyen Mountain Buddhist Temple. It was very cool to see the temple decorated and to be let in on the ceremony was very interesting. It is the only night of the year where they allow people to come in to photograph the Buddha statues, so it was a special night. I had lunch with my friend Casey from the temple the other day, and they were quite happy with the photos. I haven't been doing a good job on updating the blog without my laptop, and I have been busy at work so utilzing the computers here is a bit difficult. More to come soon.

-Brett.

Chinese New Year Section

2007-02-26T14:42:00.000-08:00

Some of the photos I produced for the special Chinese New Year's section the Richmond News.
My laptop has been in the shop for about two weeks now, I just got it back and then had the screen fail on me. Sweet.

Kid Beats Photog

2007-02-21T13:44:00.000-08:00

Don't be fooled by his smile ... Jonah Lee, 6, is a shrewd chess player who wins against competitors twice his age.

From the article....

Four moves.

That's how long it took Richmond chess champ Jonah Lee to beat Richmond News photographer Brett Beadle.

"I was just trying to set up the photo," said Beadle defensively.

Beadle doesn't play chess, but that doesn't diminish six-year-old Jonah's achievements as a first-place finisher at two recent chess championships.

Kiter

2007-02-20T16:56:00.000-08:00

I met Ken while he was trying to kiteboard in some lackluster winds the other day, he said he would teach me to kite.
A new hobby...I sure hope so, it looks like wicked fun.

Ken Martin practices his Kite-flying skills at Garry Point this Tuesday afternoon. Martin is practicing for the The North American Buggy eXpo in Ivanpah Dry Lake, California, which takes place at the start of April. The event is an internationally renown kite traction race and recreation event which was started in 1994.

Sniper

2007-02-19T10:32:00.000-08:00

An ERT sniper was stationed on top of Delta Barbers yesterday morning, keeping an eye on an apartment across Delta Street. The incident, which involved an inebriated man with a shotgun, ended peacefully.

Up in Smoke

2007-02-16T13:16:00.000-08:00

A photo I made about a special report on global warming the Richmond News did. They told me to think about some sort of picture for something to do with climate change, which was fairly vague so I kept it in mind. I thought about seeing a post on strobist about photographing smoke, and thought it would look cool coming out of a muffler. So luckily, the office is right beside a muffler shop, I went and grabbed one the guy had just ripped out of an old Datsun, and set it up in my ghetto studio in a closet in the back of the office. It worked out okay, I think it looks somewhat like a cigarette, and if I had a bigger "studio" would have probably used a whole car, but hopefully the effect worked. The smoke is from 3 incese sticks i put in the tailpipe. (It helps to have many asian supermarkets nearby.)

Reducing greenhouses gases, like the emissions expelled from vehicles, will slow global warming.

2007-02-16T10:55:00.000-08:00

Lincoln Kennedy-Williams, 16, who plays for the U17 Silver Thunder kicks a ball on net at Holly Park Synthetic Turf Field yesterday. After much discussion, plans are moving forward to construct such a field in Tsawwassen at Winskill Park.

Cargo Ship

2007-02-14T13:48:00.000-08:00

A cargo ship finds a sliver of sunlight on its journey through the Straight of Georgia Monday afternoon.

Scrum

2007-02-13T13:32:00.000-08:00

Cpl. Peter Thiessen of the Richmond RCMP is seen through a video camera during a media scrum Wednesday discussing the suspension of a Richmond RCMP officer who has been arrested after being charged with possession of child pornography. The officer, who has not been named, has been suspended with pay and an internal investigation is underway.

2007-02-09T13:53:00.000-08:00

Tonii Adamopoulos, Kirk Holifield's sister-in-law, visits his memorial on Westminster Highway where he was found murdered on the night of January 11th. Neighbours want the memorial taken down, but many of Holifield's family, including his wife and mother have not yet visted the memorial, which has been at the location for less than a month.

Balding For Dollars

2007-02-05T13:56:00.000-08:00

Delta Secondary grade 11 student Nathan Allen reacts after the first swipe of an electric razor during "Balding for Dollars" at DSS, with all proceeds from the event going to the B.C. Children's Hospital. Hundreds of students came out on their lunch break to watch the event, which raised about $200 at the door alone.

Delta Secondary grade 11 student Nicole Rittemann, one of the students who organized the fundraiser, reacts after first seeing her semi-bald head in a mirror handed to her during "Balding for Dollars" at DSS.

Eye in the Sky

2007-02-02T10:42:00.000-08:00

I started using all of work's gear after my flash mysteriously began making funny noises the other day. It made me realize how much gear plays an important part in making quality pictures. Lenses, megapixels, flashes, are all very important and help make a possibly decent picture into something a little bit better. I was not 100% happy with this picture, thought I could have done better, and I hate walking away from a photo with that kind of mindset. But at the same time, I don't want to have to pay out of my own pocket to fix my own gear to use at work. So it's finding a balance of using what you've got to make quality pictures. So, hopefully my "new" 6 year-old 2.6 megapixel camera holds it together, but I sure do miss my ole Canon gear :).

River Rock spokesman Howard Blank - reflected in a camera at the the River Rock Casino - credits the facility's state-of-the-art surveillance system and the joint efforts of staff and police for the arrest of a man in connection with the robbery of a patron. Brett Beadle/Richmond News

Glass Tower

2007-02-01T13:30:00.000-08:00

Workers continue to put the finishing touches on the glass tower inside the "Acqua" building on No. 3 road this Thursday. The 17-story building with 175 living units is expected to completed in March 2007. Brett Beadle/Richmond News

Father & Son

2007-01-28T18:18:00.000-08:00

A few from when I was walking around with my rangefinder and Fuji 1600 ISO film last weekend. I am pretty sure I like the last one best, but as always I am a terrible editor of my stuff.

Kirk Holifield Memorial

2007-01-24T16:57:00.000-08:00

This was not an easy assignment to photograph. The day that you become immune to feeling emotion at these kind of events is probably the day to put down the camera, it was very emotional and I felt for everyone there. ISO 3200, which means b &w. -Brett.

Over 600 people came to the Riverside Banquet Hall in Richmond Friday afternoon to pay their respects to Kirk Holifield, who was killed in a targeted shooting on Westminster Highway January 11th.

Read Eve Edmonds' story here.

A member of Kirk Holifield's hockey team grieves as he looks at a picture of Holifield and his daughter Amelia on the front of the program to the Memorial Service.
Kirk Holifield's father Bert Holifield hugs Kirk's business partner and close friend Chris Barrett after the ceremony, held at Riverside Banquet Hall in Richmond Friday afternoon.
Kirk Holifield's close friend and business partner Chris Barrett, front, is overcome with grief at Holifield's memorial Friday afternoon.

Our game.

2007-01-22T19:09:00.000-08:00

Dave Williams brought his kids and their friends out to enjoy the ice that formed in a frozen field just off of Highway 17 in Ladner Friday evening. This was just one of the many spots around South Delta where kids were out enjoying the first year for quite some time where it has been cold enough to play pond hockey.

She's a Sheila Alright

2007-01-21T11:36:00.000-08:00

"Sheila" the Australian Blue Heeler was out, quite literally, having a ball in the snow at Winskill Park last Wednesday morning.

Another B&W Shot.

2007-01-20T10:51:00.000-08:00

A few eager toboggan-ers were out at Deifenbaker Park Wednesday afternoon as snow fell throughout South Delta and the Lower Mainland.

NewlyWeds

2007-01-17T18:29:00.000-08:00

Andy Mccabe, 78, and Viola Steele, 84, were married Friday January 12th at the Saint Joseph the Worker Parish in Richmond, B.C. Viola walked down the aisle -- with the aid of a walker -- for the first time in her life. The couple spent their honeymoon in a local hotel Friday night, then returned to the Lions Manor care home where they have lived for more than a year. They will be moved into adjacent rooms in the facility.

Full story here.

Michelle.

2007-01-16T17:55:00.000-08:00

Michelle Dean's weight fluctuated between 100 and 190 pounds as she battled an eating disorder. At her lowest body weight, she stopped menstruating, lost hair on her head, and grew fine body hair. She is speaking about her history with anorexia at a free public education event on eating disorders Feb. 6 at City Hall. Brett Beadle/Richmond News

Read the full story here.

I wish I had a bit more "studio" space for this shot. I was shooting from the production office and the backdrop was setup in a fairly busy walkway in the office, but was the only spot to set it up. The shadow of Michelle's mom Terry was cast by a flash with a kraft-dinner-box snoot. (Always gets some laughs when I pull it out.) The flash on Michelle was gripped to a cubicle to the left and zoomed way in and aimed at her. Both Michelle and I wanted to get away from the typical "looking into the mirror" anorexia shots, so I think this one worked pretty well for what I was going for.

Little Shoveler

2007-01-13T12:38:00.000-08:00

Two year-old Nathaniel Factor was out helping his dad Emmanuel shovel the walkway in front of their English Bluff Rd. home in Tsawwassen Wednesday afternoon.

2nd Richmond shooting this week

2007-01-12T22:08:00.000-08:00

Police pore over a Dodge pickup truck, which veered off Westminster Highway just east of Shell Road, after the driver was shot and killed early Thursday morning. Police think it may be a case of mistaken identity as a family member of one of the gang members involved in last week's shooting drives the same model vehicle and lives nearby. The victim, 35-year-old Kirk Holifield of Ladner, is not known to police and has no criminal record.

stella.

2007-01-12T00:37:00.000-08:00

Stella spent her first week that my neighbours had her on IVs in the animal hospital after catching some sort of virus. But the tiny one hung in there and now you can't stop her from running around and exploring the world. Here she is flanked by Leroy's back leg, to give a sense of scale.

2007-01-10T16:51:00.000-08:00

why I  photography

On a typical day for a typical 22 year old guy, it would be pretty much impossible to follow around a Grandmother and two young kids. But with a camera, doors open and you get to meet people you would never have a chance to meet in a normal social setting. And as often as I think that people would give me weird looks or be upset at me taking their picture, time and time again I meet great people who are totally accepting of me photographing them. And I don't think there are too many other ways that you can just jump into someones life like that. And that is one of the reasons I love photography.

Another "how I did it"

2007-01-08T20:07:00.000-08:00

Another look into a different shot. This shot was one I did for the front of the Optimist back in December. Link HERE

The story was about DNA testing on pieces of evidence recovered from crime scenes. A lot of the Ident. lab was a lot like an office, with a lot of computers and other somewhat normal-looking stuff. So I found somewhere that I looked somewhat like a lab to use as a background. The shot was made using three different flashes, the first shot through an umbrella (top left) was used as the main light on Dave's face. The second, on the far right, was zoomed in to add a bit of highlight on the left side of his face. The last light was used zoomed as wide as possible to fill in the fume hood to keep the overall exposure even and have a bit of detail in the background. For these kind of illustrative shots, it always helps to have some flashes around. It was shot at f/8, ISO 100, 1/50th of a second at 16mm.

Paramedic Response

2007-01-06T10:31:00.000-08:00

Richmond chief paramedic Pascal Rodier says tragedies like 9/11 and Columbine exemplify the importance of a unified communication frequency for all first responders. Richmond is the first city to pilot such a project, and now other communities in the Lower Mainland are looking to Richmond to help them set up their own such system.

Brett Beadle/Richmond News

EDIT: HOW I DID IT

I shot this at about a 15th or 20th of a second on my 16-35mm lens. I had one flash set up on a 2-dollar clamp w/ hotshoe thing I have in my bag for situations like this where I can't have a lightstand but need to position a strobe. Fired the strobe zoomed in at about 50mm clamped onto the left glove compartment. Because it was raining, there was a lot of glare off of the windshield, so I attached my Circ. Polarizing Filter which took away the glare where Pascal was sitting and made him "pop" a bit more. I got Pascal to turn on the lights after a few shots to add a bit more to the zoom/driving effect. It was one of those situations where I had a 5 word assignment with this guy's name and location and a blurb on the radio system they were using. So I got Pascal to explain everything to me so I could get a mental picture of what a situation like this might look like, and tried to make an interesting image from what I was thinking he would look like responding to a big call. Phew. Next post, more rangefinder shots with natural light and easy explanations.

EDIT 2: Forgot to say I zoomed out while taking the picture, hah, kind of important.

-Brett.

2007-01-05T11:20:00.000-08:00

Walkers both young and old were out working off some holiday pounds at the track at Minoru Park during a stunning sunny afternoon this Thursday.

Beauty Nights

2007-01-02T17:07:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I went to photograph a "Beauty Night" on Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, right at the intersection of Main and Hastings. It has yet to be published, although there was some interest from the Vancouver Sun to run the photos along with an article written by Michelle, who I work with at the Richmond News. This is a women-only event (myself and another guy from CityTV were the only men in the place) which aims to help disadvantaged women improve their self-image and increase their self-esteem.

From the Beauty Nights website
"“Beauty Nights” are our original and most popular program. All throughout the year and at various locations, volunteers offer services such as hair cutting and styling, make-up application and lessons, basic manicures and pedicures, relaxation massage, aromatherapy, reflexology and healing touch. Our image consultants help clients pick out donated clothing to take away. Clients are served healthy, delicious snacks and treats. If the venue allows it, we play music or movies for our clients. And at each Beauty Night, we give away to each client a small gift bag filled with small necessities – and some treats – including soap, shampoo, razors, nail files, nail polish, etc.

Beauty Night events take place in drop-in centres, transition homes, clinics, groups homes, hospitals and, sometimes, in salons. Beauty Nights are our most popular events, for their fun, friendship and pampering. "

Rogue MP

2006-12-29T15:25:00.000-08:00

MP John Cummins' Conservative party came to power in government this year, but that hasn't stopped him from criticizing Ottawa. He has spoken out on issues such as the Deltaport Expansion, Fraser River fishing stocks, and the Tsawwassen First Nations treaty.

Heron

2006-12-28T17:58:00.000-08:00

A Great Blue Heron enjoys the last sunshine of the day while perched on some rocks at Garry Point on Friday afternoon.

Holiday Shots

2006-12-27T17:41:00.000-08:00

This one was a tad bit interesting... As I walk into the Public Health Unit, the lady that runs the place asks me if I had done this before, and explains that I am going into a breastfeeding clinic. So, I walk in, and try to organize something to look at least a bit interesting. But the problem is, organizing 17 different 4-month olds is a lot tougher than I thought it might be. And they are pretty much stuck to one pose, which is very well displayed by the little gal in the front middle. She had that position down pat, once she was laid down I did not see her move a millimeter, she was down for the count and enjoying a well-deserved nap. 17 newborns, all four months or less, got decked out in their Christmas duds for the weekly mother-and-baby drop-in clinic at the South Delta Public Health Unit in Ladner Wednesday afternoon.
Rabbi Bailteman of the Chabad of Richmond holds a Menorah in City Hall this Wednesday. A Chanukah Family Festival will be held on Sunday December 17th at City Hall where everyone is invited to take part in building an eight foot tall Menorah out of Lego.

Merry Festivus!

2006-12-24T09:42:00.000-08:00

I took this picture of Santa a few weeks ago, and tried to make them into Christmas postcards to send to everyone, but the printer messed up the order and it was too late to reprint. So here it is, maybe next year you will get a postcard that looks a little something like this. I hope everyone all the best and hope the big guy brings you all the stuff you asked for.

CSI - DELTA STYLE

2006-12-20T16:59:00.000-08:00

Sgt. Dave Winberg of the Delta police's forensic identification unit swabs a screwdriver that could have been used as an entry tool or weapon. Police send samples to Canada's National DNA Databank in a bid to identify suspects.

Read more - Moe's article here