Nordica Photography » Event Photography

Vancouver Event Photographer

Cole & Jakob — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 23:01:53 +0000

Being a Vancouver event photographer certainly has its perks, if that’s the direction you choose to drive your photography business towards.

For us, we have never waved the flag that says ‘We’re Event Photographers‘, rather we wave the ‘We’re Wedding Photographers‘ flag.

The way we look at event photography is we’ll gladly do it if we’re approached by companies or individuals, if we don’t have a wedding to be at.Â We do this for a few reasons, and those reason almost entirely point back to being better wedding photographers.

At events, you’re in situations where you have challenging lighting scenarios (like a wedding), multiple people in somewhat stressfulÂ environment (like a wedding) and once an event is complete, you need to have a slick workflow so that you can return finished work back to your clients on time (like a wedding).

So the biggest reason why we book events is so we can not only hammer off some stellar photos for whomever is hiring us for the event, but we can also hone our skills so that our next wedding is better then the last.

All that jabbering aside, events really do have their perks.

For this post, we just wanted to take you through a few of the stunning venues we had the opportunity to visit lately. These are some of the non-wedding related things that we’ve been a part of the last few weeks, and we thank everyone who invited us along to these events for letting us be a part of it.

As well, if you have an event coming up and you feel it could be complimented by a couple of photographers, we’d gladly enter a dialogue with you about our services. Just fire us over an email to info@nordicaphotography.com

So, first up on our small venue list is a birthday party we did in West Vancouver. We were contacted by the lovely Cat Barr (local Ã¼ber-celebrity!) and she invited us along. The venue for this party was at the snazzy confides ofÂ Beachside Forno Restaurant on Marine Drive. It’s cozy and for a smaller wedding, you can’t beat this spot. Plus the ocean-side sea wall is a short 8-iron away, so the view is absolutely money.

Next up, you may remember we posted some pictures from a 50th anniversary party we did a short time back. This was a cool experience for us because of a few reasons. Firstly, we went a day early and spent the day as tourists in Seattle. None of us had been there before, so it was good to dip our toes into the waters there. Work is always a good excuse for travel!

But the venue for the party was stunning. Located at the Port of Bellingham, the party was held at theÂ Squalicum Boathouse. Basically, this is another ocean-side venue and left us pretty jealous of every single Washington State photographer who has been lucky enough to do a wedding there. It’s stellar.

Badaboom. Let’s move on to some hardcore lawyer action at the Stanley Park Pavilion. This was an interesting event for sure, and one that sort of caught us by surprise. We were contacted by some representatives of the Melvin Belli Society to cover their annual event that was being held in Vancouver. Having never heard of this American society, we were like ‘Sure!’, and away we went.

What we didn’t know was how established this society was. We’re talking heavy-hitters here folks. There are fewer the 50 members of this exclusive trial lawyer society, and they’re simply the best of the best America has to offer. So, let’s just say it was ritzy and the Stanley Park Pavilion was veryÂ suitableÂ for this respectable group of individuals.

So, you with us still? Beauty, because this is the big one.

Ever heard of Meeting ProfessionalsÂ International? Neither had we. But, we were sent an email a while back about covering their World Education Congress that was being held at the Vancouver Convention Centre. The convention was held over four days, and there would be anywhere from 1,000 to 4,000 members of this global community of networkers mingling around the Convention Centre at one time.

So, to say this was a challenge for two fella’s to cover would be about accurate.

But, it was awesome. And even more awesome were some of the venues we were able to cover over the course of the Congress. Like, we’re talking underworld society of Vancouver awesomeness that we had no idea even existed kind of venues.

First up on the list was The Vancouver Club.

Those in the know in Vancouver probably can concur that this is where the global heavy hitters hang out when they roll into town. We were a bit overwhelmed at first by this location because of the history of the venue, but once settling in with the very hospitable staff that worked there, it was a comfortable dinner to photograph. The MPI brass were ‘honouring’ their top ranks at this particular dinner, and they really pulled out all the stops to make this dinner something very special.

Another event on the agenda at the MPI Congress was something called The Big Deal, which was held in one of the Pan Pacific ballrooms. There were many poker celebs mingling about (such as Antonio Esfandiari, pictured below) and it was a world-class poker tournament if we’ve ever seen one.

The tournament was hosted for the members of the MPI network who chose to buy-in. There were about 100 entrants into the tournament, and the winning prize was definitely special: A tournament buy-in to next years World Series of Poker which is worth $10,000. Not bad!

Next on the list of ‘Vancouver Venues We’d Die to Photograph A Wedding At’ is the rooftop penthouse at theÂ Fairmont Pacific Rim. We were venturing into the ridiculous at this point with regards to how stunning this location was. Let’s just say this: The bellboy working there make reference to how much this space was to rent per night and, well, yeah you get the point.

This event was exclusive to the veterans, or ‘ranking officers’ you might say, of the MPI group. It. Was. Snazzy. They were giving out awards and eating some of the best West Coast snacks we’ve ever seen. A wedding there would be absolutely mind-blowing.

The Fairmont is basically a giant when it comes to hosting huge receptions like the ones that MPI was hosting. There were quite a few over the course of the Congress, so we feel like we really got to see the lay of the land in this monster hotel.

Not to be outdone by the Fairmont, the Pan Pacific definitelyÂ holds its own with it’s share of venues. The view you get in some of their ballrooms of Gastown, downtown and the North Shore are some of the best you’ll find in Vancouver, so having a few pops and celebrating a wedding in any of these rooms would be totally sick (in a good way).

Another of the MPI’s gala-type events over the course of the Congress was held at theÂ Marriott Pinnacle Downtown Hotel. The event held here called the Rise Awards, and they more or less recognized the up and comers of the MPI family.

From our point of view, we just couldn’t believe that a room this size was located in the Marriott. The venue looked big enough to hold a few thousand people, and it was done up to the nines. The things you learn eh…

So, that was about it for the hotel scene around the Vancouver Convention Centre. But what about inside this beast of a building?

Well, inside the Convention Centre you have it all. But one of the biggest rooms is the West Ballroom, and this is where MPI really put the peddle to the medal with the festivities. Considering how massive this room was, we couldn’t believe how intimate it felt in there. Unless you have a wedding with like 5,000 people, this room probably isn’t for you. But! It was impressive indeed and Vancouver will definitely be hosting some high-profile events at some point in this particular room.

One of the highlites at the Convention Centre was the opening reception that was thrown outside of the building beside the Olympic Torch. MPI had (somehow) managed to block the entire area off from the public, and the party they threw there was simply incredible. There were bars set up everywhere, all the food you could think of, a few different ‘circus’ type acts, bands and much more. They even had the pull to get the torch lit up for the event.Â

Off-site, the MPI crew had a few other impressive events. One was called Rendezvous, and was held at the Commodore Ballroom.

Finally, the big one. Having been in Vancouver for the Olympics, we never thought we would see a street party in the city that could come close to that. Well, MPI put in their best effort and came damn close.

For their closing night, MPI had blocked off a section of Granville Street from Nelson to Smithe. That in itself, is not too shabby. But the fact that every single bar and restaurant in that strip was opened exclusively to the MPI crew and every drink was on the house (including the Roxy) is kinda’Â mind-blowing. There were stages set up everywhere, food being served constantly, sport cars, bands, tap-dancers, you name it. Even Spandy Andy was there.

Simply put, it was the best party we’ve seen since the Games, so hopefully this will be a trend in the city because Vancouver deserves it.

So there you go folks, that’s what the Nordica machine has been up to. We’d digging it though, and between the weddings and events we’ve got rocking out right now, the photography life is pretty kick-ass at the moment!

West Vancouver // Event Photography

Cole & Jakob — Mon, 31 May 2010 20:26:50 +0000

The best thing about doing event photography is the approach is often similar as wedding photography. What we mean is you know the core shots that are needed, but at the same time, it’s the details that count.

When we’re doing weddings especially, we try to not miss a beat with anything. This certainly holds true for events as well.

Recently we did an event in West Vancouver for a lovely lady whose father and fiance were co-celebrating their birthday bashes. It was a beautiful event and we felt very fortunate to have been invited to attend. It was a real family gathering, and it was a special feeling to know our photography was contributing to the future memories of the evening.

We do (thoroughly) enjoy doing events such as this, so if you’re planning something and feel a photographer (or two in our case) could benefit your event, don’t be afraid to contact us.

Concert Photography | The Vogue & The Venue

Cole & Jakob — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 21:49:23 +0000

So let’s be clear about one thing folks: Wedding photography is our bread and butter.

However, we like photography a whole hell of a lot, which is why we like to dip our toes into different water from time to time. We can’t do weddings everyday of the week right? And we don’t want our cameras to get rusty eh!

Enter into the picture then The Vogue and The Venue (which are massive venues on Granville Street if you’re unfamiliar).

First of all, you’ll be seeing loads of pictures from The Vogue in the near future. Basically, we’ve reached a cordial agreement with them to provide photography for all their shows and events. Not a bad gig!

Secondly, band photos from the Venue. We don’t plan on being there a lot (unless we’re asked!) but for one show last week, we were indeed asked to provide our services. The band that was playing was called Beyond the Fall, and they were actually a band that we did a shoot with before Christmas.

So, we’re mixing it up a bit from weddings and social media photography, and what a great way to do so! That being said, if you have an event, you’re in a band or anything else along those lines and you need some photography done, fire us an email and we can maybe work something out!

Here are a couple gritty black and whiters’ from two shows over the last week: Beyond the Fall and Jon Anderson.

Vancouver Twestival

Cole & Jakob — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 21:55:32 +0000

On Thursday the 15th, we will be doing some volunteer event photography at an excellent and important global event:Â Twestival.

In a nutshell,Â TwestivalÂ (which stands for Twitter Festival) is a fundraising event that is global and uses Twitter as the catalyst to raise money forÂ Concern Worldwide. This is a description of Concern Worldwide in their own words:

Concern Worldwide is a non-governmental, international, humanitarian organization dedicated to the reduction of suffering and working towards the ultimate elimination of extreme poverty in the worldâ€™s poorest countries.

The Twestival event is pretty incredible though due to the participation globally and based on the effectiveness and willingness to give on behalf of the global Twitter community. But the organizers themselves can probably describe it better then us, so here you go in their own words:

On Thursday 25 March 2010, people in hundreds of cities around the world will come together offline to rally around the important cause of Education by hosting local events to have fun and create awareness.Â Twestivalâ„¢ (or Twitter Festival) uses social media for social good.Â All of the local events are organized 100% by volunteers and 100% of all ticket sales and donations go direct to projects.Â If you would like to get involved, please Register your City, Register your School, or Volunteer and we will get in touch. Â Organizers will be given a handbook and invitation to our collaboration workspace. Â FollowÂ @twestival for updates.

Nordica Photography was asked to participate and do photography for the evening, and we didnâ€™t hesitate to volunteer.Â Marc Smith andÂ Rebecca Bollwitt were kind enough to ask us to get involved, so we thank them for thinking of us! We even threw in aÂ Social Media Package that will be up for auction, so hopefully that helps raise some money for this wonderful event.

So, on Thursday if you arenâ€™t coming toÂ Twestival or you are partipating inÂ Dining Out For Life (which is another excellent event for a great cause that just so happens to be going on the same night), then you can follow our site as weâ€™ll be posting pictures from the event.

Alternatively, follow the hashtagÂ #yvrtwestivalÂ (or the Vancouver’s Twestival handle which isÂ @YVRtwestival) as thereâ€™s going to be a lot of Twitter action going on throughout the evening!

Hearts for Haiti | Vancouver Photographer

Cole & Jakob — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 04:19:23 +0000

Alrighty folks, here we are at the Hearts For Haiti Charity Art Auction in Vancouver. It’s a bit of a double edged sword with emotions we would say.

On one side of the sword, the milieu at the venue is magnificent. The food is spectacular, the volunteers are gorgeous and generous with their knowledge and the hosts for the evening are amazing. It is almost feels like we’re in a luxury box at an opera – very cool!

But the other side of the sword is why we are here: The Charity. Make no mistake that this even is incredible for a number of reasons, but everyone in this room is on the same page: Raise money for those in need. The incredible art here is one thing, but the buyers (donators) are the cogs in the wheel.

So, we’re looking forward to keeping those of interest in touch with this evening as it progresses! The room is beginning to fill up, and it’s a splendid crowd of very caring people.

Click here to see more pictures of Hearts for Haiti Vancouver!

Hearts for Haiti Vancouver |Â Haiti Fundraiser

Cole & Jakob — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:00:38 +0000

On March 6th, there is a very special charityÂ fundraiser going on at the Pacific Palisades (which in on Robson Street) calledÂ Hearts for Haiti. It will be a night of fun which will include live jazz music, a wee bar with snacks, a decked out room and anÂ Art Auction. The art part of things was how we figured out about the evening, as we were asked to donate an item for auction (which we gladly did!).

If you are interested in buying tickets, they are a hell of a deal at onlyÂ $25 (which of course goes towards the money raised for the Haiti relief effort). That ticket gets you a drink, some nibbly bites and of course the evening itself which will be fun. You can buy tickets online at theÂ Hearts for Haiti Vancouver website.

We (Cole and Jakob) will both be there and we’ll bring our cameras and laptops to do some serious photography live-blogging at the event, so expect to see tons of photos from the Pacific Palisades on Saturday!

Here’s our donation, a piece we call ‘Canada Line Rings‘ (The Olympic rings shot from inside the Canada Line). We’re really looking forward to seeing all the great art (including sculptures and ceramics) at the event!

Irish House Opening | Vancouver Olympic Pictures

Cole & Jakob — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 23:32:12 +0000

Event photography is definitely something we’re hoping to get more involved in, especially over the course of the Olympics. This special event we were fortunate enough to attend was the Irish House opening. Basically, it was a party party party zone for lovers of the Celtic Isle.

So, here are some pictures from the event! And folks, if you like our style and plan on hosting an event, don’t hesitate to contact us to come photograph your event. We’re really into this and think we can add a pretty damn positive element to your events!

On with the show…