The Sahara | Morocco

I spend a lot of time in the desert. It is a special place for me. Perhaps because it is so opposite from my everyday life of living in a city, driving around congested streets, rushing around here and there. But when I am in the desert, I am filled with such peace. The vastness demands presence. Your senses come alive as all your worries melt away. At times the only thing I can hear is my own breathe mingling with the wind, my thoughts becoming clear and light. Everything slows down in the most beautiful way.

And then there are the dunes. I was so excited for this part of our Moroccan adventure, never having experienced anything as large as the Sahara. You can’t ignore the energy emitted from these beautiful shifting mountains. Always moving, always changing… and never with the same particles of sand.

We rode camelback through the dunes, watching the evening sun warm the sand into deep red tones. Once again, silence, except for the camel’s large hooves prodding softly along. We passed Berber camps, set up in the middle of nowhere. Their houses were made of scrap wood, covered with blankets and carpets, some surrounded by carpet walls for protection from the wind. Nearby, their herds of goats were eating the patches of grasses, growing in the most unlikely places. Our Berber camp was not unlike the others, except ours had queen size beds and running water (so yes, maybe it was quite different!). That night by candlelight, we ate one of the best meals of the trip, a Moroccan salad and a meat tajine. The most spectacular of all though, was the sky. So littered with stars it took your breathe away. Mesmerized, we lay and watched the luminous sky until the day finally overwhelmed us and we crawled into bed. We awoke before light, climbing a nearby dune to watch the morning light flood across the dunes, warming the vast Sahara. Yes, the desert is a very special place.

As much as I love the desert, the ocean, my true love, is calling...

Location: The Sahara, Merzouga, Morocco

Accomodation: Yasmina Hotel (would highly recommend)

Jesse & Marissa got Hitched.

It was a whirlwind. A wonderful whirlwind of family and friends. Camping. Swimming. BBQing. Cooking. Decorating. Preparing for the big day of festivities. What we couldn't have prepared for however, was the storm the night before. Dubbed 'Hurricane Katrina II', the storm knocked down trees and power lines, temporarily closing down the road to the ranch, as well as leaving us with no power or water. Luckily we had the resources (ie. an incredible handyman) and man power to host a wedding of 160 people without a hitch. What a beautiful thing to see so many people come together.

It was an incredible day of festivities. A barn ceremony with hay bale benches, followed with potato sac races and face painting, a dunk tank and pie eating contest, an incredible feast, finished off with a barn dance and a night of square dancing. By far the most unique and fun-filled wedding I've ever been to.

This wedding was also unique in that it was my younger brother getting married. I wasn't sure how it would all go down. By that, I mean I wasn't sure if I could actually pull off photographing the ceremony or if I would end up a weeping mess in the corner. In the end, I think it was a combination of both. I can't say that my tear-filled eyes were the best judge of composition or that I got all the shots (thank god my whole family is camera crazy and most likely had my back), but I think it all turned out okay.

Jesse and Marissa - your relaxed and fun loving nature was evident in all aspects of this incredible event, creating beautiful memories that will never be forgotten by anyone. Jesse, watching you on this day really made me see the handsome and loving man, husband and father you have become. I am so proud... and so thrilled you found Marissa! The love you share is so special and so very rare. I love you both so much! Now that his wedding is over with, we can focus on the September arrival of my niece! Woohoo! xoxo

Venue: Granby River Homestead, Grand Forks, BC

*Note the 600 feet of bunting Marissa's mother, Joannna, made! Incredible! And such a nice touch...

Marissa wanted the wedding to be low impact on the environment with little waste, so she (and my mom) collected vintage plates, utensils and glasses for the dinner, along with tablecloths and mason jars (all can be used again). All the bouquets were made from grasses and flowers grown around the ranch.

Joanna also made Marissa's wedding dress, which was being altered literally until the last minute due to her ever growing belly!

For the ceremony barn, I found some old window frames that I hung with some lavender and a beautiful door frame that I used for a photo collage.

The potato sack races were a hit! Why do the adults always end up taking over the children's games??

Jesse and Marissa wanted to have a pie eating contest to determine the table order for dinner. That was definitely a first for any wedding I've been to!

Who would have thought square-dancing could be so fun?!!

Marissa, being an incredible dancer, planned a choreographed number with some of her friends. This woman can move, even with a growing belly! She never ceases to amazine me :)

Jesse & Marissa are getting married.

Tomorrow my little brother is getting married. Although Jesse is my 'little brother', he towers above me in height and has the kindest heart of anyone I know. There's something really special about him, and many people sense that when they meet him, but not all are lucky enough to find out the millions of reasons why. Growing up, I couldn't help but mother him, and there was even a time when he wouldn't get his haircut without me there to approve it. Over the years we stayed close, but our relationship deepened especially when we began traveling together. Now he is so much more than just my brother, he is one of my best friends.

Tomorrow he is marrying his soulmate. My future sister. They are the perfect compliment for each other and nothing makes me happier than sharing in this celebration of their love. I love you both so much... xoxo

whirlwind.

May has been a whirlwind of a month for me. Work and travel and amazing people coming into my world. Although I can't disclose any details, I can share some random images taken along the way!

The girl in the blue dress

We've all seen Indecent Proposal, right? Robert Redford tries to steal Demi Moore away with an oh so indecent proposal?? Well one thing I remember from that movie is the story that Redford's character tells Demi, about the girl with the blue dress. It's been years since I've seen it, but I remember it as something like this: He was riding the subway and met a woman, a beautiful woman wearing a blue dress. They talked, had an obvious connection, and then she got off at her stop. They didn't exchange information... and he never stopped thinking about the woman in the blue dress... Hence why he doesn't want to let Demi get away.

So, what's the point of all this?? I think of this story a lot. Mostly it reminds me to listen to my heart and live presently, because it's easy to falter and let your thoughts make you second guess, and perhaps not listen to your instincts. This past weekend I was out for dinner in an Italian restaurant. it was loud and bustling, and yet over all the noise, I could still hear an argument at the table behind me. It was getting quite heated, the young woman was crying, the man now yelling. Everyone in the restaurant had stopped eating and was starring at them. The man stormed out, leaving his wife sitting at the table. In that moment I imagined what it felt like to be her. Upset and embarrassed, sitting alone. The blue dress came to mind, and I got up and went and sat with her. Had I waited another moment, I would have convinced myself that it's better to leave her be. The SAFER choice would have been to stay seated. As I sat down across from her, I said "hi, is it ok if I sit with you for a bit?". She was caught off guard to say the least, but through her tears she managed a smile. So we sat and talked for a few minutes, we cancelled their dinner order, got the waiter to call her a cab, got her the cheque and then she left, not feeling quite so embarrassed or alone.

How many times have you been in a similar situation? Where you would like to pay someone a compliment, but don't. Would like to offer a hand, but don't. Meet someone and want to ask for their number... but don't. And thinking back, you know how wonderful it is for a stranger to pay you a compliment, or random acts of kindness, or when it's someone else that takes initiative and doesn't let the moment slip by... all these little regrets can add up. So next time it comes to mind to say something or do something for another... JUST DO IT! Follow what your heart is telling you.

Hit 'n Strum... Accepted into the Canadian Film Festival!

This amazing independent movie was recently accepted into the Canadian Film Festival, Premiering March 31st in Toronto. Not only did Kirk Caouette write, direct and star in the movie, he also wrote and performed the incredible soundtrack that goes with it.

This film has so much heart... xoxo

Hit 'n Strum official trailer 2012 from Kirk Caouette on Vimeo.

Written, Directed and Starring Kirk Caouette. With Michelle Harrison and Paul McGillion.

Produced by Jacqueline Nguyen, Michael Gordin Shore, John Cassini, Shawn McLaughlin.

Associate producers Gina Chiarelli, Pieter Stathis

Sound designer Jon Ritchie
Director of Photography Pieter Stathis
Editor Su Fraser

I had the honor of shooting stills on set, to see more of the photos, click here.

Look What I found! Sunrise at Angkor Wat...

While giving my camera bag a thorough cleaning from a month of travels, I came across a hidden CF card in an inner compartment. My heart jumped. Could it be?? Could I have hidden a CF card from my travels that wasn't formatted (and later stolen)?? Yes. It is true. I hid a card with some of the photos from my morning in Angkor Wat.

After doing some research on what temples to see, I realized that everyone visits Angkor Wat, the main temple, at sunrise. The sun rises behind the temple, creating a silhouette, which is a lovely image, but to me, this becomes quite boring. I thought there would be other sites to take advantage of in the morning light. So we started the day at Ta Prohm, also known as "the Angelina Temple" by the local guides, as this is where Tomb Raider was filmed. At first light, the surrounding jungle was beginning to make itself known with various bird and animal calls. The morning light began streaming through the ancient trees, pouring onto the elaborately carved stones of the crumbling temple. Wandering through the intricate passageways and courtyards, we literally had the whole temple to ourselves... it was magical.

Here are a few precious photos from one of my favorite experiences of the trip. Cambodia truly is a special place.

 

All photos taken at Ta Prohm except the last one, which was at Bayon, the temple with 216 carved faces.