This was without a doubt one of the best nights of my life, and it while made me so incredibly happy it also makes me sad because I honestly don't know how anything can ever live up this greatness. Watching Beyoncé while she's currently at the top of her career (which I totally thought after she released self-titled, how does she keep doing this???) from ten feet away absolutely crush her vocals while killing some amazing choreography as a 40-foot screen set off some of the most stunning visuals to complement everything .... where does it go from here? Will I have to quit my job and spend all my money so I can keep following Beyoncé's tour to stay happy? Beyoncé, can you please just hire me as your tour photographer??
Throughout the show I was so torn between being completely present in the moment and preserving our memories with photos and videos. I compromised by taking five second videos so I could stare intently at her face while still having a short clip I could watch on loop while lying in bed. Being the person that I am, I couldn't help but snap photos whenever I thought something looked amazing - which turned out to be a lot of the time.
Anyways. I'm glad I did take photos because I can look back on them and still remember the intense emotions I was feeling at the time. Here are some of my favourites.
While Michael has already put out a record this year (which I'm still playing on repeat), he decided to record a little something special at OCL Studios. What do you mean, something special? I think soon you'll know what I mean. The whole gang got together, decked in some real nice Kit and Ace threads. A good day of music, doughnuts, and sweet sweet technical cashmere.
In anticipation of Michael Bernard Fitzgerald's record release on March 11th, Michael embarked on a press tour, flying from city to city to promote the album. When Michael asked if I wanted to come along for the Toronto leg, I literally could not hide my excitement.
Fast forward to last week, Matty McKay and I are hopping on an evening flight out of Calgary. We made it to our hotel room at 1:30 am and desperately grasped for a couple hours of sleep before meeting up with Michael and Andrew Ball at six in the morning to perform on Breakfast Television. We got to sit in the live lounge and watch the show on the floor, and got to meet the very lovely Peter Mansbridge, who was also a guest on the show.
One of the key parts of this media tour is an intimate show Michael plays for the media in his hotel room. This is a very cozy ordeal, with people cramming onto the beds and sitting on the floor to get to preview the new songs. While we were waiting around at Breakfast Television, Michael made an impromptu decision to also host an additional show for anyone who emailed him interested in wanting to come. "If we get kicked out, so be it" was the mantra.
It was one of those times where everything just worked out perfectly. The room Michael had at the Fairmont Royal York got upgraded to a top floor suite with plenty of room to hold the 25 people who ended up RSVPing to come. String players Michael and Andrew had just met the night before were available to play not just one but two shows back to back. Nobody got kicked out of their hotel room.
The next day, after getting the morning off, we headed down to the CBC headquarters to play a lunchtime show for the staff. One more radio show, some delicious tacos, and a strange Uber drive back to the airport and we were flying back home.
48 hours in Toronto well spent.
You can preview the album on CBC until March 11th here.
Sometimes I can't believe just how lucky I am to be able to witness and capture the love two people have for each other. Shooting Annie and Adrian's wedding was one of these times. The two got married at the Saskatoon Farm just outside of Calgary on a grey autumn day in front of an intimate gathering of their friends and family. With ample time to wander, we explored the entire grounds before going back to The Barn in Shawnessy for their reception, set up beautifully by Kismet & Clover. The day was rich with love and happiness, and it's definitely one I'll never forget.
Thanks to Shanelle Fredrickson for second shooting.