Let the egg nog glow

Every year, millions, and quite possibly billions of people create a shift. A shift so great the whole world seems to benefit from it. Turn on the radio or the television and its there. Walk downtown or through the mall and you can just sense it coming. That’s right, it’s Christmas, and the best thing about Christmas is the Christmas Spirit. The time of year when a good portion of Earths population seems to forget its wrongs and troubles while exchanging them for good company and a cheery atmosphere. Don’t get me wrong, there are still things in this world that aren’t right, even on Christmas, but all in all, Christmas fever takes over.

Some people feel it from December and even into November, while some don’t feel it until the gifts are all under the tree or unwrapped. Some people can’t help but feel the Christmas cheer and spread it right from the get go. While some lose the meaning of Christmas while stressing about Christmas presents. Yet, when the calendar hits the 25^th even the stressful shopper can’t help but feel the spirit. After all, they’re weeks of stress probably paid off in what was a great act of giving. And that’s what it’s all about. In a world of take take take, Christmas seems to bring out the ‘give’ in people. This might just be the only time of the year when people worry and stress about what they’re going to get for someone.  Rarely do we ever stress about what we’re receiving for Christmas. Of course we still look forward to what has our name on it when it’s under the tree, but there’s nothing like seeing the smile on your families face when they get what they hoped for.

Anyways just a few thoughts I figured I’d share. Merry Christmas everyone and I hope you enjoy your egg nog, turkeys, baked goods, and Boney M.!

Reflections, When

It's my Birthday today, I'm 23 now.
I have a half beard, half moustache and I could probably use a haircut. Today I got to thinking, I'm only seven years away from being thirty. Now those of you who are older than me, I bet your thinking "your still young, stop complaining." Meanwhile anyone in their 20's probably just did the math to see how long until they turn 30.

Just a Young'n

I'm not sure why but usually I can't help but feel at least a little down on my birthday. Maybe it's because I'm to old to get excited about the new toys and birthday presents I'd get from birthday parties. More likely it's because I'm counting down the years until I'm thirty, or even worse I think about the things I haven't accomplished in my life to date.
Well to tell you the truth sometimes I feel like I haven't done much, I haven't seen enough and it gets me down and makes me want to make my life more exciting.

There's been something nagging at me today, sure it's my birthday but I couldn't help think about the haircuts I've had over my life.
My mom sent me some photos for my last post and I remember thinking about how many different looks I've had. Today it  I looked back on life as if it were one big blur that got me to be the person I am today, just a guy who could probably use a haircut.

That's me on the far left...

Then I started looking a little deeper, I started recounting the past 12 months or so.
I figured since I've been in school not a lot could have happened. In the last year, I've traveled the distance between Ontario and B.C. a total of 4 times. I lived in Squamish for 3 months, photographed the Canadian National Kiteboard races, which included a number of top racers in the world. I got to photograph Weezer, Metric and a few personal favorite musicians/bands. I interviewed and wrote an article on Shad who is probably my favorite hip hop artist. I witnessed the Canucks Game 7 loss in the Stanley Cup Finals in downtown Vancouver and photographed and recorded the riots that followed that Game 7 loss. At one point I've been at my lowest and thought theres no way I can be a photographer, at another point I've been at my highest and thought I could start a business on the spot. I've even built my own website from scratch.
Then I started looking further back.

So far in my life I've been to Mexico, West/SouthWest U.S.A, Hawaii, and I've seen most of Canada. I've worked for three different landscaping/lawn care companies and I've worked collecting soil samples to test it for minerals. I've worked at Walmart (although very briefly) and I was a tech support for Windows Vista when it first came out. I've been an electrician, a forest fire fighter, and I've worked in a hostel. I've even worked at a newspaper.
I can't recount the exact details that got me to where I am, nor can I count how many times I've changed hair styles.

I'm 23 now, I'm a photojournalist.
I look back on my life and I can see how much I've accomplished and how much I've grown.
I don't know what I'll be next year or the year after that, but I'm not worried about it.
Our birthdays happen every year just like Christmas happens every year. Nothings going to stop us from getting older, and nothings going to stop us from growing.


Feel like you haven't done much?

What have you learnt in the past year?
Have you grown?
How old are you?
Whether it's three, nine, 16, 23, 30, or 60... thats a lot of years, and a lot of growth.

I've reflected on my "when" maybe it's time to reflect on yours.

Cheers ;)
Andre

Oh and check out my new website, andrelodder.com




Some more photo progression with my various choices of haircuts:

My Oma and Me

Grade 12... what was I thinking.

 

A few Christmases ago

the most recent photo of me, (my beard has grown in since then)

Advisory Board

Twice a year professionals from the photojournalism industry come to the school to critique our current portfolios and look at the work we've done so far.
This happened Monday November 7. It was a great opportunity for us to meet with the people who could end up hiring us after we graduate.
We met with photo editors and photographers from major News outlets as well as accomplished Freelancers and Retirees.

Let me start off by saying Last years Critiques were good, I feel like I gained a lot by them at a time when I was still just starting out.
This year went equally as good. For reasons I'm unsure of, my motivation has been more than lacking and my production value since I've gotten back to school has been below par. Meanwhile I feel students from first year are far out-shooting me so far this year.
The photo's I showed were from when I spent my time in B.C. over the summer and are what I feel are a true indication of my potential. They were reasonably well received which in a sense gave me a renewed confidence in myself.
Further more I realized that I need to start working harder here, focus more on the shooting aspect of things and try some new ideas. Basically change my whole outlook on shooting in Belleville because it's quite obviously not working out at the moment.
I've shown these people all my work from the summer and I'm going to have to show them something new when they return in the fall so that's something that is going to help keep me focused, these are the people who can potentially hire me in the future, if I don't show them what I can do, even here in Belleville then I fear a working in the industry will be further away then I would like.

For my current portfolio visit andrelodder.carbonmade.com
Also check out my Photoblog, andrelodder.tumblr.com

Follow me on Twitter @AndreLodder

I'd also like to take this opportunity to give you some blogs from others who are also currently experiencing the Loyalist College Photojournalism journey.

stephennorman.tumblr.com
tkongphotography.tumblr.com
kellymichellegagnephotography.tumblr.com
liamkb.tumblr.com
charmainecollinsphotography.tumblr.com/ 
michellecochranephotojournalist.blogspot.com
devaaning.blogspot.com/
leeimages.blogspot.com/ 
wynterphotography.tumblr.com/ 
iamrachelcohen.tumblr.com/ 
sanfordphoto.wordpress.com/ 
www.pearced.com/
meganvossphotojournalism.blogspot.com/
colebreiland.com/ 
lindahornphotography.tumblr.com/
tkongphotography.tumblr.com/
samanthacantelonphotography.tumblr.com/

Note: Theres more people in the course, I'm just not familiar with their blogs...

Thanks,
Andre

Up Next: Reflections Conitnued...

Reflections, Who? Friends!

Every person has a unique character that differs from everyone else. Yet we're all influenced by the people around us. Think of your best friends at this point in time. Are there certain tendencies or traits that the two of you share?
The People around us influence our character more than we know. For me it all started back in my childhood.

I'm on the far left, Wendy is just to my right. Her sister Kim, My sister Daylinn
and my brother Collin (I think) complete the picture

My first best friend was a girl named Wendy Doesburg. She was a part of the church I belonged to at the time and from what I can remember, we were inseparable. When I watch old family videos we were always seen together. I remember one time we even had a fake wedding, and eventually she became my first kiss. You know, that first kiss when you were something like four years old that you did because you seen older people doing it which meant that it's okay even though you get cooties.
Anyways, the two of us had the makings for that cliche Hollywood love story where the couple grows up together since birth and eventually that cute fake wedding turns into a real one quite a bit later in life. But no, that wasn't our fate. I think I was about nine when her family moved away, I was devastated, I'd lost my best friend during the pre-facebook era. Suffice to say, it wasn't until facebook came out that we were able to get in touch again.
I don't remember exactly how it was because it was a long time ago and I was young. From what I gather via family videos, photos and the memories that I do have, Wendy and I were two pees in a pod. It's kind of hard not to be influence by someone when you spend so much time together.

(from left to right) Andre Lodder, Ravi Kler, Kris Korol, Noah Koens,
Erik Christenson, Shawn Wagantall, Shawn Simpson and Parm Atwall.
Some of my greatest friends from highschool.

Things moved along in my life. Friends came, went and stayed. It wasn't until high school that I once again was blessed with a really good group of friends. Of course, this was when things changed drastically in my life. It was understandable though, coming from a small private school of 28 kids total and being home schooled for grade seven. It was overwhelming going to a public high school and things were bound to change.
That's when I was accepted into group of friends that I kept for most of my highschool years. Who have shaped the better part of my teen life. Meanwhile, I also had friends from the church, it was almost as if I was living a double life via my friends. (of course it's not as extreme as the whole church friends vs public school friends/Church vs devil)

Shawn Hoskins and myself posing seriously for fun.

Then grade ten hit, it was a sleepy french class and the new guy Shawn Hoskins was sitting in front of me. I don't entirely remember what it was, but I think Shawn was picking on me and my large nose. kind of a weird way to start a friendship but it developed and once again I had a best friend.
Though admittedly we were pretty immature, I developed a lot of tendencies and a lot of character from Shawn. He actually taught me the beginnings of a lot of the social skills I have today. We skipped class together, we did homework together (so it would take half the time). He helped me start to get in touch with my creative side (working on school projects) and my active side (playing ultimate, and rugby if only for one year).

After high school we even moved in together along with another good friend in Elias. But alas, it wasn't meant to be. Our interests started to differentiate, and with that came a move. That's when the time came to move out. Are friendship was all but over. We started to distance ourselves over the years, hanging out less and less.
Meanwhile I started hanging out with a few other friends that I only knew a little of from highschool but have become some of the biggest influencee in my life to date.

After moving out of the old house, I moved in with Drew Nylen and Ryan Haak two of the friends from this new group of friends. The contrast between houses was substantial, I knew this was a good thing. I remained in contact with Shawn but our friendship slowly deteriated although its still great to see him whenever I'm back in Vernon.

My new found group of friends were exactly what I needed. They played sports, read books, and were absolutely hilarious to hang out with. The only T.V. in the house was in Ry's room and we never really used it. Quite a comparison to the house with Shawn and Elias where videogames and movies were a major part of our lives.

Drew Nylen and myself laughing at the beach, one of the frequently
visited locations when we lived together.

When I lived with Drew and Ry, I was in what was quite possibly the best shape of my life, I was more active then I had ever been and I had been introduced to rock climbing, one of my growing passions.

Eventually I again moved out, I went to Hawaii for a month and half and couldn't afford the cost of rent on top of living in Hawaii.
Drew and I still kept in touch as both of us were going through similar trauma (though admittedly his was far greater than mine). When I got back to Canada, Drew and I were already in the midst of planning a larger trip for January and we bonded more than I think I have with anyone else in my life. Drew not only became a big part of my life, he became an inspiration and still remains one.

I've named a number of people who might have had the most influences on me at certain times, but of course I can't forget the people who have been there consistently. Such as my good friend Kris, who along with Drew are probably two of the more important people in my life.

Though there are hundreds of people who come into our lives and may have some influence, the ones we admire the most and usually the ones who influence us the most are the ones we can call our greatest friends. It's with our best friends in life that we decide on who we are. We share experiences with them, we share memories, all of which help shape us into who we are as a person.

Though I may have gained some friends, I have most certainly lost some. Its unfortunate that it happens. To all my fallen friends and also the ones not mentioned here, I hope you know that you've helped shape who I am today, if I'm ever in the area, maybe a coffee or a beer is in order.

Thanks,
Andre

Reflections, 5 W's, an H, and an A.N.D.R.E

What makes us who we are?
There are a number of answers to that question. I think we are who we are because of the experiences of our past.
All of these experiences can likely be summed up in the six most popular questions out there.
Who, What, When, Where, Why and How.

How?
 

Photos are important. If it wasn't for photos,
I wouldn't have been able to show you this one.

Look at that cute lil' guy... (It's me)
For those of you who may not know the person behind this blog, my name is Andre Lodder.
There are so many different things that have made me the way I am, which is why I've chosen to do this in multiple posts on my blog. I'm continuing the title "Reflections" from my last post because it sums up best what I'm doing. For most, these few posts will sort of be my introduction, but for me, it will be a reflection. A reflection of who I am and how I got to where I am today.
At some point in the next few blog posts I hope to reflect on each of the six questions, Who, What, When, Where, Why and How in no particular order. I'm choosing 'How' for my first post because it'll really just be a summary of what you can hope to see in these posts.All of the five W's are important, but in answering 'how' you are getting the gist of all the other questions. After all, these posts will be  explanations of how I got to where I am today.

As you can see this photo may be few years old, and though a few things have changed since then (such as my preferred brand of beer) there's a lot that has remained the same. For instance, I still prefer eating with my hands. Up until just a few days ago I had a very similar hair cut. I'm still just as cute (if not cuter?) and yes, I probably should still be wearing a bib while I eat. Throw some peanut butter and jam on that sandwich and throw me in a Van and you'd think the picture was taken yesterday.
However, this photo alone doesn't do justice for who I am or how I got here.
There are so many different things that have gotten me to this point. I have my family and my friends; they are the 'who'.
The things I have come to learn which have grown into hobbies or activities and become as much a part of me as the hair on my head; they are the 'what'.
I've lived on this earth for nearly 23 years, in that time I have learnt so much.  In the future, I hope to keep learning about others and more importantly about myself; this is the 'when'.
Home, is where you make it, whether it be in Vernon, Squamish, Belleville, Canada, or the moon. That is the 'where'.
'Why'? Well that's how life goes.

My story isn't about how I was destined to be a photographer or a journalist ever since I was a kid.
You know when you were younger, and you were asked that cliche question, "what do you want to be when you grow up? "Pretty sure I've never said I wanted to be a photojournalist. In fact I didn't even know there was such thing until six months before I entered the program.
I came to the school without an ounce of knowledge on photojournalism. Well... I guess that isn't entirely true, I knew how to turn the dial to the green square (auto setting) and press the shutter. I also knew how to form words with a pen, yet I was never much of a story teller. So how did I end up here?
I didn't know any photographers by name until I came to this program, so I don't know who could have inspired me to come. I don't think I've done any activities in particular that would have helped me to know what I'm doing here. I bought my first camera only a few years ago but I still didn't use it much. So I don't even know when it first interested me. I didn't know where to start, or why I even wanted to in the first place...

Yet I'm still here. If you put the question 'How?' into a multiple choice answer, with the choices Who, What, When, Where, and Why. I'd have to answer both None of the above, but at the same time All of the above. There isn't one single event from my past that has led me to want to be here, yet absolutely every experience has molded me into the person I am. Since I'm here, and this is something I'm interested in, that means every one of my experiences has led to photojournalism.

How I got here, is the reason I'm here.


-Andre

Reflections - Stanley Cup Finals 2011

It's October, and you know what that means?

If you guess the summers over and fall is in full swing... well you'd be right but with that comes hockey season.



In wake of the Canucks season opener it's time to release my second edit and to reflect on the Vancouver riots which occurred only a few months ago. (unfortunately I'm having issues uploading the video but I Promise it is coming soon)

The city was disgusted with what happened that night and it was certainly felt soon after that night. It was only the morning after all the hooligans from the night before had left, only remorse remained. People could be seen cleaning up the final remains from a forgettable night while congratulating the occasional Bruins fan that still braved the streets of Vancouver. The only evidence of the riots the night before were the boarded up windows of which  some contained writing praising the work those who cleaned up the city, the police, and others who tried to stop it from happening in the first place.

I'm back in Ontario for school, I still get bugged about being from B.C. and people questioning the actions that occurred that night. It's pretty amazing some of the things people say, especially considering they weren't actually present.
I spent the summer in Squamish B.C. a mere 40 minutes north of Vancouver. It wasn't to difficult to keep track of what was going on. The disgust remained for weeks, if not months following that night. People started playing the blame game. Truth is, we're all guilty. If you blamed the politics that planned the screenings downtown, the police, the true Canucks fans, the media, or even the city in general, you are correct.

To the powers that put the screenings on in the first place. Shame on you for let the whole city come to show their pride and appreciation for this team. A fan base that has waited fourty years for this to happen. What were you thinking letting all those people who can't afford 2,000 dollar tickets, enjoy the atmosphere of being with fans with a similar appreciation for the Canucks.

The Police. Shame on you for taking your time to do things right, and making sure those who were'nt part of the riots could get out safe, but its okay, we all make mistakes.

Canucks fans. Shame on you for loving your team, shame on you for cheering when the bruins hosted the cup in rogers arena, shame on you for wearing your Canucks jerseys or shirts, making yourself blend in with those hooligans who started the riots. C'mon you know you shouldn't show your pride when its game 7!

Okay Media (including myself) we may have gotten a little out of hand putting ourselves in danger recording exactly what was happening, next time we should lay back and record it from the outskirts, that way no one is identifiable and no one knows exactly whats going on. Makes sense.


And Vancouver... You have got to be the worst city in the world to let something like this happen! There's no way other Canadian cities like Montreal or Toronto would ever riot for anything. Whats that? G20? No that doesn't count, it's not hockey. Sorry? Montreal 2 years ago? No that neither, it wasn't as bad, they only had a few places broken into and robbed, besides they didn't even make it to the finals, doesn't count.

But most off all the Vancouver Canucks, what were you guys thinking? Being so damn succesfull, coming so close and giving a city the hopes for a Stanley Cup, what did you think was going to happen? Next time take an early exit from the playoffs so the city of Vancouver doesn't have to deal with this.

Truth is we're all guilty... and though there's room for a little adjustments here and there. If the Canuck's make it to the Finals again this year, I hope that nothing changes in the organization of a proud city.

- Andre

Last June I made a rough edit of the footage i collected during the riots. Now, I have a re-release of the same footage but a better edited version, enjoy.

Vancouver Riots - Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals from Andre Lodder on Vimeo.

For more of my experience on the riots check back to my June 16th Blogpost.

Coming soon,
A multi post piece introducing myself or rather, revealing  a little bit more of myself.

End of Summer

Okay, the summers over so I guess its time to get back to thinking about my education, but first, I want to reflect on the summer I had in Squamish. I was allowed to write a farewell column for the Squamish Chief, the newspaper I worked for over the summer. This is the article:

Squamish, your a real inspiration.

Most people come to Squamish for rock climbing, kiteboarding or biking. For me it was the rock climbing, or at least it was at first. I guess September means it’s time to go back to school, which means it’s time for me to say goodbye to a community that has influenced me in more ways than one. It was back in March when I decided I wanted to spend my summer here, climbing and working as a summer intern at The Chief. At that time I didn’t know much about Squamish other than the fact it was on the way to Whistler. Truth is, I knew I wanted to come here before I could even point to it on a map. When I was approaching the end of my first year of school in Ontario, I knew I needed inspiration. My growing passion for climbing took over and I knew I was to spend my summer here instead of the Okanagan, the place I originally called home. When the rain started, I thought nothing of it. After all, being from the Okanagan, I’d heard it rains all the time on the coast. Little did I know, Squamish was going to have one of the wettest summers on record. The rain and cloudy weather continued sporadically for about a month and a half, creating a hindrance to all my rock-climbing plans. However, none of that mattered anymore. My eyes had been opened to discover the plethora of adventures to be had in the area. Whether it was the slack lines at Nexens Beach or the numerous trails for hiking, there was always a new adventure around the corner or something to drive my focus until the next thing came up. Almost immediately, I was introduced to the Test of Metal, a race that inspired me both as a photographer and as a sports enthusiast. If I had the money to go out and buy a bike and start riding the trails right then and there, I would have. Luckily, the weather came around eventually and I was able to climb consistently. That was also when I happened to notice the kiteboarders in the water a little bit more. When the Canadian National Open was in town, it really made me want to spend the money I didn’t have for a bike on a board and a kite instead. It was weekend after weekend, festival after festival, of people in the community coming together. Whether it was SERF, Hevy Fest or the Squamish Mountain Fest, people always seemed to come together for some of the greatest community bonding I’d ever seen. Yet while all these things that justify the title Outdoor Recreation Capital of Canada were inspiring me, I think it was the sense of community that influenced me the most; I’d never seen such a healthy happy community with such a bright future. Squamish, you inspire me!

Link: http://www.squamishchief.com/article/20110826/SQUAMISH0304/308269957/-1/squamish03/squamish-you-re-a-real-inspiration




The article captures a good portion of what the summer meant to me but it doesn't quite explain it all.

When I left the Belleville last year I was still uncertain if I was going to return. Luckily I watched the Stanley Cup Finals in downtown Vancouver and thus, captured the riots that ensued.
It renewed the passion I had for photography and living in Squamish only built up my desire to become the best photojournalist I can be.

So here I am, Second year Photojournalism, I'll admit, its a little weird still but I'm sure I'll have many adventures and a lot of material to share. It's going to be a challenging year but I'm excited.
To save money and make things more accessible, I'm choosing to live in the back of my van. This allows me to be able to afford both a vehicle and "accommodation." It's great to see everyone again and its great to meat all the first years. I'm looking forward to another exciting year at Loyalist PhotoJ.

If you have any questions or have something to say or even if you want to just hang out Email me @ I-feel-@live.ca or follow me on Twitter @AndreLodder.

I look forward to keeping you posted on the goings on in my life throughout the school year.



Cheers,
Andre

LIVE at Squamish 2011

Juno Award winning artist Shad entertains the crowd at this years LIVE at Squamish music festival.

Hey everyone, so I promised two posts before the summer ended, unfortunately that was a fail... Anyways, here's some of the work I did on LIVE at Squamish. It was a unique experience because I got to photograph some bands and musicians that I really enjoy. I also made a few new music discoveries.
I don't have much to say, we wrote some articles in the Squamish Chief Newspaper so you can check them out, but other than that it was just a great experience to photograph.

Here are some of my contributions:

Sqamish Gets Rocked, by Ben Lipka Rebcca Aldous and myself:
http://www.squamishchief.com/article/20110826/SQUAMISH0604/308269958/-1/squamish0604/squamish-gets-rocked

Barbershop Duet: An article on a barber shop that cut hair at the festival.
http://www.squamishchief.com/article/20110826/SQUAMISH0604/308269972/-1/squamish0604/barbershop-duet

And here are some of the articles I wrote leading up to the event.

Rhymes and Waves: An article profiling both Shad K and Kim Churchill.
http://www.squamishchief.com/article/20110819/SQUAMISH0501/308199972/-1/squamish0501/rhymes-and-waves

Proper Villains on the rise: A profile on the Proper Villains.
http://www.squamishchief.com/article/20110812/SQUAMISH0501/110819984/-1/squamish0501/proper-villains-on-the-rise

Live at Squamish goes green:  An article on the "green" steps taken for the event.
http://www.squamishchief.com/article/20110729/SQUAMISH0501/307299935/-1/squamish0501/live-at-squamish-goes-green

And here are a few photos.\
more available at http://www.squamishchief.com/apps/pbcs.dll/tngallery?Site=GW&Date=20110822&Category=SQUAMISH&ArtNo=822009991&Ref=PH

Mike Harris of Proper Villains performs during the opening set of the music festival

Emily Haines and James Shaw of METRIC play an intimate acoustic set at the Garibaldi Stage.

The crowd going crazy during Metric's performance

Emily Haines of Metric

Weezer headlined the second night of music following Metric's performance giving music lovers and unforgettable experience

A fan showing his support during Weezer's set

more photos available at http://www.squamishchief.com/apps/pbcs.dll/tngallery?Site=GW&Date=20110822&Category=SQUAMISH&ArtNo=822009991&Ref=PH

Check me out on Twitter @AndreLodder

The sun is back, lets Kayak!!

Yes it’s true. The weather has finally arrived here in Squamish and no longer am I singing in the rain but rather basking in the sunshine.

It only took a four day kayak trip at the beginning of August to turn my skin tone from pale white to mega bronzed to match my undoubtedly rock hard abs I’ve likely had since I was an infant... Okay that maybe over the top but as soon as the rain stopped and the sun showed its face, it has been great. We’ve had consistently great weather for the past few weeks which means I’ve been getting out as much as I can both on my days off and after work.

I went on this 4 day Kayak trip just off of Tofino around an island call Vargas Island. It was a phenomenal trip. Our guide, Steve Crevier, delivered on every promise he made the whole trip. He promised good food, and I haven’t eaten better food all summer.  He also promised one of the days we would see whales, sure enough we saw whales on not one but two of the days. I’d never seen a whale, but one of these grey whales swam within 15-20 feet of my Kayak and was headed directly at me which lead me to believe that it no doubt passed right below me. We saw tons of wild life and it was exactly what I needed.                                                                                                                     

I felt so relaxed the whole time we were out there which was exactly what I planned for this trip. I’m sure some people are thinking “well duh, of course you wanted to relax on your vacation! That’s what vacations are for; relaxing hanging out with friends and getting pictures so you can remember how relaxed you were.” Well, I’m a photographer which means I take photos for a living. I guess the title of photographer inclines people to ask why I’m not constantly taking pictures, even though I wasn’t really asked a lot on the trip, I thought I would explain it a little bit. Truth is, even though I have a passion for photography, I don’t need to do it all the time. Sometimes relaxing involves not clicking the shutter for once. I do get asked a lot why I’m not taking pictures, whether it be at a small event, a family event or something like that, I usually get asked why I haven’t been taking lots of pictures...

Well, I like keeping my mind “present” wherever I am, but I guess that’s not the best way to explain it... As many people know, I really enjoy photography, but I don’t always need to be the one recording every event. I love being active and I love do the things I photograph (there’s a good dirty joke here involving photographing models). I’ll use climbing as an example; I enjoy composing a picture and trying to push myself to be more creative. I get a certain thrill out of getting a great photograph out of something like that. However, as much as I love that feeling of being a photographer and pushing myself in that sense, I equally love being the subject. I love climbing and that love can sometime inspire my photography. It works the other way around too, most recently I photographed a kite boarding competition and it was a lot of fun. Witnessing and photographing it made me really want to try the sport. I guess my point is that I don’t need to photograph things to enjoy them. In fact it’s quite the opposite. I most enjoy things when I’m not the photographer. A picture has the potential to last forever, but a memory lasts just as long and I’d prefer to remember things through my eyes rather than my lens.

Anyway, I wanted to thank Steve Crevier and John Bourcet for a great Kayak trip. If anyone is interested in doing a kayak trip, check out www.okanagankayaking.com.

Also, I had the pleasure of writing articles on both Shad and Kim Churchill most recently, and previously I got to write an article on an up and coming band called Proper Villains, check out the articles here:

Shad & Churchill:
http://www.squamishchief.com/article/20110819/SQUAMISH0501/308199972/-1/squamish05/rhymes-and-waves

Proper Villains: http://www.squamishchief.com/article/20110812/SQUAMISH0501/110819984/proper-villains-on-the-rise

I think I'm going to do a quick little blurb here about the interviewing artists, they were a big learning experience for me.
The first artist I interviewed was a Squamish Local, her name was Dana-Marie Battaglia. It was a great interview and I think it went really well considering it was my first interview with an music artist. The second story I did was on The Proper Villains, I was interviewing two members of the band at once so that was kind of interesting but it went well, I think I could tell my interviewing skills were improving, and they were also great about answering questions. I think I used to have this fear about interviewing people that they wouldn't like mike questions or everyone was annoyed that I was interviewing them, maybe its the B.C. attitude everyone has or maybe its just me... probably just me...
Anyways, I then had an interview with Kim Churchill earlier this week and it went really well as well. I think the goal for an interview is to have it as more of a conversation than an interview and I feel like I accomplished that with Kim, whether he felt the same way, I can never be too sure. Anyways the morning after I had an interview with Shad. Now, I'm a really big fan of Shad and that kind of created a problem. I was really nervous before the call and I really didn't want him to be unhappy with the interview or feel offended or anything that could possibly go wrong. I did calm down a little bit when it came time for the interview but I really tried focusing on questions that he may not have been asked before, but the issue is I didn't have much of an angle so my questions were kind of all over the place. I guess thats where pre interview planning would have came in handy. Previously I would write the words; who, what, when, where, why, and how on my note book and ask questions regarding those words and adding in little things I was curious about as conversation went on. Well.... as I started the call, I looked at the words and realized that these are all things that he's probably been asked many times before and things that I already knew or could already answer via research. Suffice to say, the interview didn't go as well as I'd hoped but it was still good. Maybe I'm being to hard on myself... either way, the articles got done and I guess they're not bad.

Coming up:

I leave for Ontario again early September, so I hope to do two more blog posts before then. One as a review of the upcoming LIVE at Squamish which features Metric, Weezer, Shad, Hey Ocean, Shane Koyczan, and many more bands. I also hope to get a bit of a Summer in Review post before I leave. But for now, Adios.

Much love,

Andre

Feel free to ask me anything you want, either Comment below or email me at i-feel-@live.ca.

Also Check me out on twitter, twitter.com/AndreLodder

forGOT MILK?

    Things are going quite wonderfully here. It seems I've been learning and photographing something new every week. So far I've had chances to photograph two mountain bikeraces, a triathlon, skateboarding, flower tours, Canada Day, and a whole bunch of other photo opportunities. I've also had the chance to write about a stray falcon, a legendary ice climber, a slack-line festival, and artist profiles. I guess to sum it up I've been learning a lot since I started working at the Chief, and that’s something I wanted to do while in Squamish... However, even though working at the Chief was a big reason for me coming to Squamish, it wasn't the only thing that brought me to this beautiful place. Climbing and the other outdoor activities that this city has to offer are what really brought me here for specific reasons. Unfortunately I may have chosen the wrong summer to live here.

    Although the B.C. coast is known for the copious amounts of rain that fall on these parts, the past few months Squamish has received a larger than normal amount of cloud and rain rendering most of my days off useless as far as climbing and outdoor activities go, causing severe demoralization. I've also noticed that my thoughts towards things have become bitterer and it's almost as though I still haven't found that presence of mind I had a year ago. Since this realization I've been making a conscious effort to keep my mind in the present and try not to think to much about everything that’s going on.

    For those of you who don't know what I'm speaking of I'll explain a little bit of what goes on, or at least what should be going on as opposed to what's currently been controlling the ever-complicated thing that is my mind.

   The human mind is constantly moving and analysing every single thing. Unfortunately when to many things get moving too fast for the mind to handle it leads to the one thing that we all dread, stress. At this time last year there were a few major things that I needed to deal with. I had school coming up, something that I was so unfamiliar with having never had any previous post secondary experience. That in itself was a cause for a number of would-be "issues" such as loans, living arrangements for when school started, and the idea of moving to place that was completely new and a few thousand kilometres away from my previous life. Now those are just a few examples of the number of things that would have caused any person including myself, some stress.

    Yet, I managed to keep an incredible calm towards it all, I had a mindset that the future didn't matter because it's the future and something that the most we can do to control is plan, and with my experience, planning can only get you so far. I guess the best way to describe my mindset was that I was reacting on instinct. Rather than dwelling on things and trying to think things through I would let my instinct take over and listen to it. In some cases the thought process is certainly needed. For example, trying to figure out what they put in the sauce on your sandwich at the new place in town or trying to make sense of quantum physics, that’s sort of thing. However, the majority of the things we do on a daily bases don't require much thought at all, we're using our brains and thought capacity on things that aren't required. Have you ever gone for a walk and not thought about anything? Or how about right before bed when you’re about to fall asleep?

     It seems that our minds are constantly on the go whether we're dwelling on the past and how amazing the counter girl looked, or thinking about the future and what's for breakfast. It could even be both since you forgot to buy milk for your cereal because you were too busy trying to get in the line up with the cute cashier. All of these thoughts aren't necessary and when you add all of them up it take up a lot of space in the ol' melon. This is why a year ago I would ignore all of the details even if it was something I should be paying attention to such as loans or where I was going to live for the eight months while I was in school. Yeah, I may have taken this nonchalant attitude to extreme levels but I was stoked on life. However, since school started I've lost that ability to just toss things a side and not worry about them. This is why I love playing sports.

   With the exception of some sports, physical exertion takes up a lot of the mind space used for needless things. For example, when you’re halfway up a cliff you’re not thinking about how your girlfriend is mad at you because she had to eat her cereal without milk this morning. Your thinking about how your gonna hold on because even though your tied in via the rope, being 30+ feet off the ground can be scary shit. This is why I moved to Squamish, I thought it would help, but with all this rain, it's been a slow process.

    It's not all bad though, I've recently come to realize some of the issues I've been having and now I'm on my way to correcting them which is why I'm sharing all of this. I recently tried living my life the way I did last summer and beyond. However, it hasn't been the easiest nor the smartest when my profession is filled with deadlines and I'm trying to piece together stories people might actually read, and therefore have to make sense. That’s why I'm trying to find a good balance between the thought process and living on instinct. I guess in conclusion the answer is simply to stay focused when you have a task that needs it, but keep the mind from wondering and dwelling on the past or future. Take things in stride both in and outside the workplace. Whenever you see that cute cashier, grab the milk and remember that you have a girlfriend who's much prettier.

Single? Well then forget the milk... There’s probably some penut butter and jam in the fridge.


Also, I'd just like to note that the whole forgotten milk thing wasn't something that actuallly happened, I was just using it as an example. ;)

Check out some of the work I've done for the Chief so far this summer:

Photo Albums:

Test of Metal: http://bit.ly/nlkGGZ

BC Bike Race: http://bit.ly/p4GlTD

Squamish Triathlon: http://bit.ly/oh9Di0

Hevy Fest Slackline Festival: http://bit.ly/pzLlwG

Squamish Mountain Festival http://bit.ly/nMBqUo

Stories:

Dana Marie Battaglia, Singer Songwriter: http://bit.ly/njkGyO

Margo Talbot, Ice Climber: http://bit.ly/pBrlYx

for more stories visit http://www.squamishchief.com/, you can ype my name, Andre Lodder, into the search box and most of the results will be stories I've written.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to post them below, email me at i-feel-@live.ca, hit me up on twitter @ndreLodder

Thanks for reading,

Andre

Where Have I been?

Oky, I think it's time for an update because it's been a while. For those of you who do't know I am in Squamish now until the end of August.
To make a long story short... After school I went to Vernon for about a month and basically just kind of hung out worked a little bit to pay for the drive here and such. Life then took me to Squamish where I now reside. I'm currently working at the newspaper here for the Summer and basically just trying to take in all that Squamish has to offer... and I must say; theres alot it has to offer. It's not called the outdoor capital of Canada for no reason. Known mainly for its Climbing, Mountain Biking, and Kite Surfing, theres plenty more that this place has to offer, such as hiking, breathtaking views, rain, lots of rain, wind surfing, tons of events and well you get my point. There's not a day where you can't find anythign to do... hence why my Blog has been lacking updates in the past while. Anyways I thought I'de share some photos and the first few articles I've had published in the Squamish Chief. My first assignment at the chief was to shoot the Test of Metal. for those of you who don't know what the test of metal is, it's only a 67 Kilometre cross country Mountain Bike race with some incredibly tough terrain. I was really excited and happy with the results. (full gallery is available at http://www.squamishchief.com/apps/pbcs.dll/tngallery?Site=GW&Date=20110619&Category=squamish&ArtNo=619009997&Ref=PH).
Anyways I was feeling pretty overwhelmed at first but I'm feeling more comfortable with everything now, I seemed to have settled in alright. My first few articles are up on the Squamish Chief website. If you would like to check it out just go to http://www.squamishchief.com/ and in the search field just type my name : Andre Lodder and my articles (and a few photos) should pop up.

Before I started at the Chief, I hadn't been taking a huge amount of photos. The ones I was taking weren't even what some people call "journalistic" either... but thats okay, I feel that sometimes we just need to shoot what we want to shoot and I was in a pretty big scenic kick for a while and I was fine with that. I think I'de always liked taking scenic pictures, I think its part of the reason I got into Photography in the first place. Either way now that I have been shooting at the Chief the amount of other pictures Iève been taking has dwindled quite a bit. but thats okay, I'm not too worried, I am going to make a concious effort to start gettign my foot in the door for climbing photography.
Speaking of climbing, one of the perks of working as a journalist is the people you meet. I have met a lot of locals here in Squamish and they all seem to be good people. I think my favorite thing so far was an interview with exteemed ice climber Margo Talbot who will be in Squamish for the Mountatin Festival this year. My interview was over the phone as she's not a local here but I look forward to meeting her and hearing her inspiring story. I also look forward to reading her book titled All That Glitters. I wrote a story on her coming to Squamish but it won't be out until Fridays paper so you should check back to the site come friday to read more about her.

So yeah, things are good in the land of Andre. I hope everything is well with everyone reading this, I'm sorry I don't have much to say, alot has happened in the last few months, but I'm tired of writing. I think I'm going to stop dwelling from the past from her on out. However, if anyone has any questions about what I've been up to don't hesitate to ask, Comment below or Send me an email at i-feel-@live.ca. I'de also like to note that I signed up for Twitter, we'll see how that goes. @ndreLodder is where I can be found. I'm gonna try use it n' such but we'll see how active I get... Anyways here are a few photos for your enjoyment. (or atleast i hope you enjoy them)

Thanks,
Andre