When you have a little, old dog whose routine is tv and couch time in the evenings, it’s hard to leave the house after dinner, so I haven’t… in a looooong time.
So, with some good friends coming over to make sure Mr Coco got his evening cuddle time in, I walked out into the dark evening.
The event?
Our friend Grant had brought his Grant Lawrence & Friends: An Evening of Story & Song to town, and he’d asked two of the members of one of my favourite bands, BUM, to play a couple songs. 

We've known Grant since the early 90's because Rob (my husband) and Andrew's band BUM used to play with the band Grant was in, The Smugglers. Neither band is playing these days, but the bond that was forged amongst smoke-filled bars and a type of #vanlife that would make current social media van-lifers run screaming into a picturesque sunset from their bathroom & kitchen fitted, custom, cozy home on wheels, has kept those friendships going.

Grant is an incredibly engaging storyteller and his subjects this evening ranged from musicians to BC Ferries line ups and the cast of characters he’s met growing up in Desolation Sound. Peppered throughout the storytelling his ‘friends’ at this show were singer/songwriters Joel Plaskett, Ashleigh Ball and Lindsay Bryan, as well as Rob and Andrew from BUM. 

All of the performances were so beautiful and heartfelt and the evening ended with a sing along of Joel Plasket's song, Hey Moon.

I spent most of the magical evening watching from the sidelines and exploring backstage… here’s a snippet of what I saw.

To see where Grant's playing next: https://grantlawrence.ca/events

'Twas a big day yesterday.
I had the privilege to be a pinch hitter for my sister Jill -- who's a very talented photog up in Tofino, BC -- and help out with a palliative session for her friend. One of her two beautiful rescue doggos isn't well and has been going through tests and treatments at a local vet clinic, but there's not much more medicine can do so it's now about enjoying what's left.
Of course I accepted... how could I not?
It was very last minute, but that's how these are sometimes. So much unknown can make planning hard, but when it needs to work out, it does. We met at a local beach, but with strong winds and pouring rain, it just wasn't going to work. So we took a little drive to find some shelter and hoped that the weather would give us a break... and it did. Two dogs, two humans and one photog (me) found a window of space and time amidst a rain and windstorm where sun shone through the trees onto a magical rock covered with moss under trees covered with lichen.
Thank you L, P, K + J.

UPDATE: December 14/21: I just found out lovely, little Lily passed away. Much love to her humans for rescuing her and giving her a life of unconditional love.

​A few hours later I was off to photograph 3 dogs. These would be former sled dogs coming into care of a local rescue. Three more dogs who were now going to be covered until animal protection laws. Bamboo, Meso and Saturn are #s 206, 207 + 208 in my decade-long project advocating for the adoption of former sled dogs. But numbers aside, they were beautiful beings, understandably nervous of all the newness in one day, but whose lives are going to change for the better with the love, care and support of a huge community.

​I'm no stranger to photographing dogs who aren't feeling well - both mentally and physically. I think most of my work follows that commonality. I try to branch out, but I'm always drawn back to them. "Them" being those who've been discarded, left behind... utterly in need of help. And this year, well I just realized that the bookends of my work this year have been palliative pup sessions - as well as one in the middle too. So when I think back over the year, along with the last 10+ too, it becomes more clear, that this is me. My place. I want to be that person who can be there with a camera, capturing moments that may be otherwise unseen. Being a part of that sadness while being able to see some joy in the memories that are created. To take that pause and hold that space in time. It may take a bit  to understand it all, but having lost one of our dogs this summer - not unexpected, but more quickly than expected - I wished I'd had someone there near the end, capturing our little Bella Boo surrounded by us and our love for her.
​xo

I bought a new camera last week, then returned it the next day because the lens stopped working. 
It was smaller and lighter and meant to be easier on my body - the days of lugging heavy cameras and lenses around are numbered for me sadly.

Long story short, I decided not to get a replacement, but now I'm second guessing that decision. It ticked a lot of boxes on my wishlist, but it's kind of taking a step backwards in the gear world in some respects. And I didn't fall in love with it when I took that first image like I've done when pressing that shutter release for the first time on my other cameras.
As well as the camera tech stuff I take into account when photographing, there's also a connected feeling I get. It may be a wee bit different, depending on which camera I use, but it's always there, no matter what camera I'm using. I didn't feel it during that short visit and I questioned if it will ever come? 
I know photography isn't just about the camera -- there's knowledge of the gear, the gear itself (camera bodies, lenses, filters), the human behind the lens, their unique perspective to their subject, post processing, etc. - reminding me of a story:

"a photographer goes to a friend's house for dinner and the host says 'you're a wonderful photographer, you must have a fantastic camera!'. At the end of the meal, the photographer says to the host 'what a wonderful meal, you must have a fantastic stove'!"

For now I'm mired in indecision so am sharing some of my test images, to "put them out there and add them into my work" to see if that changes anything for me. Some of the images have had post processing, some not.

Thanks for looking!
~wendy
​

I often forget to share my instagram pics here on the blog, so feel free to find and follow me over there!
www.instagram.com/wendynesbittphoto/

kids, rats, cats and friends
watching enid play with the flame, draw, and take photos
lyra markered herself and dressed up in all the toques and scarves
then we played headbanz, watched funny things on youtube, and talked

Started 2020 off with some forest bathing, mud bath style... a walk in the woods with dog friends and human friends...

​As part of my on-going advocacy work for sled dogs, the full photo set can be found on my sled dog blog!

Come along on a wee photographic tour of gj pearson's studio...and mind. A jam-packed space that overflows with art and creativity.

You'll see mystical, fanciful, odd, and endearing characters intertwined with wire and paper.  Pounded steel sculptures and delicate drawings and paintings. Kinetic pieces that wind up or are operated by what seems to be a sewing pedal. All magical.
Along the way you'll see some embroidered pieces and handmade jewellery created by fellow artist and wife, Denise Kathleen Nicholls of Firehorse Designs. 
And two very adorable cats.

See more.
Read more.
Follow.
-> gj pearson art and firehorse designs.

When there's a family member (or 2) who's camera shy, we can still make a family portrait session fun!