Alumni Spotlight – Pronghorns Women’s Hockey

Name: Alicia Anderson

Position: Goalie

Jersey Number: 1

Just a quick note to start – most of this interview was completed before the news of the club’s closure broke. We followed up with Alicia to see if she had any commentary on that, which has been appended to the end of this article. The rest of the content is the full player spotlight article we were preparing on her based on her responses from the week before the news broke.

Alicia Anderson completed her fifth and final year as a Pronghorn in February of this year. In addition to holding the Canada West record for games played by a goalie (121), Alicia put up an impressive 0.931% save percentage over her 5 years as a Pronghorn, with an incredible 0.949% in the 2017-2018 season. We asked Alicia how she prepares for a game being in what she says herself is a very mental position. Alicia shared with us that preparing for a game is all about the routine. She thanks teammate Kiana Stocker for throwing tennis balls at her before each game. “Doing the same thing before every game makes me feel prepared and helps take the nerves away,” Alicia says.

We wanted to know a bit about what got her here. Alicia told us about how she found her way into hockey via ringette. She started playing ringette at five years old and played that game for seven years. She switched to hockey in order to play in the new Bantam AAA female league that had opened in Calgary and has been playing ever since.

“No matter what happens in the game, you go see each other after and talk about what’s going on in your life.”

As she was learning the game, Alicia didn’t really look up to the pros, but rather had other players that she played with and against that she credits as having had a big influence on her. Shae Labby, an NCAA Division 1 women’s player, is one player Alicia has both played with and against and says is “the best female hockey player I ever played, either with or against.” Shae had played with team Canada on and off over the years as well. Being able to play against players of that quality in her own games motivates Alicia. “Whenever I see and play against them, it’s always a fun time. It’s a small community and that’s what makes it fun. No matter what happens in the game, you go see each other after and talk about what’s going on in your life”.  Off the ice, Alicia credits Hailey Wood, the team’s interim coach, as someone who helped her transition from high school to University sports.

Alicia talked to us about her teammates on the Pronghorns and shared with us that the women she has played with on the Horns for the last five years have become her family. “It’s weird spending every day with these people and you’re not going to see them.” The pain is obvious as Alicia tells us this part. She knows that they’ll keep in touch and stay part of the tight-knit community of Canadian female hockey players.

In addition to her outstanding work with the Pronghorns, Alicia was an academic powerhouse off the ice. Alicia identifies hockey as only half her life, with her involvement in the University of Lethbridge Physical department as the other half. She spent many hours in the Physics lab studying, tutoring and engaged in the Physics & Astronomy club activities around campus.

Looking back over her many years playing at different levels, Alicia highlights her first year as a Pronghorn as an experience that sticks out for her. She remembers all of the girls on the team coming together and being so excited about building a new team together and starting a new program. Like her graduating captain, Mattie Apperson, Alicia remembers the excitement of the team’s win streak that year that saw the Horns Women’s Hockey team nationally ranked in Canada. On a personal level, she remembers the start of that season with her first game as a Pronghorn gaining Alicia her first CIS win, and her second game earning her a shutout.

“Being away with the team was the best part, especially when we get to fly.”

She also has lots of great memories of team trips and travelling. “Being away with the team was the best part, especially when we get to fly. Getting to spend that kind of time with each other and with players at this level”, was something she enjoyed a lot. Alicia also gave credit to the “Seventh Player” program, sponsored over the last few years by various organization and allowed young female players to do a warmup skate and line up with the starters gave the players the chance to meet with these up and coming players and for Alicia that was really rewarding: “It was awesome getting to talk to them because they were so excited about hockey.”

Alicia transplanted to Lethbridge from Calgary, and have grown to love the city. “Growing up in Calgary it was an adjustment, but the community was just awesome. You feel like a real celebrity playing for the Pronghorns. I highly recommend it [Lethbridge] for any younger person.” Alicia also had the advice for younger players that it’s important to enjoy the moment and have fun. Remember it doesn’t last forever. She also wants young women considering a future in sport to know that if you find something you’re passionate about, you can do anything you can set your mind on. Just make sure to have fun doing it, and enjoy yourselves.

After the news of the Pronghorn’s WHOC team being cut broke, we reached back out to Alicia to see if she wanted to add a comment to this article. She provided us with the following written statement:

“When I first heard the news of the program being cut I was shocked and disappointed. I had 5 amazing years as a pronghorn women's hockey player and I'm extremely proud of how the program has evolved since my first year. I'm forever grateful for the experiences I had as a pronghorn and the connections and relationships I've made in Lethbridge and I wish the best for all of the players who were planning on returning to the team next year. Hockey is more than just a sport, it brings our country together, and I hope the university will consider sponsoring a hockey program again in the future."

As her time as a Pronghorn comes to a close, Alicia will be finishing her BSc in Physics and still remain active at the University as she begins her MSc in Physics. She looks forward to continuing work in the experimental astrophysics lab working on astronomical instrumentation. She explained to us what exactly it is she does there, but we aren’t sure we’re allowed to print it since some of it sounds like some top-secret stuff! Alicia never wants to stop playing the game she loves regardless of the level she can play at now. “Intramurals, beer league, it doesn’t matter – I just don’t want to stop.” She says. And we hope she doesn’t!

Alumni Spotlight – Pronghorns Women’s Hockey

Name: Mattie Apperson

Position: Defence

Jersey Number: 13

To our new readers who may be followers of our social feeds over the last few years, it will come as no surprise that Mattie Apperson has been one of our favourite subjects to shoot while covering the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns Women’s Hockey team. As the season drew to a close and Mattie graduated to join the Pronghorns’ Alumni community, we had a chance to speak to her for a final phone interview about her time with the club. In light of the recent news from the University of Lethbridge regarding the suspension of their varsity Hockey program (both men’s and women’s), we realize that this piece now takes on a new light. We want to be clear we initially spoke to Mattie before the news broke about the programs, however, we did contact her for a follow-up after the original interview had completed and the first draft of our article was prepared to get her thoughts on the closure of the program.

“It’s something that shaped how we have grown up”

Mattie gained her interest in hockey early in life from her family. In her own words, “My whole family is a hockey family, all 4 siblings play the game”. She fondly recalls her parents coaching her and her siblings through novice and atom levels growing up. “It’s something that shaped how we have grown up”, she says. 4 of the 5 hockey-playing children in her family went on to do hockey in their post-secondary careers. A member of the OWHA until Bantam, Mattie, her mother, and one brother relocated to Saskatchewan’s prestigious Notre Dame high school to pursue her academic athletic future further. It was from Notre Dame that she got the offer to join UofL and become a Pronghorn.

Mattie, like many young hockey players in the ’90s and early 2000s, looked up to Hayley Wickenheiser and Gillian Apps as role models for her hockey career. However, when we asked her who her favourite player was growing up, she admits that she grew to love the game as much as she does because of her sister, a player for the Inferno in the CWHL until they dissolved. That was reinforced by her mom she cites as her role model growing up. “Without her support”, Mattie says of her mom, “I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

“This was a hard year because we lost that group of girls… that group was really special”

When we asked her about her teammates, you could really hear the mix of pride and sadness in Mattie’s voice. She looks back over her five years as a Pronghorn and recognizes many great teammates over that time. There is definite affection for the group of girls that she joined the program with, and those who were a year ahead of her and really helped bring her into the program. Looking back over 2019-20’s season, Mattie says, “This was a hard year because we lost that group of girls. Every year new girls come in and you make friends with them, but that group was really special.” Mattie brightens noticeably when we ask her about what that group of girls is up to now, and she proudly confirms that many of them are still active in hockey in one way or another, either coaching or playing beer league and keeping in touch with each other along the way. She also gave a special shout-out to Heidi Shaw, the team’s trainer. Mattie says that Heidi worked with her through her entire 5 years as a Pronghorn and recognizes her as someone who has always been there to support her and the team.

Mattie’s career has had several notable successes. Prior to becoming a Pronghorn, Mattie won the Westerns (regional championship) at the high school level with Notre Dame. In her year after high school but before the Horns, she was on the silver medal JWHL team that year, who earned that honour after coming from behind several times in the tournament and nearly upsetting the tournament favourites in the final game. As a Pronghorn, she fondly remembers a 6 game winning streak in her first year, a year which saw the Horns Women’s team nationally ranked in Canada.

Before stepping onto the ice for any game, Mattie tries to stay loose and likes to fool around with her teammates. She admits to having a small superstition around always putting her right skate and shin pad on first, then the left, in that order every time. She is also always the last one out of the change room. It’s a routine she developed in her 2nd year as a Pronghorn and continued through to her final year as Captain this past year.

“I’m really excited for the program, and I can see the change ahead.”

Mattie is optimistic for the future of the Pronghorns, and says that one of her final highlights was getting to play for the Horns’ new coach this year, Doug Paisley. “I’m really excited for the program, and I can see the change ahead,” she says to us as we start to wrap up our interview.

When we ask if the departing Captain has any final words of advice or wisdom for other young women playing or wanting to play the game, she says that you need to be ready to face a lot of adversity. “Don’t give up or get down on yourself”. It isn’t easy balancing hockey, school, and life. Use your support systems. That’s the biggest thing, she confirms, "learn as much as you can from the others around you."

Mattie is gearing up for a move to Calgary this summer. She is looking forward to new opportunities in the business world, possibly going back to school a few years down the road. Mattie hopes for the opportunity to travel but is waiting to see how that fits with her new life before locking in any plans. If you happen to be out in Sweden, where Mattie’s sister now plays for a Swedish team along with several other Canadian WNHL alumni, keep your eyes open – you might just find her on a business trip checking out her sister’s team.

Lastly, as we mentioned at the beginning, this was all put together before the programs were announced to be closing. Mattie provided us the following written statement in follow-up to the interview following her news:

“Heartbreaking news to receive. The program I have been so proud to play for the last 5 years was cut without any warning. This program has made amazing strides and I could see the potential the program had in the coming years. My heart hurts for the players that were supposed to continue on next season. There have been amazing players and people to come from both programs. Extremely disappointed in this decision.”

From the team at MPP, we want to say thank you to Mattie for taking the time to speak with us and share a bit about her time as a Pronghorn as she embarks on her first steps as an alumnus. Mattie was a great player and great advocate for her team and sport in the community, and we’ll miss her. We also want to share her sentiment to the rest of the Horns hockey community, both current and alumni players, and express our deepest condolences over the loss of the program.

Colin Moreland, Editor, MPP Sports
 

Ok sorry for the odd presentation, but IKEA doesn't actually have a real registry in Canada, and Michael and Shannon have most of their "registry" items through IKEA. So we're listing below all of the Ikea items and links that they have requested. You can click any link and see what they are asking for.

If you are signing up to get something, please leave a comment in the sections below. Also, CHECK the comments to see what's been signed up for! Comments are anonymous so don't worry, nobody will know what you're getting except Michael and Shannon when they receive your gift.

Thanks for working with us on this everyone!

Ikea Registry Items

Full galleries here:

Friday vs. Victoria

Saturday vs. Saskatoon

Franklin lands some solid hits in the 5-4 shootout win against Victoria Friday night.

Gilchrist held back the tide to help the Canes to victory Saturday against Saskatoon.

Alfaro slides in his hat trick goal short-handed in the third to open up a 2-point lead on the Blades.

Pouteau's point shot makes it through traffic for his goal for the night, securing 4 points for each of the Wong line forwards.

Just before Christmas I upgraded my kit from the Nikon D800 (which is still around serving my Macro photo needs) to the Nikon D5 as my primary platform. I'm providing a review below as there weren't a ton available when I was looking.

Out of the Box

The D5 comes out of the box as a behemoth. The weight is hefty and particularly coming from the lighter D800 and Df platforms its presence is noticeable. It is solidly built and the majority of the casing is wrapped in the rubberized texture grip that Nikon is favoring for most of its models now.

Aside from the heft, there's just about every port imaginable on the camera, for all kinds of auxiliary toys and lights as well as the hotshoe flash and dual XQD (as opposed to the dual-CF alternative) slots.

Nice changes in this platform for me are the button placement. The ISO and Mode button switch places, which means you can cycle ISO with one hand now since it's right next to the trigger. Since real-time ISO changes are far more common that needing to switch from Manual to Aperture mode in the same shooting block, this makes far more sense.

The screen is what many Nikon-ites have been raving about, finally introducing a touch-screen. Being a bit of a dinosaur when it comes to touch screen devices (I still use a blackberry if that tells you anything), this isn't a selling feature for me but some of my clients have appreciated it. The ability to quickly zoom in and out with the pinch gesture and use the image scroll bar to go through a long list of burst images quickly is handy, but definitely not worth the price of admission if that's the only thing you're interested in.

Last comment, the addition of the LED settings bar at the bottom of the camera's rear, below the preview screen, is a nice touch.

For Landscape

Don't buy the D5 if you're into architecture or landscape photography as your primary use. Once this baby goes on a tripod it's selling features drop significantly in value. I found the D800's performance for landscape, architecture, and astrophotography as good if not better than the D5, particularly since having twice as many pixels meant more ability to crop and do large sized print blow-ups with more forgiveness. The D5 handles the images just fine, but there isn't enough noticeable difference to justify the cost.

(Seven Sacred Pools - O'he'o Gulch, Maui)

Wildlife

Wildlife is exceptional with the D5. Birds, whales, and other animals I shoot don't like to stay still for very long, and so they're being shot on very fast exposures. The D5's ISO range is impressive, and the image sensor is a marked improvement over the D4, giving the same level of grain at about double the ISO setting as the other cameras in my kit. (So an image shot at ISO 1600 on the D5 looks like an image shot at ISO 800 on the D800). This means more ability to shoot crisp images in challenging lighting conditions. The second fact that can't be understated is the autofocus. I measured the autofocus on the D5 to be 3-4x faster than the D800 using the same lenses, and 2-3x faster than the D4. When dealing with unpredictable, fast-moving targets like a breaching whale or running deer, this is critically important. Definitely worth the upgrade here.

(Honu @ Ho'Okipa Beach Park)

Sports

Sports is pretty similar in the review to Wildlife. I find the D5's second auto-focus sensor is a game changer. With the D800 and when I shot with a D4 previously, you get issues in sports with players moving at high rates of speed. When a hockey player is racing towards you, autofocus locks in at one point in their skate and struggles to refocus for each subsequent exposure. In high-burst mode, I'd get 1-2 frames in focus with the D800, 3-4 frames with the D4, but with the D5 I'm getting a whopping 9-10 frames in crisp detail, even as I am adjusting variable zoom at the same time. This is incredible. Being able to catch the race for the puck and the goal in the same burst with the same lens makes this upgrade worthwhile.

(Lethbridge Hurricanes vs. Kamloops Blazers - Canes Captain Tyler Wong trips over the opposing goalie and get airborne)

Portraiture

I have a pretty aggressive position on equipment for portrait photography. If this is all you are doing as a photographer, there's not a lot of value in going above entry level DSLR. You want a minimum of 14MP to be able to "blow up" images to wall print size (2'x3' or larger) but beyond that, you're far better to invest in high quality lighting equipment or a really solid prime lens than to spend the money on a camera. In portraiture your ISO will rarely go above 800 and your shutter speed is usually 1/320 or less, so the ability of higher grade equipment to handle higher values in there categories doesn't provide much benefit.

So, like most decisions in photography, the question is what you're planning to use your gear for. High-paced, fast moving subject matter like sports, wildlife, or more staged shots. The D5 fills a big hole in terms of autofocus speed and low-light performance, but beyond those upgrades, has little value if you're shooting more stable content in controlled lighting conditions.

Shout outs to Blue Water Rafting (awesome breach photos), Kai Kanani tours, Frogman Charters (Malolo), and Trilogy Sail Excursions. Turtles care of Ho'Okipa turtle resting area.

Highlights below, gallery here: http://www.morelandprojects.ca/p130694204

After hearing from her friend about our TFP promo running this last week, my client for this shoot got right on it and made sure to get herself a spot. After how the shoot on Saturday afternoon went, we wanted to try and catch an outdoor shoot. Unfortunately Sunday's blizzard caught us just as we were getting set up! There were a few lazy, fat snowflakes when we left the studio but by the time we got to our location 10 minutes later the wind had picked up and it was snowing pretty hard.

Not to be deterred, my clients decided to power through and were really good sports about it! We were out for about half an hour and got some pretty awesome wintry shots out of it.

These two had a lot of fun. They cracked many jokes about all of the geese (sort of visible in the background bokeh.

They actually didn't know I was taking this photo. We were in between set poses and this shot happened while they were talking to each other. It ended up being one of my favorite from the whole day.

Working from their energy we came up with a few goofy shot ideas that actually turned out really well, like playing with the trees in the shot above and below.

Thanks for a great shoot guys! This one was a lot of fun and it was great working with you!

Wong tosses the Teddy Bear goal puck to a pair of girls in the front row who spent a good ten minutes tossing bears over the glass.

Teddy Bear Goal scorer Bellerive and the man on the assist hoist one of the bears in celebration.

Lots of laughter and smiles from the players as they watch the Hurricane's holiday video montage during the cleanup.

Estephan does the flyby after breaking loose the second period scoring.

Joseph was one of three Canes players to drop the gloves in what was a very chippy match for the last 15 minutes.

First Star Bellerive tosses a souvenir stick to the crowd after the victory.

This was an interesting trip as this was my first time shooting the Saddledome as well as my first time testing out my newly acquired Nikon D5.

With my milk crate to sit on against the boards in section 111, by the hash marks of the Hurricane's defending end, I had a great vantage point for Skinner's highlight reel performance stopping 12 of 13 shots, most of them quality scoring chances.

During the warmup skate I also got a taste of the perils of sports photography, as one of the players got the blade of their stick caught in the camera hole while I was checking levels and pegged me pretty good in the side of the head. Anyway, you're not here for my rambling you're here for the photos! Enjoy!

We've hit Anaheim, LA, San Diego, Calgary, and Yellowknife this month! The US destinations were for a conference, so no remarkable photos there. Lots of good times and good contacts though.

Yellowknife had a chance to catch some great auroras. You'll notice the metadata for these shots comes from a Canon EOS series camera. I haven't jumped ship from my Nikon allegiance, but one of my partner photographers shoots Canon and sent these shots through of a couple aurora storms.

We also had a couple of Hurricanes games this month. Some good shots and we landed the banner photo for the November 16th game: http://lethbridgehurricanes.com/article/hurricanes-edged-4-1-by-ice

And we got a couple of mentions in the game day galleries on the Canes facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WHLHurricanes/photos/

A couple of the highlights from our side:

I frequently get a question regarding how the pricing is set for photo services. I've created the post below to explain how the photo business works, and what is "Fair", based on different types of shoots and different levels of experience.

Running the Business - Costs the Photographer has to cover to stay in business:

There are 3 costs that have to be managed when running a photos business:

Equipment Costs: A for most photographers a large, up-front cost. This is the "gear" - cameras, lights, lenses, tripods, studio equipment, cleaning and repair equipment and carrying bags and harnesses. For a business like mine the gear is an up-front investment between $15,000 and $20,000. This is a partial tax write-off as a "Capital Cost Allowance", and each year you can write off a portion of the value (the depreciated value) of the equipment each year, which reflects the value lost through usage. But there is a net cost even after the write-offs that need to be covered.

Operating Costs & Expenses: These are usually monthly, recurring costs to keep the business running. These can include business cards, studio space rentals or leases, website hosting fees, domain registration fees, business licensing costs, etc. For a business like MPP, Operating Costs are steady at around $70 / month

And finally Labor Costs: are variable by photographer, but reflect the opportunity cost of that photographer not being able to be doing other work or revenue generating activities while they are shooting. With the minimum wage increase, Labor Costs are at a minimum $15/hr. If you assume that the average hourly rate in Alberta is actually $22.50/hr, the rates go up from there. Also, for every hour of shooting time, the photographer is usually investing an hour of image processing, organizing, posting, and touch-up time and a minimum half an hour of setup, preparation, image uploading, and travel to and from the venue. So every 1 hour of work has the rate multiplied by 2.5x to cover the full cost of the effort associated.

So what does 1 hour of shooting cost? Let's assume I do 5 shoots a week, take 4 weeks off a year, and I expect my equipment to last 3 years, which is the timeframe I expect the equipment to take to fully depreciate and/or require replacement. That means the equipment cost needs to be spread over 48 weeks/year * 5 shoots per week * 3 years = 720 shoots. That means each shoot has an approximate overhead for the equipment (with a net after tax deductions value of $12,000) of $16.7.

Averaging 19 shoots a month, Operating Costs are about $3.68 / shoot

So every shoot has a base cost of $20.38. The fewer shoots a photographer does, the higher this number. Someone who just does 1 wedding a week has this number jump by 5x, to over $100 each shoot!

And then layer on top of that labor. So for a 1 hour shoot (such as a studio) prices will range for labor from $56.25 to somewhere around $187.50, depending on the base hourly rate the photographer is using. These are post the 2.5x multiplier for the "all-in" effort. My business model allows you, the client, to set a base hourly price, but the conversion below shows how the math works. The different rates are benchmarked against other laborers of various skill to identify some comparisons. The question you should ask yourself when you are booking (and budgeting for) a photographer are where they sit in terms of skill and experience and if the price they are asking is fair given that.

1 Hour Session:

Base Cost: $20.38 + Labor:

1 Hour @ $22.50/hr = $56.25 total labor cost

This is what you'd pay a server, including tip, for an average meal for 2 people. Fair for a new photographer or one with very entry-level equipment.

1 Hour @ $50/hr = $125 total labor cost

This is what you'd pay a landscaper, painter, or other mostly unskilled laborer. Fair for photographers with 1 or 2 years' experience, and/or average talent.

1 Hour @ $90 / hr = $225 total labor cost

This is what you'd pay a mechanic, plumber, or other skilled technician. This is the range most experienced photographers will charge within.

1 hour @ 125 / hr= $312.50 total labor cost

This is what you'd pay for a highly skilled expert such as a professional personal chef, systems consultant, or specialized tradesperson.

1 hour @ >$125/hr - I'm not going to calculate this as I don't think it's fair to benchmark the rate a photographer charges at higher than what a Doctor, Lawyer, or senior management consultant make. While I believe Photography is important to help people capture and remember key moments, the risk is significantly lower. That's my own philosophy, but I can't justify an hourly rate higher than that.

Now consider 3 and 8 hour shoots engagement (3), sports (3) and weddings(8)

Base Cost: $20.38 - unchanged + Labor:

3 Hours @ $22.50/hr = $168.75 total labor cost

8 Hours @ 22.50/hr = $450 total labor cost

3 Hours @ $50/hr = $375 total labor cost

8 Hours @ 50/hr = $1,000 total labor cost

3 Hours @ $90/hr = $225 total labor cost

8 Hours @ $90/hr = $1,800

3 hours @ 125/hr= $937.50 total labor cost

8 hours @ $125/hr = $2,500

So what should you pay for Photography services? Consider your photographers' equipment, skill, experience, and the amount of shooting time you're expecting them to provide. From there, you have a good idea what the benchmarks are now and what you should look for.

That's my two cents.

First goal of the season!

Goal 3 turned out the be the Game Winner

Skinner takes a breather

And Reagan has a few words with the Tiger's Shaw, a full foot smaller than him.

The wedding cake with decorative topper made for a great starting picture for the ceremony.

Dad and baby daughter take a quiet moment together away from a busy shoot in between the ceremony and reception.

A cupcake tower with some great detailing on the icing made for this very artistic close-up shot, rendered in black and white for effect.

Borrowing the bouquet we found a nice backdrop and used the natural contract to fit this shot in.

This close-up view of the bride's bracelet gave a great focus on an important part of her outfit for her big day.

One of the Morgon villages in the Beaujolais - Cotes du Rhone wine region. We had a beautiful day for a drive through the French countryside.

On Crete, a stop at the Archeological Museum included a stop by the Phaistos disk, one the fullest examples of Minoan language in existence.

Still on Crete, the refurbished temple segment at Knossos replicates the underlying stone mural depicting the Minotaur of Greek legend, which the Minoan civilization takes its modern namesake from.

In Kusadasi, Turkey, the silk cocoons of silk worms are spun together to string together the fine fibers into weavable material that will eventually become a rug.

A classic example of a Greek seaport. The ancient gatehouse shows the port security dating back to antiquity.

The Great Library at Ephesus, outside Kusadasi, Turkey, shows the grand facade still standing.

Finally, the Geneva Lake fountain in Switzerland was kind enough to give us a rainbow welcome to the city.

As always the full gallery is here!

A nice blocking play sets Bo Levi Mitchell up for a shot to the sidelines.

Paredes launches one from 15 yards to open the Stamps scoring for the game.

Langlais exhibits why he should be a permanent member of the defense this upcoming season.

Tate takes aim before running the option for a first down!

Highlights below, the full gallery is here!

During the warmup, some of the Edmonton Prospects' players seemed to be struggling with his equipment.

The new pennant was hoisted high and proud for the victory last year.

The opening pitch set the tone for a strong showing for the Bulls on the mound.

Strong infield play kept Edmonton from making much progress throughout the game.

But it was the 8 runs that carried the day to an 8-3 victory over the Prospects. Great start keep up the good work!

As usual, some select sample photos are below, the FULL GALLERY CAN BE FOUND HERE

The two mascots kept the kids laughing all game.

But the biggest smile of the day goes to this guy...

Even though it was all for fun, the Bulls outstanding outfield play carried them to a 13-10 victory over the Hurricanes.

Both teams posed for photos at the end. Thanks folks! Catch you next year!

Well just got back from my latest international adventure. This one took me to Washington DC for the tail end of the Cherry Blossom Festival. I also had a great opportunity to put the Nikon Df through some stress testing between the travel, weather, and wildly changing light conditions. Some highlights below...

One of the few cherry blossom trees with the petals still on.

Iconic shot of the Monument

Stopped in to say hello to the SR-71 Blackbird at the Udvar Hazy center

Blackhawks over the Potomac at dusk

Making use of the Reflecting Pool along the National mall

Iwo Jima memorial by moonlight.

Overall, DC is a great city to shoot in. You need a lot of patience while the crowds pass but there are so many iconic places and it's well lit at night. All of these shots were handheld, so I'd say the Df handled well under my travel photo test.

Full gallery here http://www.morelandprojects.ca/p873349418

Highlights below:

Rings ready for the big moment...

And a beautiful dress waiting for the beautiful bride...

As she shows us below:

And again as she was so happy during the ceremony:

United for the first time:

And dad and daughter as the night began to wind down.

Jetted off the last week to Maui for some location work. We've got Big Island Hawaii, Oahu and Maui represented here along with local tour companies Discover Hawaii Tours, Blue Water Rafting, Pacific Whale Foundation and The Frogman.

The full image set can be found HERE

Some highlights are below:

On Maui, the Haleakala Crater is a prime spot for astrophotography. The crater in the foreground and peaks in the background provide a nice contrast line to a lateral view of the Milky Way, tinted orange by the breaking dawn at 5:30am in the morning.

January is the middle of Whale Season and this breaching male Humpback put on an impressive show for us on the Frogman whale watch tour.

One of the longest running and most popular tours on the island of Maui is the Bluewater Rafting company. Their specialty is touring the volcanic rock formations off of Maui's Southwest Kanaio coast. One of the highlights of this tour is the hollow lava tubes that form pressure caves and create these great action shots, complemented above by a mist rainbow.

I don't recommend this, but if you are brave enough to bring your DSLR on the usually very wet Bluewater rafting company you can get some incredible shots. The RIBs the company runs on is much smaller than the other company's catamarans and tour boats, giving you a much closer to the water perspective that allows shots like this whale fluke with a reflection on the surface of the ocean.

The Te Au Moana Luau held at the Marriott hotel and resort in Wailea features a Tonga fire-dancer, pictured above. Stopping down the aperture and extending the exposure to 1/5 sec gives these great colorful streaks of the fire. A full 8-10 images from this are found in the gallery linked above.

The active Kīlauea volcano (Big Island Hawaii), shown above, made for some impressive fireworks. This was the highlight of the Discover Hawaii Tours Maui to Big Island tour day.

This long-exposure shot caught a sea turtle sleeping on Ho'okipa Beach. The bright half-moon made for some good contrast in the waves and led to an artistic movement noise in the background.

http://www.morelandprojects.ca/p916953384

Some of my favorites shots are below:

Ashleigh rocks a Devil in the Red Dress look toting her trusty Walther - a girl's REAL best friend.

Ashleigh's silhouette is ready to star in an opening video, probably to a power rock ballad or somesuch.

From the concrete to tropical jungle, Ashleigh's licensed to kill no matter where she goes.

I don't know where Ashleigh stores her gun in this outfit, and I dare you to ask!

Highlights below, full set at the gallery linked here:

http://www.morelandprojects.ca/p808623786

Decided to head on over to the Calgary Zoo for Zoolights in 2015. Great job to the Zoo this year for expanding their activity zones and providing vendors and things to do beyond the lights themselves. Some highlights from the night are below, and a link to the full gallery:

http://www.morelandprojects.ca/p225989580

The weekend featured a variety of events including rocket launches, science stations, astrophotography, and keynote presentations by Chris Hadfield and the former Mythbusters build team, Kari, Grant and Tori.

Here are some of the highlights from the trip.