2022...A big one!

January 11, 2023

So as I sat down to look at our 2022 year in review, I realized that in the entire last year I posted a whopping….TWO blog posts! And that, my friends, is how you know 2022 was absolutely bonkers…It wasn’t that we didn’t have stuff to share- it was that I was literally just too busy to sit down and write!

SO, sitting here sipping a coffee on this fine January day ( I can see blue sky and sun out there team!!) I figured it’s about time I got to that good old year end reflection…and what a year it was!

Looking back, I am realizing this was a year of a lot more larger scale, long term projects. So instead of a one-off shoot, we were looking at film projects that are expanding over the course of another year, and photo campaigns with multiple phases, often being released months after the actual shoot happened.  

We travelled for our National clients, and had our Manitobah Mukluks photos released in stores nation wide!

GBP and Nwtel make it to the Arctic Ocean! (Definitely no photoshop used here…)

We’re also seeing more of our larger clients taking full advantage of the fact we have taken our initially small (just Gary and I!) photo company back when we started, and developed into a full service production company…it seems like it all happened so fast, but turns out 14 years have gone by since we first got started! 

It’s been really exciting (although I’d be lying if I didn’t also say stressful at times!) being in this industry during a time where such big shifts are happening. Now, it’s seen more and more that Photographers are also being asked to be Directors. Clients need both photography and film on the same campaigns, and in growing into a full service production company, that’s what we now offer to many of our clients.

One of the biggest things we have both talked about this year so many times, is how truly grateful we are for the clients we have that are putting their trust in us and empowering us to execute their vision. Having clients that trust in our process and our style is truly the biggest compliment. (And that also goes for the incredible agencies and collaborators we’ve gotten to work with as well. Aasmans, Cossette, Design Station, Pixie Ingram…so grateful!)

We also now have a full-time employee (Shout out to Stu!!) and a big team of amazing crew we bring on so that we can scale to whatever size production is needed depending on the project at hand. We are SO grateful to them all and if you don’t know them, you should definitely check them out as they are the DREAM TEAM!

From our RANDOM requests for props I didn’t even know were possible to find (Sweet Tara how you had an original 1950’s tanning reflector I still will never understand), to helicoptered in Hair Styling on top of a mountain (Victoria got her first helicopter ride this year!)…We are so grateful for this crew of talent that continues to join the team.

Tara Kolla: Our props, wardrobe and set design extraordinaire IG: @wishfactory

Akiko Allen: Make up artist and absolute pro

Victoria Williams: Hairstylist and seasoned helicopter passenger IG: @hairbyvictoriawilliams_

Caroline Westberg: Special effects mastermind!

Mike Code: Aerials, audio, and all around best energy on set

Dave Hamelin: Audio wizard, editor, film production pro

Henry Gilson: Production Assistant Champion

And special shout out to all the AMAZING Catering provided all year to our various productions. No job goes well if people are hungry…and these pros kept us fed with ridiculously delicious goods no matter the location or the weather! Alicat Catering IG: @alicatcatering, Bonton IG: @bontonandco, Caribou Crossing Coffee IG: @cariboucrossingcoffee

We also have been teaming up with other amazing Production companies in town which we are so damn grateful for. Getting to collaborate with other creatives, helping make large scale productions happen just never gets old. So much gratitude to both TSU North and Shot in the Dark Productions-here’s to many more collabs ahead!

We’re so stoked to be hitting the ground running this year-we’ve got some very meaningful and exciting projects in the works and although I don’t make resolutions, I will say I’ll try better to get on here and share a bit more this year.

Until then, here’s a few of the highlights of 2022…Grateful for what we’ve been able to create, and so looking forward to even more. 2023 let’s gooooooo!

It takes a team...FNHP

April 01, 2021

What do you do when you need to photograph 14 hospital staff over the course of a busy work day, taking up as little of their time as possible? Well if you’re lucky enough to be working with the First Nations Health Programs (FNHP) team, you get to set up your studio in the cozy Elder’s room that’s been made available for the day!

We’ve been lucky enough to work with the team at FNHP many times over the years, learning about their various cultural programs (such as traditional foods like moose stew being provided to patients, or the use of traditional medicines during hospital stays), and facilities like the Na’Ku Healing room where families can gather, and practice traditional ceremonies and healing methods for family members.

This time around, over the course of a day (and one extra session for the travelling staff), we were able to get the team ‘together’ safely in this group composite shot, as well as provide individual headshots for each person.

This is one of our favourite services we provide, as we get to connect with each person individually during their session-hear their stories and share some laughs. Plus this team in particular brought STYLE to the shoot!

From helping family members navigate the health care system and patient care processes, to providing access to traditional food and medicine while in hospital, the FNHP is a unique and celebrated program available here in Yukon and we were so happy we got to work with them again!

Commercial Photography: A Mixed bag

July 30, 2019

One of the many things we love about commercial photography is the fact that no two shoots are really ever the same, and this recent one we did was no exception!

We are excited to share some of these images from our recent work with Home Hardware, as it was one of those projects that got us to create a variety of different types of imagery for a client, all the while maintaining a consistent style throughout.

The client was doing a website update, and so wanted some new, cohesive photos to go with it. They bascially needed three different types of images: Headshots of some of the management team, environmental portraits, and then exterior/architectural shots.

We did this shoot over the course of two days. First, starting with setting up our headshot gear on location, for the ease of the team coming over to do their photos. Then we moved onto setting up the ‘in action’ or environmental portraits throughout the store where we get to capture employees doing their thing, as well as the interior building shots.

And finally, the next morning we set out bright and early before the store opened, in order to capture that beautiful morning light for the final series of exterior shots to show off the location.

We love projects like this as it allows us to utilize various skill sets all within one job. Moving from connecting one on one with a person to capture their headshot, to taking into account background details and working in a bustling store during work hours, to sitting patiently and waiting for the sun to light up a specific detail of a building…it’s projects like this that allow us to explore all the different types of skills we’ve gathered over the years and it feels great when we get to see the final product out in the world!

2018...the year the blog comes back...

January 26, 2018 in Studio Portraiture

Last year we took a little break from blogging. We had a new member join the GBP team (our daughter Mabel) and so paired down a little bit on some things to get her situated in her new job as future assistant for the company.

But now that we're all back in the full swing, we decided it was time to dust off the old Blog sharing skills and get back into it, so with that, thought we'd jump in by sharing one of our latest projects here in 2018!

We recently did some portraits for our friends who are starting up their new production company, Outpost 31. These guys are pros in the film industry, now combining their talents under one roof and so were looking for some new imagery for their website launch!

Keep your eyes out for projects coming your way from Outpost 31...

A law firm with a new look...Headshots by GBP Creative

February 24, 2014

We recently got to work with Aasmans Brand Communications to create portraits for one of their clients-a local law firm, who was getting a full re-design done of their website.

We had some very specific requests in terms of the look and feel of the shoot, as they needed images that really expressed the right emotion and that would tie in well with their new web design.

Specifically, they were looking for head shots of their team which helped showcase their confidence, and professionalism while remaining inviting and accessible.

We also thought it would be really cool to go one step further and include some of the brand's complimentary colours in every shot to tie them all together, which was this great, vibrant green.

Ok...only issue was that it turns out all of their legal team didn't have exact matching pieces of green clothing (go figure eh??). So, through the magic of post processing, we were able to pick pieces of their attire to change up and create our uniform look without making everyone go on a shopping spree...

And here you have the results!

To see what the images look like incorporated into the new web design, check out Austring Fendrick & Fairman's page at: www.lawyukon.com