Tactical team members training rappel techniques off a city centre office tower. Photo by Jimmy Jeong

I think what I will miss most about living in Edmonton, Alberta are the great friends I made along the way. These tactical police photos are a perfect example of the people I've met here and the trust built up. Which in turns leads to access into people's lives. I've been given a great opportunity to tell their stories.

I guess my story will continue in NYC. I hope you will come along for the ride.

Thanks to my best friend Marcus Bence for helping me with this extremely difficult shoot.

The Technical Stuff: Aside from my slight fear of heights, this was pretty straight forward in terms of lighting. Two alien bees lights with strip boxes were used to create the rim lights. Marcus held a shoot-thru style umbrella with a Nikon SB800 speedlight right above my head. I had a Rayflash ring-light on my lens for fill. For the portrait shots, we used just the alien bees with strip boxes and a flashlight. This was due to the late hour and high ISO. Thank goodness for the Nikon D3S and it's wonderful low light capabilities.

Anne Brown at her home near Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta on June10, 2010. Anne Brown is an intervener in an Energy Resources Conservation Board hearing on a proposed new bitumen upgrader in the area by France's Total oil company. Photo by Jimmy Jeong

Dubbed Alberta's Industrial Heartland, Fort Saskatchewan (an Edmonton suburb) residents are faced with the construction of another bitumen upgrader. This one by France's Total Energy. The construction in the area has brought jobs and wealth to the region but the story is more complicated than that. So, you really should read the Globe And Mail story to get a grasp of everything involved. The thing is, it might affect more than just the residents in the area.

Potatoe farmer Wayne Groot stands on one of the fields he farms across from the Shell Scotford upgrader near Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta on June10, 2010. Photo by Jimmy Jeong

 

It just happens that this industrial heartland is also considered very fertile farmland. How close should refineries be allowed to be built near our food source?

Barb Collier stands at her mother and grandparents' home near Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta home on June10, 2010. Barb Collier is testifying in an Energy Resources Conservation Board hearing on a proposed new bitumen upgrader in the area by France's Total oil company. Photo by Jimmy Jeong

 

 

Five members of the Wandering River Fire Hall pose for a photo on a blocked off part of Highway 63 two hours north of Edmonton near Breynat, Alberta on June 7, 2010. The volunteers are Maureen Hagan, Jennifer Batiuk, Trisha Hatch, Sheri Johnson and Janet Snydmiller. The Wandering River fire hall is threatening to close down due to the high calls of traffic incidents on highway 63. Jimmy Jeong For The Globe and Mail

Speeding semi-trucks on highways scare the shit out of me. So imagine how I felt, lying flat on my stomach on one of Alberta's most dangerous highways. I just kept telling myself that the perspective would be better (see second photo) and that it will be worth if for a more compelling photo. It's about angles, right? The road actually rumbles and shakes when semis drive by. I kept thinking that they might pass back into my lane, not see me, and then run over my camera and my head along with it. One of the firefighters, Sheri Johnson, saw I was feeling nervous and then asked me to imagine what it's like for them when they answer a call on a pitch black highway and there's only two of them.

Good thing that these volunteer firefighters are a lot (lot) smarter than I am. They had a friend, Terry Wilkinson, with his AMA tow truck steer the traffic and close off one lane of a two-lane (passing) stretch of the highway. Seeing the fear in my eyes, one of the firefighters, Maureen Hagan was also kind enough to put a lot of flashing cones down. I kept insisting that she place more down.

I really think that they should do a reality show on this group. Even the Globe writer, Josh Wingrove, was saying that he could write so much about each of them. Here is the article that was written. And if you get a chance, please visit my website and let me know if you think I should add one of these photos to my portfolio.

The Technical Stuff: The first and third photos were shot using two Nikon SB-800 Speedlights on either side of the group. As usual, I first metered for the ambient light so that the scene would be about 2 stops darker to get richer tones especially in the sky. And then I brought up the lights on the portrait subjects. One eye on the group, one eye on the road.

 

Edmonton firefighter Paul McGonigal stands on the roof of a fire station in Edmonton, Alberta on March 10, 2010. Paul McGonigal and a group of firefighters are camping out on top of their fire station this week as part of an annual fundraiser for Muscular Dystrophy. The camp out runs from March 9 to 12. For the Globe and Mail.

Isn't it enough that fire fighters fight fires? Do they need more excuses to
be called heroes? Really?

I had the pleasure to hang out with Paul McGonigal, who has been a fire
fighter for the last 20 years. One week every year for the last several
years he has been camping out on the roof of a fire station, to raise money
and awareness of Muscular Dystrophy (the charity of choice for fire fighters
in Edmonton).

McGonigal is the real deal. A soft spoken, caring and inspiring local hero.

The Technical Stuff: The portraits were shot using my Nikon D700 and a
70-200 mm lens. I really like the look of using a longer telephoto lens
because it compresses the objects in the photo and it also helps to make the
subject really pop out. I also metered to drop the ambient down two stops
and Paul was strobed using an SB900 flash with a Rayflash ring light.