Bath Bomb Studies (2021), 5X7 inches, iPhone XR and 12Pro.
I started this series as part of a self-care regiment. I have been trying to focus on my mental health and anxiety recently and have found that baths have really helped with that. As I was having a bath one day I took a few photos of the bath bomb as it started to disperse around the tub. I was drawn to the colours and abstract nature that the bath bomb was taking as it moved around.
I have been taking one bath bomb and creating a study of 5 photographs. This will be a continuous project. Below, in order of appearance, are the names of the bath bombs and the company bought from.
Bath Bomb Study #1: Temple of the Sky, Lush.
Bath Bomb Study #2: Sex Bomb, Lush.
Bath Bomb Study #3: Unknown Bath Bomb.
Bath Bomb Study #4: Intergalactic, Lush.
Bath Bomb Study #5: Dragon’s Egg, Lush.
Bath Bomb Study #6: Big Blue, Lush.
Bath Bomb Study #7: Big Heart, Lush (Valentine’s Collection).
Bath Bomb Study #8: Groovy Kind of Love, Lush.
Bath Bomb Study #9: Blackberry, Lush.
Bath Bomb Study #10: The Owl and the Pussycat, Lush (Easter Collection).
Bath Bomb Study #11: Sakura, Lush.
Bath Bomb Study #12: Eggy Wegg, Lush (Easter Collection).
Bath Bomb Study #13: Goddess, Lush.
Bath Bomb Study #14: Flamingo Egg, Lush (Easter Collection).
Bath Bomb Study #15: Avobath, Lush.
Bath Bomb Study #16: Floating Flower, Lush.
Bath Bomb Study #17: Twilight, Lush.
Bath Bomb Study #18: Peachy, Lush.
Bath Bomb Study #19: The Comforter, Lush.
Bath Bomb Study #20: Golden Egg, Lush (Easter Collection).
Bath Bomb Study #21: Melusine, Lush.
Bath Bomb Study #22: Follow The White Rabbit, Lush (Easter Collection).
Bath Bomb Study #23: Marshmallow World, Lush.
Bath Bomb Study #24: Turmeric Latte, Lush.
Bath Bomb Study #25: Butterball, Lush.
Bath Bomb Study #26: Ickle Baby Bot, Lush.
Bath Bomb Study #27: Humpty Dumpty, Lush (Easter Collection).
Bath Bomb Study #28: Groovy Kind of Love 2.0, Lush.
Bath Bomb Study #29: Satsuma Orange, For The Love Of Baths.
Bath Bomb Study #30: Crystal Gems Bath Bomb, Morningstar Mystique (Phoenix Rising Metaphysical Emporium).
Bath Bomb Study #31: Crystal Gems Bath Bomb 2.0, Morningstar Mystique (Phoenix Rising Metaphysical Emporium).
Bath Bomb Study #32: Crystal Gems Bath Bomb 3.0, Morningstar Mystique (Phoenix Rising Metaphysical Emporium).
Bath Bomb Study #33: Crystal Gems Bath Bomb 4.0, Morningstar Mystique (Phoenix Rising Metaphysical Emporium).
Bath Bomb Study #34: Crystal Gems Bath Bomb 5.0, Morningstar Mystique (Phoenix Rising Metaphysical Emporium).
Bath Bomb Study #35: Strawberry Daiquiri, Howe Sound Soapworks.
Bath Bomb Study #36: Sea To Sky, Howe Sound Soapworks.
Bath Bomb Study #37: Cranberry Lemon, Howe Sound Soapworks.
Bath Bomb Study #38: Deep In The Woods, Bubblefuntastic.
Bath Bomb Study #39: Unicorn Horn, Bubblefuntastic.
Bath Bomb Study #40: Melon Ball, Life Around 2 Angels.
Bath Bomb Study #41: Lemongrass Green Tea, Life Around 2 Angels.
Bath Bomb Study #42: Love, Life Around 2 Angels.
Quarantrash (2020-Present), 8.5X11 inches iPhone XR and Digital Photography.
quar·an·trash : Garbage found littered around during the COVID19 pandemic.
This is a recurring theme in my work. Nature and the environment are very important to me and how we treat it and respect it plays a big toll on how we will all grow to make sure we have a place to continue to live and for future generations to continue to enjoy and love.
Once the pandemic was announced in March 2020, as just that a pandemic, I noticed that there seemed to be a lot more garbage dispersed around than what I had normally been photographing. It seems that people either were getting lazy or just didn’t care anymore. A lot of what I have been finding is disposable masks and surgical gloves, which makes sense due to the nature of BC’s current guidelines. What didn’t make sense though was how many of these items I was finding in areas where there were trash bins available.
We all need to do our part to keep the Earth clean. We all need to do better and make sure we use the resources we have available. You know that phrase, Don’t leave anything behind? Take what you brought back out with you? This should be a constant in our minds, no matter where we are, city or nature.
Environmental Endangerment (2019), Digital Photography Installation with Found Objects.
This work was produced for the Inaugural KPU B.F.A Alumni Exhibition, CONFLUX. I continued to look at similar themes to my graduation exhibition work, A Walk In The Woods (2016). All the garbage that was found for this work was from the Canyon Heights/Handsworth area of North Vancouver. This work includes documentation photographs of the collected garbage, that was then made into sculptures of animals. I chose to make sculptures out of garbage to comment on the animals we are killing in our cities (There had been over fifty black bears killed due to human activity from May to August 2019). When autopsied, many of these animals are found to be containing items that belong to us, namely plastic. This is tough to conceive as I have learned to co-exist with all wildlife (as when I lived in Whistler) and was taught that we are in the animals’ territory, not the other way around. We need to be more aware of how to co-exist with with all beings, and this work comments on this and how we are not only their natural habitat, but also their lives with our own waste.
A Walk in the Woods (2016), Film Photography Installation with Found Objects.
This work looks at environmental issues and the impact that people currently have on nature. I have chosen to use a photographic installation, which includes large-scale photographs of landscape, smaller documentation style shots, and found objects. The found objects are garbage that I have collected from hiking trails all through out the lower mainland over the course of about two months. By incorporating all these elements, I am hoping to bring awareness of these issues to the general public; people say the are conscious of these issues, however, they end up not doing anything to help reduce waste. If people do not start to realize how big of an impact these issues are, the natural environment will decay.
Mass Assemblage (2015), 32X40 in, Film Photography, DisplayTrans Backlight FIlm
This work is based around the theme of mass consumption. For this work I went to a local transfer station and documented the items left behind in the metal yard. These items ranged from barbeques, to fridges, to paint cans. I wanted to show with this a sense of nostalgia in how these out of date items are now a thing of the past. I wanted to comment on how people today always seem to want the newest item on the market. These items that are left at the dump may be older, but are usually still functional, in some way or another. I want to capture the beauty of the garbage, by representing its more youthful and fresh side. By doing this I am making the items once again look appealing and presentable to the viewer.
Perspectives of Nature (2015), 40X84 inches, Digital Print and Found Object Collage.
This photography installation (Three 20X40 inch panels) with a found object collage (Two 12X40 inch panels) is about how people view nature and how the city effects it tremendously. Growing up in Whistler I built a strong connection with nature. The beauty and scale of forests and the life that lives within it has a strong impact on me and because I had the opportunity to grow up hiking and exploring within it, I have an appreciation for it. However, after moving to the city I have noticed that the connection and bond between people and nature is not as strong. Everywhere I go I see litter and garbage just dumped and left, especially on hiking trails on the North Shore. For me, this is a big issue and it needs to be addressed. With this work, I wanted to show the beauty of nature through the photograph. I used black and white to give it a documentary feel, making it seem older and in the past. The two panels with the recycling I used to break up the photograph to show the tension between the impact of these issues.
Translucent Movement (2015), 32X40 inches, Digital Prints
This series focuses on the vulnerability of young women, especially teenagers. I chose here to show this through the image of a ballerina. A ballerina is always seen as fragile and delicate because of the way their specific dance moves and looks. When looking at a ballerina, they are usually thin and tall. In the dance setting many young women are always exposed to the pressures of peers to do good and to look their best. In this today's society, especially now that social media circulates, young women are always being told by the media that their image is not desirable unless they are skinny and fit, this then leads to people feeling vulnerable and under appreciated. By placing the ballerina in an area where there is a high volume of pedestrian and vehicle traffic, I am showing just how vulnerable a young person can be, even if people do not always see it.
I used a medium format film camera to take these shots. I used two photographs from a roll of slide film that has been crossed processed, images 1 and 4, and the other two are from a regular C-41 roll.
Each photograph is placed in order as they would be seen in a gallery space. I have a few images of the work installed in the Open Studio 3200 class show, Phase I: History and Memory, at Kwantlen Polytechnic University.
Childhood Nostalgia (2015), 16X24 inches, Digital Prints
Growing up in the 90's I went through a lot of transitions, especially technology and toy wise. In this series of four photographs, I wanted to show how these memories are still with me, even if not many kids now a days would recognize certain objects, such as the VHS. I have the stuffed animal in all the photographs as when I was I kid I wouldn't go anywhere without my teddy. I shot it from this angle to show size of the objects, especially from a child's perspective. This work can also be seen through two sets of eyes. The first, the idea of nostalgia and the items shown in the pieces and how things have changed, in this case, from childhood to the now teenage/young adult years. The second view can be seen from a child's point of view looking up at the caregiver who is now sharing their childhood items with others.
Memory (2015), 24X36 inches, Digital Prints.
This diptych is a reflection on my childhood. I grew up in Whistler where I was surrounded by nature everywhere, but now I live in the city, where I feel there is this disconnection between people and nature. I enjoy being in nature and I feel like my head is more clear and alert when I am around it. However, here in the city I feel that it is all a blur and that life moves by fast. I also wanted the city photograph to represent how the future is also still a blur and how I do not know quite where I am going to be in a few years time.
Shoreline (2015), 40X26 inches, Digital Print.
This is a single image for a self-directed project. Here I wanted to show how the beauty if nature isn't what people see, especially when living in a city. I wanted to show the shoreline blurred out with an object that makes the viewer think about what they are looking at. The cargo ships in the bay in the background are in focus to show how these ships have an impact the nature and the city. I took this photograph before the oil spill in English Bay in Vancouver, but it just goes to show how the nature can be impacted, without people even realizing it. It isn't until something major happens that people take note and realize what is going on.
The Sequence of Depression (2015), 11X14 inches, Digital Prints.
For this series I waned to represent what happens behind closed doors for people who suffer from mental illness. I have a lot of people in my life that are affected from depression specifically and have seen first hand what happens. This is a theme that I would like to explore more as I feel it is an important issue that needs to be brought up more often. For the longest time I didn't know though one of my really close friends had depression and when they finally told me it was a big shock as it didn't seem like they had it, but now that I know I am able to help them and support as best I can, for really all that a person needs from the people close to them is their support and understanding and that is what I want to bring aware in this series.
Fractured Narratives I (2014), 34X34 inches, Digital Prints (four prints)
Fractured Narratives II (2014), 30X40 inches, Digital Prints (three prints)
Fractured Narratives III (2014), 30X40 inches, Digital Prints (three prints)
This work is broken into three different series that I re-worked from one another. The first four photographs are the first series and were taken with a Nikon D90, these four photographs are 34X34 inches. The second series are three black and white photographs shot with a medium format film camera and are all 30X40 inches. The final series was also shot with a medium format film camera and are also 30X40 inches. Each photograph is in the correct order that they are to be shown.
For each of these series I wanted to create a work that the viewer was able to tell their own story from the photographs. A fractured narrative comes from a literary term where the same story is told from the different perspective of characters. By having the photographs out of focus it allows for a wider interpretation of the story and it then allows each individual to interpret it a different way.
Modern Dancer (2014), 11X14 inches, Digital Prints.
This series addresses the issues surrounding young women and how they are pressured into the expectations that society, mass and social media have on the idea of beauty. Here I have placed a single ballerina in different skate parks that have graffiti everywhere. I wanted to show how the delicate ballerina looks out of place and vulnerable in this setting. Just as young women are almost forced out of their comfort zones to be considered desirable in society.
This series was taken with a medium format film camera, C-41 Kodak Portra 120 film.
Decaying Nature (2014), 11X14 inches, Fibre Prints.
This series of photographs looks at the impact that humans have on nature. In this particular series I went to an area in North Vancouver called Lynn Headwaters.This area used to be an old forestry route, which has since been left for nature to reclaim. However, there are items that were left behind. I have shot numerous different photographs of these objects showing how they are now obstructing the forest and the development and growth of the trees and other elements. In some cases these items have been imbedded into the nature itself.
These photographs were all taken with a medium format film camera.
The Barn (2014), 11X14 inches, Fibre Prints
This series is of a local barn in the North Vancouver area. I took these photographs at night to get a sense of the barn when there it is not hustling and bustling with people. In other words, I wanted to show how certain spaces operate at different times of the day. For me a barn seemed like a good location, as when one generally thinks of a barn, they think of it being active with people and animals busily moving about.
These photographs were taken with a medium format film camera.
Quiet On The Set (2014), 20X25 inches, Digital Prints.
For this project I used a 4X5 film camera. My classmate and I drove past this film set on our way to go and get some film developed. We decide to stop by and see if they would let us in to take some photographs, which they did.
I wanted to capture the perception of a film set when it is not in use. I felt that it was a ghost town, even though the sets are always being used, but because they were not currently using the set, it gives the set and area a different meaning and perception. It is almost as if no one knows of it's existence, one probably would not even know or recognize the set in a film if they had seen it before. Therefore, this idea of perception and how a place changes during different times is always around us. Even on streets it is bustling with life during the day, but at night it is quiet, with little to no action.
The Perception of Memory (2013), 11X14 inches, Digital Prints.
This is just a single photograph that I feel is able to stand alone. It was for a project where we were asked to look at a photographer and look at their style and try to utilize it in our own work. Here I took after the style of Uta Barth. She looks at using the viewers perception and light in her work, which is similar to what I look for in my work. I want the viewer to be able to see things in different ways. This photograph looks to the viewer to recognize the setting and have memories of their own that they may look back on.
Consumer Life (2013), 11X14 inches, Digital Prints
This series is based on the idea of consumer behaviour and how we, as people, are driven by our need to constantly purchase things. In this series I went to a local Wal-Mart, which had just been converted into a "Wal-Mart Superstore", meaning they added a food department. Their prices for food compared to other local grocery stores is significantly less, which drew in big crowds when it first opened. These big crowds are what I wanted to show and how the price of an item can determine where a person will go to shop.
Shipyards (2013), 11X14 inches, Digital Prints
This series was a project for school that was based around the idea of straight photography. I wanted to show the ship building yards which are located in North Vancouver. These shipyards are currently being used to build new ships and repair old. I wanted to show how these cranes, although machinery, can look natural in their surroundings. This works especially well in a city where everything is focused on how the city and the country can make money. In this case, Vancouver is in charge of building new ships, which helps to not only promote the city, but also gives jobs to people.
