GBP Creative

Finish Line Portaits-Raven 50 Miler Ultra

You know that feeling you get when you push your body and mind to the absolute limit on one of the hottest days of the year, all so that you can cross under a banner and run, hobble, or jump into the arms of people you love?


THESE PEOPLE DO!

Ultra running is truly one of the best sports there is…(and yes I may be bias as a distance runner myself, but that’s just because I truly understand just how good that finish line feels after a long day on the trails)

It was SO fun watching all of these athletes pour themselves into the Raven 50miler earlier this month, and be there to welcome them with a finish line portrait. The race takes place in the Traditional Territories of the Kwanlin Dün First Nation and the Ta’an Kwäch’än Council, with much of the trail being in Kwanlin Dün’s traditional hunting grounds and on settlement land. A huge Shä̀w níthän, Másin cho, GunałchÎsh and Hiy Hiy to both for the opportunities we are given to take in the beauty of these lands!

We weren’t sure what to expect when we originally signed up to volunteer for this race. Ultra running is an intense sport, and when we woke up to the news that it was going to be a scorcher of a day out there, we weren’t sure if we’d be getting a lot of broken humans crossing that line, or how people would feel.

BUT we quickly realized that we were going to be witnessing a lot of sweaty smiles, proud tears, and pure exhausted joy as people flew across that line and were ushered in for a portrait.

The joy, the high fives, the family and friends that were pulled in for photos because everyone knows you don’t finish one of these things without many months of support…what an awesome thing to witness.

Huge Congrats to all of you racers for finishing one tough race!

**Runners we didn’t realize you hadn’t gotten these yet!! Please feel free to save, share and post your images from the link below:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/jfhmj7vyb6wddrg7kw4w8/h?rlkey=u8ing16fbzt99f5zf10dh7kj9&dl=0

Manitobah Mukluk's

What did I get Gary for his birthday this year?….WORK!

BUT…we flew to the top of a mountain with a group of the best crew and talent you could ask for, and there was cake so…I still call that a win.

This past spring, we got a call from TSU North, asking if we wanted to work on the new Manitobah Mukluk’s campaign they were doing, and the obvious answer was immediately yes.

So while TSU created a stunning film piece featuring the talented Notorious Cree and Kendra Jessie in some of Yukon’s most epic locations, we created the partnering photography campaign. This project took us from industrial wearhouses to insaaane Yukon mountain tops, and we also got to feature a set of local powerhouse Indigenous models as well!

This project was so special to us, as anyone who knows our company, knows that working with brands that are doing good in this world, with strong values is so vital to us. Being able to work with such an incredible set of talent from both the crew and the modelling side was the perfect way to kick off our summer season.

We’re so stoked this campaign is now out in the world and that we’re able to share it!

Hiy Hiy to our unbelievable cast and crew and to TSU North and Manitobah Mukluks for bringing us onto such a powerful project.

Photographer: Gary Bremner

Producer: Brianne Bremner

Photo Assistant: Stu Davis

Makeup: Akiko Allen

Hair Styling: Victoria Williams

Wardrobe/Props: Tara Kolla

Models: Kendra Jessie, James Jones, Tianna Reti, Marlon Scarff, Jiah Dzentu, Tanner Coyne

And a little BTS for good measure….

A thank you to Essential and Front Line Workers

Early March of this year, we did what we do every spring…we loaded up our wall tent, sled and every bit of warm clothing we own to go out on a Bison harvesting trip. We were out of cell and internet range for just 7 days, but what we didn’t know was that as we left the tranquility that is winter camping, we’d be coming back to an entire new reality.

As I turned my cell phone on, a text popped up from a family member that I could not make sense of. “The Arctic Winter Games have been cancelled and people are hoarding toilet paper!”

March 2020…a month that will be burned into our collective memories for decades to come…It seems like a lifetime ago, even though just a few months have passed since then.

Those early months of the COVID-19 pandemic felt like time stood still. For us, over the course of 4 days, the majority of our spring/summer contracts were cancelled, our daughter’s daycare closed down, and like many others, we didn’t know what our lives were going to look like a few months into the future.

While we witnessed the COVID-19 pandemic start to spread across the country, the Yukon quickly prepared its response. When many of the Territory’s citizens were asked to stay home whenever possible in attempt to flatten the curve, there were others who continued to go into work, all the while also trying to process this ‘new reality’ we were all facing collectively.

These essential and front line workers are the ones who helped keep Yukoners as safe and secure as possible. Everyone from Dr. Hanley, our Chief Medical Officer of Health, to those working behind the scenes like IT staff adapting network systems so entire work forces could suddenly work from home, and child care workers who continued to care for children who’s parents also had essential jobs to go to… there were people working hard across sectors to keep our communities safe and resilient.

It was absolutely heart warming to witness Yukoners come together throughout this time, and we knew from the start we wanted to do something to celebrate those who continued to push through the uncertainty and continue to offer those services our community depends on.

This photo series, released in the latest issue of Yukon North of Ordinary magazine, is a thank you to all the front line and essential workers who got us through those early days and to where we are today in the pandemic. None of this could have happened with out you, and we will forever be grateful.

Chris Cash and Janelle Greer-Yukon Communicable Disease Control (YCDC)

The Yukon Communicable Disease Control team had to adapt its services very quickly to accommodate the tremendously increased workload brought on by COVID-19. Normally a unit that monitors and controls communicable diseases in the territory, it became responsible for Yukon’s COVID-19 testing and case management, including contact tracing and outbreak management, as well as support and education to other providers in the Territory. Their meeting room was adapted into a COVID-19 testing room, and the team worked incredible hours to keep on top of its regular duties as well as the new ones.

Rani Ferris- Early Childhood Educator, Nlaye Ndasadaye Daycare

Without childcare, many frontline staff would not have been able to keep working throughout the pandemic response. Although many parents struggled through, trying to continue to work while kids were home, childcare workers like Rani of Nlaye Ndasadaye Daycare continued to show up everyday to provide safe, educational care for kids whose parents weren’t able to keep them home. With much lower numbers of kids in care, daycares had to adapt programming, and try to prepare for the eventual return to a ‘new normal’, implementing extra cleaning/safety precautions, all the while ensuring to maintain both a physically and emotionally safe space for our kids who were also trying to navigate this new world.

Dr. Brendan Hanley- Yukon’s Chief Medical Officer of Health (CMOH)

As the territory’s CMOH, Dr. Brendan Hanley lead the Yukon’s public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic. His days are filled with meetings with his technical team and a growing number of people across the North and around the country including representatives of the federal government, the medical and health community, First Nations and business councils. With the support of a dedicated team in the Health Emergency Operations Centre, he’s helping the territory navigate the ever-changing and uncharted waters of the pandemic. Dr. Hanley has been a calming presence for many Yukoners during this challenging time, but he is also the first to credit the hardworking members of the team who surround him.

Cristina Graterol- Online Shopping Lead, Wykes Independent Grocer

Grocery stores stayed open throughout the course of the COVID-19 response, but that certainly didn’t mean business as usual. For stores like Wykes Independent, COVID response meant everything from limiting numbers of customers in the store, adding directional signage and Plexiglas barriers at the checkout counter, and training staff on new protocols. Technology was key to keeping up with the fact their online orders alone went up 7 fold, and they had to double their cooler space to keep up. Employees wear iPods on their wrists to allow them to pull up client’s orders and be directed through the store in the most efficient shopping pattern.

Roxana Muir- Janitorial Services, Yukon Hospitals

Keeping public spaces clean has always been an essential job, but the efforts of janitorial workers can sometimes go unnoticed as much of their work happens behind the scenes. Janitorial staff like Roxana Muir at the Whitehorse General Hospital continued to work throughout the pandemic, ensuring proper sanitizing and cleaning protocols were met, a vital step in ensuring spaces were kept as safe as possible for essential services to continue to be offered throughout the Territory.

Bruce Kirby-Terminal Manager, Manitoulin Transport

Yukoners rely on long-haul transportation for many of our essential goods. One reason our store shelves stayed stocked during the pandemic is because trucking companies continued making the long drives from the south and throughout the entire territory. Manitoulin Transport saw surges in shipment volume requirements, which they quickly responded to while implementing and adhering to a myriad of new safety procedures. Those include wearing personal protective equipment and using no-touch delivery technologies to keep both their staff and customers safe.

Mary Tiessen- American Sign Language Interpreter (ASL)

You might never have heard her voice, but you’ve no doubt seen Mary Tiessen’s fast moving hands during the Yukon government’s live COVID-19 video updates as she translates them into American Sign Language (ASL). As the only full-time American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter with the territorial government, Tiessen’s days quickly filled with interpreting frequent YG announcements, meetings through videoconference and, if physical distancing allowed, in-person meetings wearing a face shield, which better facilitates the reading of facial expressions—an important component of ASL.

Charles Young- Technical Support, City of Whitehorse

In March of 2020, a large portion of the workforce was suddenly asked to work from home if at all possible. But working from home isn’t as simple as flipping open your computer…thankfully IT professionals across the sectors were able to quickly figure out solutions, including security and software management so that entire workforces could continue to work, allowing families to maintain incomes and services to still be provided.


Klondike Kettle Corn

One of our favourite projects so far this year was getting to work with Klondike Kettle Corn to develop some new imagery for their upcoming website re-launch and marketing materials!

Anyone who follows the work we do, knows we love working with small businesses and entrepreneurs, and getting to know Katie and her family was no exception. We got to do some lifestyle images with them, and they even braved the -40 weather we happened to get that weekend so that we could get some authentic Yukon Outdoor lifestyle shots! They were total pros the whole time. Our computer/tether system, however of course decided it didn’t want to work in -40, so we just did without….

Then, we went into a new realm that we haven’t tried before…food photography! For this set, we partnered up with Tara Kolla, a local stylist, who came to the GBP studio and worked with us for the day. We were so happy with how these turned out…and we can also confirm these flavours do in fact taste as good as they look. There was a LOT of taste testing going down…And our computer/tether system enjoyed this temperature a lot more.









A Legacy Portrait Project: Mining in the Yukon

It's Mining and Geology week here in the Yukon, and so we wanted to take the time to share one of our latest projects with the Yukon Chamber of Mines, the "Our Yukon, in it Together" Legacy portrait series

It was such a great experience getting to work with such a diverse group of people over the past few months, learning about their experience in the Mining industry, or about how the industry supports their organizations and communities. 

From the on the Geologists working on site, to the aviation industry, to the hospitals and communities than benefit from fundraising efforts.... We were so happy with how the portrait series came together to showcase the various faces and experiences behind the industry.

For more info on the campaign, check out http://www.ouryukon.ca/ , and to find out more about what is happening this week, go to:  http://www.yukonminingweek.ca/ 

And finally, a huge thank you to all of the community members who were a part of this series:

1) Joella Hogan, First Nation of Na-Cho Nyak Dun

2) Al Doherty, Exploration Geologist

3) Wendy Tayler, Alkan Air and Kaetlynn Mitchell

4) Brad Thrall, Alexco Resource Corp.

5) Samson Hartland, Yukon Chamber of Mines (and his eldest daughter Cadence). 

6) Mike Burke, Senior Geologist

7) Karen Barnes, President of Yukon College,

8) Karen Forward, Yukon Hospital Foundation

9) Josh Clark, Whitehorse, Yukon

10) Shelagh Rowles, Centre for Northern Innovation in Mining, Yukon College

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

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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...