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!

And just like that I’m sitting here in the studio trying to think of what I want to say about the year we all just made it through…

I think the safest word I could use is DOOZY to summarize what the past 12 months have been.

But in the end, we made it! There may have been a few tears (there were definitely tears), and a few sleepless nights (discovered melatonin this year!) but we wrapped the year by forcing ourselves to take a couple weeks off during the holidays to catch our breath a bit as a family.

As the break came to a close, we ended up heading down to the waterfront and watching the city’s fireworks display on New Years Eve which surprisingly led to a moment that really struck me… Turns out, in order to get your head back in the game, you just need to hang out with a 5 year old…

See it was our daughter’s first year she was old enough to stay up late enough to watch the fireworks. She was so excited she was vibrating, and when the first few colourful bursts hit the ice fog night sky, you could literally hear the joy bursting from her face as she screamed out “whoooaaa! Christmas colours!! Christmaaaaaas colourssssss!” She was witnessing magic in real time and it made me remember you can always find the magical moments in your day once you actually have the time to stop, breathe, and just look for them.

You see even though this year was stressful, unpredictable, and oh so very draining, in that moment I remembered how much good there also was. I just needed the time to take a breathe to remember that.

So I figured now that we’re into January and trying to plod along through what has so far been more unpredictability, let’s still take some time to breathe and remember those magical moments. The good parts of the past year, as they are always there if you look for them.

Last year, we got to work with some pretty epic clients and when trying to produce long term projects in the midst of a pandemic, you also get to KNOW your clients. We commiserated, we adapted deadlines and processes and we found ways to make things work as a team.

In the film realm, we got to work with Northern Council for Global Cooperation (NCGC) to produce a storytelling project with the James family out in Carcross. This was a huge highlight and honour for us, as we got to work with the family to take a traditional story that was originally recorded of their late grandmother Lucy Wren, and have 4 more generations of Lucy’s family tell the story in their own voices, weaving together the teachings with footage of them being together as a family on their land. There were so many laughs shared and it was such a special project to be a part of…. To witness in real time what family connection, traditions and knowledge look like and the power they have. Gunalchîsh to the James family for having us.

Then there was the literal joy that is working with someone who may be the most positive person we’ve ever met? We did a Travel Yukon spot with Gurdeep Pandher for Cossette and I am not even exaggerating when I say the skies weirdly opened up for us the night we had planned to film on top of a mountain and we got to witness an absolutely stunning sunset while filming Gurdeep dance. It was one of those moments I looked around and was so grateful that this is somehow what we get to do for a living…

And finishing off our year in filming, we were able to work with Yukon University over a multiple months to create a promotional video for their Indigenous Institute for Self Determination (IISD). Showcasing traditional on the land activities, and innovation in education and leadership, this was a project we were really proud to be a part of and we got to work with some incredible leaders and community members to pull it all off. There were hiccups along the way (like needing to re-schedule due to covid exposures, creating changing timelines, etc) but the team we got to work with on this adapted and pivoted every time ensuring we all got to create something we are proud of. Gunalchîsh, Màhsi’ cho to everyone involved. It will be released in the next few weeks and we’re excited to share it with you all then!

Then there was the incredible diversity in photography we got to do this year. From chasing dogs with Fawkestrot Adventures, to beauty portraits and BTS with Cheekbone Beauty and TSU North, to local sustainable fashion campaigns or holiday dining campaigns with Hudson’s Bay, we’ve been BUSY. This is a selection of just a few of our favourites, but I’ll be sure to share more in the coming months.

And last but so very far from the least, absolutely NONE of this would have been possible without the incredible production crew we’ve gotten to work with this year. We can’t thank these people enough, and although this isn’t an exhaustive list, we wanted to give a special giant THANK YOU to a few of our key players who kept this train a runnin’ this year.

The incredibly talented Lea-Ann McNally, who has done everything from set and prop building, to production assisting, and everything in between. Absolutely always game to hop on set, we are so grateful to have you on the team!

Mike Code, whether you’re on sound, camera, or aerials, you make it a guaranteed a good work day and we’re so grateful for your laid back, always amazing attitude in everything you do.

And for those of you who haven’t gotten to meet him yet…Our guy STU! Stu moved up from BC late summer to officially join GBP as our first full time employee and I’m not actually sure how we did all this without him for so long? Stu is now one of our main editors, production crew, and second shooter. He also puts up with Gary’s lame dad jokes, my “morning gratitudes” which I forget to do 90% of the time, and has jumped into the adventure that is life in Yukon full throttle. We are so grateful you’ve joined the crew and can’t wait to see what the new year brings to the team.

We know 2022 won’t be perfect, as nothing ever is…but here’s to taking a breath during the chaos and trying to see the good that is most definitely out there.

We’ve got this team.

2022...A big one!

2021...A Doozy