2013 Part II

Images I'm Most Proud Of

By Bri Vos

December 31^st, 2013

Edmonton, Alberta

When I see these images, I love them not necessarily because I remember the exact moment I took them, but because they remind of what I’ve learned in 2013. They remind me of the ways in which I’ve grown and fallen short. They make me proud to know that what I do for a living is so intertwined with my life and that what I learn from my work inspires and informs every aspect of who I am. These are some of the pieces I’m most proud of this year.

This fall we shot our second “Trash the Dress” and to be honest, I was worried. Maggie & Kevin’s trash the dress in 2012 was some of my favourite work we did that year. I felt a lot of pressure trying to live up to it. As it turned out we spent a fantastic afternoon on our friend’s farm, on the banks of the North Saskatchewan river with the wonderful Leanna & Adrian. These two nailed it and reminded me once again that as a photographer, my skill has limits. What takes a shoot from good to incredible is the people you work with.

Volterra, Tuscany, Italy

I’m not sure if this really has a place on this list since Volterra is actually this unbelievably gorgeous and I just happened to be in the right place at the right time… but I’ll take it.

Fort McMurray, Alberta

This is Shukri from Havana’s in Fort McMurray. On one hot June night we hung out with him and his friends as they smoked cigars, drank coffee and did motorcycle stunts in the parking lot. It was surreal and it was perfect. It reminds me that sometimes, actually almost always, when you’re asked to photograph something… say yes.

Near Vik, Iceland

In the Icelandic twilight on the mossy lava fields you can feel the presence of the Huldafolk (hidden people). It is both eerie and moving, both breathtaking and terrifying. There is something about this image of Patrick walking out along these fields that is more emotional than visual.

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Edgerton, Alberta

While working on location in Edgerton for Ribstone Creek Brewery this summer I ended up at a bison farm. The story of how I got there is maybe one I should tell to you in person sometime. It involves an abandoned farm yard, some bad judgement, a strange man and a case of Coors. Anyway, when I took this shot, I was less than three feet from this enormous bull bison. I know he doesn’t necessarily look so big here, but trust me, my chances of dying were significantly higher here than maybe any other time this past year.

Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta

2013 comes to a close with my work up at the Art Gallery of Alberta. Through the help of my good friend Diana, I applied and was accepted into the Art Refined project for Shell Scotford. The day I spent on site at the refinery photographing the turnaround tradespeople was pretty awesome, but my favourite part about this project was getting to see my work up on display on the walls of the AGA. It was a real honour to be included with the other artists participating in this project and I hope this is only the first time I get to see my work in such an incredible space.

High River, Alberta

The June floods hit our family particularly hard when my oldest sister’s family lost their home to the rising water. One day in early August, I drove down to help them salvage what they could from their toxic house. It was the most emotional, heavy experience I’ve had in 2013 and it definitely coloured the way the rest of the year played out. While everyone came away from the flood safe and healthy, there is something so particularly devastating about losing the place you call home. It was all at once very special and very painful to respond to this tragedy with these intimate images of my family’s experience.

Fort Nelson, BC

Early in the fall we found ourselves photographing the Fort Nelson airport. It wasn’t a particularly easy task. I usually aim to photograph not what something looks like, but what it feels like. In this case, we had to photograph what the airport hoped to be like in the future. It took creativity, imagination and a lot of hard work to come away from this shoot with images that both accurately depicted the airport, but also showed it’s potential… and while I may not always admit it in the moment, I always appreciate working on a project that stretches my abilities and encourages me to think and work in new ways.

Elk Island, Alberta

Being a part of the Life Squared project was a highlight for me in 2013. Meeting Davina, getting to know her story and her family has been such a great experience.The Life Squared exhibit will travel to new venues in 2014, so keep an eye out for it because I don’t think I’ve ever been a part of a project quite so moving and inspiring as this one. This is, by far, the most encouraging and hopeful work I’ve done in 2013.

Hvar, Croatia

A lot of people find it amazing that Patrick and I work and live and travel together. Almost weekly we hear someone say that they couldn’t do that with their significant other or that they think it wouldn’t be healthy for their relationship or that we must long for time on our own. And yes, we do sometimes joke that the days we do things separately are a relief but the truth is that our relationship not only withstands the stress and pressure of working so closely together, but that it flourishes on it. This photo I took of Patrick at the beginning of our trip in Croatia says a lot to me about the way it feels to live our life together. To me, this image is buzzing with energy and purpose. It’s the moment before you jump into something new. It’s the breath of calm before the flurry of work when everything is potential, everything is ripe with possibility, everything is an opportunity for growth. We have been given the most incredible gift of seeing the world this way together. And when life is better, fuller, more abundant and more real with someone, who wouldn’t want to face every challenge of the day together?