Smoke on the Water

There are a thousand moments that make up one.

It’s been about a decade since @tinytayloroakes and I started creating together. We don’t always get to share the BTS but this one we captured and it’s the most accurate representation of how our best images were created. We meet the moment when required.

I had flown out to Nelson BC to meet Taylor while she lived there. We had a whole week of production planned but woke up to a wall of dense smoke from the wildfires and had to make a new plan. We decided to drive further north. 8 hours north to be exact, towards Golden BC.

Somewhere along the drive I spotted this floating dock and pulled the car over. We both got out. Hands on hips, hoodies on.. I don’t even think we exchanged words. I think we both knew if we could pull it off it would be incredibly special.

She started to unpack the gear while I figured out how to get to and on the dock. First I tried to walk out to it but realized the water was super deep. I looked around a saw this lone lonely paddle board just winking at me. The whole process was maybe 15 mins max as conditions were rough. But we got it.

Over the years our process for creation is a combination of loose planning, pipe dreams and living 15 minutes at a time. Some how we always get what we want, what we need, and some!

Grateful to have a friend who supports my ideas (sometimes begrudgingly) & helps me bring them to life