Sails & Anchors, North Bay, ON (2026)

09/11/2019

Whoa.

I made the hour drive North to Temagami to check out the old Fire Tower lookout. I caught a glimpse of the tower from the highway and first thought to myself, "uh oh." I don't think I had given much thought to the reality of actually climbing up the tower.

I would say that i'm not the biggest fan of heights. There's a lot of things that don't seem to bother me with heights, but then when i'm around cliff edges (and apparently fire towers) my body starts humming. It doesn't usually prevent me from doing things, but my body definitely fires off all kinds of different messages. The fact that every flight of stairs also had open risers didn't help. I wasn't able to just focus on the stairs on the way up because I could see through them the entire time and was acutely aware of how high I was while climbing.

There was a lot of self talk, firm grips on the railings, and a Hummingbird like sensation inside my body, but I made it and the view really was incredible.

07/19/2019

New Beginnings.

I arrived to our shoot a little bit earlier to inspect what the trail condition was like -- surprise, there was no visible trail. No one had been in there for quite some time. I attempted to break trail in my winter boots by stomping along a path back and forth to where I thought we would have a nice background and some options. Fortunately when Jay and Jaime arrived, they were both on board for following me along our make shift trail in what was easily waste deep snow if you stepped off to the side (each of us took a turn needing help while we were pulled out of the snow).

I always appreciate when folks are keen to follow and sometimes endure the conditions so that we can create something beautiful together. We don't always get to see what goes on behind creating images and are often enjoying them at face value. For context, it was windy; it was cold; there was no trail; we were often stuck waste deep in snow. However, we enjoyed each others company and created memories and beautiful stories to share.

Watching two people I care about share their love in their next big adventure is a surreal experience and they are now fantastic parents to the sweetest baby girl -- they have a precious family.

Website: www.sailsandanchors.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/andrewsquirks

07/17/2019

Love and Laughter.

I know, right?! What am I doing reminding people that winter exists by sharing these photos in July?

Steph's parents property was the perfect place for a walk through their beautiful trails. The air was crisp, but the sunlight was warm and soft -- one of my favourite contrasts to enjoy.

I can't wait for Chris and Steph's upcoming wedding.

Website: www.sailsandanchors.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/andrewsquirks

07/11/2019

Summer Love.

I had a great time creating artwork with Chris and Steph; they wanted to create pieces in addition to the ones we did in the winter for their guestbook for their upcoming wedding. The completed guestbook is stunning and i'm so happy that their love shines so brightly in the images. Folks won't be able to stop themselves from smiling when they look at it.

It's such a rewarding experience to be able to create beautiful artwork with others -- especially when they're welcoming you into their lives to do so.

Website: www.sailsandanchors.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/andrewsquirks

07/04/2019

New Adventures.

I was welcomed into Missy and Keith's home to share in a beautiful and exciting moment in their lives. I am so very thankful and appreciative that the two of them allowed me to play a small part in their story -- in their growing family. It truly was an honour.

Congratulations!

Website: www.sailsandanchors.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/andrewsquirks

05/24/2018

Iceland.

Our trip to Iceland brought us many challenges and new opportunities. We packed in as much as we could see travelling from the Southwest in Arnarstapi to the Southeast in Hofn. The scenery was something that must be experienced in person to truly appreciate -- it was humbling, vast, and impressive. This was the trip of a lifetime and I have my partner to thank for that.

*Print Sale!*

With the change in seasons, Spring presents us with the opportunity to freshen our lives and spaces. It's an opportunity to reflect, set new goals, and to freshen up our spaces.

If you're looking to change some of your artwork up for the Spring/Summer to breathe in some fresh life to your home or office, please think of me and these pieces.

I'm selling 8"x10" prints from this selection of photos from our trip to Iceland. The photos will be printed on premium Photo Lustre paper, which adds beautiful tones and richness to the images. The 8"x10" pieces are on sale for $35.00 for one or two for $60.00 (plus shipping if outside of the North Bay area).

If you're interested, please feel free to message me. Let's chat!

01/22/2018

New Personal and Professional Challenge.

I have decided that I will be submitting work(s) for an international portrait photography contest being run by Lens Culture. Contestants can submit one individual image to be judged, multiple images that are judged individually, or have them judged in a small series (5 images).

Here's where you all come in. I'm in the process of brainstorming/storyboarding to create new original content specifically for this contest (submissions are do later in February). Do you think I should work to submit a small series or individual images?

What are some potential themes or ideas that are of interest to you? What style of portraits stand out to you? Here's a shot that Marley and I created yesterday. What are your thoughts on submitting this as an individual piece, or should we continue to experiment with concepts?

Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

Website: www.sailsandanchors.com
Instagram:

01/19/2018

Winter Hikes.

I had a chance to connect with Melissa again for another shoot just prior to Christmas. We decided that we would hike through the trails a bit to get out of the direct sunlight and to shield us from the wind. The light in the trails was beautiful; the sun was peaking through the trees as it started to set and created a warm glow (even if we were getting pretty cold). We kept moving to both stay warm and to chase the light.

Things i'm in need of for winter shoots: a better glove/mitten situation so that I still have use of my hands and dexterity while changing settings on my camera and shooting. Does anyone have any suggestions? I currently use mittens where the tips of my fingers are free to shoot, but the thumb of the bit can be challenging to change setting on the back of the camera. I also sometimes will just bare hand it for a few shots and then tuck them back away for a few minutes to warm up. On colder days, both of these strategies just don't quite cut it.

In other news, i'm working away at my prints available for purchase directly from my website and i'm really excited to offer that! In the mean time, if there's something i've posted to Facebook or Instagram that you would like a print of, get in touch with me!

Website: www.sailsandanchors.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/andrewsquirks

12/28/2017

Holiday Love.

5:30 am and my alarm went off on a cold Saturday morning. I woke up early to give myself time before heading out for an engagement shoot with Tareyn and Thomas, which we were starting before sunrise. I started my day slowly and thought about the excitement to come while sitting in the dark kitchen sipping on a warm tea. No one else was awake. It was calm; it was peaceful.

We walked out to the lake where we were exposed to the elements before the sun was up. The campfire we started was welcoming, warm, and symbolic of the love Tareyn and Thomas have for one another -- it helped to set the tone and vision for what was to come.

Here is a sneak peak from their engagement shoot. I had so much fun sharing in their love and documenting it for them.

Have you recently gotten engaged or are you planning to get engaged soon? Get in touch with me, i'd love to hear about your ideas and what we could create together. Or maybe you and your partner would just like to do something a little different and share an experience together for a couple shoot -- let's chat about that too!

Website: www.sailsandanchors.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/andrewsquirks ()

08/24/2017

Trailblazing.

I've been quiet on here for the last little bit, though I have been managing to keep busy -- life's funny that way. I don't necessarily mean busy as in going from point A to B to C (the rat race kind of busy) either.

We did some significant trekking for a number of the photos that we created during this shoot. We created our own path through tall and dense grasses while walking on muddy and wet soil that we couldn't see, but we could certainly feel as our feet got wet.

Struggling through the marshy terrain and humidity was so worth it though and i'm grateful that Melissa was on board with our hike (though neither of us really knew what we were getting into until we were already committed to it) because the conditions were beautiful.

www.sailsandanchors.com
Instagram:

06/27/2017

The Light.

We find light in many different things and in many different places - sometimes unexpectedly; it warms us and guides us.

Where are some of the places that you find light in your life?

www.sailsandanchors.com
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06/14/2017

Community.

I had the incredible opportunity to work with a family that is so full of love - love for one another and for their community. I wanted to do what I could to help Jacob and his family through their journey and to help bring awareness to Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a fatal genetic disease which I did not know much about at all. I thought to myself, "what can I do to support a family in our community?" I'm a story teller, so I thought that would be a good place to start.

I wanted to bring a face, a life, and a story to light and boy did I get that when I met 3 year old Jacob! I met up with Melissa, her son Jacob, and her daughter Avery at the soccer field to take some photos of him. When I first sat down to chat with Jacob, he wasn't too thrilled about the idea that he was being asked to change out of his really cool camouflage pants and into some awesome shark patterned shorts (I wasn't sure how to tell him both options were solid and that either way he would be looking pretty cool). He also was pretty into the idea of snacking on his yogurt tube, but maybe less into the idea of chatting with me. It wasn't a problem though, Melissa got him sorted and we took a little stroll further away from the 4 different soccer games that were occurring at the same time.

After Jacob had fuelled up on his yogurt tube he was game for anything - full of energy, life, curiosity and love. He was so much fun to work with! He was busy, happy, and so curious about what I was doing. Did I mention he was busy and so full of life? Jacob and I took turns snapping some photographs from my camera. He was so interested in what I was doing, that I wanted to give him a chance to see the world a little differently; he was doing that for me without even really knowing it. He got to take some really cool photos of trees around the field and his mom making silly faces at him. We had so many laughs while letting Jacob just be himself - a loving and happy 3 year old boy full of smiles. This was a really important and moving experience for me and I hope that you can feel the love and connection in these photos; they are as real, truthful, and authentic as they could be in that moment - meet Jacob.

So what is Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and what can you do to support Jacob and his family? Jacob's mom Melissa let's us know.

"Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), many of you, most of you, probably have no idea what it is. Myself, as a nurse didn't know what it was. I didn't know it is a fatal genetic disease with no treatment, no cure. That it slowly but surely would cause wasting of every single muscle in the body, including the heart and breathing muscles. That it causes a person to require a wheelchair by age 10 and death by 25 years. I never knew that I am a carrier of this disease. I never knew that I would pass it on to my son and that although I will never have symptoms, my sweet 3 year old son will. It will rob him of his mobility and his life.

What I also never knew was that despite how terrible this disease is, how amazing it could be. You see, ever since my son, Jacob was diagnosed at 9 months old, our family has literally been surrounded in love and support from friends, family and even complete strangers. It has brought our family closer together. It has taught us to ask for help and to lean on others, and to enjoy, really enjoy the little things. It has also shown us how incredible the human spirit can be.

When Andrew, asked us if he could do a fund raiser for us and the walk for Muscular Dystrophy we honestly didn't know what to say. We felt so humbled that he would give up his time to help raise funds to literally save our son's life.

We are so lucky to have such a great support system to help us navigate this terrible disease." - Melissa White

To show your support for Melissa and team Jacob, click the link below and make a donation and come on out Saturday, June 17, 2017 from 10:00 am - 3:00 pm at Lee Park (844 Memorial Drive) to walk for Jacob at the Walk for Muscular Dystrophy. Melissa is currently at 36% of her fundraising goal, let's help out!

https://m.akaraisin.com/13673/participant/3167364 #.WR33FDIEqbM.facebook

Please like and share this post to show your support for Jacob and his family.

Stay tuned tomorrow for more information on other ways you can make a positive impact.

www.sailsandanchors.com
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Sails & Anchors

09/11/2019

07/19/2019

07/17/2019

07/11/2019

07/04/2019

05/24/2018

01/22/2018

01/19/2018

12/28/2017

08/24/2017

06/27/2017

06/14/2017

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