Leader of the Government in the Senate Claude Carignan talks with media on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Oct. 17, 2013. iPolitics/ Matthew Usherwood 

Trevor Rennicks cooks up some breakfast in the Adirondacks during a cold morning on Nov. 9, 2013. Matthew Usherwood

British Army Veteran Jim Newell keeps warm during the Remembrance Day Ceremony at the National War Memorial in Ottawa on Nov. 11, 2013. iPolitics/ Matthew Usherwood

Renée Samson climbs a route at the Eastern Blocks in Gatineau Park on Nov. 3, 2013. Matthew Usherwood

The Peace Tower framed through a Canadian Flag Maple Leaf on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Oct 29, 2013. Matthew Usherwood

Floralove Katz holds an American and Canadian flag while listening to speeches before taking part in a walk from Parliament Hill to the U.S. Embassy in memory of the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings, in Ottawa on April 22, 2013. iPolitics/ Matthew Usherwood

Armenian protesters lay roses in memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide of 1915 during a protest in Ottawa on Wednesday, April. 24, 2013. The Turkish government still denies that the Genocide ever happened even after many countries have recognized it. iPolitics/ Matthew Usherwood

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago Kamla Persad-Bissessar walk down the Hall of Honour on Parliament Hill during her official visit to Ottawa on April. 25, 2013. iPolitics/ Matthew Usherwood

WWII veteran and sole survivor of a pilgrimage to Vimy Ridge in 1936 John R Newell poses for a photo during a wreath-laying ceremony to mark the 96th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge at the National War Memorial in Ottawa on Tuesday, April 9, 2013. iPolitics/ Matthew Usherwood

NDP MP Nycole Turmel walks off the stage after speaking to delegates during the NDP Policy Convention in Montreal on Saturday, April 13, 2013. iPolitics/ Matthew Usherwood

Liberal Leadership Candidate Justin Trudeau is greeted by supporters at the beginning of the LPC Results Announcement in Ottawa on Sunday, April 14, 2013. iPolitics/ Matthew Usherwood

Newly elected Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau leaves the House of Commons Foyer after question period on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Monday, April, 15, 2013. It was his first official day as the Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada. iPolitics/ Matthew Usherwood

Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Friday, Mar. 15, 2013. (Matthew Usherwood)

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty wears his new budget shoes while talking to media after tabling the 2013 Federal Budget in the House Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Thursday, Mar. 21, 2013. iPolitics/ Matthew Usherwood

About 50 people came out to participate in a candlelight vigil to celebrate Earth Hour on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Saturday, Mar. 23, 2013. (Matthew Usherwood)

Ottawa-based Photographer Abigail Gossage poses for a photo in Ottawa on Saturday Mar. 9, 2013. (MatthewUsherwood)

                                 To check out Abigail's portfolio click the link

U.S. Republican Primary Candidate Dr. Ron Paul delivers a speech during the Manning Networking Conference at the Convention Centre in Ottawa on Friday, Mar. 8, 2013. iPolitics/ Matthew Usherwood

Workers fix a light in the Rotunda on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Wednesday, Mar. 6, 2013. iPolitics/ Matthew Usherwood

Hockey, Politics and a Blizzard

Belleville Bulls’ Jordan Subban (L) fights with Ottawa 67’s Joseph Blandisi (R) during the third period of their OHL game at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa on Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013. (Matthew Usherwood)

Yves Larocque pushes a cart full of coffee and tea down Sparks St. during a blizzard in Ottawa on Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013. (Matthew Usherwood)

Interim Liberal Leader Bob Rae talks to media in Ottawa on Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013. iPolitics/ Matthew Usherwood

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty talks to media during a press conference in Ottawa on Friday, Mar. 1, 2013. iPolitics/ Matthew Usherwood

Few Frames

A winterluder takes a closer look in the lantern tunnel in the Crystal Garden during the opening day of Winterlude in Ottawa on Friday, Feb. 1, 2013. (Matthew Usherwood)

Sen. Patrick Brazeau leaves a courthouse in Gatineau, QC, after being charged with assault and sexual assault on Friday, Feb. 8, 2013. iPolitics/ Matthew Usherwood

Barrie Colts’ Brendan Lemieux keeps the puck out of reach of Ottawa 67s’ Jonathan Duchesne during their OHL game at the Scotiabank Place in Ottawa on Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2013. (Matthew Usherwood)

A pack of skiers battle for position during the Gatineau Loppet ski race in Gatineau, QC, on Sunday, Feb. 17, 2013. (Matthew Usherwood)

A skier makes his way through the course during the Gatineau Loppet ski race in Gatineau, QC, on Sunday, Feb. 17, 2013. (Matthew Usherwood)

The Past Week in Ottawa

Here are my favorite frames from the week,

An Ottawa firefighter carries wreaths to place at headstones of fallen soldiers during a Wreaths Across Canada ceremony at Beechwood Military Cemetery in Ottawa, Dec. 4, 2012. iPolitics/ Matthew Usherwood

An Ottawa firefighter carries wreaths to place at headstones of fallen soldiers during a Wreaths Across Canada ceremony at Beechwood Military Cemetery in Ottawa, Dec. 2, 2012. iPolitics/ Matthew Usherwood

Conservative MP’s Tony Clement(L) and Maxime Bernier(R) held a press conference in Ottawa, Dec. 4, 2012, to discuss the Governement’s implementation of the Economic Action Plan. iPolitics/ Matthew Usherwood

Prime Minister Stephen Harper held a press conference in Ottawa, Dec. 7, 2012, to deliver a statement regarding the proposed take over of Calgary based Nexen by the Chinese state owned CNOOC. iPolitics/ Matthew Usherwood 

A week on the Hill

This past week I spent every day on Parliament Hill in Ottawa photographing the events that would unfold daily. 

Here are my favorite frames from the week,

Vanessa - Prana Quest

I recently did a shoot for Vanessa, she was looking for photo's she could use for her blog and asked me to help her out. Her blog is geared towards healthy living and simply enjoying life. Here is a link to her blog Prana Quest.

This was the first of two shoots we have planned, it was raining at the time of the shoot so we decided to move it indoors.

Here are my favorite frames from the shoot,

Pole dancing at the Bronson Centre

This weekend I was asked to go cover the Ontario Pole Dancing Championship at the Bronson Centre in Ottawa. I was super excited for this event and wanted to light it with a strobe because I knew the lighting in the building would be awful. I ended up just side lighting the dancers to give it a dramatic look.

Here are my favorite frames,

Casper

Today I spent some time with a street panhandler who calls himself Casper. He's a loving father of a young girl who tries to provide for his family in anyway necessary.  He's a construction laborer during the day and then panhandles during rush hour traffic.

Here are some frames from the time I spent with him today. I plan to go back and spend more time with him in the near future.