
My affection for community reportage is growing, actually it is my affection for the people I meet every weekend; the volunteers, parents, kids and coaches that make the qualitative contributions to our communities so that they feel like home.
On almost every assignment I meet a volunteer. Be it a coach or the guy that pilots the motorcycle around a race course with a photographer hanging off the back, volunteers make things possible. I have been inspired to think more about the nature of volunteerism in the community and how communities are genuinely improved by people who freely give up their Saturdays and Sundays and of all the planning and phone calls in between.
Well I’ve come off the rails a little, I wanted to post work from last Saturday in the trenches. I use this word, trenches, euphemistically as I really do enjoy my weekend shifts. The following are images from my Saturday assignments, these images were all filed to either the Richmond News or the Delta Optimist along with several alternates, but since I haven’t seen either paper, I can’t say which pics ran, but if I were editing, these would have been my choices.

Delta Thunder Ashleigh Goldman (center) reaches for the loose ball in Saturday’s game against the North Shore Pink Panthers on the turf field at Winskill Park in Tsawwassen.
Photo by Robert Shaer/The Delta Optimist

Fire Fighter Martin Konrad lifts six-year-old Carson Todd high into the air in the bucket of Tower 1, Tsawwessan Fire Hall’s ladder truck. Dozens of parents and young children attended the open house hosted by the 12th Ave Fire House on Saturday, May 31 for a BBQ and activities such as bucket rides and the Jr. Firefighter Challenge obstacle course, pitting pint-sized firefighters against everyday challenges faced by the full-sized version.
Photo by Robert Shaer/The Delta Optimist

The Air Cadets of 692 BCIT Aerospace Squadron stand in formation during their 49th Annual Review on the tarmac at the BCIT Aerospace Campus on Cessna Drive on Saturday, May 31.
Photo by Robert Shaer/The Richmond News

Richmond Kigloo Clay Koonar, in the near lane, competes in the backstroke at the Steveston Outdoor Pool hosted Kigloo Ice Breaker swim meet on Saturday, May 31. The meet brought hundreds of athletes, parents, coaches and volunteers from around the Lower Mainland creating a festival-like air.
Photo by Robert Shaer/The Richmond News

Erica Mak and Minnie Chow are among two-dozen or so students from Steveston-London Secondary School’s Eco Club pitching in to help clean up the shoreline around Garry Pt Park on Saturday, May 31. The Eco Club is a student driven group focused on sustainability, recycling and other environmental issues.
Photo by Robert Shaer/The Richmond News

Polynesian Dancers Jerrica Santos, Linie Bessette, Alison Paul and Ambera Cruz line up for their final adjudication and awards following the dance competition of the 19th annual Polynesia Festival at the Kinsmen Recreation Centre in Tsawwassen on Saturday, May 31. Dancers from BC, Alberta and Washington State attended the festival and competition which was followed by a Luau.
Photo by Robert Shaer/The Delta Optimist

The action gets a little physical on the track for skaters at the Terminal City Roller Girls Roller Derby at Minoru Arena on Saturday, May 31. Riot Girls met Bad Reputation in the second bout of the second season of the Flat Track Roller Derby league drawing about 200 cheering and jeering fans.
Photo by Robert Shaer/The Richmond News
Sunday Morning

In addition to shooting on Saturday for the papers, I spent much of Sunday morning on the back of a motorcycle pacing riders in the Westside Classic, a road race around the neighbourhood I grew up in, Point Grey on the Westside of Vancouver. Shooting from the motorcycle was fantastic and revealed pictures that would not otherwise be possible. While I wasn’t able to stay for the whole race, I still managed to shoot a ridiculous number of frames, around 1300, and I have spent the last couple of days sorting and editing. Have a look in my Recent Work Gallery and don’t forget to click on the thumbnails.
