Just a reminder that tonight’s our premiere party for Don’t Quit Your Gay Job. The show will screen at 1181 Tight Lounge on Davie Street at 7:30 pm. I’m suggesting you get there around 7pm so you don’t miss the start of the show, have time to grab a drink, etc etc. Xtra.ca showed us some love last week with a special Q&A feature. Check it out here.
As promised last week, here’s the next installment of Xtra Xposed, featuring a very good friend of mine and brilliant photographer: Brandon Gaukel.
He’s launching a new magazine in September and is on my list of Vancouverites to watch. Here’s what he had to tell Up Your Alley…
1) Who the hell are you and what do you do?
Hello, Up Your Alley, I am Brandon Gaukel. I am a professional photographer. I work
out of the lower mainland and work mainly as a editorial photographer.
You can find me shooting gays on a cruise or a hardcore fashion shoot.
2) Sometimes it
feels like every person I meet nowadays claims to be either a
photographer or a DJ. How hard is it to be a professional photographer
in Vancouver?
What a coincidence. I also DJ. Vancouver is supposed to have more professional
photographers per capita than any other major city. I kinda believe it,
work is sometimes scarce, especially for those like me who are trying
to make a name for themselves. But I always say, if I want it bad
enough it will happen. So far so good.
3) How long have you been working as a photographer?
I have been shooting professionally for two years.
4) What do you prefer to shoot?
I
love being given an assignment and asked to document it. Whether it be
a person, place or thing. The thrill of capturing a moment is still
what keeps me picking up my camera. But I excel in editorial portraits
and fashion. I love creating beauty and finding new definitions on the
word.
5) How has working for Xtra changed your take on photographer?
I
have been put in weird situations and go to places I would never be
caught dead at. Nudie dance party anyone? It is cool to see some queer
subcultures in Vancouver. This city is full of characters and whoever
said this city was No Fun City was clearly not a queer photographer. I
have seen some different stuff and been paid to take photos of it. Xtra
is also a good client and as you would know, your name in print is
never a bad thing.
6) I’ve heard a lot of buzz about your new business venture: Sad Magazine. What is it? What should people expect?
Sad Mag is the new little magazine that could.
One hot summer evening my good friend Deanne Beattie and I drank
countless glasses of sangria and decided we should start our own
magazine. Crazy but so inspired. We wanted a place where we could publish
work we were truly proud of — the kind of stuff we couldn’t pitch to
our editors or clients because they just wouldn’t get
it. I wanted to showcase Vancouver talent and foster a new wave of
creativity in this city. This city ain’t sad people, it is Sad
Magazine. We have a great team, amazing writers and talented visual
artists. Also a sexy and wet design to the magazine. I am in love with
it and I have been staring at it forever.
7) When does it launch and what sort of party are you throwing to celebrate your hard work?
Our magazine launches September 17th and we are hosting a Launch Party a the Anza Club.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
ANZA Club, #3 West 8th Avenue (@Ontario)
8:00 p.m. to late!
$5—$10 sliding scale
Our debut party features:
A Performance by our feature story’s Isolde N. Barron, DJ sets by Jef Leppard and DJ BJ vs. Lonny Gaga and art installations.
Cheap drinks and the best company Vancouver has to offer. More info here: http://www.sadmag.ca/2009/08/20/sad-mag-launch-party/
8) Where can people check out your work?
My website: www.gaukel.ca
Fun stuff and my take on photography and magazines: http://brandongaukelphotography.blogspot.com
Sad Mag’s website: www.sadmag.ca
Stalk me: http://twitter.com/bgaukel
Brandon loving his photos in print
Dairy Queen inspiring Brandon to be a better photographer
Why you can trust Xtra
