My He{Art} work debuts

Conceptualized it, planned it, photographed it, retouched it, printed it, framed it, mounted it.

Matting and framing my work for the Queer Arts Festival!!

On the walls and ready to go!!

Being in the same show as Joe Average was mind warping for me. Especially when he walked in and looked at my work on the wall.  

Noam Gagnon, my future husband.

Two of my artists...Mandy Randhawa and Eileen Kage.

Zoee Nuage, a photographer I admire and have now photographed.

It was fun to watch people's reactions to the images.

Mandy Randhawa in front of the beautiful image of her we created together.

David Robinson poses with his powerful image we collaborated on and created together.

A touching moment for me when my lighting instructor from photography school came to the opening to congratulate me.

Amber Dawn and I goofing it up in front of her stunning image.

When the Sun Comes Out

I never thought I would utter these words. I loved this Opera. I saw the workshop last summer at the Queer Arts Festival in Vancouver. Well, I had to see it. I was photographing it for them. Seriously, it was not what I expected. First of all, I developed an instant crush on the lead soprano. Secondly, the male role broke my heart. Like tears in my eyes and heart crushing compassion for his story, that kind of broke my heart.

This was the largest, longest and most elaborate photo shoot I've ever done and involved the collaborative efforts of 12 people to pull it off. It was so worth it. We created some awesome images for the Opera. The Georgia Straight, Xtra and the Courier all featured the images which had enormous impact in its promotion.

The Opera is so poignant today in a 2013 world where we can still be tortured and murdered for simply being who we are.

From the Queer Arts Festival website - "When the Sun Comes Out is the world premiere of Canada’s first lesbian opera, commissioned by QAF. This ground-breaking new work is written by composer Leslie Uyeda and poet Rachel Rose, and directed by James Fagan Tait.

A story of forbidden love, divided loyalties and culture clash, the opera explores the oppression that queers face, and the risks they take, in nations where homosexuality is illegal."

From left to right: Aaron Durand, Teiya Kasahara, Julia Morgan, and Leslie Uyeda (with baton).

Check out more of my LGBT portraiture at belleancell.com

Pride in Arts Queer Arts Festival

This year I immersed myself in art and community as the principle photographer for the Queer Arts Festival here in Vancouver, BC.

I met some incredibly talented individuals; I experienced poignant performances; I challenged myself photographically and I felt a deep sense of community and pride.

The Queer Arts Festival chose 'Random Acts of Queerness' as its theme for 2012 to honour the centenary of experimental queer artist John Cage.

Soprano Teiya Kashahara performing in the Queer Arts Festival's Workshop of the Opera 'When the Sun Comes Out'. Canada's first lesbian Opera, commissioned by the Queer Arts Festival, from Composer Leslie Uyeda and Poet Rachel Rose.

Pianist Rachel Kiyo Iwaaasa and Soprano Teiya Kashahara performing in the Queer Arts Festival's Workshop of the Opera 'When the Sun Comes Out'.

Boulez contra Cage. Adapted by David Bloom from the correspondence between friends, John Cage and Pierre Boulez, two of the most influential composers of the 20th Century.

Flute/Piano duo Tiresias (Mark McGregor and Rachel Kiyo Iwaasa) performing a premiere piece by Simon Martin, commissioned for this performance.

Pianist Rachel Kiyo Iwaasa performing a solo in 'Boulez contra Cage'.

My favorite performer during the festival. Kate Bornstein, Author, Playwright, Performance Artist, Gender Outlaw, Advocate and radical role model for queer youth.

Kate sharing the symbolism of the Ankh tattoo from her memoirs entitled, "A Queer and Pleasant DANGER".

"Do whatever you need or want to do in order to make life worth living. Love who and how you want to love. Just don't be mean. Should you get sent to Hell for doing something that isn't mean to someone, I'll do your time in Hell for you."

~ Kate Bornstein