'Unveiled' - The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence

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The Vancouver Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence are a 21st Century order of Queer nuns who believe in spreading universal joy and expellling stigmatic guilt.
‘Unveiled' is a series of 10 portraits of the Sisters ‘in face’ and also without their facial makeup, or in ‘Boy Drag’ as they call it. I photographed them on an ethereal white background, as if they were walking through heaven’s door.
I find the Sisters beautiful. The designs and vibrant colours they choose for their faces and the playful, sexy outfits they create themselves express their individuality. I am intrigued with how they express their masculine and feminine sides. They are masculine in appearance, but to me when they are ‘in face’, they transform into beautiful feminine Deities.

Dapper in Gastown

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Thank you David & Link for this step back in time in Vancouver's historic Gastown.
2,850 nautical miles of Atlantic Ocean separate you from each other.
Today I witnessed the strength and beauty of the bridge you have created together.
Bon Voyage to you Link. Until you grace our shores again. With love.

Cynthia Brooke || Vancouver Headshots

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Meet Cynthia Brooke, ILWU Local 500 Longshoreman/Stevedore, Dapper member of the Leadfoot butch choir, and all around wonderful human being.
Cynthia came to me wanting portraits that reflected her Longshoreman pride and her pride in being a Butch woman.
I think we succeeded.

Canadian author Amber Dawn

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I was thrilled when author Amber Dawn asked me to create 2015 promo images for her.
One of these beautiful images we created together will be used on the back of her new book jacket. Amber Dawn's new book of poetry will be revealed Spring of 2015!!

Check out more of my LGBT portraiture at belleancell.com

Cor Flammae

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21 fabulously attired singers, 3 hair stylists, 3 makeup artists, 2 wardrobe stylists, 2 set stylists, 3 shoot assistants and one photographer. That is what it took to create this image of Vancouver's classically trained Choir Cor Flammae.
This shoot was a milestone for me as it was the most people I've ever photographed in one sitting!! 
What a wonderful experience it was to be a member of Team Flammae.


Go Team Flammae !!
Wardrobe Styling:  Adam Dickson (lead) and Jennifer Gagne
Hair:  Missy Clarkson, Soo Jeong and Shea April
Make-up:  Andi Alexander, Sande Rees and Belinda Siu
Shoot Assistants:  Reem Abdel-Jabbar, Lindy Cairns and Robin Toma
Photographer: belle ancell
 

Check out more of my LGBT portraiture at belleancell.com

The Lowest Common Denominator

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These folks from playwright  Dave Deveau's new play 'The Lowest Common Denominator' were such fun. I wish I had more than 20 minutes with them to create these images for Xtra Vancouver. We could have gotten into some trouble!!

Pictured: Shawn Macdonald (bearded), Dallas Sauer (brown t-shirt), Deborah Williams (striped shirt).

Check out more of my LGBT portraiture at belleancell.com

There goes the Octegenarian Club

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I always say each new photo shoot is the funnest shoot ever, but this one really was, when I photographed the ever so lovely and naughty Linda Fillmore for her 80th birthday feature in Xtra newspaper.

Linda is the Matriarch of the Fillmore Family Foundation. The Family is a non-profit foundation that raises money for organizations such as Out in Schools, A Loving Spoonful, Camp Out and McLaren Housing Society. I posted last month about the raucous Prairie Fairy Fowl Supper event the Family puts on each fall to raise these funds.

This was an amazing experience as it was the first time I 'pitched' a cover and story idea to Xtra and they accepted. I wanted to honour all that Linda Fillmore and her Family have done for our Community and create some beautiful images for her. We all had a blast in the studio and even did a 'Commando' run out to the Bull Statue downtown.

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You're in good hands Linda Fillmore.

You're in good hands Linda Fillmore.

I'm aging myself, but does anyone remember the series Dallas?

I'm aging myself, but does anyone remember the series Dallas?

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Such wonderful folks to play with.

Such wonderful folks to play with.

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It takes a TEAM:

Assistant: Robin Toma
Assistant: Jason Blais
Stylist: Stephen Fahlman
James Goranko (dark beard)
Shayne Forster (red beard)

Check out more of my LGBT portraiture at belleancell.com