Helene Cyr Photography » Photo Essay

Tweed Bike Ride, Victoria, BC (sneak preview)

Helene — Sun, 13 May 2012 00:47:45 +0000

Truly a remarkable event where 350 riders dressed in tweed all come together and shared a days’ ride throughout Victoria’s streets for a common cause… it was magic! more to come.

s. Caicos, spr 2011

Helene — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 20:22:03 +0000

With a 2nd visit under my belt to the friendly, intriguing and at times defeated s. Caicos Island, I continue my visual search.

It’s truly a fascinating island where people are at times defeated by political corruption, witness relentless hurricanes, feel the financial despair, uncertain fish stock and few resources if any, where countless religions runs ramped, a myriad of homes with no running water, where fried chicken is cheap and imported vegetables are off the chart expensive yet for the most part they hold their heads high.

I don’t think it’s wise to assume I know the Island after 2 short visits.. but what I do know, is how the people are often welcoming despite their predicament. This alone both fascinates me and humbles me.

You can hear their laughter and much heated discussions from early sunrise to sunset. A passionate crowd I would add. Some play dominoes so hard that the chips hitting the table hurt my ears. The haitian church near by have a mix of gospel and very very animated preachers belching out indecipherable gargle with an impressive PA system into the wee hours of the morning. According to Mike, this is their only entertainment, not much else to do. The sounds that ring in my ears right now are much of that, preachers relentlessly preaching, numerous under nourished barking dogs, a mysterious rooster, S.Caicos (ians) discussing passionately, the slamming of domino chips, the kindness in their “hello’s”, and the slapping of skin aiming for that adamant blood sucking mosquito!

Christine’s remarkable horses

Helene — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 21:53:35 +0000

Christine’s gentle giants are horses filled with deep soul, kindness and stunning beauty! They are a very old European breed called Friesians from the northern Netherlands. To witness the relationship between herself, Teake and Ewoud is extraordinary. I can not wait to see them again!

last shot taken by Christine

Monique Salez Flamenco and Co.,

Helene — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 16:52:49 +0000

It is always a treat to have professional performers in front of the lens. They kept their cool and poise under the cold relentless rain. A few laughs in between takes and the odd look from passers by. Much fun! Check out Monique’s upcoming fabulous performance THE DREAM CAB at the MacPherson Playhouse February 15th, 2011 Tickets: $25 Tickets on sale now at the MacPherson Box Office. Saucy ~ Surreal ~ Flamenco Fusion. A dream cabaret of dance, voice, and theater propelled by a live sound-scape that ricochets across velvet and video, fringe and fantasy, ruffles and ruffians. Are you getting in?

Hurricane Thomas, S. Caicos

Helene — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 21:59:22 +0000

By the time Hurricane Thomas arrived on S.Caicos it was categorized as a level 1 and unfortunately for the visuals it happened in the dark at 3AM. Nevertheless the build up to it was exciting for us all. Mike and staff followed protocol and took the necessary steps towards safety such as boarding the windows, clearing loose items and removing all dive boats from the waters. We then re-located to a half finished Hotel where the cement structure and double pane windows were safer. Daniel and crew of the Hotel were excellent hosts making sure everyone was comfortable. The storm passed quickly in the night with most impressive winds with deafening sounds to my ears. I can’t imagine a Hurricane level 2 let alone, 3 or 4! I just can’t.

school trip

Helene — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 21:30:05 +0000

What a privilege it is to tag along with my son’s school field trip. To photograph teenagers with their trust is unusual in our times. The days of Henri Cartier Bresson are long gone where life unfolded naturally in front of his lens with no fear or suspicions. Today good luck pointing your lens in a school crowd without some form of threat or law suit. Right don’t get me started..
Another argument would be, well you have them on your blog now don’t you? Yes, I do, and it’s a slice of life, a place and time was recorded with honesty. These images can not in no way shape or form be used other then in this context unless I am permitted by the subjects to do so. There is much to cover on this topic of photographing surrounding life… more to come!
These were taken with an old 50mm 1.4 at the Ocean Discovery Center in Sidney, BC. I highly recommend visiting!

Life of a Light House Keeper

Helene — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 21:23:01 +0000

The romance and mystery of the life of a lighthouse keeper can be a beautiful thing and also a very isolating experience. There are 27 staffed lightstations along the BC Coast. Staffed with two employees for safety reasons, the keeper’s primary duty is to report the weather changes on our rugged coast. Every 3 hrs starting at 3:30AM, lighthouse keepers all along the coast will call in the weather report to Coast Guard radio. The radio staff collects the data and transmits the information for all vessels at sea. There is the on going station maintenance of course, and some keepers take on odd chores such as collecting and removing the countless items of plastic and styrofoam debris that litter our shores. Keepers don’t get days off. They are out there 7 days a week, for month after month. This keeper tells me that although the idea of living on 50 acres of prime ocean front property conjures forth images of romance, in reality the long days and nights offer personal challenges regarding keeping the mind and body active and stimulated. The word romance is gradually replaced with words like patience, self-reliance and endurance… this is not a career choice for everyone to be sure. It was a privilege to experience the day and life of a lighthouse keeper and I am now fully aware of their critical presence on our Coast!

Mime from L’école Brodeur

Helene — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 20:51:59 +0000

A very talented group of students and teacher put together a heartfelt 20+ minute mime show for public performance during Vancouver’s Olympics. Their script and performance during the rehearsal was so moving that it was difficult to hold back the tears. If anyone in Vancouver had the chance to see it, you would understand. Congratulations to you for your extraordinary work!

a remarkable man

Helene — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:30:46 +0000

Today I randomly walked into a store and discovered a remarkable man with a contagious smile. I can still hear his laughter! He painted his Saskatchewan homeland on his lunchbox and it was his art teacher who said “if you can paint like that, I bet you can play music.” With a few hundred dollars he purchased his organ and plays it every Tuesday in his store where he works still with his beloved wife of 50 years.

homelessness

Helene — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:58:01 +0000

Recently I was asked by UVIC to do a quick morning photo-essay on the homelessness and a fabulous women who is part of a pilot project whom is not shown here. Having arrived at 07:15, the police had already done their sweep so there was little cliché to shoot. What struck me mostly and I wish I had sound bites to offer was the closed classroom where a dozen or so homeless people and former homeless gather every week sharing their insights on their common upcoming project. With small video cameras and still cameras they are interviewing people living on the street and will later amalgamate their material to make one film. This should be interesting!
In the room were two visiters from India doing a case study here on the homelessness. They have millions of people who are in dire straights and their country simply has no resources, here we have a mere 1600 (accounted for) homeless people (70% of which are mentally challenged) and we are rich to the brim in resources. They were simply baffled.