Audience Pick for Best Series: #39 Kenny Louie

Audience Pick for Best Series Runner-Up: #46 Eric Tong

Audience Pick for Best Photo:
#56 Ryan Mah for Theme #11 (Not for Sale)

Audience Pick for Best Photo Runner-Up:
#40 Michael Lawrence for Theme #09 (Take it to the Grave)

Audience Pick for Individual Themes:

Theme 01 (My Entry Number + Different Angle): #08 Yvonne Fong

Theme 02 (The Usual Suspects): #40 Michael Lawrence

Theme 03 (Human Nature): #39 Kenny Louie

Theme 04 (Reliable): #50 Shannon Leonard

Theme 05 (My Greatest Wish): #08 Yvonne Fong

Theme 06 (Odour): #56 Ryan Mah

Theme 07 (Echo): #47 Kathy Booth

Theme 08 (Trapped): #08 Yvonne Fong

Theme 09 (Take it to the Grave): #40 Michael Lawrence

Theme 10 (Second Chance): #53 Ian Kerr

Theme 11 (Not for Sale): #56 Ryan Mah

Theme 12 (Expectation): #39 Kenny Louie

60 marathoners registered for the third annual 12×12 Vancouver Photo Marathon and all 60 handed in their 12exp 35mm rolls by 10pm on Saturday August 6th, 2011. From the 720 photos that we had developed, our judges selected winners for Best Series and Best Photo, along with Runner-Ups for both categories, and 1 winner for each of the 12 themes. Here are the results that were revealed at Raw Talent 2011 on Sunday September 25th:

2011 12x12 winners (L-R): Eric Bucad (#11), Ryan Mah (#56), Ayoe for Bob Lai (#01), Sophia Knowles (#33), Ian Kerr (#53), Allison McDougall (#58), Michael Lawrence (#40), and Kenny Louie (#39).
Missing: Mariette Baynton (#15), Caitlin Bridger (#22), and Ryan Marchant (#21).

Best Series: #33 Sophia Knowles

Best Series Runner-Up: #01 Bob Lai

Best Photo:
#33 Sophia Knowles for Theme #10 (Second Chance)

Best Photo Runner-Up:
#56 Ryan Mah for Theme #08 (Trapped)

Individual Theme Winners:

Theme 01 (My Entry Number + Different Angle): #53 Ian Kerr

Theme 02 (The Usual Suspects): #40 Michael Lawrence

Theme 03 (Human Nature): #22 Caitlin Bridger

Theme 04 (Reliable): #58 Allison McDougall

Theme 05 (My Greatest Wish): #01 Bob Lai

Theme 06 (Odour): #56 Ryan Mah

Theme 07 (Echo): #21 Ryan Marchant

Theme 08 (Trapped): #15 Mariette Baynton

Theme 09 (Take it to the Grave): #40 Michael Lawrence

Theme 10 (Second Chance): #11 Eric Bucad

Theme 11 (Not for Sale): #56 Ryan Mah

Theme 12 (Expectation): #39 Kenny Louie

Marathoners Who Were Also in the Running:

For Best Series:

#08 Yvonne Fong & #39 Kenny Louie

For Best Series Runner-Up:

#50 Shannon Leonard & #53 Ian Kerr

For Best Photo:

#53 Ian Kerr for Theme 10: Second Chance & #01 Bob Lai for Theme 07: Echo

For Best Photo Runner-Up:

#15 Mariette Baynton for Theme 08: Trapped & #51 Irvine Chow for Theme 02: The Usual Suspects

For Theme 01: My Entry Number + Different Angle

#57 Michael Burns & #13 Val Chirkov

For Theme 02: The Usual Suspects

#23 Craig Sinclair & #51 Irvine Chow

For Theme 03: Human Nature

#07 Chrissy Davey & #21 Ryan Marchant

For Theme 04: Reliable

#13 Val Chirkov & #32 Ruwan Fernando

For Theme 05: My Greatest Wish

#08 Yvonne Fong & #50 Shannon Leonard

For Theme 06: Odour

#47 Kathy Booth & #43 Martha McKenzie

For Theme 07: Echo

#01 Bob Lai

For Theme 08: Trapped

#56 Ryan Mah & #20 Sam Chua

For Theme 09: Take it to the Grave

#50 Shannon Leonard & #01 Bob Lai

For Theme 10: Second Chance

#53 Ian Kerr & 33 Sophia Knowles

For Theme 11: Not for Sale

None. #56 Ryan Mah’s photo was a unanimous choice.

For Theme 12: Expectation

#06 Bruce Entus & #56 Ryan Mah

8806km didn’t deter 2-time 12×12 Vancouver Photo Marathoner Aaron MacFarlane from taking part in the 2011 cycle! Though not an ‘official’ participant, he nonetheless shot his photo set in real time from Ibiza, Spain. We held the marathon from 10am – 10pm so your math is correct, Aaron was running around with his 35mm from 7pm – 7am! Here are the results, re-posted with permission from our amazing overseas photographer.

Click here for the original post.

12×12 VANCOUVER PHOTO MARATHON – 2011 (THIRD YEAR)
by Aaron MacFarlane

So, since 2009 there has been this annual fun film-shooting event going on in Vancouver. It’s called the 12×12 Vancouver Photo Marathon.

I’ve been partaking in it because I have been shooting film for a long time and the marathon is a full-on workout. 12 non-stop hours of getting a theme, using your creative juices to take a photo of that theme, then working on the next theme. 12 themes in 12 hours.

This year it turned out that the Marathon was taking place not on September 12 but on August 6. Right when we were to be on vacation in Europe.

So…here are the 12 shots. There was a mix-up as the timing was wonky (instead of 10am to 10pm Vancouver time, I was on 7pm to 7am Ibiza time!). This led to issues because we had a flight to catch at 7am from Ibiza to Paris! It wasn’t so much the flight that was the problem…it was the connectivity to the internet and the security at the Ibiza airport that had me put my camera away before being able to officially follow along with the rest of the people in Vancouver.

Let me just say that doing something like this is much much more difficult if you are in a place that you’ve never been to before. Why? Because you have no help regarding placement. Landmarks, expectations of human behaviour in certain places, they all play an important role in the composition of a photo for each theme.

So, I ultimately am not happy with my photos. Especially with the calibre of the photographers that were in Vancouver doing their thang.

Equipment used: 1 camera (Leica M6), 1 lens (35mm Summicron), and a roll of colour film.

Theme 01: My Entry Number (59) + Different Angle

Theme 01: My Entry Number (59) by Aaron MacFarlane

The angle was a tough addition. Instead of shooting straight on, I went up above.

I seriously thought of laying on the ground but I was wearing white and this was a very busy area so hundreds of people were walking about shopping and finding places to eat.

The shot was taken here.

Theme 02: The Usual Suspects

Theme 02: The Usual Suspects by Aaron MacFarlane

Scouting about for almost an hour…I was hoping to find a group of young boys being boys or something out of the ordinary. I couldn’t find anything. So I went to the strip where I knew I would find a group of old ‘usual suspects.’

The shot was taken here.

Theme 03: Human Nature

Theme 03: Human Nature by Aaron MacFarlane

I figured I knew right away where I would find some human nature. Down by the water! There will be people there doing what they do. Nope, there were no people there. Just people selling cheap sunglasses and tanktops. Kinda boring, so I looked up and thought ‘Oh look, there’s human nature for ya…we exploit beautiful things for our own good.’

The shot was taken here.

Theme 04: Reliable

Theme 04: Reliable by Aaron MacFarlane

I knew right away what I could find for this photo, seeing as how the sun had already gone down I thought of indoor shots. What’s more reliable than these?

The shot was taken here.

Theme 05: My Greatest Wish

Theme 05: My Greatest Wish by Aaron MacFarlane

Enjoying Life with someone you Love.

Theme 06: Odour

Theme 06: Odour by Aaron MacFarlane

At this point I had been able to get WIFI before heading off to the airport to catch a very early flight to Paris, France. After arriving at the airport there was no WIFI and, after taking this photo, a security guard gave stern warning which prevented me from taking any more photos in the airport. So the 12×12 day ended for me here.

The shot was taken here.

Theme 07: Echo

Theme 07: Echo by Aaron MacFarlane

Arriving in Paris in the morning made it easy to find the next theme although I was frustrated because I knew the rest of the pack had already finished the Marathon back in Vancouver. So I started up the timer clock again after receiving the rest of the themes via 12×12′s twitter messages.

Theme 08: Trapped

Theme 08: Trapped by Aaron MacFarlane

Well, it was mid-morning and there wasn’t anything jumping out at me so while walking past a little café I saw on the board something that I could eat and photograph for the next theme.

Theme 09: Take it to the Grave

Theme 09: Take it to the Grave by Aaron MacFarlane

Finding the cemetery took a bit of work because I had heard about it being an AMAZING place but was taken aback once inside walking about the huge stones and memorials. I could spend all day here. I could be buried here…with the material object I love the most.

The shot was taken here.

Theme 10: Second Chance

Theme 10: Second Chance by Aaron MacFarlane

I figured there would be some opportunity to walk down Champs-Élysées and find something related to second chance. Usually I don’t photograph people who are suffering or in need, but I figure the young woman would like a second chance at living in a society without having to beg all day to the tourists and locals.

The shot was taken here.

Theme 11: Not For Sale

Theme 11: Not for Sale by Aaron MacFarlane

The Notre Dame is obviously…

The shot was taken here.

Theme 12: Expectation

Theme 12: Expectation by Aaron MacFarlane

Sitting at the train station planning out the next venture (Brussels), we were having a late lunch and in a matter of seconds after sitting down we were visited by a group of feathered friends with looks in their eyes while watching us munch on our baguettes. They certainly were full of expectation. Very cute indeed.

The shot was taken here.

Thank you Aaron, for taking time out of your European vacation to share such a unique 12×12 experience with us. We hope to see you in the 2012 cycle!

Aaron MacFarlane was the Best Series winner for the 2009 cycle of 12×12, and for 2010, the audience pick for Best Photo Runner-Up and Best Theme 02 interpretation, both for his capture of “The High Road.”

Aaron’s Links:
www.Flickr.com/aaronmac
www.Twitter.com/airnphoto 

If you’re curious to see what this year’s participants shot for their 12 exposures, don’t miss:
Raw Talent 2011: The 3rd Annual 12×12 Vancouver Photo Marathon Exhibit
THIS Sunday September 25th, 2011 – Doors: 6PM (FREE)
PhotoHaus Gallery at the Vancouver Photo Workshops
14 West 7th Avenue, Vancouver

You’d think that a wedding shoot would keep you from taking part in the 12×12. You’d probably also never consider lugging around yet another camera when the three or seven in your bag are already breaking your back. If that’s what you think, then you obviously don’t know Lisa King. Here’s the story (told by Lisa herself) on how 12×12 became her +1.

1, 2, “I Do?”…
by Lisa King

I am a professional photographer and have been freelancing in a variety of venues for the past six years. I would consider myself a photojournalist as many of my clients are media based but I also shoot weddings and corporate events on the weekends. I shoot primarily with my digital camera but continue to keep film alive when shooting portraits and weddings.

Last year I participated in the 12×12 for the first time and thoroughly enjoyed my experience. It was bitterly cold and at times rainy but the excitement of shooting film in a contest kept me warm and excited to shoot. To my surprise I won in the last category of the day, “Unfunny.”

2010 Winner for Theme 12: Unfunny by Lisa King

The positive energy and pure joy of this event had me looking forward to the 2011 12×12 event but was deeply saddened to hear that it was taking place smack dab in the middle of my wedding season. Even though I couldn’t participate as an official member, I was determined to still be there in spirit. With the help of Angela Chih, the 12×12 Producer, I took the challenge to Victoria and shot the categories in real time during the wedding. I was able to tie in the category “series” with ease, which in the previous year found very difficult to do. It definitely brought a unique excitement and a different challenge to shoot during the wedding. Every hour I pulled out my Pentax K1000 (my first and favorite camera) and shot each theme, jumping up and down every time I came up with something fun and silly.

I hold 12×12 close to my heart. It allows me to open up and feel like I can explore new levels of creativity in new and obscure ways. The category prompts can be challenging but that is what is so exciting and I am glad that I was able to take part in spirit. You will definitely see me competing next year so stay tuned.

Equipment used: 1 camera (Pentax K1000), 1 Lens (50 mm f1.4) and a roll of colour film.

GETTING READY

Theme 01: My Entry Number (08) + Different Angle

Theme 01: My Entry Number (#08) by Lisa King

My entry number was 8. At this point in the wedding we had just arrived for an amazing homemade pancake breakfast at the bride’s girlfriend’s house. I had never seen so much amazing food at a breakfast before. There were pancakes made to order, two types of bacon, fruit salad, homemade sauces, mimosas…you name it, they had it. Eight people were eating oddly enough, but there was not enough room (with my fixed 50 mm lens) to fit them all in especially at a different physical angle. I twisted the literal number into “ate” and well, you can see how we felt after breakfast.

Theme 02: The Usual Suspects

Theme 02: The Usual Suspects by Lisa King

Ahhhh, getting ready. A lot of brides follow the tradition of: something old, something new, something borrowed something blue. This tradition is said to have derived in England during the Victorian era, where blue symbolizes love, fidelity and purity.

THE CEREMONY

Theme 03: Human Nature

Theme 03: Human Nature by Lisa King

This one was quite difficult to come up with because of the timing. The wedding was about to get underway so I used the best possible literal translation as I could. Human with Nature.

RECEPTION

Theme 04: Reliable

Theme 04: Reliable by Lisa King

Again, another time pressing moment. As seen, the bride is fixing her shoe and leaning on her husband for support.

Theme 05: My Greatest Wish

Theme 05: My Greatest Wish by Lisa King

I think many people would agree that eradicating cancer would be a dream come true. In lieu of party favors, a donation was given to the Canadian Cancer Society in memory of the groom’s father whom recently died of Lymphoma.

Theme 06: Odour

Theme 06: Odour by Lisa King

Do you have a pooey diaper?

Theme 07: Echo

Theme 07: Echo by Lisa King

Adorable flower girl twins. Sisters, especially twins like to repeat or imitate each other.

PORTRAITS

Theme 08: Trapped

Theme 08: Trapped by Lisa King

“A happy life, is a happy wife.” The rings have now “trapped” the man into a long marriage of “yes dear.”

Theme 09: Take it to the Grave

Theme 09: Take it to the Grave by Lisa King

“I Do.” Definition: “The social institution under which a man and woman establish their decision to live as husband and wife by legal commitments, religious ceremonies, etc.” This is supposed to be a forever thing but according to the Institute of Marriage and Family Canada “In 2002, the average age at divorce was 43.1 for men and 40.5 for women.”

RECEPTION

Theme 10: Second Chance

Theme 10: Second Chance by Lisa King

Bocce (or sometimes spelled Boci or boccie) derived in ancient form from the Roman Empire but modernized by the Italians, allows a player to hit the ball again after going through a wicket. This game becomes increasingly difficult once inebriated, especially if you’ve had a photographer set up your course. Up hills and around corners, there will always be an opportunity for a “second chance.”

Theme 11: Not for Sale

Theme 11: Not for Sale by Lisa King

Duh! Well maybe…how much are you offering?

Theme 12: Expectation

Theme 12: Expectation by Lisa King

OPEN BAR! Enough said.

Thank you Lisa, for taking us along for the ride. We hope to see you in the 2012 cycle!

Lisa’s Links:
www.LisaKing.ca
www.LisaKingPhotography.Blogspot.com
www.Twitter.com/LisaKing_photo

If you’re curious to see what this year’s participants shot for their 12 exposures, don’t miss:
Raw Talent 2011: The 3rd Annual 12×12 Vancouver Photo Marathon Exhibit
THIS Sunday September 25th, 2011 – Doors: 6PM (FREE)
PhotoHaus Gallery at the Vancouver Photo Workshops
14 West 7th Avenue, Vancouver

Vancouver, BC (September 15, 2011): For 12 hours on a sunny Saturday, 60 adventurous people roamed the streets of downtown Vancouver capturing their interpretations of 12 themes with only 12 exposures of 35mm film. To see what these photographers shot, along with those of the other marathoners, everyone is invited to help celebrate the art of film photography as the excitement of that day’s events is relived at the 3rd annual 12×12 Vancouver Photo Marathon Exhibit entitled “Raw Talent.”

RAW TALENT 2011: THE 12×12 VANCOUVER PHOTO MARATHON EXHIBIT
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 25TH, 2011 • 6 – 10 PM • FREE
PHOTOHAUS GALLERY AT VANCOUVER PHOTO WORKSHOPS: 14 WEST 7TH AVE, VANCOUVER

PLEASE RSVP BY CLICKING HERE

Returning marathoners may have been prepared to shoot “My Entry Number”* as their first theme, but when “+ Different Angle” was added to it, “The Usual Suspects”* knew they weren’t going to be let off that easy. However, “Human Nature”* thrives on the excitement of the unexpected and having a “Reliable”* camera was the key to realizing one’s “Greatest Wish”* to complete the 12-hour challenge. Pounding the pavement on a sizzling summer day can generate an interesting “Odour,”* but thankfully the delicious aromas of Urban Rush Cafe “Echo”ed* throughout home base and some nourishment soon propelled those who had been feeling creatively “Trapped”* to get back on the hunt. Few know the behind-the-scenes stories. Some may “Take it to the Grave.”* But one thing’s for sure. Many wished they could get a “Second Chance”* at snapping that perfect frame. To the organizers though, those images are “Not for Sale.”* Your “Expectation”* of the exhibit is undoubtedly high and you will not be disappointed.

Over 700 untouched photos will be on display and the winning prints announced. This year’s esteemed panel of judges include Urban Rush’s Fiona Forbes, Vancouver Photo Workshops instructor Syx Langemann, FotoMarathon (Copenhagen) organizer Samir Maktabi, and for a 12×12 first, a mystery judge whose identity will be revealed at the exhibit. Join in on Sunday September 25th as 60 marathoners regroup with nervous anticipation to find out how their images developed. You won’t want to miss this highly anticipated event!

-30-

For more information or to book an interview, please contact:

Angela Chih, Event Producer
e: Click here to submit an email
c: 778.388.3690

* The 12 themes – in sequence – randomly drawn during the 2011 12×12 Vancouver Photo Marathon on August 6th

Click here for answers to Frequently Asked Questions
Click here to watch a time-lapse video of Raw Talent 2010
Click here to watch a feature on the 2010 12×12 Vancouver Photo Marathon & Exhibit

Audience Pick for Best Series: #43 Bob Lai

Audience Pick for Best Series Runner-Up: #34 Kenny Louie

Audience Pick for Best Photo:
#02 Robert Fougere for Theme #2 (The High Road)

Audience Pick for Best Photo Runner-Up:
#32 Aaron MacFarlane for Theme #2 (The High Road)

Audience Pick for Individual Themes:

Theme 01 (My Entry Number): #02 Robert Fougere

Theme 02 (The High Road): #32 Aaron MacFarlane

Theme 03 (Torn Apart): #38 Cherry Vega

Theme 04 (Expendables): #20 Ian Thomson

Theme 05 (Ultimate): *TIE* between #34 Kenny Louie & #47 Kemp Edmonds

Theme 06 (Secret World): #31 Leah Gregg

Theme 07 (Persistence): *TIE* between #14 Zachary Wong, #20 Ian Thomson, and #56 Matthew Smillie

Theme 08 (Dog Eat Dog): #58 David Liao

Theme 09 (Vague): #52 Martin Chung

Theme 10 (Resort): #23 Ben Lewis

Theme 11 (Easy as Pie): #10 Tyler Branston

Theme 12 (Unfunny): #53 Lisa King

Best Series: #34 Kenny Louie

Best Series Runner-Up: #02 Robert Fougere

Best Photo:
#02 Robert Fougere for Theme #02 (The High Road)

Best Photo Runner-Up:
#40 Matthew Sinclair for Theme #06 (Secret World)

Individual Theme Winners

Theme 01 (My Entry Number): #02 Robert Fougere

Theme 02 (The High Road): #02 Robert Fougere

Theme 03 (Torn Apart): #34 Kenny Louie

Theme 04 (Expendables): #12 Melanie Shave

Theme 05 (Ultimate): #06 Masumi Kikuchi

Theme 06 (Secret World): #40 Matthew Sinclair

Theme 07 (Persistence):  #56 Matthew Smillie

Theme 08 (Dog Eat Dog): #02 Robert Fougere

Theme 09 (Vague): #52 Martin Chung

Theme 10 (Resort): #23 Ben Lewis

Theme 11 (Easy as Pie): #07 Dave Fell

Theme 12 (Unfunny): #53 Lisa King

They were each handed a roll of 12 exposure 400ISO film provided by London Drugs and as they carefully loaded their cameras they waited impatiently for the first theme.

At 8am sharp the first theme, My Entry Number, was released to a mix of groans, laughs and “Whaaat??!?”s and the 12×12 Vancouver Photo Marathon was officially in progress. Over the next 12 hours the photographers would return to receive 11 more themes, each of which had to be interpreted and captured on the film, in order, before the film was returned for processing no later than 8pm.

What you see here today is a slice of time, a document of Vancouver as it was on one particular day a month ago. And not only how Vancouver – the city – appeared, but how its people at that particular time thought. A photograph is as much a representation of the person taking the picture as it is of the subject. It tells a story not only of what happened in front of the camera, but also behind it. No wonder even though the themes are the same, the end results are so dramatically different.

Now an event like this does not happen without some serious help from the community. And we have been lucky enough to get the support of some great companies that have made this all possible.

First off, as I mentioned, all the film, development, scans and prints were provided by London Drugs. Considering how hard it is to find film these days, and our mandate to keep entry fees as low as possible, this contribution is of pivotal importance to 12×12.

Opus Framing and Art Supplies provided not only all the boards on which the photos hang but also four amazing (and huge) canvas prints for our winners which will be revealed shortly.

As I said, Blenz Coffee in Yaletown let us invade their premises for an entire day during the actual event and they will also be showcasing the winning photos on their point-of-sale screens throughout the lower mainland.

This place we are in right now is the Vancouver Photo Workshops. Again they not only let us invade their space but also were a tremendous help in actually setting up this exhibit. In particular I’d like to single out Wayne and Dave who climbed scaffolding and ran wire for each of the boards for hours on end yesterday.

You may have spotted one of our two collectible 12×12 buttons around here today. They were created by a very cool company called Six Cent Press that is a great supporter of local events.

As for prizes the winners will walk away with some great stuff:

From Pearson Publishing we have a huge pile of great photo books.

From Beau Photo the main winners will get a gift card.

From Joby the winners get a Gorillapod Focus with the new Ballhead X attachments and we also gave away 6 Gorillapod Originals during the marathon.

The winning photos will be displayed in the Vancouver Lookout in the coming weeks to be gazed at by tourists and Vancouverites alike.

During the marathon itself we gave away door prizes from Akash Sablok of Sablok & Sablok Notaries Public and Stephen Fung from Futurelooks.com.

Let’s not forget photographer-moonlighting-as-DJ Jeremy Lim in the back of the room who is spinning the decks and bringing some groove to this evening.

Our media sponsor Vancouver Is Awesome ensured that the message got out and we got a long list of new photographers this year.

And finally event production, web services and financial backing was provided by Pink & Yellow Media (and yes, that’s Angela and myself).

Speaking of, I’d like to introduce you to the planning committee for this year’s event. It consists of Angela and Anny Chih, John Biehler, Benjamin Luk and Lesley Tetlow Stefanski who is in Australia at the moment and sends her appologies for not being here, and of course me. Now I want you to give an extra round of applause to Angela – the organizational mastermind behind this event. If it wasn’t for her organizational skills and unwavering attention to detail we would not be here today, so she deserves a lot of credit for this.

There are a couple more people I need to single out before we go upstairs. After the first 12×12 in 2009 one of the participants came up to us and asked if we wanted him to build a phone app for the event. Well, we could hardly say no to that and for this year’s event we actually had a custom 12×12 app for both Android and the iPhone. That person is Phil Wu, marathoner number 17. And to go with his app another marathoner, number 34 – Kenny Louie, created the awesome Tweet map we had running during the event which showed where people were and what they were tweeting. And like I mentioned our friend Chris Arnold all the way over in the UK developed the Live Labs Pivot collection for us to give people the ability to quickly sort through all the photos and more importantly provide a non-brain-frying method for our judges to do their job.

Speaking of judges, we had an esteemed panel of opinionated people this year. They were Erin Cebula, TV celebrity and long-time friend, Adam & Kev who though they insisted on voting as one ended up arguing like an old married couple, our very own John Biehler who represented the planning committee and last but not least VPW director Marc Koegel.

The judges deliberated for hours and the final results are on display upstairs.

To give you a behind-the-scenes look at the show we let a timelapse camera run during the 10 hour setup for Raw Talent 2010. For good measure we left the camera to run during the exhibit itself as well. What you see here is the result.