Over a very dull and quiet Winter, I was given a great assignment from Toronto Life to photograph the Tavares family, and feature their son, the 18-year-old hockey phenom, John. He’s on track to be the number one pick at this spring’s NHL draft, and is the continual talk of the hockey world.
I had a great time meeting the family, photographing them at their home, catching-up with John for a few portraits after practice, and shooting him during a game. John was a pleasure to work with, and seems incredibly grounded for a kid who has immense pressures in his life. His family has worked very hard to get John to where he is today, and it was very special to meet them all as he prepares for the real pressures of professional hockey and adulthood.
The article can be seen in this month’s Toronto Life, and can be read online here.
John Tavares take to the ice with his team, the London Knights.
Barbara & Joe Tavares at the rink.
The Tavares family at home.
And here are a few added bonuses for you, my dear readers. First is the lighting set-up I used for the portraits of John after practice. Art Director Jessica Rose and I really wanted that authentic, after workout look. So we set-up a studio in one of the rink’s dressing rooms, and had John come in right after his practice. Note the step ladder: I needed to get the camera up high so that I could get to John’s height while he was still in his skates.
Second is the final product: the Table of Contents page, and the inside spread that served as the opener to the piece.
Hey Finn,
I saw this issue of Toronto Life at the grocery store earlier today. I didn’t have time to read the article but I noticed you shot the story. Nice work!
Jamie