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Event Photography
Lyndon Cassell Photography
Check out the pages below to view many of the events that occur in the Amazing Alberni Valley. Put some of them on your to-do list such as the annual Salmon Festival, Fall Fair, or Canada Day. Learn about our First Nations. Check out an antique car or truck show. Port Alberni is a happening place and we are very proud to be a part of all these events.
During the hockey season I try to get out to as many home games of the Alberni Valley Bulldogs as possible. That's not always easy 'cause I have a lot of bookings for various other events on weekends. Some times I get lucky and get in the hockey game before having to boot it to another gig that starts later in the evening. The 2023-24 season is now underway and I've gotten in a few games. No images are currently available on my site but there are a lot and I will make each games' collection available as soon as possible.
Halloween is a photographer's dream! At least for me, anyway. In 2022, I was just starting (October) as the house photographer at the Rainbow Room Lounge. One of the live music performances I got to shoot was the Halloween Dance featuring local group "Big Daddy". I've done many different projects for Halloween, including portraits and other events including the McLean Mill Halloween event in 2018. Note: 80's Rock Music Tribute Band "Sunset Strip" are booked to play at the Rainbow Room for Halloween 2023. Local band "The Big Empty" are also playing during the Halloween weekend at the Rainbow Room. It will be an exciting weekend.
The National Truth and Reconciliation (Orange Shirt Day Walk) is a very important event in the Alberni Valley. Two first nations, Tseshaht and Hupacasath call the valley their home. This is their territory and we recognize that we are on their unseeded land. The past 3 years (2021 - 23) I have made it a point to photograph this walk, show my respect, and do my part to promote this special day.
September in the Alberni Valley
September is an amazing month in the Alberni Valley and it goes something like this: We kick off the Labour Day September long weekend with the annual Salmon Derby and Festival. The second weekend is reserved for the annual Alberni District Fall Fair. The third weekend is reserved for an onslaught of bikes and more bikes as we host the Toy Run, the largest of its kind on Vancouver Island - dare I say maybe the largest in North America? The month ends with the most important event, the September 30 Truth and Reconciliation walk (Orange Shirt Day)!
Every year I try to find a different location to watch and take images of the many motorcycles that make their way through town. This annual "For the Kids" event starts at Little Qualicuum Falls, moves into Port Alberni, down Johnston Road, across Gertrude / Stamp / 3rd Avenue to Argyle. From there they go to the Harbour Quay, turn around the water fountain, head back up Argyle to 10th Avenue and from 10th across town to their destination at the Glenwood Centre (Fall Fair Grounds). For 2023 I shot in front of the water fountain at the Harbour Quay.
I was the Fall Fairs "official photographer" in 2023, focusing my attention on all the music acts that took to the main stage, lots of action shots at the midway including many night shots of the rides, and the Sunday Logger Sports.
Please visit my page "Industrial Heritage" for links to various truck shows. My collection of the 2023 truck show, held Labour Day weekend will be available soon.
Summer in the Valley
The Alberni Valley is loaded with talent and music is a large part of the culture. From jazz to country to rock you'll find just about any style you can think of performing somewhere. Big Daddy is a local group very well known for their cover tunes, fantastic personalities and love of jamming where they invite musicians of all styles to take to the stage.
The summer of 2023 was without a doubt my most intense and exciting summer as a professional photographer. There is this thing that happens on the weekends called "Music on the Harbour". Put on by "The Sugar Shak", and hosted by "Big Daddy", local musicians gather to belt out a few tuned while locals dance in the square. It was able to get there a few times to take some photos and it is where I was introduced to the owner of the Folk Art Farm. That lead to me becoming the official photographer for the Folk Art Farm's summer weekend music festival, held in Whiskey Creek.
A Day in the Life
A Day in the Life of Port Alberni is a special publication that is part of the "Alberni Valley News" newspaper. Each July the AV News take their cameras and document what happens in the Valley for an entire day. This year, 2023 I was finally able to accept their offer to be one of their guest photographers. In past years my local business "Azalea Flowers & Gifts" did not allow this luxury. It was a fun day and I look forward to continuing to be one of their guest photographers for 2024 and beyond.
I was asked to be the official photographer for the Folk Art Farm music festival, held the first weekend of August 2023. This amazing little festival was held on private property in Whiskey Creek. Images will be made available at a time in the not too distant future. I hope to become a larger part of this festival in the years to come.
The August music festival "Five Acre Shaker" returned to the Valley in 2023 and I was one of the photographers there to record it. My first year was 2017 and again in 2018. I was not able to attend in 2019. For obvious reasons the Shaker did not occur in 2020 or 2021. In 2022 the company behind the Shaker, Five Acre Co, held a "Summer Concert Series" - which I attended. In 2023 the Shaker was back, bigger than ever.
I became the official photographer for this Canada Day long weekend event in 2023. This is an 80 team softball tournament that covers three days with a 2 night music festival. I was there for all of it: shooting softball in the day and music in the night. It was an absolute honour to be chosen to be part of this special charitable event. Fingers crossed I will be able to continue in 2024 and beyond.
The 2023 Grad parade and red carpet and prom was held on June 24. I was the official photographer for the years 2021-23. I was also the official photographer for the Grad awards ceremony and graduation ceremony for the 2018-19 Class
I try to cover as many car shows as possible over the years. Sometimes I am not able to because of prior bookings, which happened a lot in 2023. The "Road Closed" car show held at the Tyee Landing was one I did not miss. It was a special one in honour of a local legend "Bill Surrey", who unfortunately passed way suddenly in early December 2022. The title "Road Closed" was because we had just had our highway (hwy number 4) closed as a result of the wildfire at Cameron Bluffs.
The 2023 Youth Battle of the Bands occurred on April 15 at The Rainbow Room Lounge. This year I was the primary photographer. The 2024 edition is now in the early stages of planning and I have been informed it will be in June.
I was the official photographer for the annual Chamber of Commerce Award ceremony for the years 2016-19 and 2022. For 2023 the Chamber has a new CEO and no award ceremony has started up yet. It will take time for our new CEO to get up to speed, and that's no fault of her own. In May 2023 a small wildfire shut down our highway (the Cameron Bluffs wildfire on Hwy 4), which saw the Chamber and many other community leaders having to change their focus for most of the summer.
Sail pass and Christmas tree light up. Please visit my page "Harbour Quay".
The annual Polar Bear swim, held on January 1, is always fun - although chilly. Most years it is held at Canal Beach, with a fire and hot chocolate. In 2023 it did not occur but is expected to make a return for 2024. In 2018 I was invited to be the official photographer on behalf of the "Bread of Life".
Event Photography - Some of the past one offs and retired events.
I was the official photographer for the Leafs alumni inclusion cup 2019. This was a charity event hosted by the Port Alberni Association of Community Living. The event was extra special for me as I grew up a Leafs fan so it was very cool to see a few of my favourite Leafs up close and personal.
The Soap Box Derby made a return to the Alberni Valley in 2019, using the steep lower Argyle Street as the ideal location. The pandemic meant it's return was short lived. There have been no rumours of it's return in the near future.
The spring and summer of 2019 was very special for the Alberni Valley with the return of a cruise ship to our harbour. The cruise ship visited us for one day in May, one in June, and a final stop over in July. It was exciting to get out and grab some photos of the experience. We hope that this can eventually become a yearly event. The deep port of the Alberni Valley is well suited for large ships and can be utilized for cruise ships and many other ships that could make us their destination.
Canada Day
(No Canada Day parade occurred in 2023)
What's Canada Day without a parade! It was always fun to take my camera and get out on the road, running back and forth, taking photos of as much as possible, from as many different angles as I could. While the summer of 2023 was very challenging for the Alberni Valley, partially due to the road closure from the May wildfire, the lack of volunteers resulted in the Canada Day Parade being cancelled. We hope it will come back for 2024.
Sunset Cruise
I was the official photographer for this unique event for the years 2016-19. It was part of the fundraising activities of the "Young Professionals of the Alberni Valley" (YPAV). The pandemic caused this organization to fold and thus halted the event.
Charity Golf Classic - July
I was the official photographer for this special charity event for the years 2017-19. The pandemic halted this event for a couple of years and is not currently using a photographer
In 2018 I was able to get out and support our local LGBTQ2+ community during their PRIDE picnic at Blair Park in Port Alberni. I consider myself an allie and hope to support them in the future. This spectacular park is located along the Kitsuksis walking path and is a favourite trail for locals.
Tye Watson Gala and Golf
I was the red carpet photographer in 2018 for the Tye Watson Gala, held at the Echo Center. I was also the official photographer in 2017 for their annual charity golf female gold tournament. In 2010 I was assigned by the now closed "Alberni Valley Times" newspaper to cover their gala on private property.
Tri-Conic Challenge
The Tri-Conic Challenge was held in July 2017 as part of the Canada 150 celebrations. I was one of two official photographers hired to cover this unique and special sports event. Day one was "Race The Train". Day two was "Bike to Bamfield" and Day three was "Swim Sproat Lake"
In the summer of 2017 I was lucky enough to have the "Jane Austen Festival" in my neighbourhood. At that time, I was the co-owner with a florist of "Azalea Flowers & Gifts" on lower Argyle Street. With this unique festival occuring outside my store, it was easy to go take a few images. This event never returned after 2017 for logistical reasons.
Events 2010
In May 2010 I came to the Alberni Valley for 6 months. By June I was working weekends on contract for the now closed "Alberni Valley Times" newspaper. My work consisted of shooting events for the paper. It was the amount of public and private events that I witnessed which impressed me and made me want to move here. In 2012 I did just that and by 2015 I was starting to shoot more and more and become heavily involved with the community, as a business owner and photographer.
I was part of the Fall Fair in 2010 (operating a photography booth). That's where I met the "Black Powder" group. I've never seen such an impressive display and demonstration! As a Canadian History fan, it was the coolest thing I'd seen since I was a child and my family would travel and see places like Fort Louisberg in Nova Scotia. The Black Powder club is real and they have their own place in the Valley. Some day I will get back to shoot more at their location.
Lyndon Cassell Photography is a Port Alberni based event and commercial photographer.
Port Alberni is home to some of the best events on Vancouver Island as well as Canada and North America.
I am Port Alberni based event photographer. My event photography has covered most every special and annual event that the Alberni Valley has become well known for. I love to use my event photography as a way to promote the valley for tourism and locals who enjoy images and like to keep up with all that makes Port Alberni a very special place. Images can be licensed, as well as purchased as prints. I am available for hire as a photographer or consultant. View my Investment page for details.
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