Tokyo, Japan • 2013

On March 11, 2011, an earthquake and tsunami struck the coast of Japan, resulting in the historic accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. 

British Columbia forest products companies joined forces to provide aid to victims of the Japan earthquakes and tsunami. Canfor, Canfor Pulp Limited Partnership, West Fraser, Tolko and Interfor will each donate $100,000, for a total of $500,000, to the Canadian Red Cross to provide immediate relief in Japan.

Canfor also donated a tanker of forest products in efforts to help rebuild structure and get communities back to their standing. I had been working for Canfor almost two years as a photographer being sent to their mills across the province in an effort to update their archives. I was asked to visit the power plant site and capture efforts of rebuild using Canadian forest products. Of course I jumped at the opportunity but mid flight it had been decided by senior officials that a foreigner visiting these sites was not in their best interests for security reasons, but was welcome to visit all the mill and port locations instead. 

At the time I was also doing contract work for Luluelmon and just starting to dip my toes in the entertainment industry. Lululemon had asked me to come aboard full time and wanted an answer upon my return home from this Tokyo assignment. Waiting for the cab to take me to the airport my wife at the time called and told me that if I came home and didn't take the job with Lulu that I was to keep my bags packed and go live with my brother upon returning. She didn't want a photographer flying all over the world and home was the only way this relationship was going to work. 

I had a middle seat heading to Japan from Canada that day and I remember traveling in this heavy fog with that bit of news in my ear. Iron Man had just came out and I think every person on that plane was watching it. Very strange visual from the back of the plane. 

That was a strange and quiet week. These picture reflect that time for me.