Here are a few items that have worked well for me and will save you a bit of money. I’ve added a very low-end price of each “real deal” item if you were to buy it from a photo supplier.

Aluminum foil and cardboard: If you enjoy shooting close-ups of flowers or insects, a little aluminum foil wrapped around a piece of cardboard makes a sturdy reflector. This simple trick provides a neat way to lighten the shadows on your subject. The real deal will cost in the $40 range.

Garbage bag: Plastic garbage bags can be used to cover your camera and lens in the rain. They come in many sizes so it won’t be hard to find one to suit your needs. I carry a large one so I can lay it down to stay relatively clean while shooting at ground level. In a pinch, a big bag serves as a raincoat as well. The real deal will cost you $20 at the very least.

Umbrella: A small compact umbrella can be used to diffuse harsh light. A white or clear umbrella works best. The real deal will cost you approximately $95.

Pipe insulation and duct tape: Wrap the legs of your tripod in foam pipe insulation and secure it with duct tape. These days duct tape is available in many different colours and patterns. This will help when handling your tripod on cold days and will provide a cushion while walking with the tripod slung over your shoulder. The real deal will usually cost between $50 and $65, or even more.

Beans, cloth and velcro: A homemade bean bag can be made from these items combined with a few sewing skills. Use it to support your lens when shooting from your car window. The real deal will cost you $50 at least.

If you’re lucky, you may have everything on this list kicking around your home. If you have any tips of your own to share please do.

Rooney Mara, who stars in the title role of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, is one of those stunning young actresses who’s currently taking Hollywood by storm, and not because she looks like a Barbie doll. On the contrary, Mara is what could be described as plain looking. But in order to play Lisbeth Salander, Mara needed to adopt not just Salander’s icy attitude and indifferent demeanour, she needed the intensely fierce, punk-goth look too. Something ill-suited to the Paris Hilton type. Playing Salander isn’t a gig that most young actresses could handle: portraying vulnerability and malice isn’t easy, not to mention acting out an extremely graphic rape scene. Mara is seamless. Leading man Daniel Craig, and supporting actors Christopher Plummer and Stellan Skarsgard pale in comparison. This movie is both easy and hard to watch. I got sucked into the story and the lives of the characters, but the horrors that Salandar and Craig’s character, Mikael Blomkvist, face are daunting. Now that I’ve been mesmerized by the world created by author Stieg Larsson, I’m looking forward to diving into the series on the printed page.

Unlike Salander, Margaret Thatcher was a flesh and blood woman who faced real challenges as the longest serving British Prime Minister of the 20th century. Thatcher, the daughter of a shop clerk, rose through the ranks of the British Conservative party to become the most powerful woman in the world. Regardless of what I may think of her politics, she was an incredible woman and her personal accomplishments are inspiring. Thatcher is embodied by Meryl Streep in The Iron Lady. In spite of the film’s sentimentality and overreliance on flashbacks, Streep is high-voltage, bringing snap to Thatcher’s step and crack to her parliamentary retorts. Streep’s delicate dance between Prime Minister Thatcher and the elder Mrs. Thatcher makes it clear why this year’s Best Actress Oscar ended up her hands. While the film itself is no great epic, Streep’s portrayal is riveting and worth every penny of the rental price.

These two incredible women, one small and one giant, one fictitious and one real, are both a delight to watch. Their stories make great film. Bring one of them home tonight and you’ll see what I mean.

As with any ski area or ski resort town that offers year round happenings, getting tourists to ski resorts during the summer has always been a challenge. That challenge has just become a much smaller hurdle due to summer event funding provided by the provincial government through the Sun Peaks Mountain Resort Municipality (SPMRM).

When the municipality was formed several years ago one of its first steps was to source funding to drive more summer, or off-season, traffic to Sun Peaks. The summer ahead looks like a home run. With 35 events planned between June 30 and Sept. 29, Sun Peaks will see a 100 per cent increase in summer events this year for tourists and locals alike.

With a $300,000 boost from SPMRM, Tourism Sun Peaks (TSP) has now embarked on a mission to make Canada’s Alpine Village a destination for summer travellers. New to the event lineup this summer are several large outdoor concerts, a Beer and Scotch festival dubbed HopScotch, a Women’s Wellness Weekend and a full blown Oktoberfest just to name a few. Recently announced was a free outdoor concert by Hollywood superstar Kevin Costner and his band Modern West to be held July 7. Rumour has it that guests can pay extra to meet the silver screen legend in person.

TSP president Christopher Nicolson views the many new events this summer as a way to “woo” new guests and first time locals to the resort.

“Events offer a specific reason to come to Sun Peaks (during the summer months). Most people that visit in summer have an exceptional experience and return,” said Nicolson. “The scented air, the vibrant colours, an invigorating village and activity draw people back but we needed to find a way to entice guests for their initial visit.”

Whether you’re into hiking, running, biking, golf, wine and food, quilting, classic cars, acres of alpine flower blossoms, or checking out the local farmers’ market vendors, Sun Peaks has expanded its repertoire of events and attractions in efforts to cater to a wide audience in the summer and off season months.

For Sun Peaks Mayor Al Raine focussing on the summer season was one of the first orders of business when the municipality was incorporated.

“In council’s opinion, improving the summer business climate was a critical issue so the municipal focus is certainly on the summer, or the off season, and whatever we can do to increase business during those periods,” said Raine.

“It’s going to be a few years to get us where we want to be, but our goal is that you can arrive at Sun Peaks for any period between mid June to late September and find a whole myriad of interesting and entertaining functions and events.”

With funding in place and a jam packed event schedule booked for the 2012 summer season it appears that Sun Peaks has found the recipe for summer success to follow their 50th Anniversary winter season.

For a full events listings visit www.sunpeaksresort.com

As part of the annual Wine and Culture Festival July 6 to 8, 2012, Tourism Sun Peaks and the Kamloops Art Gallery (KAG) are seeking architecturally impressive homes in Sun Peaks to showcase during The Home Tour, Architectural Spaces 2012.

The event, which helps raise funds for the KAG’s art education and exhibits, was held in Sun Peaks for the first time last year. Over 230 people explored some of the resort’s most exclusive addresses which were decorated by interior designers using furnishings and accessories from local retailers.

Contact Janice Nankivell at tspevents@sunpeaksresort.com for more information.

Record Store Day is an annual celebration of independent music vendors and vinyl. This is the event’s fifth year, and independent records shops from all over the world are participating, including Kamloops’s Spinners Sound Centre.

Carrie Colliton is one of the founding members of Record Store Day. For her, the day is about the culture of these small businesses and the role they play in their communities.

“We’re trying to draw attention to, and celebrate, the independently owned local record stores and their place in the community, year-round,” she explains.

Record Store Day was started by a group of record store owners, inspired by Free Comic Book Day’s celebration of comic book stores and their customers. From there it became an international holiday of sorts, with music fans lining up outside stores for the opportunity to purchase limited releases, singles and entire albums created especially for Record Store Day.

This year fans will find special releases by The Flaming Lips, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, The Civil Wars, Thievery Corporation, Paul McCartney, David Bowie and more. Singer/songwriter Feist also teamed up with metal band Mastadon for a special release featuring each band covering the other’s material.

Sure, you may have catalogues from your favourite artists on your iPod, but purchasing a record and listening to it on a turntable is a much more intimate experience. It seems more people are realizing this—according to Nielsen SoundScan vinyl LP sales increased by 36 per cent last year. Whether it’s the romanticism of placing a record on a turntable and listening to the crackles and pops as it plays, or the more personable appearance of a record sleeve, having a record collection is appealing to more and more people.

Colliton reached out to fans on Facebook to inquire into the phenomenon. Replies from Record Store Day Facebook fans stated that people prefer the sound and style of vinyl.

“A lot of them were adamant that the sound is just better on vinyl . . . others like the fact that they have this artefact that they could hold on to, the artwork, the lyrics, everything—they just feel a closer connection to it,” she says. “Others like the actual process of putting vinyl on the turntable and concentrating on the listening experience, which is different than listening to music in a digital form, there’s no question.”

A quote from Damon Albarn (Blur, The Gorillaz) on the Record Store Day website explains his positive outlook for local music shops:

“I think independent record shops will outlive the music industry as we know it because, long-term, their value to people is far greater, because even in our era of file-sharing and blogs, you can’t replace the actual look on someone’s face when they’re playing something they really rate and think you should listen to it too. It’s special.”

Join the world in celebrating local music stores and vinyl April 21, and keep the tables turning. This annual event takes place the third Saturday of April, but some good vinyl and good vibes are available from a local record shop any day.

While big headliners are arguably the reason people attend most festivals, smaller festivals often have a more laid-back atmosphere, more space for dancing and chilling, and offer better views of the artists without the sardine-effect of some music audiences. If you’re looking for something different to try out this summer, look into these five B.C. music festivals.

Welcome in summer on Vancouver Island at Tall Tree Music Festival, June 21 to 23. Held just outside Port Renfrew, at Browns Mountain, Tall Tree showcases live talent from genres including surf and folk rock, and electronic dance music. The ocean views and old-growth forest setting are draw enough, though the remote location also makes for a somewhat primitive festival—bring cash with you because there’s no ATM on-site.

Acts for Tall Tree 2012 haven’t been released yet, but previous artists have included Jets Overhead, Neon Steve, and LongWalkShortDock.

Another excellent festival in June is The Groove Music Festival, June 22 to 25, at the GT Paradize Adventure Ranch in Midway, B.C. According to organizer Jon Larson, the festival was created in honour of his friend, Casey Crawford, who passed away in 2009. Larson aims to continue showcasing only Canadian music talent as the festival continues to grow—this year’s docket includes electronic dance music artists Freddy J, Yan Zombie, Bryx, and Deeps.

Back on the Island, another great festival, held July 20 to 22, is the Kulth Music Festival in Coombs, B.C. This folk fest with an edge, as its name implies—Kulth is short for Kulth-Ka-Choolth, meaning jagged face—is a film festival and music festival combined. Feature films A Small Act and Sunflower Hour will be screened throughout the day and night, followed by musical acts like The Boom Booms and Georgia Murray. The electronic music stage has yet to announce confirmed artists.

If you love the atmosphere of “hippie fests” like Shambhala Music Festival, but want something smaller and more intimate check out Bass Coast, in Squamish August 3 to 6. This riverside festival is capped at 3,000 attendees, and is a weekend exhibition of the arts, dance, and yoga. Although the 2012 lineup hasn’t been released, previous artists like Dub FX, Erica Dee, Kyrian, and EPROM, shows that this festival is well worth the ticket price.

There’s also a new festival popping up on the west coast this year: Wanderlust.

This yoga-music festival is taking place in Whistler August 23 to 26 and is featuring celebrity yogis like Baron Baptise and Eoin Finn, and excellent musical acts like Michael Franti and Thievery Corporation. While this is Wanderlust’s first year in Whistler, the production company, part of the group that organizes Austin City Limits and Lollapalooza, has a proven track record of producing great events.

These music festivals are among the many popping up all over B.C. With so much great local talent, and so many ambitious event organizers targeting B.C.’s picturesque potential festival venues, there’s no need to travel long miles and spend loads of cash on massive festivals where time is often wasted waiting in line, and trying to get a better vantage point of the stage.

Tall Tree Music Festival
June 21 to 23
Browns Mountain,
Port Renfrew, B.C.
$129 advance purchase;
$159 at gate
talltreemusicfestival.com

The Groove Music Festival
June 22 to 25
GT Paradize Adventure Ranch, Midway, B.C.
$50 – $60 advance purchase;
$75 at gate;
$100 and up: VIP packages

Kulth Music Festival
July 20 to 22
Coombs Rodeo Grounds
Coombs, B.C.
Prices not yet available
thekulth.ca

Bass Coast Project
August 3 to 6
Squamish, B.C.
$195 advance purchase;
$220 at gate
basscoast.ca

Wanderlust
August 23 to 26
Whistler, B.C.
$99 to $475 USD
whistler.wanderlustfestival.com

Friday, August 17
• The Beatles performed by Fab Fourever
6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, August 18
• The Doors performed by Strange Days
noon to 1:30 p.m.

• Guns ‘N Roses performed by Gunz N’FN’ Rosez
2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.

• Led Zeppelin performed by the Led Zeppelin Show
5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

• Aerosmith performed by Aerosmith Rocks
7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Sunday, August 19
• ABBA performed by ABBA Again
11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

All these shows are all-ages.

Visit www.sunpeaksresort.com for more information throughout the spring and summer.

Supporting acts will be revealed in May, but Sun Peaks officials confirm local singer/songwriter Margit Bull and Sweet Grass will start the show.

While free to the public, ticket details will be released in the coming weeks.

Costner is best known for his acting career, and the successes of films such as The Bodyguard and Dances with Wolves. But, music has also long been a part of Costner’s artistic repertoire. In 2005 the band Kevin Costner and Modern West emerged with influences from a broad tapestry of American music.

Kevin Costner and Modern West’s new single, The Angels Came Down, will be one of many played at the mountain venue. The recording is featured on www.kevincostnermodernwest.com .

This free outdoor concert in the mountain village will be the biggest event Sun Peaks has seen, and will certainly be a highlight of an otherwise full schedule of events planned for the resort this summer; the mountain community will host events every weekend from June 30th to September 29th.

For more information, click onto www.sunpeaksresort.com/events.

Like Crazy starts off as a typical college romance: a British exchange student (played by Felicity Jones) and an American classmate (played by Anton Yelchin) fall madly in love. Facing the prospect of a summer apart, they decide instead to spend it blissfully together. However, complications rear when the Brit finds that overstaying her student visa has consequences and she’s put back on the plane. The ensuing ups and downs of this love affair may seem, to some, implausible but for me, and I imagine for anyone who’s had to spend time away from the one they love, the longing that Jones and Yelchin portray shine through with conviction. Director Drake Doremus makes the most of the sparse script, teasing out very raw emotion from his star-crossed lovers in the long pauses between lines. And, unlike many movie romances, the happy ending is not a guarantee. This relationship is quite real (or as real as you can get in less than two hours), with passion, indifference, affection, and rough words. If you’re looking for a romance that doesn’t leave you feeling like you’ve overdosed on cotton candy, Like Crazy is sure to please.

Now, you might be thinking—how can an autobiography about J. Edgar Hoover, one of America’s most lauded crime fighters, be a love story? I was surprised myself as the film unfolded to find such tenderness behind the gruff, egotistical bully who ran the FBI for 50 years.

J. Edgar follows the course of Hoover’s life, from when the Bolshevik Revolution rocked the U.S., to his directorship of the FBI, to the Nixon administration. But it’s his relationship with Clyde Tolson, an associate director at the FBI and Hoover’s confidante that underscores just how delicate his impervious façade really was. Leonardo DiCaprio is stunning, slipping into Hoover’s skin with ease. However it was Armie Hammer as Tolson that truly delighted me. I’ve been a fan of Hammer’s since he played the Winklevoss twins in The Social Network. In J. Edgar, he delivers with a charm and vulnerability that’s as believable as it is disarming. Although the film drags a bit towards the end, it’s a fascinating biopic with enough meat to keep any history buff entertained.

If you’re feeling a little romantic, but can’t abide the sugar-coated love stories melting off the shelf at your local video store, I encourage you to pick up Like Crazy or J. Edgar. Though neither of these movies rocked the box office or brought in a shelf full of hardware, they both contain enough truth to keep you guessing right up until the credits roll.

“Music should be fun,” exclaims Adams. “If students are having fun and love the music they’re learning, it’s much easier to get them to practice. It’s about exploring with the student a variety of musical styles.”

Adams’ instruction encompasses a variety of genres including pop, dance, and Royal Conservative of Music curriculum.

The tentative schedule for classes is Monday evenings for children and Monday daytimes or evenings for adults. Weekly lessons are $20 per 30 minute session.

E-mail Catherine Adams for more information: sunpeaksmusicworks@gmail.com.