Langley Hospital Exceeds Fundraising Goal

celebrating hospital fund raising

Congratulations to the Langley Memorial Hospital Foundation for their more than successful campaign to raise funds for a new ER department and MRI suite at the hospital. Thanks to the hard work of the foundation and the generosity of our community, the $15M goal was exceeded by $2M!

I was more than pleased to have a small role in the campaign by photographing many of the major donors as well as photographing the gala on June 1.

And what a gala it was! Never have I attended such an event where so many aspects were brought together so perfectly. You would never have guessed that the venue normally serves as a sports arena, the decorations and lighting were simply over the top. The entertainment was funny, touching and riveting. And the food for the 400 guests was amazing.

But what struck me most was the very deep level of support for the event by our local Langley people. It was represented by the very generous donations of many families and businesses as well as the diverse array of articles generously donated for the silent and live auctions. As well, the event was well supported by many volunteers.

I have never felt more proud to be a member of the Langley community.

Below are a few photos from the Gala to share the big night with you.

ice sculpture at LMHF Gala 2019
You just knew something special was happening when you walked past this amazing ice sculpture as you entered.
table settings at LMHF Gala 2019
The tables were set and the decor was ready. Can you believe this is a sports arena?
The grand table at the LMHF Gala 2019
The “Best Table in the House” was all set to be auctioned off, including a personal server, perfect dinner wine pairings, and gift baskets for each guest. It went for $10,000!
Marilyn Monroe with Phil Jackman
Marilyn Monroe, portrayed by Tracey Bell, celebrating a birthday with Phil Jackman, chair of the fundraising committee.
Marilyn enjoying a moment with the volunteers who operated the Diamond Dig.
dressed in the theme of Old Hollywood at the LMHF Gala 2019
The theme of the Gala was Old Hollywood and everyone took their role seriously!
Tracey Bell entertained us throughout the night in the form of Julie Andrews, Marilyn Monroe, Cher, Celine Dionne and Liza Minelli.
The tables were full at the LMHF Gala 2019
Every seat was a great seat! And, with four large screens of live action, you could see it all.
food being served
We’re sure the servers exceeded 10 000 steps as they delivered a three course meal to 400 people.
Desserts did not disappoint!
silent auction
The silent auction was vast, diverse and tempting. It was entirely electronic. Guests made their bids on tablets (provided) or their smartphones.
Tiffany Desrosier performing on stage
Tiffany Desrosier rocked the house with her amazing voice through three songs.
Tiffany Desrosiers
Tiffany told the story of the recent birth of her daughter. Everything went well until a very serious complication arose. She is able to tell about it today because the Langley Memorial Hospital staff responded quickly and effectively to her need.
volunteers
The gala was well supported by volunteers, recognized by their red fascinators.
In a classic view of Marilyn Monroe, Tracey Bell had us all laughing.
live auctioneer
The live auctioneer provided entertainment as several large items, including a five star luxury cruise, was auctioned off.
At the end of the night, each guest left with a bottle of wine. Now that’s classy!
celebrating hospital fund raising
The evening concluded with the joyous number on the screen. That’s $2M more than the target!

About the photos …

Event photography like this poses two main challenges: working in low light and dealing with white balance.

I had two strategies that worked well with the first problem. By setting my two cameras to manual mode, choosing an aperture and shutter speed, and then using Auto ISO, I was able to capture well exposed images in an environment with constantly changing light. And it really was constantly changing as coloured spot lights were moving and changing colours continuously. With these settings, my ISO often moved up to 12800 but my cameras handled it well and only a few of the images needed noise reduction afterward. What also helped, especially with the spotlights on the stage, was using spot metering, to get the correct exposure on the speaker’s skin.

While I was roaming the floor, looking for images, I had my flash on the camera and a Gary Fong Lightsphere firmly connected. This worked well to illuminate faces that were cast in shadow or just very low light.

Although the colours of the venue did create challenges in post processing, a simple adjustment of white balance in Lightroom returned more natural skin tones in most pictures easily.

When photographing an event, I work with two cameras, allowing me to quickly change my perspective with my two essential lenses. One is my trusty 24-70 f/2.8 which I use for groups and people closer to me. This one had the flash attached. The other lens is the 70-200 f/2.8 which allows me to capture close ups of people some distance away.

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