Alicia Thurston Photography Shares capturing connections and genuine interaction at Rethink Breast Cancer’s Boobyball Mini At Berkeley Church.
“Boobyball, our flagship fundraiser just celebrated its 16th year this October. While we still see some of the original Boobyballers attending every year across the country, many of them have started families and are looking for things to do with their kids. We started Boobyball Mini to give parents a fun afternoon out with their family and friends, while also giving them an outlet to teach their little ones about the importance of giving back. ” Alex Clarke from Rethink Breast Cancer
What are some of the benefits of having worked with the Rethink Breast Cancer group before when you are going in to photograph their mini booby ball at the Berkeley Church ?
It’s definitely helpful to have set expectations. It helps with the nerves, as I always get a little nervous before a job – I think that’s a good sign, it means I still want to create the best I can and exceed client expectations. So with that said, knowing what to expect, being familiar with many faces and knowing how much fun the event is, alleviates some of those nerves, not all though. 😉
“We love to create unique experiences unlike any other events across Canada. From Boobyball where we create an interactive experience throughout the night, to Boobyball Mini where we cater activities to both parents and children, it is our goal to wow our guests each and every time they walk through our doors!” Alex Clarke from Rethink Breast Cancer. How did the stying of the event contribute to your ability to take such dynamic photographs?
The Rethink Team always does such a beautiful job creating some of the best decor I’ve seen. It really makes the photos interesting when the backdrop is fun. As well, the families who are at the event want to be in photos because of the cool design elements!
Rethink really brings that extra sparkle with their Boobyball events. This year, the circus ring and animals were my favourite part. They photographed so well and gave some really great dimension to the room!
You shared last years beautiful mini booby ball at Airship37 to previous interview . What were some of the changes and developments of the event you noticed at this years event?
I definitely noticed that the sheer number of people was much larger this year which means great things for Rethink. I’m so excited to see the growth of these events because it means we are getting the message out there to more people.
Seth Godin talks about how you have to start by doing something special and then social media is about telling about it. Begin by being really special then you can add more people. What do you think of this philosophy in relation to your work profiling the Rethink Breast Cancer mini booby ball?
I definitely agree. I think it’s important to reach inside and find what you can do for your community. I am so honoured to be able to pay it forward and am grateful to have worked with Boobyball and Rethink for so many years.
A consistent theme in your work is your ability to capture precious moments of genuine interaction between people. How have you evolved this skill and what are some of the elements that go into getting that shot filled with genuine expression?
Thank you! 🙂 It’s so important for me to capture connection and genuine interaction. I think part of my ability to do this and how I continue to find new ways, maybe even better ways, is by doing my own personal growth and learning more about empathy and compassion. As humans, we all need connection, we crave it, so it’s important for me to understand that and see how it works in so many ways, from Mother to child, Husband to Wife, sister to sister, between friends etc. Sometimes it means that I help to create a comfortable environment where people can open up and share their connection with me, sometimes at an event like this, it’s being observant and people watching to see when those moments appear.
“For Boobyball Mini, we are incredibly lucky to have some of the original Boobyball founders still working closely with Rethink to help us fulfill our mission to empower and advocate for young people worldwide who are concerned about and affected by breast cancer. Every year, our network grows across Canada and we are extremely grateful for all of the time and effort given to support our cause.” Alex Clarke from Rethink Breast Cancer. What are the some of the unique qualities about capturing an event that has built such strong and meaningful connections among people?
It means the world to me, I am honoured to be a part of this community and have also made many meaningful connections with the people I’ve worked with at Rethink. I think it comes through in my work that I am passionate about being part of the event.
When editing the album what are some of the criteria you are looking for in a photograph?
I’m definitely often looking for laughter and smiles. I want to tell the story of the event, the dancing, face-painting, donut wall, and other things that make the Boobyball so much fun!
