HA Photography

05/02/2026

Just in case you had one of those days❤️

02/02/2026

💙 Push-Ups for Mental Health (Send Snacks & Encouragement) 💙
I’ve signed up for The Push-Up Challenge in support of the Canadian Mental Health Association, with 100% of funds going directly to the Vancouver Island Mid-Island Chapter — supporting mental health in our own backyard.

I’ve also created a team called “the Freakishly Handsome Men of Westwood Lake" who meet weekly to walk. tell the same stories every time, and now believe push-ups are a great idea. (Spoiler: they are not.). find us at Westwood Men's Weekly Walk
You can:
👉 Join our team
👉 Donate to support mental health
👉 Laugh quietly while we discover muscles we forgot existed

Every push-up starts a conversation. Every dollar helps someone who needs support. Also, peer pressure is a powerful thing.

🔗 Join or donate here:
https://www.thepushupchallenge.ca/fundraisers/thefreakishlyhandsomemenofwestwoodlake

📢 Please share this post so we can raise funds, awareness, and possibly a few sore shoulders — all for a cause that truly matters.
Thank you for supporting mental health ❤️

We are taking on The Push-Up Challenge to raise awareness and funds for mental health. Funds raised will help CMHA support mental illness recovery and foster positive mental health outcomes in Canada. Nous relevons le Défi push-up pour sensibiliser le public et collecter des fonds pour la santé me...

11/10/2025

Taking advantage of some downtime while my talented wife .artist is the artist in residence at the fabulous to capture some &wlandscapephotography, all from the comfort of their covered deck and tasty beverages and food. Living the good life!

10/31/2024

In case you missed everyone else's happy snaps from this last summer, here are a few I found on a memory card that I was about to re-format. Glad I checked.....

01/09/2024

When my mom passed away last year, I received all the slides that were hiding away in her closet. Over the holidays I reviewed most of them, culled what I thought was worth keeping, and tossed out the rest. I found some real gems in the mix. Except for two, the ones here are from my parent's birthplace in East Prussia, (once a free state of Germany and now Poland). I spent the last three days cleaning up the images and adding some colour to dirty faded images. Their stories of how they fled to the West to escape the Soviet's advance are remarkable but by no means isolated. Our grandparent's stories are worth listening to and help give perspective and insight as to who we are.

01/05/2024

What a fabulous year 2023 was for me and HA Photography. I worked with so many great clients and I got to hear their stories and what inspires them and help elevate their brand. I am so thankful for all I have learned from them and I can't wait to see what comes my way in 2024. Thank you all for inspiring my passion. Here is a smattering of images from 2023.

08/10/2023

I’m a little humbled by this. Thank you Nanaimo international Jazz festival Association. Love being a part of this team.

🎺🎶 Let the rhythm of jazz take over at the 2023 Nanaimo International Jazz Festival! 🎶🎺 We're beyond excited to present an unforgettable lineup of musical acts that will leave you mesmerized. Trust us, it's going to be FANTASTIC! 🌟

But before we unveil the musical magic, let's take a moment to shine the spotlight on the real heroes—the incredible board members who make it all possible. 🌍 They're not just jazz enthusiasts; they're dedicated community members and amazing individuals, through and through. ❤️ Join us in celebrating their passion and unwavering commitment to making this festival a roaring success!

Dirk Heydemann first came to live in Nanaimo in 1991 when he took the jazz program at what was then Malaspina College. Upon completing the program, Dirk immediately grew his hair long, purchased some Birkenstocks, and played in the rock ‘n’ roll band for the next five years. There are some stories that he will soon be able to tell his daughter about those times.

Dirk’s, love of jazz started well before he moved to Nanaimo, he was a photographer, a regular volunteer and a stage manager at the Victoria Jazz Festival. When word got out in 2017 that some folks were looking to start a jazz festival here in Nanaimo, Dirk jumped at the chance to become a founding board member of the Nanaimo International Jazz Festival Association. (affectionately known as NIJFA)

Dirk is a full-time photographer and owner of HA Photography, and he loves his job. Over the last 25 years, Dirk has assisted local, national and international businesses and organizations with their digital marketing and promotional needs. Dirk also believes it’s important to give back to his community and is often seen donating his time to nonprofit groups and in particular, the arts.

Next time you bump into Dirk, ask him about those wild & crazy Rock & Roll days…

PS = Dirk is truly one of the nicest humans out there :)



HA Photography

07/29/2023

A few weeks ago when that supposed night of the northern lights was to happen, me and a buddy headed off in search of this great spectacle. Sadly, there were no northern lights, but the visuals and fun and conversation we had that night were awesome. Here are some of the images I captured that night. Enjoy!

06/12/2023

I attended the Pride festivities where I intended on capturing a ton of photos of all the fun a great outfits. Instead I captured only a small handful as I ended chatting with so many friends and honestly, it was great to just take it all in. I find when I’m creating images I need to remove myself emotionally from what’s going on and focus on everything I do when capturing events. I don’t regret it one bit. Here are the images I captured today. Happy Pride Month, ya’ll

06/07/2023

I have had some extra time to edit some of the photos I have captured on my own time. This first bunch of images was from a return trip from work in Vancouver in March. The light just kept getting better with eating passing minute. I can't pick a favourite, can you?