TSN Woodbine Mile Feature - Meet Track Photographer Michael Burns Jr.

Meet Woodbine's legendary track photographer, Michael Burns Jr.

While at Woodbine Entertainment I’ve often found myself working in close quarters with Michael Burns, but I haven’t ever really had the chance to chat with him for any extended period of time. While shooting this feature I basically shadowed Burns for a couple days, so naturally we had a lot of time to talk. It was a great opportunity for me as a photographer to see how he works and pick his brain. I had a great time following him around and getting some insight into his daily workflow. Not only is he an amazing photographer but he is also a stand-up-guy.

I was blessed with some amazing light on a few of these shoot days which was really great, especially when you’re telling the story of a photographer. Below are a few screen grabs of the incredible light we were blessed with.

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

This feature was shot for the TSN Woodbine Mile Show which aired on September 14, 2019.

Woodbine Turf Cup Race Simulator

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to win a major stakes race on the Woodbine turf? Well here is your chance to feel like a champion jockey! Saddle up on this cutting-edge race simulator and compete in the Woodbine Turf Cup.

When the EFP department at Woodbine Entertainment was approached to assist with the video and audio elements of this activation I was all in. As an avid gamer myself, I was excited by the idea of working on an arcade-style interactive race simulator. I recorded hundreds of canned audio sound bites with track announcer, Robert Geller as well as video elements with TV and radio personality Jason Portuondo.

After everything came together and the Woodbine Turf Cup was ready to roll out we obviously had to get some top tier jockeys on it to test it out. Before a day of racing we got Eurico Da Silva and Rafael Hernandez, both former Queen's Plate winners, as well as Jason Portuondo to go head to head to head. Who won? I guess you'll have to watch to find out! #WoodbineTurfCup

This segment aired on TSN on August 28, 2019. It has been shared across Woodbine's social media platforms as well as Woodbine Simulcast.

POTD 03.08.19 - Stills day at Woodbine

Giddy up, it’s the long weekend!

The other day I set down the video camera and picked up the stills camera at the racetrack. I took some time to grab some images for Woodbine Entertainment. Kudos to the track photographer. Getting these kind of shots is not as easy as it might look. If you miss the perfect moment, that’s it, because the horses are long gone!

Here are a few of my favourite stills from that day.

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

TSN Prince of Wales Feature - Brooke Hubbard and One Bad Boy

Brooke Hubbard and One Bad Boy attempt to win the second jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown. I had the chance to hang out with Brooke and talk to her about her 2019 Queen's Plate win and what has led her to this moment.

This feature aired on TSN on June 23, 2019. Unfortunately for Brooke and One Bad Boy they took a second place finish. Not bad, but this means there will be no Canadian Triple Crown winner this year.

This may have been one of my favourite features that I’ve had the pleasure of shooting for TSN/Woodbine Entertainment. It was turned around really fast, but I’m happy with how it ended up looking.

This was all shot on the Sony FS7. Love that camera. Enjoy!

2019 Queen's Plate Recap and New Inner Turf Feature

Two features I shot were used back to back on a TSN show that aired on July 10, 2019. I've uploaded the entire segment so you can see how it fit into the show. This programs purpose was to recap the recent Queen’s Plate race, show off the recently added inner turf course at Woodbine and tease the upcoming Prince Of Wales show at Fort Erie.

If you want to skip the preamble here are the time-codes for my features.
2019 Queen's Plate Recap - 00:21
New Inner Turf Track Feature - 03:18