Posted on

Quiet Corner of the Castle

This is a piano I found in a corner of the Scottish castle otherwise known as the Banff Springs Hotel, in Banff Alberta. When I was there I took quite a few photos of the place which is a small measure of how impressed I was by the ambiance and architecture. If anyone ever invents a time machine, this is the place I’d like to visit fifty or a hundred years ago. From the looks of the furnishings I’d think little has changed, it’s as though the place was cut right out of a movie set and a playground for the rich and famous. Perhaps the only difference now is that people like me, not so rich and famous, can wander the halls and get lost in reverie and imagination.

This is a piano I found in a corner of the Scottish castle otherwise known as the Banff Springs Hotel, in Banff Alberta. When I was there I took quite a few photos of the place which is a small measure of how impressed I was by the ambiance and architecture. If anyone ever invents a time machine, this is the place I'd like to visit fifty or a hundred years ago. From the looks of the furnishings I'd think little has changed, it's as though the place was cut right out of a movie set and a playground for the rich and famous. Perhaps the only difference now is that people like me, not so rich and famous, can wander the halls and get lost in reverie and imagination.

Follow link to obtain a limited edition print of this photo.

Posted on

Taking It All In

This is False Creek in Vancouver where I sat one evening to take in the sights of the city. Seems there’s so much to see that you have to take it all in one little chunk at a time. If you have nothing better to do (or even if you do) you can just sit here on a bench and scan from left to right. I’ve spent a lot of time walking around here at night and it feels safe, lot’s of people do it, strength in numbers. The other thing is that if I walk too far I can always catch the subway or a cab, the city is about as cosmopolitan as they come. And I thought Cosmopolitan was a cocktail, silly me.

This is False Creek in Vancouver where I sat one evening to take in the sights of the city. Seems there's so much to see that you have to take it all in one little chunk at a time. If you have nothing better to do (or even if you do) you can just sit here on a bench and scan from left to right. I've spent a lot of time walking around here at night and it feels safe, lot's of people do it, strength in numbers. The other thing is that if I walk too far I can always catch the subway or a cab, the city is about as cosmopolitan as they come. And I thought Cosmopolitan was a cocktail, silly me.

Follow link to obtain a limited edition print of this photo.

Posted on

Memories of Lake Louise

If I had this view out back I’d never leave home. Nonetheless, this is the view you see from the Chateau Lake Louise in Alberta Canada. The last time I was here the lake was frozen and I was with a climbing party where we scaled a frozen waterfall towards the back on the right. It was an all day affair and since I was not qualified to lead I stayed below as the lead climber secured a route up the fall. If you can imagine being chained to a rock in subzero temperatures followed by brief periods of adrenalin rush, that would pretty much summed it up. Aside from that, my other memory is of how good the peppermint schnapps tasted once we finished. Our party must have been quite a site as we walked into the five-start hotel outfitted with ice axes, crampons and all manner of climbing gear. In fact, it was probably a common sight as this is a popular winter sport destination. Anyway, back to the present day. Winter or summer, the view here is about as good as it gets.

If I had this view out back I'd never leave home. Nonetheless, this is the view you see from the Chateau Lake Louise in Alberta Canada. The last time I was here the lake was frozen and I was with a climbing party where we scaled a frozen waterfall towards the back on the right. It was an all day affair and since I was not qualified to lead I stayed below as the lead climber secured a route up the fall. If you can imagine being chained to a rock in subzero temperatures followed by brief periods of adrenalin rush, that would pretty much summed it up. Aside from that, my other memory is of how good the peppermint schnapps tasted once we finished. Our party must have been quite a site as we walked into the five-start hotel outfitted with ice axes, crampons and all manner of climbing gear. In fact, it was probably a common sight as this is a popular winter sport destination. Anyway, back to the present day. Winter or summer, the view here is about as good as it gets.

Follow link to obtain a limited edition print of this photo.

Posted on

Neighbors

One day while walking through Vancouver I noticed these front steps all nicely aligned in a row. Even though they look the same, beyond each threshold lies a vastly different story. I live in a townhouse that looks just like the one next to it and so I suppose that to someone from a different culture my neighbor and I might appear very similar. And to me, folks in a village on the opposite side of the globe might also appear similar. But we’re not, and the chances are that I have more in common with someone on the opposite side of the globe than I do with my next door neighbor. Good morning neighbor, wherever you are.

One day while walking through Vancouver I noticed these front steps all nicely aligned in a row. Even though they look the same, beyond each threshold lies a vastly different story. I live in a townhouse that looks just like the one next to it and so I suppose that to someone from a different culture my neighbor and I might appear very similar. And to me, folks in a village on the opposite side of the globe might also appear similar. But we're not, and the chances are that I have more in common with someone on the opposite side of the globe than I do with my next door neighbor. Good morning neighbor, wherever you are.

Follow link to obtain a limited edition print of this photo.

Posted on

Siwash Rock

This is Siwash Rock which is at the western tip of Stanley Park in Vancouver. The first time I walked around the seawall I was struck by it’s shape and position, as though it were some mystical sentinel. I’ve tried several times to take a picture of this with poor results, in fact I was a little obsessed with this. How so? Well, when I’m in Vancouver I stay at the Marriott, and in each room of that hotel is the same black and white photograph of this rock, from roughly the same position. I don’t know who took that photo, but who ever you are it’a a really beautiful shot. So, I had it in my mind to do something like that. This is my spin, as it were, but of course I’m emulating another photographer who’s work is in every room of the Marriott. So there you have it, I got my inspiration from a hotel wall.

This is Siwash Rock which is at the western tip of Stanley Park in Vancouver. The first time I walked around the seawall I was struck by it's shape and position, as though it were some mystical sentinel. I've tried several times to take a picture of this with poor results, in fact I was a little obsessed with this. How so? Well, when I'm in Vancouver I stay at the Marriott, and in each room of that hotel is the same black and white photograph of this rock, from roughly the same position. I don't know who took that photo, but who ever you are it'a a really beautiful shot. So, I had it in my mind to do something like that. This is my spin, as it were, but of course I'm emulating another photographer who's work is in every room of the Marriott. So there you have it, I got my inspiration from a hotel wall.
Follow this link to obtain a print of this photo.

Posted on

Master

I took this one evening while walking around Granville Island in Vancouver. Sometimes, depending on where I am, there are interesting subjects at every turn. In general this is true for Vancouver, but it’s even more true for this little harbor on False Creek. My guess, and it’s only a guess, is that this fishing boat supplies the local restaurants. And in this section of town, there are a lot of seafood restaurants, I mean a lot.

I took this one evening while walking around Granville Island in Vancouver. Sometimes, depending on where I am, there are interesting subjects at every turn. In general this is true for Vancouver, but it's even more true for this little harbor on False Creek. My guess, and it's only a guess, is that this fishing boat supplies the local restaurants. And in this section of town, there are a lot of seafood restaurants, I mean a lot.

Follow link to obtain a limited edition print of this photo.

Posted on

Underside

This is the Lionsgate Bridge which links Vancouver with North Vancouver. The bridge is quite high to allow cargo and cruise ships access to Vancouver Harbor. The Stanley Park seawall and bike path pass under at this location. I can’t help but be impressed with the massive display of engineering and steel, especially when standing here. As I write this post from my Vancouver hotel room late in the evening, I can look over my right shoulder and see this bridge lit up against the North Vancouver mountains.
This is the Lionsgate Bridge which links Vancouver with North Vancouver. The bridge is quite high to allow cargo and cruise ships access to Vancouver Harbor. The Stanley Park seawall and bike path pass under at this location. I can't help but be impressed with the massive display of engineering and steel, especially when standing here. As I write this post from my Vancouver hotel room late in the evening, I can look over my right shoulder and see this bridge lit up against the North Vancouver mountains.
Follow link to obtain a print of this photo.