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Regrowth

This little fella decided to move in, but you can see he has a lot of catching up to do. In 2006, Vancouver experienced a devastating windstorm the effects of which can still be seen. With change comes renewal and this little cedar is evidence of that never ending cycle. From the looks of it, he has a lot of sturdy neighbors to keep him company through the many years as he grows to eventually tower through the canopy and see the sunrise on one side and the sunset across the Pacific Ocean on the other.

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Look the Other Way

On this particular day I had it in my mind to take a picture of the sunset. Before doing so I found myself captivated by this city view of Vancouver looking across Stanley Park. When I got home and looked at my photos, this one, rather than the sunset shots seemed the better choice. I guess the trick is to not always “assume” I know what’s going to work. Easier said than done for a left-brain guy like myself.

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Joey Bentall One

Something about a cafe on a busy street. I like sitting by a window and watching the world go by. But just as often, when I’m walking by, I like to look in. You can pick up on the character of a place, the type of patrons, the conversations, or perhaps people just, well, watching. Don’t ask me where I’m going with all this, probably nowhere. In any case, this upscale cafe is Joey Bentall One on Burrard in downtown Vancouver. This particular morning they hadn’t yet opened, it was early. But in a few hours, it would be, and so would the street outside.

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Through the Looking Glass

A reflection is removed, not the real thing, it somehow affords us perspective. Kind of a luxury when you consider the demands of everyday. None of this was on my mind when I took this photo, but upon reflection, maybe it makes sense.

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Timing is Everything

About a half hour before sunset I told the taxi driver to take me to this beach as I wanted to get a photo. Sounds simple enough, right? For whatever reason he dropped me about a mile from here at a trail-head. To this day I still can’t imagine why. Of course I’m not from the area so only after he drove off did I realize my predicament. A quick look at the trail-head sign to get my bearings and I started walking towards the beach, somewhat disappointed, knowing that by the time I reached it the sun would be down. Going as fast as I could I felt a little helpless as I could see the sun setting through the trees. I should have just enjoyed the moment surrounded by huge pines, alone on a quite trail, only I had that feeling you get when you’re late for a meeting. As I walked my mind kept going back to the taxi driver, what was he thinking? When I finally reached the beach, the sun had just set. Somewhat defeated, I setup my tripod and took this photo and it was only then that I realized I had arrived for the picture at the perfect time.

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Spring

Spring was created by Alan Chung Hung and is semi-hidden in a structure at the center of town. Art is a crazy thing, it can grab you when you least expect. When I post a picture I probably put a little time into it, thirty minutes to a hour all told. But what if I worked on a sculpture for three months, longer even, then unveil it for others to look at, muse or ignore? I don’t know what to make of this other than to say it grabbed my attention, I then pondered it, and thus, I suppose it succeeds. Thank you Alan Chung Hung.

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Night Light

Architecture in a city can be pretty dynamic. It gets to the point you walk right by something that could be remarkable without really noticing. Such is the case with this building. As I walk by this most days, it appears typical glass and concrete, I couldn’t even recall where it is, nondescript. One night however I walked by and thought, where did this come from? A few blue lights and it’s a different building, who’da thunk? Seems the more I stop to notice, the more I, well…, notice. Funny how that works. Makes for a more interesting day, or night, as the case may be.

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Twenty Dollar Cocktail

As I wandered through this lobby I stood around looking at the menu, all the while eyeing the bar and wondering if it was worthy of plunking my tripod down. I couldn’t help notice the exotic menu and the prices which were, uh…, a little higher than O’Malleys down the street. Nonetheless, I snapped the picture and made a mental note to come back right after I win the lottery.

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Court of Appeals

I received a jury summons yesterday for the exact same day I have a ticket to fly out of the country. I wonder if the judge will excuse me, or will I end up having to excuse myself from the boarding line. On the same day, there was a news item about a man suing his ex-fiance for her $48,000 engagement ring. I found my self turning the merits of that case over in my mind. (What that says about me we’ll save for another day.) Seems there’s a difference of opinion depending on whether your a man or a woman. All of this made it seem appropriate I should post this picture of the Court of Appeals…, or not.

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Night Runner

In Canada Harry Winston Jerome was named athlete of the century in 1971. In any case, I thought he (or his statue) would look good against the Vancouver skyline. Thus I proceeded to “paint” him with light during a two minute long exposure. Basically the technique calls for shining light on a subject to make it stand out against the night. However my first few attempts were, well…, failures.  On my fourth and final attempt I went for broke and started waving my flashlight all over the statue like a madman, determined to make this work. Finally after about two minutes I turned around to close the shutter on my camera when I noticed a small group of people watching my odd antics in the dark. Let’s just say that at that moment I wished I had Harry Winston Jerome’s legs.