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Vancouver Terminal

This image is based on the Vancouver terminal, or YVR as its also known. Each time I travel here I am intrigued by the construction. The architects created an exoskeleton with which they hung the functional necessities of the terminal. The form and function are indistinguishable from one another. I’ve noticed this elsewhere and it represents an evolution in how we build.

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Vancouver Terminal
Vancouver Terminal in British Columbia Canada

In the software industry we employ patterns to do basic tasks. Patterns are the analogs of load-bearing structures used in construction. Software has always drawn parallels from construction, and soon I believe it will occur the other direction.

We are evolving into beings that live as much in software as brick and mortar. The trend is accelerating and the boundaries between virtual and physical are becoming more tenuous each day.

The Matrix struck a chord because it explored merging of physical and software realities. I believe we are on some of the same trajectories proposed in the movie. In another generation virtual reality will be as commonplace as a cell phones are now.

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When I see physical structures I think of their corollaries in software. Likewise when I build software I borrow construction techniques and terminology. Now opposite is beginning to occur with construction rendering which is an offshoot of 3D printing. We have begun to build physical structures with software as seen on this YouTube. We are now on the verge of yet another revolution in combining software and construction. The merging between software, virtual reality and construction and manufacturing are all but disappearing before our eyes.

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Waterfall from British Columbia

I was flipping through some old photos and I found this waterfall from British Columbia. What caught my attention was that it was taken exactly three years ago today. This is just below the massive Shannon Falls north of Vancouver. When I took this it was in full flow from the spring runoff, so I imagine it would be the same now.

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Waterfall from British Columbia
Waterfall from British Columbia just north of Vancouver

I took this with the Sony A7R, which was still fairly new at the time. I had had it for only a couple of months and was still learning its ins-and-outs. Looking at this now makes me want to take a trip back to the Pacific Northwest and go waterfall hunting. For a landscape photographer waterfalls are big game.

A lot has transpired in the last three years. In that time I’ve taken close to a hundred thousand images. They’re not all winners mind you, in fact only a very small percentage of them are what I’d consider “good”. In one sense photography is a numbers game. The more you do the better your odds. Eventually you get some good ones.

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When I get asked how I got to where I am the answer is simply that I take a lot of photos; some turn out good. That’s not to diminish the effort, but it’s more repetition than anything. If you get out and take pictures, magic eventually happens. If you want to take good photos, take a lot of photos. Eventually you’ll get some real winners.

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People and Their Neighborhood

When I was last here in Vancouver I walked around Gastown at night and this is the first shot I got. It’s a random shot of the people and their neighborhood. I have vivid impressions of this part of town; mostly that it’s a cool place to hang out. There are bistros and bars galore and you can find anything you might be looking for. I also remember being amazed at how many people were smoking weed in the open, not just here but all over Vancouver. That’s a little like Amsterdam I suppose, not so unusual when compared to other progressive cities.

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People and Their Neighborhood
People and Their Neighborhood – a picture of Gastown in Vancouver BC

Street photography, especially at night, is a window on the soul of a neighborhood. I find that from random shots come insights into the character of a place. When walking around we observe a place but when we look at an image we study it. It’s not easy to study something when you are in it. Maybe that’s the attraction to street photography, it allows for a character study of the people and a place.

There is a symbiotic relationship between our neighborhood and us. When we talk we say; she is from this or that part of the city, as though it conveys some sense of character identity. Ever notice that?

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I’ve learned to appreciate street photography almost by accident. The more I do it the more I learn. In the end, it’s people and their relationship to their surroundings that comes through. You can see into it anything you want but for me it’s vignettes of life that I can study and learn from.

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Hotel Europe in Vancouver’s Gastown

This is Hotel Europe in Vancouver’s Gastown. Gastown is a once-rundown-but-now-trendy section of the city. The last time I was in this area I walked around in the evening.

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Hotel Europe in Vancouver's Gastown
Hotel Europe in Vancouver’s Gastown

There is no end of things to see especially if you like photography. In fact, several years ago I was here with my wife when she booked a photowalk with Susanne at Vancouver Photowalks. I highly recommend it if you’re so inclined. She knows the city and you’re guaranteed to come home with some epic shots.

This is a heritage building built in 1909. There are a lot of restored buildings that give the area its character. The streets are made of bricks and there is an ancient clock operated by steam. You could eat in a different restaurant every night and do an epicurean tour of the world. Each time I come back this section of town just keeps getting better.

Normally I take a tripod with me at night but this time I was just out for a stroll, not really intending to take a lot of pictures. I ended up wishing for a tripod, but made due with a high ISO instead. This was taken handheld using ISO 5000. Even though I’ve had this Sony camera for a couple of years I’m still amazed at what it can do. Maybe one day tripods will become obsolete as well.

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Anyway, if you’re in Vancouver and you want to see something a little different go to Gastown. Even better, arrange to go with Susanne from Vancouver Photowalks.

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Photographic Angle

A photographic angle of a modern building caught my eye while walking through a big city. It’s at the foot of Telus Gardens which is a new building with innovative architecture and is supposedly one of the most energy efficient in the world. The image is a little confusing. The translucency and reflections of the elevator on the left create a little perplexity.

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Photographic Angle
Photographic Angle of Telus Gardens in Vancouver

I took several identical frames hand held using a high ISO setting. Normally I would use a tripod but this time I was trying a different technique. I used Photoshop to combine the identical images and eliminate the noise. I learned the technique from this tutorial by Serge Ramelli.

Because I live in a small town walking around a big city is an experience for me. Sometimes I think I’d like to live in a large city. I love the energy, especially the creative inspiration I get for photography. I get a lot of that when I’m in a place like Vancouver.

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Later when I get home I’m happy for the quiet and relative calm of a small town. It’s not a contradiction, just a matter of being happy where I am. No matter where I end up, I’ll always be looking for a photographic angle.

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Spectacle of the Commercial Port

It seems each time I visit Vancouver I’m drawn to the spectacle of the commercial port. Probably because it’s right on the eastern edge of town and it’s hard to miss. Maybe also the child in me likes all the multicolored containers, boats and cranes. Nevertheless I look for new ways to frame it and in this case the sunrise provided a backdrop. This morning was the first break in the clouds after a week of steady rain.

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Spectacle of the Commercial Port
Spectacle of the Commercial Port in Vancouver BC

I took this from Canada Place which is empty of people first thing in the morning save for the occasional jogger or photographer. The perspective from here is deceiving, the port appears smaller than it is. The last time I was in Vancouver I took a seaplane and flew over the port. To my surprise it was many times larger than I thought. I had only ever seen it from this perspective.

I have always wondered about the number of ships sitting at sea just outside port, it’s a part of the Vancouver seascape. You grow accustomed to it but the first time I saw them I thought it unusual. After a while they blend into the fabric of the city and you hardly notice. At the appointed time each will pass under the Lionsgate Bridge and dock here.

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I think it all goes unnoticed by the majority of people, but for some unknown reason I find all of this fascinating, spending more time than I should thinking about the ships, the docks and the whole bloody operation.

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Preferred Parking

On Saturday night I was walking back to my hotel in Vancouver and had to stop and do a double take when I passed what appeared to be preferred parking. It’s adjacent to a nightclub and what caught my eye was the modes of transport, i.e. German engineering. I have no idea which club this is but just after I took the shot I saw another couple arriving in a Porsche from Washington State. I guess the club is worth the two-hour drive up. If I had one of these cars I’d park here as well. Surely the valet attendant is well tipped.

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Preferred Parking
Preferred Parking in Vancouver BC

At the time I was walking around looking for street scenes to photograph. My Sony camera is so good at night photography that its something I look forward to doing whenever I’m in a big city.

It’s been about six months since I was in Vancouver and the one difference I noticed was the amount of people smoking weed in the open. I’d say it was more than in Amsterdam, and if you’ve ever been to Amsterdam that’s saying something. Maybe because it was a Saturday night, but I’m not sure.

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Anyway, there is always something to see / do / smell when walking around here. Everyone is out having a good time and some people know how to arrive in style.

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Elk Lake

I took this a few years ago at Elk Lake in Victoria BC. We had just arrived on the ferry and stopped several times on the short drive into town. The scenery around Victoria is pretty awesome and you don’t have to go far to see something. In this case the sun was setting as it highlighted the trees along the lake. A tranquil scene that I tried to capture with my camera.

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Elk Lake
Elk Lake in Victoria BC

I’m going back to Vancouver shortly so I may hop over to the island and have a peak around. I was here in summer last so the change of seasons always shows things in a different light. Obviously it will look very different.

This is an old picture that I happened to notice as I was browsing my archives. It brought back memories and it reminded me of that trip. The other night I decided to scroll back on my iPhone images. The iPhone is ten years old and sure enough I have images going back to 2007. As I scrolled through I took a walk down memory lane and before you know it an hour had gone by, and I only made it to 2010.

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Isn’t it nice to have so many memories preserved on an iPhone and with you wherever you go? I think that’s pretty cool.

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Fountain at Butchart Gardens

This is a dancing fountain at Butchart Gardens in Victoria BC. The gardens are carved out of an old quarry and have become a big attraction for the region. I’m not a gardener but this place was way better than I expected. I will go back without hesitation next time I’m there.

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Fountain at Butchart Gardens
Fountain at Butchart Gardens in Victoria British Columbia

It’s hard to imagine the amount of work that goes into maintaining such an expansive display. There are favorites like roses as well as exotic species I’d never seen. There are streams, brooks and ponds throughout. As well there is an outdoor venue for concerts.

It’s the kind of place you want to take a couple of days to explore, or maybe more if you’re interested in plants or gardening. If I lived here I could see visiting on a regular basis for no other reason than to soak up the energy. If plants have feelings then those here are very happy and being around happy plants might not be a bad idea.

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There’s too much to take in all at once, though I tried. I took hundreds of pictures of flowers as well as the landscape. This fountain was towards the back. I recall thinking there couldn’t possibly be more to see and then came upon this.

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Panorama of Coal Harbour

This is a panorama of Coal Harbour in Vancouver. I took this in the middle of summer after a trip to Alaska. When I’m in Vancouver I like to walk along this path. There are always a lot of people out walking, jogging and cycling. Also I think proximity to the water is a good way to clear out the cobwebs.

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Panorama of Coal Harbour

The original image is even wider but I cropped it because I thought it was too wide. This portion is composed of five photos stitched together in Autopano Giga. It’s a good tool and once you get the hang of it it’s easy to produce panoramas.

One thing I like about panoramas like this is the amount of detail. For instance, I’ve walked by this spot for years and I never noticed the house boats. While processing this photo I zoomed in to take a closer look. Next time I walk by I’ll be sure to stop and look again.

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It’s also fun to see what people are doing. Most of them are just walking along and talking with friends. Off to the left is the Weston Hotel, that stands out in my mind because local otters like to use the pool there. How they climb out of the water and find a nearby pool is beyond me. They’re smart little critters aren’t they?

There is always something going on here, always something to see. There are a lot of awesome places in Vancouver but this is one of my favorite.