Jericho Sailing Club, August '08 (early morning)

During the summer months the sun usually rises well before I do. When circumstances, or uncharacteristic self-discipline, find me awake before 6 a.m. it would be criminal not to take my camera out. One of my favourite places, any season and any time of day, is Vancouver's Jericho pier, near the sailing club. 

Page 2 Winnipeg Adventure

Wim Wenders

Recently my children gave me a book of photographs as a gift. It was "Pictures From The Surface Of The Earth" by the great movie director Wim Wenders. He is the director of one of my favorite movies, "Wings Of Desire".  It is a beautiful black & white film that never fails to move me with it's compassion for our failings and frailty and its respect for the human spirit. Apparently he keeps a panoramic camera with him most of the time and the results are in the book. They are beautiful to look at but are more than that. Like his films they  leave one with the feeling that Mr. Wenders truly enjoys the world and respects his fellow inhabitants. But he is not above being critical or sharing a joke. Many of the photos are from the American southwest where he shot, "Paris, Texas" and "Don't Come Knocking". "Don't Come Knocking" was especially beautiful to watch, with the richly textured landscape, architecture and light of the western desert area. Mr. Wenders sites Edward Hopper as a strong influence. There will be more on Mr. Hopper in the future.

Angela

My daughter, Angela, is the first name I'm going to name in my thank you list. There is a link to her blog in my links bar. If you get an opportunity, and you should make the opportunity, visit her blog http://www.thenewisthetrue.blogspot.com/ and see for yourself what an amazing young woman she is. Her gentle urging has gotten me this far in the virtual world. I love having lunch with her or going to the movies or talking books. She is open and enthusiastic and emotional (in the best way) and I'm going to miss her so much when she goes east to further her studies. I love her more than I can say. Here are some pictures of her in Hon's  http://www.hons.ca/hons_english.htm 

Guy Maddin

This photo is a still from Guy Maddin's "My Winnipeg". A person's relationship with the city of their birth can be a complicated one. Coming from Winnipeg brings me a particular joy. "My Winnipeg" is a good way for someone from someplace other than Winnipeg to start to get to know the city, and Guy Maddin.  To find out more about Mr. Maddin's movies, go to http://www.guymaddin.net

My family home is on Lorette Avenue. This is important to remember if you ever watch "My Winnipeg". You'll find out why we don't talk about Lorette. 

Buoys

In early summer I wandered into the life guard station storage room on Spanish Banks beach. The buoys on the bench, chained and inanimate, looked like  prisoners, forgotten by the world but blessed by a random ray of midmorning sun

Winnipeg Adventure

I went to Winnipeg this summer. I have gone every summer for the last eight years or so. This year I decided to experiment with a 'graphic novel' style chronicling of the trip. There was so much I left out, like the trip downtown to see Guy Maddin's "My Winnipeg" and walking home through the ghost town of Portage Avenue, following a trail of dry  blood drops down the sidewalk of Memorial Boulevard to Broadway. How long had those drops been there. 

This is page one of my Winnipeg adventure. 

Childhood Summer

Occasionally we are given a glimpse into the fact that being a child is still a wonderful thing. Jericho Pier, Vancouver. Summer of '08.

Invitation

For anyone who missed it on my website, here is the invitation to my first show at Cuppa Joe's Coffee bar on 4th Avenue, just west of Alma Street, in Vancouver, B.C.

I hope to see you there.

Welcome & Thanks

Welcome

This blog is meant to work with my website at www.little-eye-studio.com  In it I hope to present some of the photographs that will be on the website, especially new works, as well as presenting other photographers, artists, writers, artisans and just plain people who have inspired and influenced me. 

I will also take this opportunity to thank the many people who have taught, supported and encouraged me in my journey as a photographer and as a person. Names will be named in future entries but for now I just want to say that nothing I have done would be possible or worthwhile without the love of friends and family.

                                                                                                                 Jim Friesen