Autumn Forest

The tree-line, like the shore-line, is an invitation ... or maybe a dare.

Happy New Year

Best wishes for a happy & healthy 2011 to anyone who sought out, or stumbled across, this blog.

Charles Van Sandwyck

This photo was taken on the same day as the earlier post under the heading, 'Nick Bantock'. Another favorite artist of mine is Charles Van Sandwyck. His is an interesting story, and his work is beautiful. I first saw one of his prints in a shop across from my workplace on the corner of Homer and Pender. The shop no longer exists. Mr. Van Sandwyck is worth investigating.

Looking Down

I think this is from the Burrard Bridge.

Lotus Leaves

Driftwood

I've walked past this Spanish Banks landmark many times but something about the light on this particular morning suggested a probable future nostalgia.

Iona Nimbostratus

Another shot from my favorite location.

Noble Riffraff

Tree

This splattered ink brain tissue nerve network of a tree is ugly and beautiful at the same time. I often manage to overlook it among the swaying torsos of the dying dancer trees that surround it but today it grabbed center stage by the throat.

Bedroom & Billie Holiday

We live in a house that was built in the 1940's. It's simple and small and, maybe, influences my needs in that direction. The insulation is not great but I love it when the light is coming up in the windows and Billie Holliday is playing on the stereo. I think this is one of the finest musical moments ever recorded.

English Bay

Granville Island & Chet Baker

An early version of Chet Baker singing "Little Girl Blue" was playing in the background while I worked on this photo. The link above is to a later version. I didn't really know about Chet until relatively late in life and I saw, "Let's Get Lost". The camera loved Chet Baker. It seems a number of women did too. Chet loved them back. But he also loved the trumpet and heroin. I've heard stories about Chet's visit to Vancouver that involved a ping pong table, a fall and a trip to the hospital. I heard the same story from two sources. First, a famous Vancouver blues musician, who was at the scene. The second was a clerk in a mystery book shop who heard it from a friend who was there.

After The Rain

It finally stopped raining and I found myself on Kent Avenue. There is a muscled beauty around industrial areas. Carl Sandburg had the words for it.

Vancouver From Jericho

The Vancouver skyline, especially from the south-western beaches on English bay, is perhaps my favorite subject. This was taken during a winter walk at Jericho.

Exotic Fruit

Once in a while I get enchanted with some produce in the local market, just because of the way it looks.

Tree At Jericho Beach

The same morning as the previous post. My favorite tree in Vancouver, so far.

Christmas Morning, 2009

Best Wishes to everyone.

Jericho Woods

Sometimes I enjoy going back and working on a photo that I neglected earlier. It often means finding the format (black & white, tinting, toning, or some combination) to bring out the qualities that pressed me to take the picture in the first place.

October Sky, Vancouver

More hand-tinting (well, hand and mouse) but with broad strokes this time. I have a complicated (as complicated as I get anyway) relationship with nostalgia. When I figure it out I will tell you about it. One of my favorite bands in the 1970's was Dan Hicks and his Hot Licks. I can relate to his anachronistic stance. And his music gets to me. The photo was taken with my Panasonic point & shoot.

Forest Near Jericho Beach

When I was growing up on the prairies in the 50's and 60's there were always photos and postcards around that were hand-coloured or hand-tinted. I liked the effect, even when it was a kitschy travel photo-card from some obscure tourist spot. Maybe especially if it was a kitschy photo-card. I had just started acquiring the coloured pencils and spray-can lacquer to hand-colour photographs when I went digital and now I do it with Photoshop.

Colouringbooks were one of my favorite indoor childhood pastimes. Individually painting in the leaves in a forest shot is a good way for an insomniac photographer to spend the late-night hours.