Spanish Banks Tree

I must have looked at this tree a hundred times without seeing it. The light of a certain time of day, a certain season ... and there it is.

Iris Leaves

A wonder of design; simple, beautiful and functional

Fallen Trees

Here's a bit of photojournalism from a couple of months ago. No houses, cars or people were damaged but the roots of the trees ripped through the sidewalk when the wind blew the trees down. It took almost a week for the city to cut up and remove them. That's not a complaint but rather an indication of the size of the trees and the job.

Clouds Over Park

This is a park on west 33rd looking northwest during an evening shower. There had been a heavy thunderclap earlier. That is unusual in Vancouver and a welcome drama in the west coast skies unless you are near the lightning strike. This is something to consider when taking pictures during electrical activity. Not too long ago I watched "Act Of God". It was done by the same people who did "Manufactured Landscapes". I have already written about Edward Burtynsky but he is worth mentioning again.

Rene Magritte and the Canadian Prairies

These are more early photos that I recently scanned. The bottom photo is one I used as part of the design for a cover for a small book of poems I self-published with the help of my good friend Stephen Gross of Gravity Press. Another friend, Philippe Lasard, helped me realize my cover design. This photo seemed to capture aspects of both the west coast and the prairie landscapes that informed my imagination. It was taken at Centennial Beach, a favorite spot. The top photo reminded me of one of my favorite artists, Rene Magritte. It felt like it could be a detail from one of his paintings, somewhere beyond the bowler hat or floating apple.

Bamboo and Stanley Park Fog

The results, when working with scanned film in Photoshop, are less predictable than when working from digital photos. There is a different texture.