Lights

It's been a while.

Harrison BC

In an odd sideways moment (who plans to go to Harrison BC when you live in Vancouver?) I ended up looking across this lake on a stormy Friday afternoon. The lake was oddly green, the sky heavy, but the weather was oddly muted.

Two hours later the wind had churned the lake into a black oily mess, scattered the clouds, and let the sun cut through the gaps left by mountains.

figs

Hanging out with Sophie.

There she is. We're hanging out.

Places to call home.

Red

...and blue.

Infatuations...

Like a painting. But a photograph. And an element of timelessness to it. I should print it out and mount it to a plank of pine with burnt edges and bury it in shellac. Or something.

Wanderful.

My friend and photographer Chris Davey has started a photographic series where she visits different neighborhoods in Vancouver and documents them for Vancouver Is Awesome. I thought it would be interesting to visit the same subject matter through a different camera and see how two people see the same neighborhood differently. I did the exercise with two different cameras on the same day, one digital, and one film. I may chase her down a few of the other neighborhoods she's explored if I can find the time. It's been a fun experiment.

Relics

The last movie to ever show at the East Van Cinemas was The Social Network. The poster is still up in the case, faded somewhat and wrinkled. I am a big proponent of seeing movies in the context they were meant to be seen. This is what's left of the East Van Cinemas, a popcorn machine orphaned in a gutted, flooded lobby. The Hollywood is going as well. And others I'm sure. To be honest, I saw a couple of movies at the East Van Cinema and the sound was bad, the seats uncomfortable, and the projection was ever so slightly out of focus on a dirty screen. But the answer wasn't shutting it down, the answer was to fix it up. Two less theaters in Vancouver this year. I wonder how many more will disappear next.

The Rio is, however, still open. And it is making an effort to stave off the inevitable. For instance, I may have to go and see The Outsiders (I mean, just look at the cast, and directed by Francis Coppola) and Rumble Fish (seriously, Tom Waits, Dennis Hopper, Mickey Rourke, Matt Dillon, just to name a few, Coppola genius abounding) midnight double bill. Even if I fall asleep because of the midnight start time, I'd feel good knowing the Rio got a few of my hard earned bucks because they are making the effort to do such things.

Besides, we have enough relics. We don't need more things to feel nostalgic about, we need more things to feel good about.

May 25, 2011.

Revisiting Kitsilano

The Fuji X100 is the most frustrating camera I've ever owned. And the only one I've used recently with rare exception. It makes me want to buy a 35mm fixed focal length lens for my main camera since, despite the notoriety of the "standard" 50mm lens, it's a nearly perfect all around focal length. If not for the fact that it's out of stock I might strain my credit card a bit more and mail order it tonight. And I might be tempted by a Leica X1 if not for the fact that I don't think it would be any better than the Fuji despite costing a fair bit more.

Someone will make the perfect camera one day. I just wish they would hurry up and do it.

Long Beach, BC

I hadn't been to Long Beach in maybe 14 years. It's been a long time but I remembered it being one of the most incredible places on the planet.

Whimsical. And gesturing. And this tree, plucked from the ground and transported to this tabla where it could be examined without hindrances. With artifacts fleetingly placed in a morphing landscape. And monuments more demonstrative than anything man made.

It shouldn't be 14 years again.

film...

I got 4 rolls of film back from the lab today. Some hundred or so shots. I'm amazed at how dusty that shit is. A quick swipe of the negatives and the scanner bed before each cycle of scanning seems completely ineffective. And there's a weight upon film that may or may not be justified but at the very least makes most of my photographs overthought, overwrought, mediocre at best.

But interestingly there's a whole section of photographs where my daughter must have picked up my camera and pointed it rather randomly at blurry things, or things made blurry if I'm going to be accurate about this. That was good. And this photo of Sophie-Monster makes me happy. Not a bad way to spend $20.

More photos to come. I'm pretty sure I can rationalize the artistic intent of at least two more photos. Warranted or otherwise...

Somewhat related, both pictures were taken around the same area and both speak of a lost tradition. There are still delivery trucks but not in the quantity and regularity they used to exist in. And this sign, hand painted. Yes, laser cut vinyl or bubble jet printing, awesomely slick, but I can be a romantic. Hand painted signs are slowly disappearing. I think that's unfortunate.

Wrapped

There's something comical about wrapping a building in tarps. For all the technologies and innovations made in building envelope design it comes wrapping big sheets of plastic around it. I'm sure it's a metaphor for something, at least in my mind it is, but I'll let you explore your own.