Vancouver Public Library

I don't know anyone who has ever visited the Vancouver Public Library and not left in awe. The architecture is unique and impressive, yet not overly "in your face". When you stand in the atrium you can't help but look up and around. The design draws you in and makes you feel so small and yet so safe at the same time. I can't walk through there with a camera in my hand and not take at least one picture.
If you you haven't been... go, it is worth the trip.
All photos taken with my Pentax K1000, but on various photo adventures.

11 Reasons to shoot film

I recently came across this article on the website I Still Shoot Film (which by the way, has some incredible examples of why film is still awesome). I thought I would re-post it here since I think it completely summarizes my love for film. Thank you "I Still Shoot Film" for posting this.
P.S. #4 and #6 are my favourites

11 REASONS TO SHOOT FILM

1. Film is cool. Seriously. The scientific process of capturing an image on film, developing and then printing it on paper is one of the most awesome thing you can ever see. It’s like magic.

2. Film produces a tangible result. In the modern world, technology has allowed us to do everything digitally… in fact I haven’t seen what my resume actually looks like on printed paper in over 5 years. With digital photographs, you never have one tangible original, from which you can make infinite copies…

3. Photographic paper prints have a longer archival life. Say what you want, but even my most expensive fancy-pants digital prints still get yellowing on the corners after several years… which is why many professional labs still use cibachrome printing even for digital.

4. Film cameras are badass. They are not the light-weight, silent wimpy cameras of today. You can use a quality film camera to take great photographs or defend your life if necessary.

5. Most Photoshop effects applied to digital photos are designed to mimic effects achieved through film. Why not just do it that way in the first place?

6. Using film means that when you take a photograph, a chemical reaction absorbs the moment on a light-sensitized surface. That is somehow more powerful than a computer chip’s interpretation of an image.

7. Learning how to shoot film helps you understand light and shadow, which can also improve your digital photos.

8. Limited exposures means you have to actually think about your shot. Need I say more?

9. Unless you have a $30,000 digital camera, shooting film will always give you a higher resolution if scanned correctly. A 35mm negative has the equivalent of approximately 25.1 megapixels, so imagine a 6x9 negative. We’re talking murals in crisp detail.

10. Black and white. Yes. Removing color from a digital photograph is not the same as shooting in black and white film and it never, ever will be. Ever. The art of black and white film alone is reason enough to keep manufacturing film forever.

11. The darkroom is zen. It has soothing red lights, relaxing running water and the soft click of your timer. Take a deep breath and smell the stop bath. Yum.

Me with my Olympus Pen F - Taken by my fiancée on his Pentax K1000

Pink Shirt Day

Today is Pink Shirt Day... a day to support anti-bullying campaigns, to spread the word that we want a world free of hatred and discrimination. In honour of Pink Shirt day and my devout belief that we will see the disappearance of homophobia within our lifetime, here is my pink.

Love is louder

"Tag me on Facebook!"

I am still super self conscious about taking photos of strangers. Sometimes I am brave enough if it is a large enough crowd of people, or if I can somehow shoot their reflection in something else so that they don't see me pointing my camera directly at them. I think once I get faster at focusing I may be more brave, cause then I can be all stealthy-like without them noticing. But, on this sunny Sunday afternoon, the way the late afternoon light was hitting this guy on the fire escape was just too much to pass up! Unfortunately I wasn't able to capture the warm glow of the light (note to self - learn more about light composition), but I still do like the imagery.
And of course this guy did notice both me an my fiancée taking photos of him, so he called down to us "Just be sure to tag me on Facebook!" Well cool, arty-looking guy... if I knew who you were and if I actually put these photos on Facebook, then I would definitely tag you. My apologies, but thank you for being so chill about us photographing you (though he does look like the type of guy that is pretty chill about anything).
All photos taken with my Pentax K1000.

Olympic Nostalgia

It has been one year since the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, and the city is celebrating this weekend. And although I probably won't get out to partake in those festivities, I am happy that I got a chance to witness them a year ago. And although it was a time rapt with political agendas and opinions, I don't think anybody can argue that Vancouver has never before seen (or will ever see again) that kind of spirit, camaraderie, and celebration. It was a unique a time. Here are a few of the photos I snapped to capture the moment.
All photos taken with my Pentax K1000

A sea of red patriotism - Robson Square

Buskers and smiling kids galore

Lines of buses bringing people into the city

False Creek is a buzz with boats, pedestrians, cyclists

It's funny how I look back at these pictures and just see how they could have been better. I think I have come a long way in a year (I guess I'm kinda proud of that). :)

I heart Vancouver

This is my city. At the end of January. And I love it!

All photos taken with my Pentax K1000

It ain't easy being green

Last Sunday, the sun came out at full force in Vancouver and it was glorious! I shot two rolls of film in one afternoon, I think just because I was so happy to see the light again. When I looked through the photos from those rolls I noticed a lot of green... like my eye was drawn to that particular colour on that day.
Vancouver, unlike some other places in Canada, doesn't lack for natural greens during the winter months. In fact, flowers have been in bloom here since January. But, at times, the grey skies can make it hard to appreciate that fact. Clearly my mind on this particular day was drawn to the colours of sunny spring days.

Architectural Era Mash-Up

I am completely fascinated by the architectural eras mashed together on the Vancouver General Hospital property. The very distinctive styles of varying decades seem to just meld together to the point that it is hard to distinguish where an original building ends and a new addition begins. This is not because they have managed to string these buildings together seamlessly, but rather because they are so strangely jammed together that it is hard to picture how one could have conceptualized such a "renovation".
Unfortunately I don't know if I was really able to capture the disjointedness of these buildings very well here, but if you are ever in the neighborhood, just look around and try to pick out all the different decades (kind of like an architectural eye-spy... "I spy with my little eye some hideous 70's design structure").
All photos taken with my Olympus Pen F.

Gong Hei Fat Choi

Happy Year of the Rabbit to you all! Vancouver was already decked out in it's Chinese New Years finest this past weekend and I just couldn't resist the colours! Not sure I'll make it down to the parade this year, but I am looking forward to some tasty treats care of some very generous students tomorrow in celebration.
All photos taken with my Pentax K1000 and expired Polaroid High Definition Plus ASA 200 film.