John Harvey Photo

January 2009

Go to Slide Show Smaller Images Slowly going stir crazy


Graffiti

As High Up As You Can Get
While doing the East Side Cultural crawl last year, I popped out of a door at 1000 parker place and noticed the building was covered in graffiti.  The type of graffiti where the artist has lots of time and paint - not just a single line tag, but whole scenes.  I put it on my list of things to come back to.  Being bored, I decided to come back today and take a photo:


A few things impress me.  The number of colours involved is large (>2).  The areas painted are larger (generally more than a meter high and two meters long).  There are generally several techniques at play at it appears tools are used (edging for instance).  Overall - I'm impressed.

New Drainage PipesDeceit Lives In The Hearts Of Little ChildrenPainting On Brick

One thing that really surprised me was how strong the moss was growing on the walls.  Perhaps this graffiti is years old (doubt it), but the most is aggressively overgrowing the paint.  I thought this "slowly ruined" look was cool.  This also gives you an idea how important it is to have eaves to protect brick buildings.

Blue Brick And MossGreen Brick And ShadowsHemi Vs Moss
 
 
Stanley Park

Grey SquirrelBlack Grey Squirrel
I've lived in Vancouver for a number of years now (actually more than any place I've lived in) so I've been to most of the best places in the city.  (I'm still looking for cool places though!).  Helen asked - once you seen all of the A list things, and the B list things, do you go onto the C List (don't bother) list?  In my case, I decided to go back to the A list and revisit Stanley Park. 


Ring Necked DuckGreat Blue Heron Face
It's snowy out - I didn't think I would get to see much.  I was wrong.  The snow seems to have concentrated life around the few bits of open water.  The birds seemed calmer to humans being around and were definitely looking for hand outs.  Surprisingly, I even saw a coyote walk over the snow bank and head toward the childrens park.  There is a reasons that Stanley park is a star attraction in Vancouver.


I don't really have a "birding" lens - the big 300, 400, 500 millimeter lenses.  With wildlife this tame, I didn't need it.

Great Blue Heron On RailSpotted TowheeFox Sparrow

VanDusen Light Show

Red And White Wrapped TreeGreen Arch
A couple of years ago, Helen and I went to the light show at VanDusen.  It was perhaps two weeks before Christmas.  Our seasons passes got us a lousy dollar off the admission and the place was crowded.  For much of the park you shuffled along, person in front of you, person behind.  Lots of "Christmas" songs and themes, but the crowds and commercial sales detracted from the Christmas Magic.

Tree Lines Path

This year was a really heavy snow year (honest - some years Vancouver get no snow at all!) and a lot of Vancouver was thin on people because the roads were so bad. It was the last day of the light show (a few days after New Years) with lots of snow on the ground so hoping the crowds would be thin, I decided to take another walk around.

Red Arch Over SnowBright Lights Across Frozen LakeBright Lights Found Snow

A few pleasant surprises.  First - the members discount seemed larger (I believe it was $7.50 instead of the regular $11).   I wasn't alone - there was actually quite a queue at 4:30 when doors opened - but there was lots of space to take photos and enjoy scenes.  Finally, I got snow (and wind) - two things to increase the magic of the scenes.  Lucky me!

Crazy Wet LensLights Buried In The Rose GardenLong Line Of Lanterns

The only downside was that lots of lights weren't on.  I suspect that with the connections buried in snow for so long, there were electrical issues and they couldn't find the connections to fix it.

Making Miniatures
 
Front End Loader
Late in the fall, one of my coworkers did a show of his work and showed a photo using to tilt shift lens to get that "miniature" effect.  I happen to have a tilt shift lens, but I had never heard of the effect.  A little search on the internet and I discovered it's actually a fairly common trick, often emulated in software.  One morning I decided to take my camera with me into work and shot some photos in the same style.


Dump Truck Being FilledConstruction Man Taking PhotoPlastic Chairs On Dock
 
Foggy Vancouver

Water Street Cafe In Fog
It's been pretty foggy here for the last few days so I decided to try and make the most of it and walk around looking for shots to highlight the fog.  My first shoot was downtown.  Fog is an atmospheric effect so to be effective you really want distance between you and your subject.  Finding that kind of composition downtown turns out to be quite hard.  My best results were from the gastown area.


Amsterdam CafeSteam Clock Looking EastStream Clock Looking WestEast Endof Water Street
 
Reifel Bird Sanctuary

If you want a reliable place in Vancouver to feed ducks, go to the Reigel Bird Sanctuary.  You are assured to be swarmed by orange footed mallards thrilled to take your corn from you.  With only a little bit of luck, you can see other species of ducks in the ponds.
This Is A MallardMale Wood Duck


 If you are birding geek, you are probably here to see the sandhill cranes.  They are big birds (dwarfing the common Great Blue Herons) and not very common.  They are apparently quite grouchy as well - you don't want to get very close. 
 
  Just A HeadFour Sand Hill Cranes
 
Inspecting The GrassGet AScratch
 
One Sand Hill CraneTwo Sand Hill CranesPoking In Grasses

It was a nice foggy day so I went for a walk around the perimter of the Sanctuary.  The fog gives the place a gloomy look and certainly prevents any long distance identification.  I was really hoping to spot an owl, but I have yet to learn that skill.

 
Dyke Side Walk In The FogPond In The Fog


I'm not generally a fan of the small birds (I'm not fast enough to catch them), but there were so many chickadees swarming me that I decided I should at least to capture a few snaps.  These birds can be quite photogenic (they think nothing of hanging upside down in trees), but they do move very fast so get ready to focus and then move.

  Birds On AFenceBlack Capped ChickadeeExit Stage Right
 
Finn Slough
Finn Slough Near MouthFinn Slough At Water LevelHouse Boat In Finn Slough
 


Get AScratch
Species: Grus canadensis (Sandhill Crane)
Tags: bird, Reifel Bird Sanctuary
Bright Lights Found Snow
Tags: lights, snow, VanDusen
Black Grey Squirrel
Species: Sciurus carolinensis (eastern gray squirrel)
Tags: Stanley Park
Hemi Vs Moss
Altitude: 11m (36 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: graffiti, moss
Finn Slough Near Mouth
Location: Go To...
Tags: boat, dock, Finn Slough
Plastic Chairs On Dock
Tags: dock, marina, miniature effect, Vancouver
Construction Man Taking Photo
Tags: construction, miniature effect, Vancouver
Four Sand Hill Cranes
Species: Grus canadensis (Sandhill Crane)
Tags: bird, field, Reifel Bird Sanctuary
Long Line Of Lanterns
Tags: christmas tree, lights, snow, VanDusen
Bright Lights Across Frozen Lake
Tags: christmas tree, lights, snow, VanDusen
Front End Loader
Tags: construction, miniature effect, Vancouver
Steam Clock Looking East
Tags: fog, Gastown, lights, long exposure, night, steam, Vancouver
House Boat In Finn Slough
Tags: boat, dock, Finn Slough, house
Spotted Towhee
Species: Pipilo maculatus (Spotted Towhee)
Tags: bird, Stanley Park
Crazy Wet Lens
Tags: lights, snow, VanDusen
Tree Lines Path
Tags: lights, snow, trail, VanDusen
Black Capped Chickadee
Species: Poecile atricapillus (Black-capped Chickadee)
Tags: bird, Reifel Bird Sanctuary
New Drainage Pipes
Altitude: 15m (49 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: graffiti
Dump Truck Being Filled
Tags: construction, miniature effect, truck, Vancouver
Pond In The Fog
Tags: fog, pond, Reifel Bird Sanctuary
Green Arch
Tags: lights, snow, VanDusen
Blue Brick And Moss
Altitude: 9m (29 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: graffiti, moss
Male Wood Duck
Species: Aix sponsa (Wood Duck)
Tags: bird, Reifel Bird Sanctuary
Stream Clock Looking West
Tags: fog, Gastown, lights, long exposure, night, Vancouver
Deceit Lives In The Hearts Of Little Children
Altitude: 18m (59 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: graffiti
Poking In Grasses
Species: Grus canadensis (Sandhill Crane)
Tags: bird, Reifel Bird Sanctuary
Lights Buried In The Rose Garden
Tags: lights, snow, VanDusen
Two Sand Hill Cranes
Species: Grus canadensis (Sandhill Crane)
Tags: bird, fog, Reifel Bird Sanctuary
Birds On AFence
Tags: bird, fence, Reifel Bird Sanctuary
As High Up As You Can Get
Altitude: 16m (52 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: graffiti, Vancouver
Amsterdam Cafe
Tags: lights, neon, night, Vancouver
Water Street Cafe In Fog
Tags: fog, Gastown, light streaks, night, restaurant, Vancouver
Green Brick And Shadows
Location: Go To...
Tags: graffiti, moss
Ring Necked Duck
Species: Aythya collaris (Ring-necked Duck)
Tags: bird, Stanley Park
Inspecting The Grass
Species: Grus canadensis (Sandhill Crane)
Tags: bird, Reifel Bird Sanctuary
Great Blue Heron Face
Species: Ardea herodias (Great Blue Heron)
Tags: bird, Stanley Park
Just A Head
Species: Grus canadensis (Sandhill Crane)
Tags: bird, Reifel Bird Sanctuary
Great Blue Heron On Rail
Species: Ardea herodias (Great Blue Heron)
Tags: bird, Stanley Park
Exit Stage Right
Species: Poecile atricapillus (Black-capped Chickadee)
Tags: bird, motion blur
This Is A Mallard
Species: Anas platyrhynchos (Mallard)
Tags: bird, Reifel Bird Sanctuary
One Sand Hill Crane
Species: Grus canadensis (Sandhill Crane)
Tags: bird, Reifel Bird Sanctuary
Red And White Wrapped Tree
Tags: lights, snow, VanDusen
Painting On Brick
Altitude: 2m (6 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: graffiti, snow
Finn Slough At Water Level
Tags: elevated home, Finn Slough
Grey Squirrel
Species: Sciurus carolinensis (eastern gray squirrel)
Tags: Stanley Park
Red Arch Over Snow
Tags: lights, snow, VanDusen
Fox Sparrow
Species: Passerella iliaca (Fox Sparrow)
Tags: bird, Stanley Park
Dyke Side Walk In The Fog
Tags: bench, fog, Reifel Bird Sanctuary
East Endof Water Street
Tags: fog, Gastown, light streaks, lights, long exposure, night, Vancouver
Tags: bird(17), Reifel Bird Sanctuary(13), lights(13), snow(10), Vancouver(10), VanDusen(9)
From: John Harvey Photo > January 2009
From: John Harvey Photo > Blogs for 2023 to 2005 > January 2009

The photo of the bird flying out of frame to the left should be called "Exit Stage Right" since that is his right side.
phil
Saturday, October 24th, 2009 at 11:11:12

Leave a Comment

Some HTML allowed: <b>, <code> <em> <i> <strike> <strong>, but most isn't.  Text length is limited.  comments from first time authors will be reviewed before being posted. comments with swearing or painfully poor spelling will probably be rejected.


Last Modified Saturday, January 21st, 2023 at 23:47:22 Edit
Copyright and Contact Information.