The Long Road

The Photo Geeks

The guys I’ve really enjoyed taking photographs with over the last few years, Blake, Hubert and Paul and I have started a new project together. As we are in locations rather distant from each other, (Dalian PRC, Vancouver, Kamloops) it has proven rather tough to get together regularly to shoot. So we’ve decided to give ourselves “assignments” and shoot together virtually. I’m happy to present the results of the first assignment. We had a couple of weeks to gather our shots for it and present them to the group.

The topic was “Hands”. Below are the results. I think the boys did rather well… Click on each photo to link to its album.

Blake

Hubert

Paul

Me

Please feel free to indicate your favorites via comments…

I’ll post the results of the next assignment when it happens.

Maybe I’m throwing too many pics at you all at once but…

This one was the result of fooling around one day with Photoshop filters and contrast. I guess the only knock I have on this one is that people who see it tend to think Mich looks stressed in it - like she has a headache or something. That wasn’t the idea. Oh well.

I’ve got so many shots that are sitting on the hard drive and haven’t been shared. So I thought I’d start a new category called “Pic of the Day”. Now, this won’t mean everyday of course, but when I’m going through shots and see something that catches my eye for some reason, I’m going to post it here. It’ll be pretty random, but hopefully enjoyable for you to see.

Today’s shot is a new one. I took it with the Rollei (yes, that camera uses film! Remember film?) on our recent Nicaragua trip. Paul was awesome enough to get my film processed for me in the big city and mail it up to me. This is one of the few from this roll that I’m happy with. It is of some lovely Nicaraguan street vendors hawking their bananas. We bought a bunch from them before I took this shot. They were so tasty that I had to get another bunch before we moved on.

…to the snow. Nice! But before I get to ski, I’m gonna share some Nicaragua stories. Until then, here is a pic of Mich contemplating the waves.

From Nicaragua '08

And here’s me in front of our surf headquarters.

From Nicaragua '08

** Updated August 21 - See below **

Great memories of life in China for me are of the self professed “Photo Geeks”. I had a lot of fun with Hubert, Paul and Blake taking pictures, talking film, light and stuff, and just goofing off. We had several Photo Geek outings, from which some pics on this blog originated from.

However, after moving back to Canada, I’ve taken far fewer pics (other than snapshots of course). Last weekend though the Photo Geeks rode again! We had an unplanned photo shoot Sunday morning at a railway yard in North Van. And while times have changed (everyone is shooting with a DSLR except me!!! Doh!), the magic is still there.

I cannot yet post any pics I took that day (other than the snaps below) as they are, as mentioned, not digital, but on film. Hubes is going to get them processed in Vancouver, after which I can post anything worthy. Instead I decided to put up a little photo essay about the morning…

HUBES
Note the transition; that’s how you get the shot baby!

BLAKE
Doesn’t even let the cap get in the way. Shooting, and looking good!

PAUL
I’m shooting him, shooting Blake, shooting the train. Paul is also in the top photo - can you find him?

ME
Good thing I use Tide. OK, no I don’t, but I haven’t washed these shorts yet and I might hope that I do. Hey, you’ve gotta get geeky to get the shot!
(Photo with cool lens flare kindly supplied by Blake)

True Photo Geekdom

Thanks for the great day guys.

Update! Both Paul and Hubes have posted pics that I’ve linked to.

** You can see Hubert’s pics from this shoot here!

See Paul’s shots here! **

Every once in a while I like to change up the look of the site. The new header pic was taken on our first night on Flores Island in Indonesia. After flying into Labuhanbajo with Al and Margaret, we found a guest house, The Golo Hilltop Hotel, and walked down the coastline to a watch the sun go down. In this aerial shot from Google you can see the town at the bottom and the pier that is pictured in the new header at the top right. Zoom out to see the surrounding area.

View Larger Map

Here are a few shots from our great long weekend with Christian, Crystal and Tod at Wells Gray Park. The weather was unusually great for a May long weekend. We paddled, hiked and ate well!

Something you notice in pretty much all the SE Asian countries we’ve been to are monks. Laos is no different. I suppose the fact that you really don’t see many monks wandering your average Canadian street means that when we do see them in our travels it is noteworthy. In these countries however sights like these are simply a part of daily life.

I was fortunate enough to speak to this young fellow and his buddy for about ten minutes or so after snapping this pic. They both were very nice kids with quite passable english. Both were from villages quite far from Luang Prabang and were in the city because their families were not “well off” (poor). In this case families (if they can spare them) tend to send at least one child to a monastery because they can get educated for free there and most of the boys don’t have to be monks, instead returning to their villages to work. Both of these guys were totally homesick and really looking forward to heading home a few weeks hence for a festival. I asked if they were more excited to see their families, or friends, or to have home cooked meals. With HUGE grins, both responded “The girls!”. Monks indeed.

Morning Alms

One of the things Luang Prabang is famous for is the daily ritual of the monks receiving morning alms. This is both a fascinating and troubling situation. It is a wonderful happening in that the hundreds of monks residing in the city all leave their wats and parade through the city at dawn. The residents line the streets to pay their respects to them and offer them alms - essentially an offering of food, most commonly the ever-present sticky rice. This quiet ritual in the morning streets is an honorable practice and one that makes existence of the system possible. It’s also a very beautiful and awe inspiring thing to watch happen.

Unfortunately, like many things in countries that are heavily touristed (as Laos is more and more), the very thing that brings the tourists into the area is threatened by their presence. In this case, many visitors rise at dawn to observe the ritual subtly from afar. This is considered an acceptable practice.

The problem arises when the tourists begin to interrupt the participants. Some decide to participate by joining the residents, kneeling and offering alms. This wouldn’t be too bad except many don’t understand the significance, meaning or importance of the whole thing. This cheapening hasn’t gone unnoticed by the Lao people. One of the side effects of tourists participating in this manner is the emergence of hawker ladies plying the tourists with little packets of sticky rice or flowers to offer to the monks. The locals (a group these women belong to) REALLY don’t like this development. These women are aggressive to tourists, literally running at you, thrusting their baskets of wares into you face at six in the morning. It is considered a rather uncouth way to behave. At least, being Lao, they back off pretty quickly when you say “no thank you”.

The other problem of course is the photographers. I had to wrestle with this one myself for obvious reasons. I took my photos on two different mornings. On both occasions I took pains to remain inconspicuous, taking my shots from afar and of course without flash. It was pretty tough actually as the light was quite low. Sadly though, I watched others get right into the faces of monks and residents with their cameras, as well as using flashes. I heard reports of people actually getting in the way of the long monk lineup. Yeesh. It has gotten so bad that some of the guest houses have taken to posting signs explaining to tourists the etiquette, most of which is common sense. Some people are morons. You can see both tourists and hawker ladies (counting the morning profits) in the video. Sorry it is so shaky - I hadn’t had my morning Lao coffee yet!

Anyway, I did approach a few locals both before and after the monks had been through. They very much appreciated that I took the time to ask their permission to take shots, that I did so respectfully, and that I thanked them afterward. I didn’t see anyone else do that. I didn’t get a chance to talk to monks about it. Obviously I was a part of something they dislike, but I hope they did recognize that I was doing my best to be respectful about it.

So should tourists just stay away from things like this? I don’t think so. Nor do I think the locals feel so either. They see the value of foreigners in their country and are happy to share their customs and culture with them. They just don’t like to see those customs and culture tread upon though.

Can’t blame them for that.

This is Tod. He is uncomfortable having his likeness anywhere on the internet.
This may be why.

Here’s Brook the other night. He was in town for two nights and we took the opportunity to ride Peterson Creek near our place. Was a beautiful evening. I think the pic is pretty cool though Brook thinks it makes his ass look big!

Spent last weekend at Deka Lake at the Conradi’s wonderful cabin getaway. We took the opportunity to head north from there for a few hours to hike up near Mahood Lake. This is why.

The top photo is taken from directly beside the top of the falls (from behind the yellow trees in the bottom shot)

We spent Monday, the last of my freedom before the students arrived, at the historic Adams Lake Flume Trail with friends. It was truly a great location to hike for a couple of reasons. First, the lush rain forest trail was the type that Mich and I have always really enjoyed together. She was really in her element, bending often to identify a species, point it out to me and spout out its scientific name. As my memory is, well, rather lacking, I of course always accuse her of simply making it up. I know she doesn’t though. Second is the fact that there were so many fungi on the trail, as well as lower plants (mosses) and lichens (algae and fungi in a symbiotic relationship). Most of you know that Mich and I met in Algae and Fungi lab at school so I’m sure you understand that in some nerdy way it is kinda special for us to see these things together. Anyway, Todd, Heidi, Crystal and Christian are also sciencey- outdoorsy types too, so we had lots of fun and everyone shared some knowledge.

Mouse over and click to see descriptions. Click on a picture find the location of The Flume Trail on a map (you’ll have to zoom out a bit)

It’s what summer’s all about.

I’ve having fun with my scanner these days. In fact, here is an old pic that I’m trying to use software to restore. The original was found in an old shoe box. Written on the back was “Chinatown”. Presumably we are talking about Vancouver here, and judging by the dates found on other pictures in the same box, likely sometime between 1907 and 1915. Things sure have changed eh? Anyway, don’t know who the boy in the pic is, or even who took it.

I’ve been going through some pics from our travels over the last few years. Came across this one of of an old lady we saw on the seaside at Qing Dao (where they made Tsing Tao beer - which is actually pronounced Ching Dow). She had the most amazing face, as you can see, and I just had to capture it on film.

Well, nobody said anything nasty about the last photograph of mine that I posted. In fact, Susan C. said some nice things! Thanks Sue, I always did like you! Nice to know you are reading the blog too. Here is a shot I took in the summer on one of the last Photo Geek outings.

I while ago I mentioned the Photo Geeks, a loose little group of fellows who like to take pics and from whom I learned a lot about photography. At the time of that post I planned to post more pictures that were taken on our outings or inspired by the group. Haven’t really done much of that though. Hmmm. In this digital day and age we seem to be forgetting our pics that are film based. Anyway, I just got a scanner and have it up and going now. Mich and I have been enjoying looking through old shots that we feel are worth scanning into the digital realm so we can share them with you. Above is the first. He was a pleasant old pilgram we encountered in front of the Jokhang in the heart of Lhasa, Tibet. He happily posed for me and a gave him a bit of cash toward his pilgramage for his trouble. Anyway, by putting these pics out there and trying to pass them off as art, I guess I’m opening up to the critical eye too. So yes, please, I invite your comments!