Early morning, two Saturdays ago, one of the High Level hotels burned to the ground; thank you’s go out to the High Level Fire Department for bringing the blaze under control and limiting its scope.
Listening to – Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Radio Nowhere,’The Who’s ‘I Can See For Miles’ and the Primitives’ ‘Crash.’
Quote to Consider – “The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera.’ – Dorothea Lange
Perpendicularity – High Level, Ab – Canada 1
Perpendicularity – High Level, Ab – Canada 2
Perpendicularity – High Level, Ab – Canada 3
Perpendicularity – High Level, Ab – Canada 4
Perpendicularity – High Level, Ab – Canada 7
Perpendicularity – High Level, Ab – Canada 8
Perpendicularity – High Level, Ab – Canada 9
Perpendicularity – High Level, Ab – Canada 10
A quieter hour, long before winter’s sunrise in a landscape usually populated by students in daylight hours, in spring, summer and fall. Liking the interplay of shadow and light, perpendicularity and depth within these images.
Listening to – Edie Brickell’s ‘What I am,’ Concrete Blonde’s ‘Joey,’ Alanis Morissette ‘You Learn,’ Depeche Mode’s ‘Policy of Truth’ and The Dream Academy’s ‘Life in a Northern Town.’
Quote to Consider – “It is more important to click with people than to click with the shutter.” – Alfred Eisenstadt
Fifties Ford – Fort Vermilion, Ab – Canada
The day held a meeting and rather than a team of colleagues going, I would attend the meeting alone. I took camera gear with me. I hoped that the day would yield photographs, that I would find myself within the situation of a photograph. Having left early enough, I could scout out possible images; there was no need for haste through the morning’s seventy-eight kilometre drive.
The day held different gifts.
A year ago, a friend related an experience. He’d needed to take a call and had parked his service truck in a farmer’s farm entrance to be off the highway. He’d needed to turn his vehicle around, backing it onto the highway. Before he moved too far, he looked up, forward to find an old truck, perhaps a Ford, from the fifties or sixties. He captured the image with his smartphone. On this day, traveling to a meeting, I was in his neck of the woods, perhaps no more than three or four kilometres from Fort Vermilion and I saw the vehicle he was referring to from the highway. At day’s end, I would return and see if a photograph was possible. With less than an hour of daylight left I was able stop and take a series of shots.
The image above was the image photographed.
Shed – Buttertown, Ab – Canada 1
Shed – Buttertown, Ab – Canada 2
Shed – Buttertown, Ab – Canada 3
Windrow – Buttertown, Ab – Canada
Combine – Buttertown, Ab – Canada
I intended to travel from Fort Vermilion to the north settlement after the meeting. At the meeting I asked a friend and colleague about the north settlement. “Would I be able to access or walk in to the St. Louis Catholic Mission church?” She didn’t know. But, the revelation was to find that she lived in the north settlement. Her and her husband’s families had lived in the north settlement through generations. She is someone who knows the stories of the north settlement, of Buttertown. That’s something.
These images are Buttertown, north settlement images.
Listening to – Kate Bush’s ‘Running Up That Hill,’ Peter Gabriel’s ‘Mercy Street’ and Roxy Music’s ‘More Than This.’
Quote to Consider – “The picture that you took with your camera is the imagination you want to create with reality.” Scott Lorenzo
Hoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 1
Hoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 2
Hoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 2a
Hoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 3a
Hoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 4
High Level Hospital – High Level, Ab – Canada
Hoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 6
Hoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 6a
Hoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 6b
Hoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 7
Hoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 7a
Hoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 8
Hoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 9
Hoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 10
Hoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 10a
Hoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 10b
Hoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 10c
Hoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 11a
Hoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 11b
Hoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 11c
Hoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 11d
Hoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 11d
Hoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 11f
Hoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 13
Hoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 13a
Hoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 13b
Hoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 13c
Hoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 13d
Hoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 14
Hoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 15
Our weather has been warm for January. In a portion of the year when we are accustomed to -40C and colder, last night rain fell upon our world. A thick slippery mat of ice coated all – vehicles moved with success while our biped selves slipped, slid, stumbled and tumbled. This set of images holds more meandering with a camera. Walking before school, white hoar frost dazzles. We may not see this weather outcome again this winter.
Listening to – Ray LaMontagne and the Pariah Dogs’ ‘Beg, Steal or Borrow,’ David Gray’s ‘Fugitive’ and ‘Kathleen,’ John Mayer’s ‘Queen of California’ and the Avett Brothers’ ‘Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise.’
Quote to Consider – “Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever … It remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything.” – Aaron Siskind
Gibson Block Building – Edmonton, Ab – Canada 1
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Gibson Block Building – Edmonton, Ab – Canada 3
Gibson Block Building – Edmonton, Ab – Canada 2
This building is likely the only building in Edmonton in the Flatiron architectural style – triangular in shape with curved windows at its toe. One would find this building in the twentieth century and it would reflect Edmonton opulence. The Gibson Block building, built in 1913, precedes many things. It precedes Canada’s involvement in World War I. It precedes the roaring twenties. It precedes the era of Al Capone, the American prohibition and a Canadian connection. It precedes the Great Depression. The Gibson Block building associates Edmonton to being Metropolitan. One would find a similar building in Montreal, Toronto or Vancouver. Its Canadian, older metropolitan style works well as possible landscape to Morley Callaghan’s novel ‘Such is My Beloved.’ One can imagine the Great Depression and the lives of Father Dowling, Ronnie and Midge intersecting in such a building, a building with ground level retail space, apartments upstairs and Turkish baths below. Neglected, the Gibson Block building faced possible destruction in the 1990’s. The Edmonton City Centre Church Corporation recognized possibility and repurposed the building. The Gibson Block building is now home to the Women’s Emergency Accommodation Centre and provides refuge to those in need – homeless and transient women. At Christmas, the building’s curved glass toe held a huge dreamcatcher, one, in size, able to encompass a person.
Listening to – Bruce Springsteen’s ‘One Step Up’ and ‘If I Should Fall Behind,’ The Black Crowes’ ‘Twice as Hard,’ Neil Young’s ‘The Needle and the Damage Done,’ Alison Krauss’ ‘Lay My Burden Down,’ Hank Williams’ ‘My Heart Would Know,’ Willie Nelson’s version of Coldplay’s ‘Scientist,’ Lucinda Williams’ ‘East Side of Town,’ Shawn Colvin’s ‘All Fall Down,’ Peter Himmelman’s ‘Impermanent Things’ and Ryan Adams’ ‘Chains of Love.’
Quote to Consider – “To me, photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting in an ordinary place … I’ve found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.” – Elliott Erwitt
Christmas Lights – Town Hall, High Level 1
Christmas Lights – Town Hall, High Level 2
High Level Public School – Gym Entrance
High Level Public School Walkway
Lattice Work of Trees – High Level, Alberta
REW Memorial Pool – High Level, Alberta
Senior’s Centre – High Level, Alberta – 1
Senior’s Centre – High Level, Alberta – 2
I have been intrigued to find success in creating night time images from handheld shots using wide open aperture and ISO 6400; stabilization must have been accounted for and become the forgiveness factor in this camera. Good!
Listening to – liking Martyn Joseph’s new album, ‘Sanctuary;’ enjoying the tribute to Robert F. Kennedy in ‘Bobby’ and the instrumental work in ‘Sanctuary’ that reminds of songs from Martyn’s album ‘Thunder and Rainbows.’
Quote to Consider – “You’ve got to push yourself harder. You’ve got to start looking for pictures nobody else could take. You’ve got to take the tools you have and probe deeper.” – William Albert Allard
Popcorn size chunks of hoar frost line the length of a light standard’s striations, more of January’s morning crystalline marvels.
Quote to Consider – “If your photos aren’t good enough, then you’re not close enough.” – Robert Capa
Listening to – Adele’s ‘Hello,’ ‘Send My Love (To Your New Lover)’ and ‘I Miss You.’
Morning Walk 1
Morning Walk 2
Morning Walk 3
Morning Walk 4
Morning Walk 5
Morning Walk 6
Morning Walk 7
Morning Walk 8
Morning Walk 9
Morning Walk 9a
Morning Walk 9b
Morning Walk 10
Morning Walk 11
Morning Walk 12
Morning Walk 13
Morning Walk 14
Morning Walk 15
Morning Walk 16
Morning Walk 17
Morning Walk 18
Morning Walk 19
Morning Walk 20
Six kilometres distance is my morning walk around High Level. I am plugged in, listening to a podcast that opens out a little further my understanding of the world.
Words from a podcast interview catch my ear – “The greatest mysteries are the simplest ones. Those are the ones that we confront every day. I had a conversation once with a priest – I was travelling and went to confession in this very remote place, and suddenly he said, ‘Well, we don’t know what God is, do we?’” These words recall assertions made by John O’Donohue and Miester Eckhart – ‘God is only our name for it.’ I recognize the voice and am surprised to hear this same assertion being alluded to.
At -27C I am out of our home, on the road, bundled in layers of protective warmth and I have my camera. Good! My listener’s ear is attending to words offered by Martin Sheen, and, so begins this ‘On Being’ interview with Krista Tippett.
Within the walk, Martin describes his early days at home among his father’s family and then as an actor who is nourished by way of a soup kitchen. Further on Martin opens-out how his son’s film, ‘The Way,’ came into being. Emilio Estevez, Martin’s son has directed the film about a father, Thomas Avery, whose son had begun the pilgrimage of the Camino de Santiago, but getting caught in mountains after dark and in fog may have fallen to his death. Thomas, played by Martin, takes on his son’s mantle of intention (that of seeing the world instead of just reading about it) and takes on the pilgrimage on his son’s behalf. Walkers and hikers will recognize the poignancy of this film for how it works with the matter of identity and community associated with a shared or common road. This film explores being upon Robert Frost’s ‘road less traveled.’
The eight seasons of ‘The West Wing’ series are recalled and the role of President Bartlett is under girded by Martin’s social activism and social conscience; Martin often is acting with an interior sense of what the President ought to do and this sense is buoyed up by brilliant dialogue and action provided by Aaron Sorkin. Martin’s personal evolution pulls him all the way back to Catholicism and to anchoring works of Thomas Merton.
The podcast is a good listen, a listening that I repeat. ‘On Being’ employs a listening strategy to anchor the interview within the listener. The edited interview is stellar – music, transition, clustering and flow of ideas. The uncut, un-edited interview is also presented as a second podcast, for a second listening – ideal for my longer morning walks. The second, uncut podcast interview holds other nuggets to be mined, revealing something more of interviewee and interviewer.
My morning – I have my camera with me, and, I stop and start, walking and listening my way around High Level. These images are those captured during my podcast listening.
Quote to Consider – “No place is boring if you’ve had a good night’s sleep and have a pocket full of unexposed film.” – Robert Adams.
Listening to – in addition to ‘On Being’ podcasts, recommendations from Steve Stockman (Stocki) from 2015: Jason Isbell’s ’24 Frames,’ ‘Hudson Commodore,’ ‘Flagship’ and ‘Speedtrap Town;’ Glen Hansard’s ‘McCormack’s Wall,’ ‘Grace Beneath the Pines,’ ‘ Paying My Way’ and ‘My Little Ruin;’ Jack White’s ‘We’re Going to Be Friends’ from ‘Another Day, Another Time: Celebrating the Music of Llewyn Davis.’
Morning Walk – High Level, Alberta – Canada 1
Morning Walk – High Level, Alberta – Canada 2
Morning Walk – High Level, Alberta – Canada 3
Morning Walk – High Level, Alberta – Canada 4
Morning Walk – High Level, Alberta – Canada 5
Morning Walk – High Level, Alberta – Canada 6
Morning Walk – High Level, Alberta – Canada 7
Morning Walk – High Level, Alberta – Canada 8
Morning Walk – High Level, Alberta – Canada 9
Morning Walk – High Level, Alberta – Canada 10
It is a colder time of year in January; often we’ll have two or three weeks where northern cold from the arctic pushes down over us and us into -40C temperatures. Many people who exercise like to be outdoors; but, colder temperatures anchor them to a gym or within their basements with activity involving free weights and a treadmill. Some will make it outside at regular hours when there are others around, perhaps after work or in the evening. Their endeavor may be no more than a walk, a solitary effort or a discrete, moveable meeting place for two friends to discuss their worlds. At this time of year, what’s common, regardless of the time of day, is that you’re usually walking outside, beyond your work hours in darkness. For me, I favour an early morning walk, to be outside listening to a podcast or music prior to the day’s priorities becoming priorities for the day. Included here are early morning images gathered while walking (in the dark).
Listening to – Dream Academy’s ‘Life in a Northern Town,’ The Cranberries ‘Dreams,’ Aerosmith’s ‘Walk this Way’ and the Steep Canyon Rangers’ ‘More Bad Weather On the Way.’
Quote to Consider – “Your photography is a record of your living, for anyone who really sees.” – Paul Strand
Hoar Frost – High Level, Ab – Canada 1
Hoar Frost – High Level, Ab – Canada 2
Hoar Frost – High Level, Ab – Canada 3
Hoar Frost – High Level, Ab – Canada 4
Hoar Frost – High Level, Ab – Canada 5
Hoar Frost – High Level, Ab – Canada 5
A friend, keenly interested in photography, always relishes and longs for the kind of weather this week has held, a kind of weather that changes our landscape causing it to become a photographic marvel. Hoar frost, the grayish-white crystalline deposit of frozen water vapor that forms in clear, still and cold weather, has attached itself to everything. Texture, depth, light and shadow all change with hoar frost’s whitening – our corner of the world becomes delight for photographers.
Quote to Consider – “I wish that all of nature’s magnificence, the emotion of the land, the living energy of place could be photographed.” – Annie Liebovitz
Listening to – Carrie Newcomer’s ‘Abide,’ ‘The Gathering of Spirits,’ ‘Room at the Table,’ ‘Betty’s Diner,’ ‘If not Now’ and ‘Every Little Bit of It.’
In My Back Pocket - Photography 
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