Hoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 1Hoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 2Hoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 2aHoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 3aHoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 4High Level Hospital – High Level, Ab – CanadaHoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 6Hoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 6aHoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 6bHoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 7Hoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 7aHoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 8Hoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 9Hoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 10Hoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 10aHoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 10bHoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 10cHoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 11aHoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 11bHoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 11cHoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 11dHoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 11dHoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 11fHoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 13Hoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 13aHoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 13bHoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 13cHoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 13dHoar Frost Morning – High Level, Ab – Canada 14Hoar 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
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
CKUA Signage – Jasper Avenue, Edmonton, Ab – Canada 1CKUA Signage – Jasper Avenue, Edmonton, Ab – Canada 2CKUA Signage – Jasper Avenue, Edmonton, Ab – Canada 3CKUA Signage – Jasper Avenue, Edmonton, Ab – Canada 4CKUA Signage – Jasper Avenue, Edmonton, Ab – Canada 5
In the era preceding satellite radio, for us in Northwestern Alberta, CKUA was a radio station that could be caught and tuned-in to driving south, somewhere around Rycroft, Alberta, three hours into a Friday evening’s drive toward Grande Prairie, right about the time Andy Donnelly would bring to Life, ‘The Celtic Show.’ We would listen – current and traditional gaelic music, interviews among voices often sharing common brogue, sometimes sharing a spot of tea on either side of a phone line; listening brought a sense of connection to the world, to Edmonton, to Andy Donnelly and different artists. In a former Life, CKUA had been my father’s radio station, the station he’d listen to on a Saturday afternoon, in his darkroom downstairs, developing film and exposing images on photographic paper. Jazz and Swing music were his afternoon fodder. Now, CKUA is online and I listen via my computer, often while I’m editing and considering where to take an image. Along with my photographs, Saturday mornings move me through different CKUA programs – ‘Dead Ends & Detours,’ ‘Wide Cut Country’ and ‘A Time for Jazz.’ Downstairs in our home, one of Dad’s Edmonton autumn images hangs framed – it looks up from under the 105th Street Bridge, framing through brush one of the white houses of the John Walter Museum; I’ve photographed these same buildings, returning to thoughts of Dad, considering how he saw them.
In Edmonton at Christmas I happened upon Jasper Avenue, CKUA signage painted colorfully on a building side; the building may hold one of CKUA’s studios. This morning, reading through CKUA’s history has been interesting. I am grateful to be able to access ckua.com .
Listening to – Paul Pena’s ‘Jet Airliner,’ Elmore James’ ‘The Sky is Crying,’ Walter Trout’s ‘The Sky is Falling,’ the North Mississippi Allstars’ ‘Mean Ol’ Wind Died Down’ and Shawn Colvin’s ‘All Fall Down.’
Quote to Consider – “When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate I shall be content with silence.” – Ansel Adams
Christmas Lights – Town Hall, High Level 1Christmas Lights – Town Hall, High Level 2High Level Public School – Gym EntranceHigh Level Public School WalkwayLattice Work of Trees – High Level, AlbertaREW Memorial Pool – High Level, AlbertaSenior’s Centre – High Level, Alberta – 1Senior’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
Morning Walk 1Morning Walk 2Morning Walk 3Morning Walk 4Morning Walk 5Morning Walk 6Morning Walk 7Morning Walk 8Morning Walk 9Morning Walk 9aMorning Walk 9bMorning Walk 10Morning Walk 11Morning Walk 12Morning Walk 13Morning Walk 14Morning Walk 15Morning Walk 16Morning Walk 17Morning Walk 18Morning Walk 19Morning 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.’
Diner Utensils – West Edmonton, Alberta 1Diner Utensils – West Edmonton, Alberta 2Diner Utensils – West Edmonton, Alberta 3
At Christmas we stayed in a West Edmonton hotel. Each morning a crew of cooks serves breakfast to a gaggle of patrons – early morning faces, searching for sustenance to anchor them to their day – tea, coffee, eggs, a bagel. Goodwill, care and interest are shared and are part of the help that helps them on their way. Curiously and lovingly, a listening ear and dialogue are offered, also anchoring the patron stranger to their day – encouraging them (adding courage to them).
Carrie Newcomer’s song ‘Betty’s Diner’ talks about this dynamic of communion, amongst the varied human narratives being lived, each coming into the diner for sustenance and a waitress who’s tracking their narratives each day, encouraging them (and adding courage to them), an anchor to would be strangers who find themselves more family than stranger in Betty’s Diner; it’s interesting that this waitress role of service is so similar to that of pastor. Carrie Newcomer’s song is now a musical. Here, a set of hotel kitchen utensils are clean and stand ready for tomorrow’s meal, becoming subject for these images and reminding this patron so much about Carrie Newcomer’s song, ‘Betty’s Diner.’
Quote to Consider – “There is only you and your camera. The limitations in your photography are in yourself, for what you see is what we are.” – Ernst Haas
Listening to – Steve Martin & Edie Brickell’s ‘Friend of Mine,’ ‘Sun’s Gonna Shine’ and ‘Heart of a Dreamer.’
Morning Walk – High Level, Alberta – Canada 1Morning Walk – High Level, Alberta – Canada 2Morning Walk – High Level, Alberta – Canada 3Morning Walk – High Level, Alberta – Canada 4Morning Walk – High Level, Alberta – Canada 5Morning Walk – High Level, Alberta – Canada 6Morning Walk – High Level, Alberta – Canada 7Morning Walk – High Level, Alberta – Canada 8Morning Walk – High Level, Alberta – Canada 9Morning 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 1Hoar Frost – High Level, Ab – Canada 2Hoar Frost – High Level, Ab – Canada 3Hoar Frost – High Level, Ab – Canada 4Hoar Frost – High Level, Ab – Canada 5Hoar 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.’
Trappers Shack Diner – Fort Vermilion, Ab – Canada 1Trappers Shack Diner – Fort Vermilion, Ab – Canada 2Trappers Shack Diner – Fort Vermilion, Ab – Canada 3Trappers Shack Diner – Fort Vermilion, Ab – Canada 4Trappers Shack Diner – Fort Vermilion, Ab – Canada 5Trappers Shack Diner – Fort Vermilion, Ab – Canada 6Trappers Shack Diner – Fort Vermilion, Ab – Canada 7Trappers Shack Diner – Fort Vermilion, Ab – Canada 8Trappers Shack Diner – Fort Vermilion, Ab – Canada 9
This day had begun with intention – to consider the state of this wordpress blog and consider what’s next; what does it become? For the longest while this blog has been memory’s placeholder, a responding point for photographs created. In the editing of each image, memory could be pulled forward to surface, the image associating to personal history and consideration, a starting point from which to journal. Today, though, the question was that of what does this blog next become. Is it now time to move the photoblog towards a Blurb book or perhaps a Mixbook, a hardcopy, something you need two hands to look at?
The day began with photoblog intention, investigating the integrity of photo files starting with the blog’s oldest photos. I was surprised to find that first photos I’d posted were surprisingly out of focus – the consequence of using Adobe Lightroom with presets alone; these images were created long before editing images in NiK Collection and Topaz software. I returned to original images and had a second go at editing. Along the way I rediscovered images that had been b-sides, those that had not been first choices for presentation in this blog.
The endeavor began in fueling my body in front of a computer screen – coffee, an omelette and raisin toast. The images for editing were four-year old photos from Fort Vermilion, Alberta (December, 2011). A previous century building was first edit, a building that had been re-purposed to serve as restaurant – The Trappers Shack Diner. And, while it was all the go four years back, it has, within these past two years, sat vacant. This blog has tended to do that, encourage recognition of beginnings and recognition of how and when change occurs, particularly slower moving changes – the aging barn photographed has collapsed, the rare find of a La Crete-bound forties, three-tonne REO Speedwagon cab and chassis has now been sold and removed from its Manning, Alberta farmer’s field, the forested land that was forest, is now cleared, a farmer’s field with next use in Rocky Lane, Alberta.
Time editing, today, has held music. A friend and minister recommended new tunes, an album by Mary Coughlan and Erik Visser, ‘Scars on the Calendar’ – jazzy, dark and resonant in lyric and tune. A second album that I’ve previously looked for was recommended and found today on iTunes, ‘Another Day, Another Time: Celebrating the Music of ‘Inside Llewyn Davis,’ a look at the sixties folk scene and the music associated with the movie, ‘Inside Llewyn Davis.’
Curious Quotes to Consider – “‘Religion and art,’ he says, ‘are almost the same thing anyway. Just different ways of taking a man out of himself, bringing him to the emotional pitch that we call ecstasy or rapture. They’re both a rejection of the material, common-sense world for one that’s illusory, yet somehow more important. Now it’s always when a man turns away from this common-sense world around him that he begins to create, when he looks into a void, and has to give it life and form.’” … Mrs. Bentley quoting her husband. Sinclair Ross, ‘As for Me and My House,’ p. 112; after re-reading this curious quote, the pull toward Carl Jung and his quote surfaced – “Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakens.” Jung’s quote is engraved on a dark metal plaque I have hanging in my office at school.
Listening to – musician and songwriter, Brian Houston’s ‘We don’t need religion,’ a protest song – ‘we could use the love of God’ (excerpted lyrics).
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