Detours of a south east asian prairie girl

My heart is aching a bit. Not that life isn’t rich here, but I keep remembering these little things, little places, little moments and I want to be there again. How did things get so complicated so quickly? Or perhaps too slowly. This utopia called no sense of time. That’s where I want to be just about right now. Fine silk of a blue sea the sweet scent of frangipani. And you.

Cathy’s piano. Window light, spring evening. BBQ and ice-cream. Kids running around. Plenty of commotion, sweet lovely commotion.

Exposure wide-open, trying to match the softness of the piano with the calm of the beautiful late afternoon light.
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I’ve been comparing my photographs lately with the emotions I had when the pictures were taken. It was pretty obvious that the best ones were taken when I felt most connected to my subject and the scene.

Sometimes, even though the photographic opportunity was there, I had to work real hard to get the “shot” and it doesn’t pan out in the end. Sometimes, without what one would think is an opportunity, the photograph seemingly appears out of nowhere.

In this particular case, the house was full of construction material and everything was scattered. Two young kids were running around screaming and jabbing all afternoon. It was chaotic and loud. In the midst of all this, I felt nothing but love. We had a wonderful meal with organic grilled radishes and zucchini, lovely salad with homemade dressing, free-range chicken, all complete with chocolate and raspberry gelato. The construction is going to lead to lovely spaces for this growing family, perhaps with new nooks and crannies for these amazing kids to play hide and seek in.

The piano keys made sense to me here. Within this teeming chaos and building, it is the calm meeting point for all the love and joy. Not to mention that being in the dining room, it had born witness to many many fine meals amongst families and friends. I had perhaps less than a minute to expose, compose and shoot this. Crouched down and buried in a small corner of the room. Manual focus on my prime 50mm lens, no less. And it worked, at least for me. I love the softness in the keys. I love how the late afternoon light played off them. In the end, I love their unwavering calm.

And here’s the playing with light part of things. Beacon Hill Park is a treasure for photography. I played with various forms, including backlighting, and really liked the results. Take a look. Leave me a comment.

Okay, here’s the truth. I will not lie. I used to think nothing of Victoria, the English influenced capital city of British Columbia. I’ve always bypassed the “giant retirement home” in search of wild west coast beaches, pristine mountains, tranquil lakes and rolling farmland abundant with vineyards and organic produce.

Thanks to my friend CW however, that has all changed. Over the weekend, E and I rode our bikes on the Galloping Goose trail from Swartz Bay to Victoria, enroute the scenic seaside towns of Cadboro Bay and Oak Bay. We’ve been riding the Goose for many years, but always past Victoria to lovely Sooke, where the living is easy and the B&B’s stunning.

Our intention this time was to relax and escape our recent intense life in Vancouver. CW provided many ideas for how to spend time in Victoria and we essentially followed her guided “tour”. All the tips she provided were bang on, starting with Pure Vanilla, this lovely bakery in Cadboro Bay. Mmmmm yummmm.

We stayed at Magnolia Hotel, which is a very affordable boutique hotel located right near the best of things. Full hot breakfast to boot, for the price, unbeatable. They gave us a corner room with a big bright view even though we paid the cheapest price for an inner room. Melt-in-your-mouth toffees on arrival, dark chocolate wafers on your pillow at night. Wow.

We decided to splurge and enjoyed a wine-paired prix-fixe dinner at Cafe Brio. Not big on presentation, but the food and service were amazing. I love their no-fuss style and honest celebration of food. Being lightweights when it comes to wine, let’s just say we got pretty darn happy after that first glass! Yum.

Happy weekend.

Me biked to Victoria over the weekend. Me liked it very much. Me discovered just how cute baby goats and kids are. Me just fell in love with their unguarded view of a joyful world.

Victoria has always seem so … well, English. But having spent the weekend there, I’d have to say I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it! Blissful charm.