I had the luxury of shooting a thoroughly photogenic and awesome fire troupe last night. Totally fun and inspiring, it gave more ideas for the next shoot! Download this PDF slideshow to your computer for fast and smooth access (i.e. do not view as-is, but save it first to your computer). I promise it is safe.

Cinderbellas Photoshoot

There is no doubt. With its proximity to the Lower Mainland, hordes of hikers and backpackers hoof it up to Garibaldi in the summer. The trail is so well trod that it’s popularly called the Hikers’ Highway. Weekends are full and tent pads are hard to come by. As backcountry as it is, with no amenities other than a few shelters for cooking and rustic outhouses, on summer weekends, impossibly turquoise Garibaldi Lake becomes an extension of Kitsilano and the West End. Urban backcountry is what it is.

To avoid the crowds is not hard to do, however. You simply avoid summer. In May and June, the snow starts at about kilometre 5 of the trail. That means hoofing up relentless switchbacks for 4 kilometres on dry trail (with fallen trees from the winter), then trudging through snow the rest of the way till the lake at kilometre 9. Elevation gain 810 metres.

Bring lots of high-calorie snacks and a few extra warm pieces of clothing. Booties are great for when you get to camp. Other than that, the rest is the same as the summer. My pack weighed about the same so it’s not anymore strenuous. When the sun is shining on the great white snow and you have the mountains and lake all to yourself, it’s worth every ounce. Every ounce of peanut butter bar, that is!

Brilliant afternoon arrival at the lake. Setting up camp and digging steps.

A relaxing way to unwind from the hustle and bustle of real life.

Looking over frozen ice, where streams of blue water is just starting to show.

Alpenglow in late evening. The million dollar view that costs five bucks per night, sweet.

It did rained at night, but the morning was misty and surreal. Big beautiful trees were wrapped in fog and the hike down was lovely. I’ll have to admit tho, that my thoughts were very much on the Chipotle Kettle chips in the car! What a great weekend.

And by 9 pm Sunday night, coming out from the gorgeous Sex And The City movie, it was hard to believe that we had just spent the previous night snow camping so high high high.

A short evening walk around the neighborhood – late spring – dark clouds. Flowers in their last heyday. It astonishes me every year – how beautiful a city Vancouver can be – there is nowhere else in Canada like this place in the springtime – Victoria excepted.

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Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in
— Leonard Cohen, Anthem —

p/s If anyone is interested in seeing the images of my wedding shoot over the weekend, email me or leave a comment.

The long gray wet wait is almost over. It may still blow cold, but the tank tops cannot wait and the ice-creams are melting faster. Oh yes, here comes the sun, here comes the sun.

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.