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Days in Pictures

The mean streets of Vancouver: days 396 — 405

In which I walk the walk

People seem to like my pics of Vancouver streets. Good news, so do I! Sometimes heading somewhere, sometimes just randomly exploring wherever my feet take me, there are so many angles and perspectives and alleys and nooks and crannies to capture. I’m finding myself taking way more than just one picture a day—not all the time, but enough to make me go “huh”. This is way more photography than I ever dreamed possible a year ago, and I’m loving it. Also, it’s good exercise.

I started January 31st with a shot of Georgia Street, near the place where I took the bus to the North Shore every day. It wasn’t that long ago, either! I’ve only been with Gossamer Threads for six months and a bit.

That evening I had dinner with my grass vball team from last summer. The place was Cactus Club on Davie, so I ambled along Richards St, enjoying some more perspective, and of course got there unfashionably early so I capped off with a shot of the Davie / Hamilton instersection, from the covered patio because it was raining.

February 1st (already a month into the new year! Already 13 straight months of photography!) I decided to explore a bit after work: a little bit up Hastings, a little bit here and there, and finally I found a statue of Niké. Not that I was looking for it, of course. Has it really been there 8 years? Well, better late than never.

I noticed the days were getting longer, so on Friday I walked out a little ways on Granville Bridge and caught the last bit of light. The weather’s been bad for so long, it was nice to get even a partly clear sky.

Saturday, on the way back from Taichi, I again went off the beaten path—visiting the last place I lived in before moving into my condo, not far from Brentwood Mall. I walked around a little, reminiscing… I moved out of there over 15 years ago, so it wasn’t exactly fresh, and the bland suburban neighbourhood, under grey skies, didn’t exactly inspire me. But there was a a nice little vista so pretended it was, I dunno, a fairy path taking me away from mundanity.

Sunday was another walk around sunset, and I got some lovely shots of my street, Burrard (oddly popular, that one), the very end of Davie near Pacific (my planned destination, but not as photogenic as I’d hoped)… and one of my faves, which will definitely go into my 2018 retrospective post, a broken selfie. Thank whoever left this mirror in the alley across from my place, I swear it was like that when I found it.

Gayming (Carcassonne and Mysterium), then a bit of shooting around Harbour Centre, then a pretty nifty shot of laundry room steam. I had to squat way down in the wet grass to get this one, and I was afraid I’d slip and fall on my ass, but hey, you only live once! If Van Gogh cut off his ear, then I can risk a little mud on my jeans.

Wednesday: more walking over the bridge, this time to Skeptics Trivia Night at the Storm Crow. A shot of… whatever they’re building here—probably another condo—then watching a first-season Reboot episode (“The Medusa Bug”, in case you’re wondering) and drinking a drink celebrating Black Panther and Black History Month.

More Gastown! More downtown! More harbour! And more squatting to get that one shaft of sunlight on wet pavement.

So yeah, this whole “streets” thing is a lot of fun. My followers see Vancouver as I see it, and I learn to celebrate it and see it with fresh eyes. There’s still a little voice inside me that says (for the millionth time) I’ve exhausted the possibilities… but nah, I’ve only scratched the surface. Even with five, ten, photos a day. Even if it’s just streets. Which it won’t be, though there’s another voice inside that says, maybe it’d be nice to specialise? I don’t know. I still don’t quite feel up to themes and special challenges and all that jazz. Someday, maybe. But that day is not today, and for now I’m happy to keep wandering aimlessly.

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