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The Stawamus Chief is a massive granite rock formation located in Squamish. As you drive up the Sea to Sky Highway, it is a very imposing sight - a shear rock cliff that seems to go up forever as you drive by.
Early in the summer, my friend Darlene and I discovered that we both had a common goal - to hike "The Chief". I had hiked to the first peak five years ago, while visiting Whistler on business. I remembered it was much more difficult than I anticipated, and being an inexperienced hiker, there were some pretty challenging moments on the way up and particularly on the way down. I had always wanted to go back a little better prepared than the last time. Part of being better prepared meant not doing the hike on my own, so it was great to have a friend who wanted to tackle it.
And so, the training began. We would hike Knox Mountain here in Kelowna a couple of times a week. As it turned out, this was pretty good training for the 700 metre ascent up the back of The Chief. At dinner the night before, I was feeling pretty confident and said, "Maybe it's not as hard as I remember..."
Yeah, right - it was much harder than I remembered, but well worth the effort. I'm wishing I had pictures from the top that day, but I resolved to carry only the water I could drink and the food I would eat. One of these days I'll get a small camera, just for fun! For now, you'll have to imagine the view after the climb. It was a beautiful, sunny day, with puffy clouds dotting the sky. We hiked to the second peak, so had a panoramic view of mountains, lakes, Squamish, even a glacier off in the distance. It took us just under 2 hours of stairs, rocks, ladders and ropes to reach the top. The half hour or so we spent basking in the sun at the top was heavenly.
After we returned to sea level, I grabbed my camera and made these images. The Chief is difficult to photograph because of its size and location. I used a wide angle lens to get as much of it in the frame as possible, positioning my camera just so to avoid the power lines running just above the frame. I'd like to try to photograph The Chief from across the valley using a telephoto lens the next time I make the trip, and of course the hike! Yes, I'd do it again in a heartbeat and maybe one of these days I'll be able to keep a bounce in my step and a song on my lips like the guy we nick-named "Skippy". Skippy and his friends passed us not once, but two or three times. The last time we saw him, even his friends were cursing - "don't you ever stop singing?!?@#@!?"
Other memorable moments included helping Mimi, a rather large dog, from behind. She was frightened and her owner could not reach down to lift her up. I guess you never know where your hand is going to end up on a day like that! We passed Mimi and her owner, thinking they would never make it to the top. After we'd been there about 15 minutes, there was Mimi, running around, trying to find her way out of the nightmare she didn't sign up for.
All in all, it was a great day, a great hike, with many rewards over the course of the weekend. My only regret is that we didn't have someone take our grimy picture at the base of The Chief, covered head to toe in dirt with big smiles on our faces. Next time, for sure! I seem to be developing a fondness for hiking up things. Next up is The Grouse Grind in September, which means I'd better start hauling my butt up Knox Mountain again.....
It is the end of the day, and I want to reflect on the remarkable experience of my first photography workshop, co-facilitated with Judy Burns. Although I regularly facilitate meetings and teach people in my consulting role, it has been a long time since I found myself at the front of a classroom of any kind. What a remarkable experience to help people better understand and use an art form they are passionate about to communicate their vision of the world!
We asked our fifteen workshop participants to produce a body of work with a common theme - to communicate a sense of place. That "place" could be literal, or it could be of their own creation. We took them down to Kelowna's City Park, and let them loose on the waterfront. After one evening shooting session, Judy and I each showed the results of our own effort at this assignment. The two collections of images presented two entirely different ways of seeing and engaging with the space of the park. We returned to City Park early the next morning for a second session, followed by a furious editing session where everyone sorted through their images and assembled their presentations.
When it came time to see everyone's images, it was absolutely thrilling. Without exception, our "students" took the assignment to heart. They tried new techniques, wrangled with new equipment, and most importantly, opened themselves to feedback from the group.
Having attended several successful photography workshops for my own development, I know how hard every one of these lovely people worked. The energy that we put in as instructors was rewarded with a similar gift in kind. After this experience, I am motivated and inspired to get out and create for the love of my craft.
Thanks to all who participated for your detailed and constructive feedback both during and after the course.
(Note: for anyone who is reading this and is interested in hearing about future workshops, please visit the workshop page at www.lauratucker.com and fill out the online form.)
I had the opportunity a few weeks ago to spend an afternoon with my friend Melanie. Photography is one of her passions, too, so it was great to go and spend a chunk of time with someone who doesn't mind slowing down to spend the time necessary to capture some quality images. Hardy Falls is in Peachland. We hiked in from Mel's place, but I understand there is a relatively easy way to access the falls off Highway 97. (What fun would that be?!?:)) With my new camera and old, heavy tripod strapped to my back, we climbed down the rock wall adjacent to the waterfall. I'll say no more about that experience except to say that I am no mountain goat, and a lighter tripod is now at the top of my shopping list!
Anyways, I loved the waterfall - and it's so close to home! There were plenty of places to perch on a rock with the tripod and take these long exposure images. It had been a while since I've photographed moving water. I love the way the water paints its path on the image, creating a simultaneous sense of movement and serenity. The trick to is to be very careful about exposure - you want the water to be white, but not so much that detail is lost in the highlights.
Although this next image looks like it might be an underwater shot, it isn't! These plants were growing on the rock wall, just above eye level. I've used one of my favourite techniques here. When the subject matter is right, a "dreamscape" can be created using one sharp image superimposed by the same composition, deliberately blurred to create the painterly, or dream-like effect.
Here's a picture of Mel, hard at work creating her own images! Whatever it takes to get the shot :)
A note to follow up on last week's entry: the talk at Mosaic went very well. Next up is the Okanagan Photographic Arts Workshop next weekend at the UBC Okanagan campus. We'll be taking our workshop participants to an undisclosed location to unleash their creativity. Can't wait!
