My recent trip to Prince Rupert — eight hours drive from my place — on the west coast of British Columbia, was an adventure-filled week I shared with my kids. We explored city streets, discovered interesting local shops, galleries, and eateries, embarked on an amazing two-day ocean fishing charter, and spent some time along the Exchamsiks River.

Prince Rupert, with its rich cultural and marine heritage, provided an opportunity to refine my photography craft. I broke from routine and shot with a setup I don't typically use: the Sony A7 RII, paired with Sony 16-35mm and 24-70mm lenses (this setup shoots wide). My usual set up is medium format (I’m enamoured with the resulting tactile images) where the focus and perspective are intimate. Exploring the area afforded opportunities to capture more information from my ‘walking around’ or snapshot vantage, not a predetermined studio artistic aesthetic, while exploring details of our surroundings; for me, this is an uncomfortable photographic perspective.

A New Perspective

As we wandered through the city, explored the working marina, and ventured into the forest along the Exchamsiks River, I became keenly aware of and attracted to the interplay between textures and angles. With this series, I’m trying to articulate the coexistence of angle and texture. Here are a few highlights:

Cow Bay: The weathered facades of Prince Rupert's buildings reveal a textured canvas. My lens selection allowed me to reveal different scales of pattern, highlighting unique angles and interesting detail.

The Rushbrooke Marina: This industrial and recreational marina, with its myriad boats and commercial fishing equipment, offers a tapestry of angles and texture. The combination of metal, wood, and water creates striking visual contrasts. Again, my lens selection helps me frame these elements using a wide perspective.

The Forest: Along the Exchamsiks River, the forest reveals its own set of textures and angles. The towering cedar and hemlock trees, moss-covered rocks, and flowing water formed beautiful, intricate patterns.

Reflections

This trip pushed my photographic vision (more photos from the trip). I usually don’t shoot this wide and impersonal; however; using equipment and techniques outside my comfort zone, I was able to interpret my surroundings with a new perspective. I’m inspired to explore different perspectives in my intimate portraiture and boudoir work.

I hope these photos convey some of the beauty and complexity of Prince Rupert.

Stay tuned for more.