In film, pt. 2

This is part 2 of a 2 part series featuring my film work between 2014 and 2016. To see part 1, click here.

I've always loved landscapes and scenic work. It's some of the first stuff I started messing around with when it comes to my "photographic journey" if you want to call it that. It seems only natural it was some of the first stuff I started shooting on film.

This post consists of some of the visuals I have come across during my time travelling across Canada. From British Columbia to Ontario, here's some things I've found.

A view from around Algonquin Provincial Park in the fall of 2014.

Banff, Spring 2016. Had to walk through some freezing knee deep water to get to a good point for this one. Shot on 120, still unsure about this crop though. 

St. Thomas Anglican Church, in Belleville Ontario, summer 2015. 

The bridge spanning the Bay of Quinte, in Belleville Ontario, summer 2015. 

Canmore, Alberta. Spring, 2015 on my way back east. Woke up early in Banff to make sure I got this beauty magic hour lighting.

Cathedral Grove, Spring 2015. A short visit to the island, but a productive one. I've always loved that trees can seemingly regenerate from their old husks. 

Goldstream Falls, just outside of Victoria British Columbia, spring 2015. My short island tour took me from the far western portions of Vancouver Island, to the far south in a span of three days.

Highway 6, between Regina and Southey, Saskatchewan. After torrential rainfall in the spring of 2015, a few portions of this particular section of highway appear to be miniature lakes. I feel for whoever owns these buildings; in the last few years I haven't seen any changes in this particular scene.

From water damage, to fire damage. This was somewhere along highway 17 in Ontario in the spring of 2015. Just outside Dryden, if my memory serves correct. 

Lake Minnewanaka, in Banff, Alberta. Spring 2016, while moving between St. Catharines and Penticton. 

Saw this while visiting Alyssa Lloyd in Bancroft, Ontario, spring 2015. She's got a hell of a view to look at every day!

Long Beach, British Columbia, spring 2015. Long Beach is just outside of Tofino, my favorite place I've ever visited. I do miss that salt air.

Johnston Falls, Alberta, spring 2015. These falls are west of Banff. Some of the coolest and freshest looking water ever. Pure glacial run off. 

I think this is around the Killarney Park area in Ontario, in the spring of 2015. Took the scenic route through Ontario on my way back east; skipped all that horrible Toronto traffic by doing so.

Highway 62, between Belleville and Bancroft, in the spring of 2015. The last leg of my epic solo journey.

The northern portion of Okanagan Lake. This was my last stop in the Okanagan heading east back to Belleville in the spring of 2015. 

The southern portion of Okanagan Lake. The homeland, Penticton British Columbia, spring 2015. 

An orchid, in the Cathedral Grove forrest in the spring of 2015. Testing the detail of my TLR.

The Penticton Herald office, in Penticton British Columbia, where I spent three and a half weeks or so as an intern. I learned a lot in my brief stint here; and I continue to learn at my new job in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.

Somewhere in the Rocky Mountains, in the spring of 2015. Mountains are amazing. I went quite a bit off the beaten trail to make this one. Saw a few bears on the road down to the trail I found - had to make sure I was quick here! 

The Rogers Pass, in the spring of 2015. Pretty much 100% guarantee I am stopping for a smoke break at this point. 

Sandbanks Provincial Park, Ontario, Summer 2015. I only made three visits to Sandbanks. I'm glad I brought a camera along all three times. 

Penticton Indian Band lands, British Columbia spring 2015. Water is one of my favourite subjects.

Snake Falls, Ontario, Spring 2015. These little rapids / falls caught my eye on the highway driving through Ontario. I believe they're before Sault Ste Marie.

A rock stack at Flinton Falls, in Ontario, fall 2014. 

Wikaninnish, British Columbia, spring 2015. Another one of those magical stops outside of Tofino.

A winery, en route to Naramata from Penticton in British Columbia, spring 2015. 

Until I get a few more rolls developed, that's all for now folks. Thanks for reading and checking out my photos! I'm excited to be working with film; the next step for me is to learn how to develop my own work, and then perhaps I will be able to post more consistently! 

Watch for my upcoming "Sweet 16 for 2016" post, which will be 16 of my best from the last year. 

In film, pt. 1

In the fall of 2014 I picked up a 35mm format camera while attending school in Belleville Ontario. The following spring, I got my hands  on a 120mm Mamiyaflex, which I've taken quite a liking to. Shooting TLR has presented some unique challenges; waiting to get film processed to see the end result is a bit nerve wracking but fun at the same time.

Shooting film has changed the way I shoot photos in general, there is no doubt about it.

Going from digital memory, where you can snap as many photos as you want, to film where each and every shot will cost was a big shift. I've found myself planning more shots instead of just firing away in the hopes of getting something good.

I seem to take a large amount of portraits when shooting film. Maybe it's just that control-ability factor.

After getting an Epson V800 from my amazing girlfriend for Christmas, I have been scanning and editing like crazy the last few days.

This post consists of some of the people (or animals) I have met at various stages in my life. There will be a part 2 of The Life of Bryan In Film, which will consist of the other work I have shot.

 Liam "Beaner"Just, Toronto, Summer 2015. Taken while we were filming Bellevegas in the big city. 

 

Colton Cruson, Regina, Spring 2016. One of the truest g's I met in Regina. 

 I believe this is Dan Brown, from Schreiber, Ontario. Apparently, this is the first photograph anyone has taken of him in 20 years; his last one was a mugshot. I took this one on my drive back to Belleville after completing my internship in the spring of 2015. 

Jonah Melnyk, Quinte West, summer 2015. Taken while filming Jonah's part in Bellevegas.

 A man taking / collecting bottles, spring 2015. Taken in Ladysmith, British Columbia.

 Matt Adams, Northbrook, Ontario, fall 2015. Taken while we went on a random excursion north. Matt dubbed me "The life of Bryan" randomly during my stay in Belleville, it stuck with me and became the title of this blog. 

Scott Seymour, at the stage in Belleville Ontario, Spring 2015. Taken during the filming of That Life 2.0.

Spenser Smith, in Cathedral Grove, Spring 2015. We went to Tofino together to do some shooting, something we've both enjoyed for a long time, and stopped through this ancient forrest. 

For the life of me, I cannot remember this dogs name right now. I'm feeling Myles? He's James Miller, my former editor's dog in the spring of 2015. He never quite took a liking to me until it was time for me to leave. 

Sunny Singh outside of Banff, Alberta at Lake Minnewanaka, in the spring of 2016 during our (temporary) move to British Columbia. 

Sunny Singh (the best!), just outside of Cupar, Saskatchewan in the spring of 2016. The prairies really do make you feel small.

 Torlan Tollers Jumpin' Jack Splash, summer 2016. This dog has too many titles for me to remember. He's also a complete goofball, but he's one of the best dogs ever. 

Zach Taylor, somewhere around the Algonquin Provincial Park in the fall of 2014.

I will now immediately begin to put together my second film related post, consisting of my landscape / nature / scenic shots. Stay tuned!

2015: In Review

Tis the season for reflection... 2015 has been a wild ride from start to finish. I met a lot of interesting people along the way! I graduated college (what the hell? four years ago if you told me that was a possibility I'd have laughed.)

Yet again, I found myself in a new city, in a new part of Ontario. I miss Bellevegas a lot more than I realized I would. It had it's quirks, it had its characters. I met a number of incredible skateboarders, made a lot of friends, and I had a lot of good times there. When it's time to go, it's time to go though. I'll never forget y'all!

I had some interesting experiences behind the lens and personally, and I feel to an extent that I have grown from them all. That's what we're all after right? Personal growth? I'll celebrate that as a win.

My 5D is currently with Canon, getting repairs done to the hotshoe and a few of the buttons. I've been encountering a lot of problems lately with my flashes not syncing correctly with the shutter, which has taken it's toll on my shooting. Right from the end of May until now I've been regulated to one flash, on my camera body in order to achieve high speed sync shots. There have been a number of times this year where this was incredibly frustrating, and ultimately I chose to dedicate my summer to filming two video projects.

As I did a year ago, I'm gunna make a list. This year however, there are my most memorable experiences from the past 365 days (In no particular order.)

Cirque du Soleil was simply one of the most incredible things I've ever had the privilege to shoot. Being asked to cover such a big event as an intern was a little nerve wracking at first, I'll tell you. As things got underway all self doubt left and I had a blast. The colours of Varekai were amazing. The acrobatics were mind-bottling. Being able to tour the stage and speak with the performers and some of the people in charge of the production was incredible. It's events like this that remind me how lucky I am to use a camera every day.

 Ahhh.. Banff. More specifically the Johnston Falls. Easily some of the purest oxygen I've ever inhaled, along with some of the most dynamic scenery. In my second day of traveling across Canada I took a shorter driving day in order to make it to these falls. I made my way rather slowly through the Rockies, stopping at my leisure to photograph the sights. Making the falls just before magic hour only left me a little bit of time to shoot so I tried to make the most of it. After discovering a strange looking trail off the main paths I mosied my way down to this little spot.

 Getting to meet up with Jesse while I was in BC was a great time. It's always awesome to get to explore new places to skate with homies! Kelowna was a blast, and despite a papering of no skateboarding signs we managed to get in some great shots and do so relatively hassle free. I can't wait to get back out west and see ya again dood!!

Long Beach will always be the best place in the world to me. I'm not a beach person at all either; I just think that the forests surrounding the wild Pacific ocean, and the smell of salty air  is the most amazing environment to wake up to every day. It was also great to see Spenser Smith, my oldest friend, and shoot together like we used to 10 years ago. The waves normally get wild, and the tide is usually a lot closer than it is here. It was nice to see a father taking his young one to enjoy the natural beauty before we eventually destroy it.

This photo will forever remind me how insane a journalists life can be. In one day, I went from shooting a beer fest, to taking photos of kids and rubber ducks, to sitting in a court room listening to the verdict in a double murder trial. I'll always have a soft spot for photojournalism, even if it doesn't end up being my career. 

TPR you crazy bastard. 306 Rooftop Tour is basically what happened when we met up this year. I'll never forget it, that's for sure. Shout out to you too, Chevy. You're a natural born killer! Keep at it!

A large older dude didn't like the fact we were skating on this schools roof, and he felt the need to be vocal about it. I played deaf up until he was literally right behind me yelling about damage and hurting ourselves or some such bullshit. After he insulted our collective intelligence (as this frame was being made) I'd had it. Being the only guy on the ground sucks, but I'll stick up for my homies. We aren't stupid, we know the risks of what we do, and I'm pretty sure we aren't five year olds with mommies who'll sue the daylights outta anyone. Fuck off and let us do what we do.

More TPR on more rooftops. Noseblunt Pull, at a spot a lot of people have dreamed of skating.

Try it, you never know what'll happen!

This was one of those awesome wake up at 5am to go skate sessions. It was a blast, and I could never ask for a better way to start my days.

Bellevegas. 

This was an idea I had actually come up with in the Spring of 2014. As I found issues with my camera, I adjusted to accommodate. There was no better year to get started on filming this project that had been floating around in my head! I actually filmed this simultaneously with production of That Life 2.0, so that gave me a challenge. After countless hours editing, I produced a full 22 minute video on DVDs for the homies to watch and enjoy. Once the fatigue from that project wore off I began working on a shorter web edition. I couldn't be happier with the results!

Filming was a new challenge to me, and one I'll always enjoy. My passion lies in still images though, so as my gear gets back to 100% I'll move my focus back to stills.

I've been messing around with some architecture stuff here in St. Catharines. I'm working a full time job in a greenhouse now, so I'm free to shoot some of my other passions. I haven't gotten to do any skating here yet outside of filming with Connor, but I hope to meet some people once the snow melts! There isn't a lot of street skating here sadly, a lot of guys go up to Hamilton for it I guess. We may see what's up there next year!

Until then, keep it real my friends. I miss you all, even if we don't talk much anymore. Life's a trip, make it a good one.

On the Open Road

Between May and June, I made a trek across Canada basically starting in Tofino, British Columbia, and ending in good old Bellevegas. I was fortunate enough to come into a vehicle while in Penticton, and I appreciate the opportunity I got to make this drive.

With my Mamiaflex TLR, my 5D, and my 50D by my side the entire drive, I got a chance to document a small portion of my adventure in many different ways. The film portion of my trip will come soon, I'm still developing rolls of film that I shot along the way. I'm really excited to see the final products, based on what I've gotten back I couldn't be any happier!

For the digital segment of the trip I've chosen some shots from a few stops along the way, and anything that caught my eye for one reason or another. I hope y'all enjoy em as much as I do.

Starting off at the Hope Slides Memorial between Princeton and Hope along the Crows Nest Highway. One of my favourite drives in the country; there's an amazing view around each (treacherous) corner. These speed signs are to be treated with the utmost respect.

Tofino Roadtrip 

I picked up Spenser in Nanaimo on my way to Tofino from Ladysmith where I visited my grandmother for a few days. From there, we made the drive to the far west coast, and easily the most beautiful place on earth in my opinion.

Ever since visiting Tofino for the first time many years ago I've always felt this draw to it. Maybe it's the coast, maybe it's the pounding waves, maybe it's all the hippies and locally owned / run business....

All I know is one day I'm gunna end up living here for some time to keep documenting this amazing region of Canada.

I shot this in MacMillan Provincal Park, or Cathedral Grove, which is an ancient forest located on Vancouver Island located between Qualicum Beach and Port Alberni. We made a stop here to stretch our legs and explore the olds woods a little bit. 

I don't think there are many ways to show just how towering these trees really are... You've gotta stop by and see it yourself for a real experience.

 Once we arrived at Wickaninnish, the first beach we were going to visit, Spenser and myself got a thorough soaking in a 15 minute downpour as we walked down the beach. Once we found shelter under some trees and shrubbery, the rain started to subside. I was making some 120 shots when Spenser wandered down onto the beach to see what he could see, and I spotted this. 

After eating lunch in Tofino, we went to Long Beach. This rock is the first thing you see once you walk down the path to the beach, and it became the subject of many photos produced by myself and Spenser. I noticed this father and son playing around while we were exploring, and they decided to walk out towards the rock and get one last look before they made their trip back home. 

On a side note, out of all the trips I've made here in my life I haven't seen this rock with the tide out so far. It was interesting pondering if a walk / swim could have been made out to it. Nasty undertow here though, not worth the risk getting sucked out this time around. 

The Long Beach waves, before we made the trip back to the eastern portion of Vancouver Island. 

Tofino happened on my second day visiting the Island. The very next day I made a trip to Victoria to buy 120mm film. Fun fact for you fellow photographers, Vancouver Island is pretty hurting on Camera stores. If you ever want to buy film, you're pretty much limited to Victoria or Vancouver. Keep it in mind if you're going to shoot on the island! 

Deciding I didn't want to waste a trip down the Malahat for simply film, I stopped at Goldstream Provincial Park and found this towering fall. 

Cross Country Touring

The next portion of my road trip would span roughly 2/3 of Canada. It totalled out to be just shy of 6000km when the whole trip was wrapped up at my driveway in Belleville, Ontario.

I was ready to go in the Red Ranger with the entire cab filled with gear, clothes, random gifts, and odds and ends for me take home to Bellevegas. 

Starting in Ladysmith, I traveled the Hope/Princeton Highway back to Penticton and spent a final night at my grandparents house before making my way to Banff, Alberta. I chose Banff for its abundance of Provincial Parks. I would have loved to go for a proper hike but running into a few bears down some backroads made me reconsider my plans. Next time I'll be out there I'll be fully prepared to deal with the bastards if I need to! 

I stopped in Revelstoke, British Columbia for my last official stop in British Columbia. The view was amazing, I'd give anything to live in a little town like this. Being surrounded by mountains has never tripped me out! I love the sky that the prairies have to offer, but this is truly home to me. 

This was also composed as a 120 shot, the frame came out gorgeous in my opinion! 

The Lower Johnston Falls, in Banff, Alberta. Water is coloured due to being glacial run off! It was such a neat pale grey / green to see. This will certainly be a stopping point next time through, I missed out on the famous Inkpots due to time constraints! 

The middle falls, another pretty scenic view point along the trail to the upper falls. Still can't get over the colour of the water! I also composed this in 120mm, the negatives look pretty awesome! 

Ah the ever present random rock structure / inukshuk. Seriously, who the hell builds these things? They're super interesting, and I'd really like to meet someone who does build them. These are a portion of the upper falls, the single fall at the very top wasn't as photogenic as these guys. 

Magic Hour. In the Rockies. Nothing more to say. It was an incredible 40 or so minutes of driving. With the sun setting behind me, the golden light cast on the mountains was one of the most awesome spectacles of nature I'd seen in awhile. My only regret was not pulling over with a better view to make a film image. I'm still beating myself up over that... but what's done is done! 

Waking up early in Banff was a good call, I caught a little bit of snow along the way, and I found Canmore, where my dad will be stationed for the near future. Congrats on the promotion dad, I'm really happy for you! I'm also incredibly jealous of your new digs, the view was amazing from every part of the little community. 

After successfully navigating Calgary traffic (post rush hour) I cruised through the rest of Alberta fairly uneventfully. At last! The homeland! 

Driving out to Cupar, spotted a group of cyclists coming while I was watching the sunset, made for a more interesting photograph I think! Human Elements turned into an interesting challenge for me while driving across the country. 

Spent time in the 306 working with these homies, climbing anything and everything in sight to make the 306 Rooftop Tour... Photos to come, got three videos and photo edits I'm working on as well as finding a job. 

The land of the Living Skies... I love and miss it so much! Fisheye, to capture the entirety of the sky that was around the sunset. Somewhere off of Highway 11. 

I didn't get the clearest skies to shoot any star photos, but this right here sure as hell compensated for it. 

After spending a quick four days in Regina, I had to get back on the road to Bellevegas. I didn't get to see everyone I wanted to see, nor did I get to spend as much time with everyone as I wanted, but I had a good time none-the-less! The Saskatchewan / Manitoba border crossing. Dryden bound! Three provinces in a single day, quite the trek. 

Too bad I ran into engine problems between Brandon and Winnipeg. The folks at the Portage la Prairie Ford dealership got me up and running on the road after a three hour delay, thankfully it wasn't anything major. This delay, along with going in and out of rain prevented me from taking many photos in Manitoba.

Upon entering Ontario, the scenery change is dramatic from the three prairie provinces. The rocks and trees are refreshing after a long drive through flat land. On highway 17 just outside of Dryden this structure stands along side the highway. After catching a fleeting glimpse, I decided to turn around and investigate. 

After not getting too many photos the day previous because of weather and then hitting Ontario in the dark, it was nice to get out and get some shots. what wasn't fun was driving between Dryden and Sault Ste. Marie. I'd recommend it for those trying to get across Ontario quickly, but beyond that don't do it. It's long as hell, and you miss a lot. I wish I could have made more stops! 

Making one stop outside of Thunder Bay, I found this crazy structure at a rest stop. No idea what it's used for but this architecture was too crazy not to take a photo of. 

If anyone's read Stephen King's Cell this makes me think of that book. Nothing else about this really. Day three of driving put me between Sault Ste. Marie, and Bancroft Ontario. Took the backroads home, because there was no way in hell I wanted to deal with Toronto traffic with my truck packed. I pretty much hate the place, and ever since being in Ontario I haven't been too stoked on driving into the city. I'll do it to skate! 

After stopping and spending a night in Bancroft it was finally time to get to Belleville. It was an awesome stay in Bancroft! Thanks for the hospitality Alyssa! 

Highway 62, in between Bancroft and Bellevegas. 

I love this country, and my travel needs are more than satisfied by journeying around it and finding spots that interest me. Traveling around the world would be amazing, but right now I'm satisfied exploring the vast differences and the many similarities from coast to coast. Canada is amazing. If you ever get the chance, see as much of this place as you can.