After leaving the Vancouver Camera Show and Swap Meet last Sunday I decided that rather than make the long drive all the way back to Kamloops and then Pritchard, I would make a stop for the night in Hope along the way.
Hope, British Columbia, is usually just a location to make a quick pull off at a fast food restaurant, or coffee shop, as I drive between Vancouver and Kamloops.
I have always liked the appearance of the picturesque little town just off the highway along the Fraser River, that was first settled when explorer, Simon Fraser, arrived there in 1808. The Hudson’s Bay Company started a trading post there in 1848. In more recent history Hope received acclaim when it was the location for the Sylvester Stallone Rambo movie, First Blood, and then, Shoot to Kill, staring Sidney Poitier and Kirstie Alley.
The area’s mountains also stood in for the Himalayas in the movie K2.
However, in spite of all that, the main reason for my stop was I knew I’d be tired after my long day at the swap meet, and, in addition, I thought it would be fun to wander around town with my camera the next morning.
I chose to bring the camera I had converted to infrared. I thought shooting infrared would bring a fresh and very different visual interpretation to the heavily forested setting.
There is a poem by Robert Burns wherein he writes, “the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry”.
I thought of his prophetic words as I checked out of my motel room the next morning under a pouring rain.
Disgusted with my crappy luck I stopped for a coffee and doughnut before leaving town. I was resigned to just head home. But as I sat in my car sipping on my coffee texting my wife that I was heading out, the rain lightened up and I decided that in spite of the cloudy overcast I would try my infrared camera anyway.
I thought, what the heck, any photography is fun and the worst that can happen is I’ll have wet hair for the trip back.
I meandered down to the riverfront and zigzagged back through town.
I discovered that at some point town residents began erecting large chain saw carvings everywhere.
So I took pictures of them, along with those of the city streets until the rain picked up again and my glasses got too wet to see.
The best time to shoot infrared is on sunny days, so the rainy, heavily overcast environment wasn’t all that exciting. But I was intent on the pictures by this time.
I must say that I wasn’t really successful, but there were a few images, that with some post production help worked out reasonably well.
The rain won this time, but I think I might go back to that scenic little town nestled in the Fraser Canyon.
It’s not that far from my home and a nice easy drive, and I’ll take Linda with me.
However, we’ll wait for a sunny, dry day and I definitely will try infrared again.
Infrared is such a fun change from normal digital shooting. And similar to purchasing another lens, the cost of having an old camera converted is well worth it.
These are my thoughts for this week. Contact me at emcam@telus.net. Stop by Enman’s Camera at 423 Tranquille Road in Kamloops. I sell an interesting selection of used photographic equipment. Call me at 250-371-3069.