After my adventures among the Canadian Rockies, I’m delighted to follow-up with another installment, where I share my experiences of photographing beautiful Vancouver Island and eye-catching Vancouver city 🍁🏢
A Very Big Island!
First up, the biggest surprise I had was the scale of Vancouver “island” … it’s a lot bigger than the islands we’re used to here in Ireland ! It’s an arduous 5.5 hr drive from Victoria to Port Hardy, tip to tip … so don’t expect to be around the island in an hour or two … you’ll need to plan !
Before arriving there, I did a lot of research to understand what sights to see if I remained mostly in the southern end of the island, as Vancouver city would only be a few days away.
So I put together the following sensible itinerary:
- Victoria city – the capital of British Columbia, Canada, with many sights: Chinatown, Legislative Assembly, Harbour, etc.
- Split Rock Look-Out
- Cowichan Bay (whale watching boat trips)
- Ladysmith
- Nanaimo – home of the fabled chocolate treat
- Little Qualicom Falls & Park
- Cathedral Grove
Views from Naniamo
Travelling by ferry across the Strait of Georgia from Tsawwassen to Duke Point was unforgettable – the views of Vancouver city getting smaller in the distance, while pods of orcas surface nearby.
I was hoping that my film choices wouldn’t let me down after the week in the Canadian Rockies, because this time I would be jumping between dense rainforest, glimmering cityscapes and quaint fishing villages:
- Kodak Gold 200 x 1 (sunsets & sunrise)
- Fujicolor C200 x 4 (general purpose, mountains & forests)
- Kodak Ektar x 1 (contrasty cityscapes)
- Kodak Ultramax 400 x 1 (low light)
I think what I loved most about Naniamo was the view each morning and evening from my balcony overlooking the Strait of Georgia – it was truly breathtaking !
That said, I found myself hoping that I was applying enough exposure compensation for the these gorgeous twilight displays – as it wasn’t something I was used to !
In hindsight, I have to admit my Fujifilm C200 film stock was very predictable, but I’m sorry to say that my Kodak Portra 160 was hit and miss … with unusual colour shifts and an inability to capture what I saw with my own eyes 🥺😒
Ladysmith & Rain Forests
One of the first day trips I took was to the provincial capital of British Columbia, Victoria from Naniamo, which luckily entailed a short stop in the quaint, picturesque town of Ladysmith, which had some of the most iconic colonial architecture you can imagine !
I walked the quiet streets in the bright sunlight, literally enjoying “f11” light, for the first time in what seemed like forever, before hitting the road later and enjoying the sights & sounds of Victoria city.
A visit to the one & only dedicated film store (Camera Traders) was an absolute must:
The next day myself and my wife hit the road again, heading north, to the dense forests and waterfalls of Cathedral Grove and Little Qualicom, before spending the evening wandering the shoreline of Parksville.
Vancouver City
After the tranquility of Vancouver Island, we headed back across to the mainland by ferry. Wow, entering the bustling streets of Vancouver City was quite a jolt ! So many people and hot … very hot !!
Vancouver city offers so many wonderfully distinct areas, styles and food – it’s amazing. At times I was so engrossed in the experience that I was forgetting to take any photos, but that’s ok I guess, as sometimes it’s more important to be in the moment.
My wife and I had heard a lot about Vancouver city library and wanted to see what the fuss was about, while hopefully enjoying some local street food along the way.
Wow it’s a film photographers delight … with my roll of Fujicolor C200 lapping up the bright light, leading lines and strong colours 🎞
Of course this necessitated a trip to Gastown and Chinatown also, which were fascinating. Although when walking around a busy city with a slingbag of semi-expensive photography gear (and precious rolls of film yet to be developed), you still need to remain sensible and street-smart at all times.
Stanley park
As we hurtled towards the last day of being in magical Canada, we decided to hire some bicycles and hit Stanley Park, and it was fantastic – if a little toasty (had to drink plenty of water) !
With a roll of Kodak Ektar, I enjoyed the sights and sounds of this huge park surrounded by water on almost all sides, finding all manner of interesting photographic compositions – from Indian Totem poles to lighthouses to Lion’s Gate Bridge, and everything in between !
I will say that at times I was truly worried about the heat and my Nikon F80 being out in the sun so frequently, but I’m happy to report no ill-effects ! It was one outing that I was happy to have a very cold beer afterwards, and as it happened, we had an amazing meal at one of the Persian restaurants on Denman St.
Epilogue
The 2.5 weeks trip to the western side of Canada was simply amazing, filled with unforgettable memories and sights ! I felt so privledged to have had the opportunity to capture it on film 🎞📸
It must be said, the Canadian’s were without doubt some of the most friendly, thoughtful people I’ve ever met – a return trip to Canada is certainly on the cards !
I hope you’ve found this 2 part blog informative, and as I always say, keep shooting film !
Paul
