Put people in your photos; Kathryn at Golden, BC.

Kathryn and Murphy at Kicking Horse Pedestrian Bridge, Golden.

We were enjoying a lovely walk on one of the many paved pathways available in the town of Golden in British Columbia.  We soon came upon an interesting sight; the Kicking Horse Pedestrian Bridge.  It is located over the Kicking Horse River and allows those desiring to stretch their legs an opportunity to cross it without having to be near traffic.  The bridge itself has a lot of historical significance and there are quite a few information displays regaling its construction. 

The bridge itself is designed both for function and visual appeal.  I happened to have my ultrawide lens and got a number of good shots of the structure without people in it.  It was at this point that I remembered what I tell others to do when in similar circumstances; put people in your shot. 

Not just anyone, mind you, but people you know and care about.  The purpose behind this is very simple.  If you have a photo of some structure or landscape it will likely mean less to you over time.  A shot of the Eifel Tower is, after all, just that.  A picture with someone important to you in that same picture is another thing altogether.  It will keep its personal value over time and may even become a favourite.

I like to suggest doing two shots; one with that (those) special person (people) in it and one without.  That way you have one of each and can use either one depending on your purposes.  Given the fact that a 32 gig card can usually accommodate well over 1000 high resolution images, it should not be too pressing of a matter.

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Eric alone on the Columbia River.

Eric and his kayak on the bank of the Columbia River in Golden, BC.

I am not fond of doing stuff by myself.  It takes much more determination to achieve some objective if I have to do it alone.  Much of the time it cannot be helped.  My partner in crime, my wife Kathryn, has not been well now for going on seven years.  There are things or days where she can manage, and when she just can't.  We used to do it all together.  Kayaking, hiking, shopping, exploring via car, and so on.  Many of those activities are just too much for her.  So, I either do it alone or not at all.

This isn't always true as I have buddies that I can explore the universe with.  My amigos and I have done many wonderful things together.  The problem though is that Kathryn is alone when I toddle off on some expedition.  She can manage somewhat on her own, but the truth is that it is all just too much for her.  Thankfully my daughter, Leanne, is often available to help out if I am gone for an extended period.

When we are traveling, like this past summer, it often is just Kathryn and me.  During those times I have to make a choice:  Stay around or toddle off and explore.  I can often make myself busy around camp or at home.  There is always something to do and I have my photography which keeps me busy.  The outdoors calls to me though and I have to get away once in a while.  Usually, it is only for a few hours; it is enough to paddle about or hike a trail or perhaps visit some interesting venue.  Again though there is the problem of doing it by myself.

Let me share something with you which you may not know about me; I have a lot of anxieties.  Fears, uncertainties, what-ifs, and even guilt all play a role in keeping me from going off and doing my Lewis and Clark imitation.  The important part of all this is to find a balance between my needs, Kathryn's needs, and to push past the inhibitions which would prevent me from doing the things I love. 

I have always been better at handling adversity and being adventurous when another person is present.  It is one of the things I love about being married.  We tackle the world together.  Even when Kathryn is having a bad day we find a way to enjoy each other's company.  Good days allow us to venture out.  Most days involve considering a myriad of variables before coming up with a plan.  In the end, though, we are doing well.  I find that doing stuff by myself isn't so bad knowing that, afterward, I get to return home to my life partner.  Tomorrow is a new day and who knows what awaits.

The irony of peace.

A British Centurian tank with poppies adorning its main gun barrel.

I think it can be said that humans crave peace.  When there is peace people thrive.  Although there will always be the challenges which life throws our way, we have a chance to take care of the things that really matter when we live in peace.  People can also focus on self-improvement and prosperity.  These help build strong individuals, families, communities, economies, and countries.  Take peace away and this all crumbles. 

The funny thing about wanting peace though is that people have to agree to it.  This is essentially the heart of the problem.  For peace to exist there has to be order; order requires rules and someone to enforce them.  We all know what happens when order goes out the window.  Riots, looting, carnage, and even the loss of life. 

This is where the irony comes into play.  To facilitate peace tools of compliance must be utilized when needed.  It starts small, with parents guiding the behaviour of their children.  Then community-based management involving things like block watch and citizen's arrest.  The size of the problem requires greater and greater responses until, ultimately, the hounds of war are unleashed. 

I quite like the symbolism behind the poppies on the British tank in the picture I took.  Although a weapon of destruction and death, it can also be thought of as a weapon of peace.  Without force and its appropriate implementation peace is just a pipedream.  The trick, of course, is finding the right balance.  Too much force and you have a totalitarian regime, similar to what we see in North Korea.  Too little force and you get mobs and cartels ruling the roost. 

The unfortunate truth about peace is that it takes force to get it.  Ironic, but true.

Thanks for reading.   www.ericspix.com

Eric is benched again.

Eric on a bench at Rocky Point Park.  Photo by Paul Richards.

As the person behind the camera, it is rarely me having his picture taken.  I have hundreds, if not thousands, of candid shots of my friends and family, but relatively few of yours truly.  I will occasionally get out a tripod and shoot myself (would that be suicide by camera?), but those moments are rare.  The only way I am immortalized digitally usually involves a compatriot using my camera to capture my image.  Fortunately, I have not had any lenses crack or shatter when I become the subject rather than the digital composer.

When out shooting the world around me I will often take only one camera and lens.  As much as I like having all my stuff available to me on demand, the downside is that forty pounds of equipment is a lot to lug around, especially when no sherpas are available.  I would ask my traveling companions to do me the favour, but think my circle of friends would quickly evaporate as a result of the imposition.  And so I bring one simple unit. 

On this day I choose my Panasonic Bridge camera, an FZ2500 which performs modestly well for simple shots.  We found a nice alcove which was perfect for a portrait, and I asked my friend to take a couple of pictures of me.  Perhaps there was something deeper in play than what was superficially visible.  A machiavellian plot began glimmering in my mind - could this be the way to slowly get others to tote my gear?  A simple snap here and there, with an innocent suggestion of keeping the stuff just in case they wanted to capture another shot or two.  A moment becomes a couple of minutes, which turns into an hour, ending with the entire outing where I have a willing volunteer happily carrying my equipment.  Perhaps sherpas are more available than one would think.

Thanks for reading.  www.ericspix.com

Lewis and Clark Museum at Cape Disappointment

Dugout canoe similar to the one Lewis and Clark used on their trip to the Pacific.

Cape Disappointment does not live up to its moniker’s pronouncement.  It was not disappointing at all.  The beach was fabulous, with sand from one end to the other.  The lighthouse was easily within view, being perched upon a bluff where its lifesaving beams once reached out to nearby sailors.  Along the precipices were numerous colonies of three different cormorant species other oceanic fishers.  Abundant hiking trails, well maintained, provide ample leg stretching activities for those so inclined.  Then, on top of all that, was the fort and museum.

The fort was a relic of two world wars.  Its job was to protect the entrance to the mouth of the Columbia River.  Battlements rested high atop vertical cliff faces to give spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean where the great river emptied its sediment.  Also visible were the bird colonies, much closer at hand than they were from the beach’s viewpoint.  Next to the concrete bunkers comprising the fort was the Lewis and Clark Museum.

We spent the better part of an hour mulling about the displays.  Lewis and Clark made history by being the first to travel the distance across the burgeoning continent and reach the Pacific Ocean.  Their travels are legendary throughout the US and their feat no less impressive.  The museum holds numerous artifacts and displays to awe the patron.  Particularly impressive are the many hands-on opportunities for little fingers.  All ages are sure to be delighted with the discoveries which await them.

The photo above is one of the exhibits.  It is a 50% scale of a dugout canoe, the type Lewis and Clark made with the help of aboriginals after their trek across the continental divide.  The photo does not do justice to the impressions I got while standing there.  Hewn from massive trees, they were the mode of transportation for the explorers for a good portion of their journey.  Before the Columbia River was tamed, there were many rapids and boiling cauldrons of death which had to be run or bypassed through portage.  It must have been a harrowing adventure.

A family’s foray build bonds for the future.

Bikes on the asphalt pathway, Longbeach, Washington.

A family of seven finds fun

At a place underneath the sun

Where waves and bicycles roll

And adults and children stroll

When the ocean meets the land.

The littlest is just a baby

The oldest a teen, maybe

Mother and father explore

With their children galore

Miles and miles of sand.

Fourteen wheels on tubular frames

Heads filled with fun and games

Riding their bicycles together

This time will last them forever

Bonding over memories grand.

This, a story which takes place

For any creed, colour, or race

Spend time together; have fun

Anywhere under the sun

To help make your family stand.

Together and not apart

Activities that will start

To build tight bonds together

That will hold in bad weather

When hard times come at hand.

The girl who couldn’t read.

Eric sitting beside a statue of the girl who couldn't read.

Illiteracy is a terrible thing.  Many, especially young people, do not appreciate the value of being able to read and write.  Then there are those that, for whatever reason, never learned to read and write even though they are adults.  Canada boasts a literacy rate of 99%, which is a testament to how much we value the written word.  Canada is also a first world country, one of the G7, and considered by many as the best place on the planet to live.  It is not coincidental that all these facts coincide. 

Being literate means being able to acquire information from a variety of sources.  It increases one’s ability to think and explore alternatives.  It is a skill set as valuable to an individual as nails, screws, and glue are to a woodworker.  Think of the careers which are unavailable to an illiterate person.  The general population in many third world countries cannot read or write.  As a result, that same group will not likely ever rise out of poverty and will destine their own children to a similar fate.  

The above photo represents a young girl who wants to read, but cannot.  The bronze statue has been vandalized; the book in the young lady’s lap has been stolen.  When I first saw her, I wondered what it was that she was doing.  A quick observation led me to the conclusion that she had been robbed.  With no opportunity to develop her reading, how would she ever utilize her potential?  Doomed to a static existence; literacy unrealized and underdeveloped, she represents much of the world.  They would read if they had the resources and the time.  Fate would give them neither.

The thing about fate is that it is often made by one’s situation.  Children are the adults of tomorrow.  Instead of fostering their abilities and teaching them basics like literacy, they are enslaved in work environments meant to empower others.  Child labour, subsistence farming, begging or even stealing to appease the aggression of overlords, their fate is sealed.  A book, a gentle touch, and some time could make all the difference in the world.

Thanks for reading.   www.ericspix.com