The Art of Back Alleys: Just A Photo Wander Through North Vancouver with the Canon 1Dx Mark III

Every so often, the hustle and bustle of regular normal life hands you a perfect morning for a photo wander, and today just happened to be one of those glorious mornings. 

 I found myself dropping Miranda’s car off to the auto body folks for repair of an unfortunate door ding so I grabbed the then very new to me Canon EOS 1Dx Mark III and that foolishly sharp Sigma 50mm f/1.4 GD HSM ART lens.  With the intent on walking the long way home in the magic and mystery that can only be found in a Back Alley. 

Back Alleys: More Than Just Utility

Back alleys are this really unique kind of magical place. They are gritty, quiet, and filled with this wonderfully unpredictable finds. I know some of you would look at a back alley as a place to be avoided at all costs, but these utilitarian spaces are, as I see them as endless galleries of forgotten moments and unintentional art installations where the artists remain anonymous to even themselves :) Today was absolutely no exception. There was this super moody mid fall/winter light (which just means that it is always coming in low and from the side because we are in the dark days) cloud-filtered light that was constantly changing from bright to dark and it almost added a cinematic texture to the very random things that I found while wandering through these smelly and forgotten spaces.   

There was so much to be discovered, from random stacks of used tires to things that I can only make up stories about. Like this Santa Claus cookie tin lid that someone for reason I couldn’t explain screwed to a random power poll. I find that all back alleys are full of these unknown narratives that are written by many hands without even realizing that they are part of this larger installation. They are all here on display waiting to be discovered. These are the kind of spaces where all these mundane objects somehow become fascinating group compositions that under the correct light and thought the right lens are a wondrous gallery of artistic riches. 

I feel honoured to be able to capture them and bring them to the world before they change into entirely new installations or are simply whisked away and wiped clean.

Industrial Charm and Fleeting Moments

I find that there is this sweet spot for exploring back alleys and industrial areas – either early mornings, before businesses open and the back streets are still quiet, or on weekends and stat holidays. I love that in the absence of people, machinery and other cars in these spaces will reveal the rawness and unintentional beauty of these forgotten places. I love that you can easily capture and linger over the details left from hundreds of small insignificant interactions. I was a spot late to the game at 9:00 AM as the it becomes a bit harder to capture the charm as parked vehicles and hectic workers take over these spaces.  It is fun though as that is when me wandering about with a camera start to seem a bit more sketchy to those working around me. I feel I am not even doing my job of capturing this all correctly if I am not asked with suspicion what I am doing here. :)  

It is in these industrial areas that I find a this surreal sense of order & decay coexisting. I love the juxtaposition of piles of used tires, rusting equipment, and other quirky items that shouldn’t belong here like a tennis rackets leaning against a wall next to a “reserved parking” signor Christmas cookie lids out side fireplace repair places. 

The Gear That I Used Today To Capture It & Share It With The World. 

This Photowander was shot mostly with the very new to me Canon EOS 1Dx Mark III paired with the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 GD HSM ART lens. While I am not on to think there you need to use a specific kind of camera to shoot specific subjects (EG: you can’t shoot street photography with out a rangefinder or a landscape with out a 4X5) this camera is often toted as the sports photographers wet dream, and not something that most would choose to capture the still and unmoving details of a back alley :) Truth be told, while  I think that the camera you have with you is the best for the task at hand, this was a big body to carry around for this. I have been shooting with the Canon Pro Line off and on pretty much since I started shooting professionally. My first Canon 1D camera was actually the Canon 1D Mark II that I got way way back in 2004 (in fact I actually still have that very camera it and it is still going strong even after 2 shutter replacements and I am guessing over 1.5 million exposures.) and over the years I have owned and used extensively the 1D Mark II, 1Ds Mark II, the 1D Mark IV, the 1Dx Mark II and now the 1Dx Mark III which I grabbed mostly because it is the end of the era. 

The Canon EOS 1Dx Mark III is (unless something completely crazy happens that is) Canon’s Last Professional DSLR. Canon has moved on other completely to the mirrorless land with everyone else and while that is not a bad thing, (nothing wrong with Mirrorless Cameras there is a lot of advantages and I get that they are better in oh so many ways) I do like using the old style beasts that really best describes the 1D Lineup.

I do love the fact that these cameras can happily bounce around on the passenger seat of the Jeep and I can grab them with my dirty paws for photos of my grubby adventures with out worrying about them succumbing to the elements. I imagine that this camera will still be coming with me on these dirty, dusty and soggy backwoods adventures for many years to come. 

Some Photo Highlights of the Day.

Here are some of the moments that totally stood out for me today:

• That Santa Claus Lid: Who screws a Santa lid to a post in an alley? Who cares—it’s fantastic.
• Tires in Chaos: I’ve photographed tires a dozen times, and they never seem to come out right. But today? Maybe this was the one. You tell me.
• A Forgotten and weathered gas station Vacuum: Passing by the same gas station countless times, I’d never noticed the oddly compelling vacuum cleaner until today. It’s proof that familiarity can blind us to the beauty of the ordinary.
• The randomness that I could find in this early morning light: That soft, diffuse glow through overcast clouds mixed with the bright low directional glory that would peek through every once in a while. Sometimes gentle, sometimes dramatic, perfect amount of chaos for the chaotic subjects.