It was recently brought to my attention that I've been woefully behind in posting swim information!!!

 

Vancouver Aquatic Center.

I'm sure any of my readers who are also planning trips to Vancouver will want to know about the Aquatics Center. It's on the way to the water taxis that take people to Granville Island. I'm curious to know why none of the folks more familiar than I with Vancouver failed to mention this standout facility.... 😆

The pool is a 50 meter main pool with a separate diving well to the far side of the entrance. The cost to swim is $3 Canadian and if you are so disposed there are two different masters teams that have scheduled practices throughout the week. It's an absolute must see! for anyone traveling into the northwest.

I have been watching videos of American swimming star, Katie Ladecky, for the last month. She shattered the world records in both the 800 and 1500 yard short course events. Many of the swim sites on YouTube have been showing her swims in slow motion and pointing out all the ways in which she achieves speed and efficiency in the water. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p20kZqUAd0k you'll definitely want to check this out. It plainly shows the difference between real sports and.....games. 

I have been trying to incorporate as much of her style into my own freestyle swimming and I'm pretty happy with the results. So much of the finesse is in the arm/hand catch and the trajectory of her pull through. Just watch the video and you'll probably swim faster by five seconds per hundred. 

I got back into town and finally home at 2:30 a.m. Tuesday morning so I missed the workout that morning. I thought it better to sleep. But I have made the next three days in a row to make up for the week I took off. 

This morning was wonderful. Our weather is about to turn but it was warm and there was a gentle breeze when we hit the water at 8. I shared a lane with Leslie and we paced with the folks in the adjacent lane hammering through the typical 3,000+ yard work out. The time off was helpful and I was nicely relaxed in the water today. I've been trying to stretch more between workouts and that seems to aid in making my stroke a bit more efficient. 

We did a series of nine 100 yard swims and I was delighted to hold a 1:25 pace on most of the set. Not too bad. 

I've got two more good swim days ahead of me before I break for a couple days of work. Add in some strength training and I've basically got a full schedule ahead. 

Note: more and more scientific research is pointing to exercise as the fountain of youth. doesn't really matter which kind of exercise as long as you're moving and breathing harder than you do when you're sitting on the couch watching TV and munching on chips. An hour a day is nice. Two hours is even better. 

I just knew you wanted to read a bit about swimming.... so there you go. 

I often wonder why stuff has to be complicated. But that's part of the job.

In the commercial field of photography the actual taking of fine and dandy photographs is pretty straightforward and uncomplicated. In fact, it would be a wonderful undertaking if not for all the stuff you have to administer to get to the point where you are standing in front of the subject ready to push the shutter button.

We're in the final throes of pre-production for a large job right now. Many moving parts. Here's every stumbling block: 

My favorite assistant was already booked for the dates by another photographer. I have used this assistant for over a decade and it never occurred to me that I might not, some day, be able to use her for my own shoot. She kindly sent along to me a list of assistant resources for which she could vouch. Of the fifteen people on the list the first five phone calls were more or less a snapshot of how well photography is doing in Austin, Texas. 

All of them were booked. I finally got ahold of someone on the "approved by Amy" list and we booked him for the days needed. 

The client asked me to cast for three very specific talents and to negotiate the terms of use for them with a professional talent agency. That back and forth between me, three agencies and the client's team started at least a week before I left on vacation and was only finally completed while I was sitting in the airport, cellphone at my ear, in Seattle on Monday night. 

The client asked me to handle billing and payment of the talent and their agency and, since this is a trusted and ongoing (and great national) client I agreed. I know how difficult it can be to set up a new vendor in the corporate accounting processes, on the fly. 

During Covid, as business slowed way down, I decided to stop having a credit card merchant account and to handle all credit card payments via PayPal. It's worked out great. Until now. Apparently our deposit from the client for models exceeded whatever triggers are in place for "too big an amount." Jumping through hoops and layers of certification were the penalty; all of which takes valuable time and energy. So far it's been a two day process, about an hour a day on the phone, to resolve. We're close...... so close....to final resolution...and the ability to use the client's money to pay the client's models... If not then the usual workaround is to call my banker and have them extend a line of credit for the next 30 days until PP gets their process ironed out. Alternatively, I guess I could pull the money out of my own account but.....why?

Next on the list was lining up a make-up artist to make the three talents picture perfect. And....over the last three years of Covid my first two choices have exited the field looking for greener pastures. Back to Amy for some contemporary suggestions. Amy to the rescue with a great, new to me, make-up artist. Now booked for the shooting dates. 

I never knew Rubix cubes were so hard to puzzle out. A lot like finding shoot dates that worked for multiple models and support people as well as a photographer, the art director, and a handful of clients. Back and forth ensued and we landed on the only two days that fit for the 4th entire quarter.

We're shooting one day of product in the studio before the shoot days on the client's location. The days with talents. But this means that, as a congenial host, I have to organize and clean the studio space, the bathrooms in the main house, sparkle up the kitchen, stock in coffee, pastries and a few healthy snacks and  set up a guest network for wi-fi. 

We have a final pre-production call with everyone tomorrow to set schedules, go over wardrobe, confirm addresses and staging, and to generally answer any questions that come up. Then we generate a call sheet and send it out to everyone involved. The call sheet has the name, job position, and basic information for each person on the crew side as well as whoever will be our liaison at the client side. It will also have cellphone numbers and email addresses for everyone. Finally, it will have the call times (arrival on set) for each person: when and where they need to show up. Call sheets are critical for bigger projects with lots of moving parts. 

Speaking of moving parts.... We're packing heavy for our two days of location shooting as we may need to light up an entire lab and also have additional lights to optimally illuminate the products used by the humans . In some cases the compositions need to be pretty exacting and some of the technical constraints are complex. Might add a second assistant at the last minute --- if I can find one. 

Then there is the whole issue of being able to tether the camera I want to use. My first choice is the Leica SL2. It's a wonderful camera that creates perfect DNG raw files and the lenses I have for it rock. But it's only "tether-able" via the latest rev of Capture One. I'm sure Capture One is a great application; I have an older copy of it here somewhere, but I hate that I can't save files to internal memory cards AND C-One. It's also my least desirable interface of all the photo applications I use. 

I might end up going with a Panasonic S1R instead, or even the S5, because both work well with Panasonic's very stable and simple tethering software. We're not going to be post processing files on site. We just want to show examples to the clients on a bigger screen. With the Leica it seems my choices are limited to either Capture One or just using Leica Fotos (the wi-fi app for phones and iPad). Neither works for me. I'd love it if I could do a seamless set up tethering with Adobe Lightroom Classic. 

An alternative, and one I've used in the past, is to use an Atomos Ninja monitor, connected via HDMI, to the camera to call up previews. It works but it can be very kludgy. I'm usually comfortable shooting directly to the camera on most shoots but I perceive that multiple people will be anxious to review and approve images on site so we'll get to the solution that works best. I remember when Lou Manna (food photography specialist in NYC) used to hook up his cameras to a 50 inch, flat screen TV and show the client previews that way. But, again, we're not disposed to haul around a big TV either. 

As I was walking down a wet street on a cold afternoon in Vancouver with just one camera in my hands and one lens. No schedule. No client. No staff. No payment issues. No details other than what to have for dinner.  I remember wondering why I continue to do this. I love small shoots, portraits, easy gigs. And while the kind of job I've outlined above is the kind of job most younger commercial guys crave I'm not seeing the paycheck or the challenge as much as I'm realizing how much time we spend getting stuff ready on one end and cleaning stuff up on the other end. And always on tight schedules.

But, as B. reminds me, I'm always a curmudgeon on the front end of a shoot (classic worrier) and I'm usually ecstatic while actually shooting and playing around. I hope, once again, that she's right. 

At any rate the client has been a dream to work with. Highly organized, super-personable, flexible and collaborative. Can't ask for more than that. But I knew that going in....we've worked together before.

 

A small gallery of black and white shots from the trip and some night time images as well. That's where the little lens shines.

All images done with the Panasonic Lumix S5 and the Voigtlander 40mm f1.4 lens. 

Processed in Adobe Lightroom Classic. 

Snaps from the vacation. Just stumbling around Vancouver with a camera and a map I can't really read... Thank goodness B. is map literate and spatially well oriented.

B. is certain that I have "Map Dyslexia" as I can't figure out where I am going without the sun as a directional reference. Or known landmarks to guide me. Thank goodness for partnerships. 

She's a map savant and a guide book researcher. The perfect city guide....

On Friday it rained most of the day. On Sunday it snowed! We didn't care. After Texas's long, hot Summer of drought we found the chilly, damp weather exhilarating and refreshing. We logged about five miles a day of walking which burned enough calories to compensate for the occasional donut or croissant. We explored the northern seawall in the rain before heading to a wonderful little restaurant called, The Greenhorn Café. We both had the Eggs Benedict with smoked salmon. Delicious. And the casual atmosphere reminded us of the old Austin, hippy restaurant start-ups of yesteryear. Just that the Greenhorn had better food.

It was a lovely day on Saturday and B. was excited about renting bikes and making the big loop around Stanley Park. We had walked in the park a few days earlier to see the aquarium --- which was delightful --- but all of our friends insisted that the seawall hike and bike trail around the park would be a high point of the vacation. It was. Around every curve was another beautiful vista. It's almost tragic that I am not more of a landscape photography enthusiast but there it is. I hadn't been on a bike in a couple of years. It's true what they say; you never forget how to ride one. B. rode expertly. We both wore helmets out of an abundance of caution --- and it is a city ordinance to do so. 

On one side of the park, as we came around a dramatic curve, we were hit in the face by freezing cold wind. And some water spray. It was fun and exhilarating. 

Every once in a while I'd ask for a stop so I could try my hand at photographing the scenery. I think with practice I might be able to get the hang of it. The S5 and the 40mm were a nice pair for this. They are both small and travel well when biking.

It's good to get out and start walking early. The light can be very soft and interesting at the same time. We walked down from our hotel to Canada Center which is attached to a giant and glorious hotel. This convention center area is also where the giant cruise ships dock. The views along the walkways are wonderful and at this time of the year almost completely abandoned by tourists. 

I love the idea of the pontoon planes. The reality of it, not so much. I've flown in too many small planes to maintain any attraction. They are the one sort of conveyance that triggers my own motion sickness....

Being from Austin my first questions as I walk along this public walkway are: Where's the graffiti? Where is the trash? Where are the panhandlers? The cigarette butts?  Once I cycled through that mental exercise I was ready to document this urban scene. One and a half stops of negative exposure compensation, f5.6. WB = Cloudy icon. 

And, of course, any time you like a scene it seems a good idea to turn around and get the 180° angle. To see if that works too.

As one walks through the downtown area in Vancouver there are small parks and green spaces that pop up which I find calming and a nod to compassionate city stewardship. This small park, with a stairway down to the seawall, was gorgeous in the soft light just after sunrise. 

Snowflake mannequin. Nice bokeh from the 40mm....

Luggage shop on Robson. 

I love finding replica statues of ancient Greek statuary styles. They are so incongruous when used as vehicles for advertising. This one was in front of a Saatchi Jewelry store. I tried a different angle or look every time I walked by.

On the mezzanine level of our hotel there is a discotheque that is currently closed for some maintenance to its swimming pool. Yes, there is a swimming pool right in the middle of the large nightclub space and it is surrounded by casual couch seating. I can only imagine that when the facility is open at night beautiful young people frolic bikini-clad in the pool while men in shark skin suits faux casually watch them in a predatory way while quaffing very expensive drinks. And, on an upper level some James Bond Movie Villain sits surrounded by his bodyguards, drinking pricey Champagne and dreaming of world conquest. Thankfully, it was closed for maintenance. The world is safe for now.....

We strolled in the rain just before the snow arrived on Sunday. We found ourselves in Yaletown surrounded by trendy restaurants just coming to life and the mid-morning of a cold, gray Sunday. Groggy couples drifted toward their favorite venues in search of morning cocktails and comfortable food. The one thing I saw that tickled my optical nerves was this combination of colors sitting quietly in the mist. 

Just another window rabbit. Again. I like window displays. They speak volumes.

Looking across from Granville Island to downtown. A sunny Saturday afternoon. 

I like the small ferry boats. Water taxis? The trip across takes minutes but the 

act of traveling across water is always fun. Well, almost always fun.

Just off Robson St., a few blocks from our hotel, we found a zany shop called, Dank Mart. They specialize in finding the most kitsch and bizarre products from regional markets around the world and sell them as either novelties or, scary version, personal favorites of their target customers. Interesting to see how regional junk food can be. Not shown, but a conceptual favorite, were the "Lady Gaga" Oreos. And I almost bought a box of the "Magic Fruity Pebbles" just to see what might be magic about them...

While out walking around we also stopped in and browsed at a number of different stores which don't have similar, corresponding types in Austin. My kid buys a lot of stuff from a store/website called Uniqlo. It's a Japanese store that sells clothes and clothing accessories. A lot of their sizing runs small and thin. This fits Mr. B. because he is shorter and wiry. 

I've ordered a few things from https://www.uniqlo.com/us/en/ and been happy with the products. In Vancouver we found a different store filled with Japanese clothing and housewares, stationary, etc. called Muji.  I found a pair of water resistant shoes there that I really like. They were cheap and fit in my suitcase so I bought them. I liked this image of the bag on the bed back in the hotel. Big floor-to-ceiling windows make just about anything look good...

Yeah. Version #7. 

Earlier in the week. On a day with a pleasant, persistent drizzle, we walked over to Stanley Park to visit the aquarium. It was smallish but sweet and incredibly well run. I loved the harbor seals and the otters but my photo skills failed to serve me well during their appearances. I did strike a bit of success with the jelly fish. They move slowly. I'm guessing I have 50 variations of "slow motion" jelly fish dancing. I recommend the aquarium and enjoyed the looks of awe and discovery from the small children around us. 

To cap this post off:

Lumix S5 = good

40mm f1.4 = really nice and compact. Sharp

Kirk's skill with seal photography = minimal

Seawall = a lovely place to walk and breathe

Muji = lots of fun, small, inexpensive stuff that you think, in the moment, you'd love to have.

Vancouver = an obvious hit with we Texans. We'll be back soon. 

From a photo point of view I didn't get much done on this trip. what I did shoot I liked and I also liked just walking along under umbrellas with my best friend savoring the experience and living in the moments. 

Our favorite restaurants? Tableau. Next to the Loden Hotel on Alberni. 

Sushi? Hello Nori

Ramen? Horin

Coffee? 49th Parallel. Georgia and Thurlow

Breakfast? Abode, on Robson. 

Casual lunch? Greenhorn Café

quick drop ins for coffee, pastries, a brief rest: Breka, all over the city

Overrated? Easily.....the Market at Granville Island.