downtown

Lions Gate Bridge from Ambleside Park

The Lions Gate Bridge, Stanley Park, and downtown Vancouver from Ambleside Beach in West Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

lions gate bridge stanley park and downtown vancouver

Lions Gate Bridge, Stanley Park, and Downtown Vancouver from Ambleside Park (Purchase)

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After a bit of hiking last week around Mount Seymour, I headed to Ambleside Park in West Vancouver to see if that location would offer a favourable view of Stanley Park, downtown Vancouver and the Lions Gate Bridge. I have photographed the Lions Gate from Brockton Point and Prospect Points in Stanley Park before, and wanted a new view of the Bridge. As it turns out, I think Ambleside Park actually offers a better view of the bridge than from most of Stanley Park. Clear and unobstructed, and during dusk at least – with a nicer background that is more evenly lit. The only issues I had last week at Ambleside were the giant tankers coming into the port occasionally and the nearly full (and not super) moon just above the bridge.

You can find more photographs of bridges in my Bridges Gallery.

Downtown Vancouver and Earth’s Shadow

Earth’s shadow (the Belt of Venus) behind downtown Vancouver’s Canada Place and the Trade and Convention Center building in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

earths shadow belt of venus behind canada place in vancouver british columbia

Vancouver’s Canada Place and the Belt of Venus (Purchase)

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   A few weeks ago I was in Stanly Park again photographing downtown Vancouver near sunset. There wasn’t great light for sunset, and the blue hour photos I made that night were okay, but didn’t surpass my previous photos of downtown Vancouver in those conditions. I was able to photograph what I had only previously seen over mountains much further East – the Belt of Venus (aka the Earth’s Shadow) over downtown Vancouver. I enjoy this photograph because it is not quite like other photographs I’ve seen of Vancouver, and I like the soft colours in the sky.

   About an hour earlier I was watching the float planes land in Coal Harbour and decided to switch up from a wide angle lens to my 70-200 to try to catch one landing. As Canada Place seems to be well represented in a panoramic format, I stitched two exposures together to make the photograph below. This is a Whistler Air floatplane landing in Coal Harbour on its way to the Vancouver Harbour Water Airport (Vancouver Coal Harbour Seaplane Base).

tatoosh range and wildflower sunset panorama in mount rainier national park

A Whistler Air floatplane lands in the water of Coal Harbour next to Canada Place in Vancouver (Purchase)

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Lights on the 5 Sails of Canada Place

Canada Place in Vancouver is now a trade and convention center, as well as a cruise ship port, but during Expo ’86 it was the Canadian Pavilion.

lights on the sails of canada place in vancouver, british columbia

Lights of Canada Place in Vancouver (Purchase)

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   I’ve always enjoyed the shape of the Canada Place building in downtown Vancouver. I remember it being one of the few distinctly shaped buildings in the 80’s (in addition to Harbour Center, Science World and BC Place). While Vancouver’s skyline has many new additions – Canada Place is still one of my favourites. Recently they replaced the covering on the 5 sails and projected images on them during the Olympics. Photographing them from Stanley Park I recently made this image of one of the various projected images currently on the sails. These change every few minutes or so – and sometimes this can cause some unwanted effects in a 30 second exposure! I was careful to make this image within just one variation in the lights. I like the various colour versions but this one is probably my favourite – the lights are relatively subtle.

   This is just one image from many I’ve recently added to my Vancouver Coast & Mountains Gallery.