Newsletter #124: November, 2015
© Chris Harris. All rights reserved.
Contents:
1. Workshops for 2016: Vision, challenge, Inspiration, explore, learn
2. The Tallheo Cannery: Where photographic opportunities abound
3. The mystery to expressing yourself through image making
4. Just walk out onto the land and Beauty will reveal itself: Nuk Tessli
Hi everyone,
Welcome to my one hundred and twenty-fourth consecutive photographic Newsletter sharing the beauty of the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast.
Winter is upon us now in the Cariboo region of BC, the countryside is like a Christmas card.
The landscape may be going to sleep, but we at the Gallery are busy making plans for next summer. We’d like to introduce you to our photography workshops for 2016.
Chris
1. Workshops for 2016:
All of us at Chris Harris Photography are truly excited about the slate of workshops we are offering in 2016.
7-Day workshop. Old fish boat painted with light. Tallheo Cannery
New for 2016, are two 7-Day workshops which I am so pleased to be offering with friend, wonderful photographer, and teacher , Dennis Ducklow. Dennis, a retired school principal, is a director of the Canadian Assoc. of Photographic Art (CAPA), and is involved in all aspects of photography through his business, Double Exposure Photography.
7-Day workshop. Tallheo Cannery Inn
The workshops will be hosted by Garrett Newkirk and Skye Phillips, owners of the historical Tallheo Cannery & Inn on BC’s central coast. This museum, with its spectacular maritime surroundings, provides one of the premier photographic destinations in the province. The workshops are intensive learning experiences with an emphasis on the artistic side of photography; self expression with a connection to your uniqueness.
7-Day workshop. Fish nets and window, abstract. Tallheo Cannery
My very popular 3-Day workshops will continue, and will again be based at the Chris Harris Gallery. These workshops are a wonderful introduction to expressive image making.
3-day workshop – student in action!
Also new for 2016, are my 1-Day private Cariboo workshops. Although I have previously done them informally, I have added structure to them within two different format options. These are ‘the ticket’ for those who prefer to learn through highly personalized private instruction.
1-Day workshop field trip – client in action!
All these photographic workshops are themed on the central concepts of learning; individualized artistic expression, and sharing. We wish you to become photographic artists with a personal style that suits your own creativity.
We hope many of you can join us.
2. The Tallheo Cannery: Where photographic opportunities abound
Geoff Moore, a photographer friend of mine, asked me if I had visited the Tallheo Cannery and I told him I hadn’t. Geoff simply said “go”, you won’t be disappointed.
the general store; you won’t know where to start!
I went, and then I had to go again, and then again. It’s an amazing place to photograph.
the workshop and repair shop
With a boat at our disposal, we can also visit the Bella Coola harbour and mainland.
Bella Coola harbour and marine details
The history of the Bella Coola Valley dates back 10,000 years wirh the First Peoples of Nuxalk Nation. Today we can visit and photograph the petroglyphs, which archeologists have dated to between 5-10,000 years.
Native petroglyphs
Also on the mainland are virgin rain forests; this is the gateway to the Great Bear Rainforest. You will see giant red cedar, Sitka spruce, western hemloch, and Douglas Fir.
temperate rain forest
The location for this year’s 7-Day workshops provides photographers with myriad unique subject matter. I can’t think of a better place in which to learn about self expression and communication through image making.
the cannery at night: outdoor & interior light painting
Above are a few images to provide a visual insight into the rich photographic opportunities that await us at Tallheo.
In December’s Newsletter, I’ll take you to the famous net loft in the main cannery building…truly amazing!
3. The Mystery to Expressing Yourself Through Image Making
The process of expressing one’s feelings through image making is at the core of my teachings in each of the 2016 workshops.
I went for an early morning photo-walk to Walker Valley this fall; it’s a beautiful valley where the drainage flows all the way from near 100 Mile House north (80km) to Williams Lake. It’s the headwaters of the San Jose River, which at Williams Lake, flows into the Fraser River.
It was gusty, and as I passed under a clump of aspen trees, I noticed the leaves releasing in substantial numbers. I stopped, looked up and watched the show.
I definitely felt a joyous feeling as I watched the leaves blowing from the tree with every blast of wind. It was still early and relatively dark, but I wanted to try and express this joyous moment in a photograph.
Information: This was a double exposure that included some camera movement. |
Photography is my language of expression, but how do I use my camera to express myself well? If my language was a verbal or written description, I would choose the various elements of English language structure to compose sentences. In this instance, however, I needed to compose an image with my camera using elements of visual design; line, form, texture, and contrast.
This relationship I was having; between the blowing leaves and my inner joyous feelings, is sort of a mystery to me – a mysterious connection. I doubt I could describe it in words. What I do know from experience, however, is if I am going to try and articulate this connection, I must throw the fear of trying aside and embark on the process of image making. So I just START!
I made several attempts. Each failed to communicate my feelings, but I was getting closer. I kept at it. Eventually, I see an image on my LCD screen that speaks back to me, and I say, “yes, that’s it”. That image expressed how I felt about what I was seeing and experiencing. I felt I had communicated it well, just as I would if I felt I had described it well in a verbal sentence or written paragraph. It’s something you just know.
I walked on into Walker Valley feeling good about my creation. My only hope was that it might speak to someone else as well; that it had some communication in it.
I enjoy the process of trying to understand the mystery of self expression. To be successful, one must enjoy the creative journey and not be afraid to experiment.
4. Just walk out onto the land and Beauty will reveal itself: Nuk Tessli
This is the continuation of the Nuk Tessli stories from Newsletters 122 and 123.
We didn’t know it at the time, but BC’s biggest storm of the season was on its way, this was to be our last day at Moonlight Lake!
The weather was slowly closing in, so I walked out onto an old lake bottom, 200 metres in front of our tent. I purposely changed my visual perspective from the grand landscape of mountains and glaciers to the story-telling details at my feet. They were the stories left behind by glacial meltwater.
Thoughts, feelings & information: It was a grey day so I found myself drawn by the contrast in tones; from pure black to almost pure white. Looking through my 16-35mm ‘landscape’ lens I looked for a sense of balance between light and dark, between the small bodies of water and formations of land. Carefully moving my tripod, only inches at a time, I arrived at this composition. Study the lines, shapes, and areas of contrast, and examine where your eyes travel throughout the picture space. Decide whether this composition works for you. I made this image at f-11 with my lens at 17mm. |
The drying lake bottom provides clues to what happened here, and when. I walked very slowly, looking for narratives and compositions that would express them. I was almost afraid to walk anywhere for fear of leaving a foot print, ruining a yet undiscovered story.
Thoughts, feelings & information: Still walking very slowly and carefully, I examined the elements that were created, mostly by light and dark, arranging them with close attention to my perceived sense of balance. I made this image at f-11 with my lens at 16mm on a tripod. |
Thoughts, feelings & information: Once again, balancing areas of light and dark guided me in my compositional decisions. The dark cloud and mountainside on the right countered the light pond of water on the left. Old drainage patterns leading to and from the pond also played an important role in its placement. I made this image at f-11 with my lens at 25mm on a tripod. |
campfire comfort before the storm
That evening, the mood of the place began to change. We gathered a few sticks of wood and enjoyed a small fire and a hot chocolate. We tucked ourselves in before the storm began.
Rita enjoys ‘real’ heaven’, after the storm!
To make a long story very short, a high alpine storm completely destroyed one of our tents and we were forced to retreat many kilometres back down to the Nuk Tessli cabins. Here, a wood fired hot tub, a delicious homemade meal, and a glass (or two) of red wine, made the whole experience worthwhile.
celebrating the Beaver’s arrival
After another wonderful mountain holiday experience, and several hundred images in the bank, we celebrate as Duncan Stewart’s Beaver plane arrives; bringing in supplies, new guests, and empty seats to take us all back to civilization.
Thank you everyone at Nuk Tessli for making our visit a most memorable one.