With a full moon on January 19th, I was compelled to follow an impulse to stop at Jericho Beach on my way home on my motorcycle in spite of it being a cold, damp, grey day. When these impulses hit me and pull me off track, I have learned to listen, with curiosity as my GPS. I now keep my compact digital camera with me at all times in case something comes up that I need to document. A photograph can take you down other rabbit holes and lead you to other creative ventures.
What came out of this diversion was, as diversions often do, insight about time and place. In the past, I’ve hibernated in January and February while waiting for the first signs of Spring in order to minimize the depressing effect of these two dark, cold, wet and dismal months. But this photo diversion has enabled me to extend my passion for photography and “see” January just for what it is. To experience January. Who knew that a slight turn off the beaten track would result in seeing another side of these cold, damp, grey days. There is a quiet desolation in at least two of the photos that capture the essence of what I wanted to avoid. The empty bench in the moonlight. The lack of people. The moodiness of the light in the late afternoon with elongated shadows. Now looking forward what February will unfold.
Jericho Beach in January, Vancouver, BC
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