CITYWALK IN VANCOUVER || Light and Shadows in a City by the Ocean
It’s been a long time since I’ve picked up a camera for fun.
I’ve brought my camera to work, yet the feeling is never the same when you mix a hobby with money. I finally had a chance to take my Fuji X100V on a walk this past weekend because I woke up to the spring sunshine on my face. Vancouver is perpetually cold, gloomy, and rainy during the winter months, and everyone has patiently awaited this first indicator of spring. I sprang to action with my camera and headed out into the brisk, cold air of the blooming spring.
The day's route was simple: cross the bridge and walk along the shore to visit Granville Island. What I love about this spot is that both tourists and locals love it. Usually, when you visit a city, locals do their best to avoid tourist traps, and yet Granville Island manages to attract visitors from all around. You can see people on their morning run or bike ride passing, circling the island.
I’m sharing the slices of life I captured on this lovely spring stroll.
Shadows helping to frame the perfect shot.
Spring sunlight casts a sparkle over the water as a dragonboat team glides through, pumping their arms in unison.
Ducks playing by the shallow water so clear you could see the rocks at the bottom. In Vancouver, on a day when the skies and the water are clear, it’s a breathtaking sight (if only we can get off our phones).
Can you spot the stand-up paddler in neon yellow?
Like other photographers wandering the streets for the perfect candid, my eyes kept tracking subjects around me, framing each potential shot. You often have to wait for the serendipitous moment when the right perfect with the right strut and outfit colours walk into your frame.
The same result could be achieved through AI with a prompt; however, you would lose all the joy of the wait to capture this exact moment. For me, it was when the girl with the perfect contrasting mustard yellow and burnt orange outfit walked in front of this navy and azure brewery facade.
To me, she was perfect.
Visitors gather around in the warm sunlight of the plaza in front of Net Loft, listening to live music. The midday sun casts heavy shadows across the pavement.
Friends drop their bikes at a nearby tree and gather around for a game of hacky sack.
I walked by this family playing with their child in the park by the water.
This was my favourite shot from the day. A runner mid-stride basking in the sun's rays. The shadows accentuate the impact of this shot.
Photography by Florence Leung
