Recent Projects - U of A Housing

Here's the follow on post showing the interior of the Housing Union Building (HUB) on the U of A Campus.

Recent Projects - U of A Housing

HUB (Housing Union Building) has been an iconic building on the U of A campus for decades.  It's 7 stories high and about 50 blocks long which makes it a challenging project to photograph, at least from the exterior.

Recent Projects - U of A Housing

I have just wrapped up a project for the U of A Residence Services.  6 buildings photographed over a 3 week span.  For this building they recruited some students to give the place a little life.

Recent Projects - NAIT Parkade

Here's a second view of the new parking garage at NAIT.  As you know I'm a fan of black and white images and simpler the building the better it looks in black and white....usually.

Recent Project - NAIT Parkade

A client once said to me that photographically some buildings need a little more help that others.  This isn't an extreme example of that but I was thinking about that comment when I was heading off to scout this parking structure.  In the end everything worked out just fine I think; interesting geometry, perfect blue sky, newly cut grass; all things considered a nice photograph.

Metro Newspaper

There's a short article in todays Metro newspaper wherein their next photography contest is discussed.  Yesterday the reporter who wrote the story called me looking for a few quotes, some of which are included in the article.  You can read it on line at http://metronews.ca/news/edmonton/749456/city-of-edmonton-photo-contest-offers-prizes-and-bragging-rights/

Recent Projects - Westmount School

I'd been meaning to photograph this fine old school for sometime and was actually on my way to another assignment when I realized that the conditions were perfect for this shot.  Summertime so no students or cars around, lawn freshly cut and some nice wispy clouds for good measure.

Recent Project - Corbett Hall

Corbett Hall on the U of A campus is a bit like an artificial plant in that it looks good from afar but up close there are some issues.  The building itself is just fine but there's a lot of clutter around the entries and the site furnishings leave a lot to be desired; garbage cans near the entry are inappropriate, there's a picnic area out of the shot that looks like something out of a food court...and on and on.  I think a grand old building like this deserves to be treated a little better.

Recent Projects MacEwan University

The concrete towers at the Downtown MacEwan Campus serve to break up an otherwise very long and low building.  The towers are aligned with the perpendicular roadways; you can see their distinct shape as you approach from several blocks away.

Recent Projects - Saint Joachim Church

Saint Joachim Church in downtown Edmonton has served the Francophone Roman Catholic community for decades.

Recent Projects

This photo of the Royal Alberta Museum was made with my Canon 1Dx fitted with the 17mm tilt shift lens.  Two images were made and merged together in Photoshop.

Recent Projects

Recently I was asked to take a photo of this popular Edmonton restaurant.  The photo was to be a gift for a family member who was moving away and who proclaimed this restaurant to be one of the places she'd miss most about Edmonton.  As charming as it is, it's not much of a place to look at.  I used the Canon G15's tilt lens simulator for this shot and converted it to black and white using Oloneo Photoengine.  I could have used the big camera with an actual shift lens but the G15 is so much more discrete.

Not My Grandfathers Police Station

My grandfather was a policeman in Edmonton.  He retired as Inspector Charles Halliday in January 1962.  On the occasion of his retirement Chief Constable Anthony wrote to him saying in part:

'A police officer acts as a citizen representing the rest of the community and exercising powers and performing duties entrusted to him by his fellow citizens.  He must gain the confidence and admiration of the general public by performing his duties with complete impartiality over all persons whether they are rich or poor, ignorant or intelligent.  Moreover, the police officer is the embodiment of law and order and the burden of discretion and responsibility placed upon him is much greater that that of any counterpart in the other branches of public service.

Since your appointment to the City of Edmonton Police Department in 1928 you have displayed to members of the Force all these qualities and have exercised methods which have not only encouraged respect for authority but also fostered those feelings of self respect and personal honour so essential to the high standards of discipline and efficiency.

I have the highest praise for the manner in which you performed the arduous duties of your office. Your conscientiousness, although materially lost to the Force by your retirement, will live on in the Members your have supervised and guided through the years.

May your retirement be long and happy.'

Inspector Halliday would hardly have recognized this building as a police station but this photo is dedicated to him nonetheless.

He died after an eight year retirement on Good Friday, 1970.

Recent Projects

If you're going to be out chasing bad guys over fences and through the river valley you need to be fit.  This is the fitness centre in the new Southwest Division Police station in Edmonton.

Recent Projects

This is the new Southwest Division Police Station in Edmonton.

Last Post from Portugal

We'll make this the last post of photos from our Portuguese adventure, taken the last night of our trip in Porto.

Special thanks to fellow travelers Barry, Ellie, Sharon, Randy, Lynn and Bert for the company and indulging me as a straggled along taking photos. Mostly though thanks to my lovely wife Terri for being such a good sport, for her enthusiasm and for, well, everything really.

Portuguese Industrial Abstracts

This photo has been added to my industrial abstracts collection.  The subject is a concrete wall in one of the five locks alongs the Duoro.  Still wet from our descent, any bits of colour from waterway organic material and the reflected sun light can be enhanced in post production.

Roof Gardens of Porto

This stand of roses makes a nice foreground element to this photo showing the roof tops of Porto in the distance.

The Things You See

I've seen these kinds of things hanging in entry ways before but I'm unsure if there is any meaning or purpose other than the cheerful look of them. Photographed somewhere in Portugal....

Doorways of Portugal

We're almost at the end of the blog posts from Portugal.  One more doorway to show you before we wrap things up...

Vila Nova de Gaia

Vila Nova de Gaia is across the river from Porto.  As stated in earlier posts, this is where the majority of port wine heads of the world, including port from Calem.

Along the Douro

One of my favourite artists is David Alexander.  A simple Google search will hit on many of this paintings.  This photo has a real David Alexander feel to it.

Breaking News

Starting today I have a series of photos on display and for sale at Tix on the Square in Sir Winston Churchill Square in downtown Edmonton.  The series is called 'This Must Be the Place; Edmonton Landmark Photograph by Jim Dobie'.  All photographs are black and white and feature such iconic buildings as the Garneau Theatre, Peter Hemmingway Fitness and Leisure Centre (formerly Coronation Pool), Corbett Hall,  Rutherford Library and Capitol Theatre at Fort Edmonton Park.

Please stop by if you get the chance.

Wash Day in Portugal

The absence of clothes dryers would probably explain this scene.

Salamanca University

Here is a detail photo of the bell tower at Salamanca University.

Doorways of Portugal

Here's another of my doorway photos taken on our recent trip to Portugal.

A Portuguese Serenade

I once had someone tell me that the definition of a gentleman is a man who can play the accordion, but doesn't.  I, however, rather like it.

Along the Douro

I was intrigued by the pattern centuries of water have left on the face of these rocks along the Douro in Portugal.

Salamanca, Spain

Here is a detail of the dome at the New Cathedral of Salamanca.  They began to build it in 1513 and consecrated it in 1733.  Can't image how old the Old Cathedral must be.

Salamanca, Spain

These vestments were photographed in the New Cathedral of Salamanca, Spain.

Sandeman

In yesterdays post the vineyards at Quinta do Seixo were presented.  When the port wine is ready to be sent of to the world it is brought here to the Sandeman export facility at Villa Nova de Gaia, across the river from Porto.

Quinta do Seixo

In the upper right corner is the Quinta do Seixo belonging to Sandeman.  In the second photo the same scene, more or less, is rendered on a series of tiles adorning the walls of the local train station.

Doorways of Portugal

Here's another of the 12 million doorway photographs I took in Portugal; this one in the village of Pinhao (pronounced Peen-yao....kinda like you'd say it if you were Japanese which I found delightfully odd.)