Mountain Spectrum

The story of this project is unusual but, in brief, I was hired by an agency called DARE (now called Camp Pacific), to do a project for Destination BC (formerly BC Tourism) as part of a series called The Wild Within. It was, in short, a dream project, which involved going to the BC Rockies with a film crew from Salazar Film, spending 4 days visiting the area of Field, BC and Yoho National Park on hikes, canoeing and flying through the air, talking to local residents and listening to tales of mountaineering. Then, coming home and making a piece of my own, based on the experience.

It was piles of fun. I decided to drive out with my dog Moser, who was much loved by all and nearly became a star of the film. We stayed at Emerald Lake Lodge on the gorgeous aqua-coloured lake I couldn’t stop taking photos of.

I took nearly 1,000 photos with both my iPhone and a compact Canon camera, of everything from sky, mountains, rocks and water down to trees, plants and tiny flowers. All of these went into a pattern-based digital collage measuring 48 x 32 inches.

Then the film crew came over to my home on Bowen Island and shot more video.

What surprised me in the end, however, was that the final product was not the piece I made, but this documentation of the whole experience.

It includes the writing, the still photos, and bits of film, and of course me and Moser.

Much thanks to the team I worked with, all the Parks people, guides, the wonderful staff of the Emerald Lake Lodge who took such good care of me and Moser, and the friendly folk from the town of Field, BC.

2015