Historic and Picturesque Steveston

Steveston, Richmond BC, Canada - "History is all over the place".



This is one hackneyed phrase locals would readily describe Steveston Village, in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. As a photographer, I would like to add the adjective "picturesque".

While Steveston is replete with a colorful past, it is also abundant in beauty in the present. I love to read about history. But I am not one who is highly steeped in academic history. What I know of Steveston's history is just as good as anyone else's. Nonetheless, I am always ready to engage anyone into a lengthy discourse as to how charming and scenic the place is.

Indeed, a photographers delight.

I do not live in Steveston --- I mean, the historic village itself. But I happened to stay for quite sometime in a strata complex in its environs. Literally it was a stone's throw away from where I stayed. How I wish I could live there until I grow old and ugly, but being historic and beautiful place making it my permanent address is not for me a feasible economic and financial option.

A "historic fishing village" they say. It was once touted as the salmon capital of world where the fish was harvested in hundreds of tons. Canneries lined up along its shores. In the 1800's up to the early 1900's, it was the hub of a commercially important fishing and canning industry in North America. It drew a motley and multi-cultural denizens consisting mostly of early European settlers, Japanese, Chinese and First Nation people.

Today, that multi-cultural demographic makeup is still very visible. Mind you, there is still a lot of fishing going on right now though as not as massive, understandably, as it was in the 1800s. You can still shop for fresh produce in the fishers' market. Here I took some images of the fresh wares from the sea other than the renowned salmon.

The Board Walks : As today and as they were in the 1800s they remain a
fixture in the Steveston historic landscape. In the past when these
solid planks of hard wood serve to facilitate the transport of tons of
salmon harvest and the commute of fish industry workers, now mostly
tourists use the planks in their leisurely stroll.

Yes, you can still buy fresh today. This big one was
aesthetically presented by its fisherman cum
trader hence I trained my camera on it for a shot.

As a dynamic community, Steveston continues to evolve through time. However, its residents have a way of keeping its colorful history intact and translating them into a scenic and exquisite present.

Photography gear used :

Camera bodies : Nikon D90; Nikon D5000

Lens: Sigma 18-200 mm zoom

Early Autumn Richmond BC 2010

Steveston, Richmond BC, Canada (October 2010) --- "Too eager and too early"

This was the gist of the best advises friends and kins gave me when I decided to grab my Canon 50D early in October to shoot autumn's golden color. "Wait till mid-November", they quipped, "when  Fall's full splendor shall fully unfold".

When I think of continuous drizzle day after day and sticky mud on my sneakers at the height of Fall, I decided to give it a shot while there are still two or three intermittent sunny days in a given week.

True to what was advised, autumn was still on its bud. But overall it was not a general let-down. Besides I was ready to hie off for a short, two-week trip back to Davao City in the Philippines and I couldn't wait.




How could more golden autumn colors be of use to me when the fields get soggy.

I must admit it was kind of haste. But to me it was an opportune time. Truly the haste just brought me in my immediate environs in Richmond. And where else but in nearby Steveston.











"I could do it again later if I couldn't get enough good images that would satisfy me", I reassured myself.

The result was not at all totally disappointing. Barely three hours of photo-walk yielded some rather passable results. However meager these are, may I share them with you.



Lens Used :

Canon EF 17-40 mm L

The Colors of Queen E Park in Summer

Vancouver, Canada (Summer 2010) - My wanderings in Canada brought me again to Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver. I said "again" because it was third time to visit the place, and always during summer.

For what better time to hang out in Queen E but ideally  in summer? But I still plan to revisit the place in Fall to see what images will I get when the leaves will display their bright and splendid autumn colors. At any rate, I can do that as Queen E is just a couple of minutes drive from where I live in Richmond, BC.

So this summer of 2010 when I got there again? -  well it was not actually a planned visit but an alternative trip. Thing is - the original plan was to hang out in the beach in West Vancouver when one weekend the temperature rose to 29 degrees. But the beach was so crowded with people and cars. With literally no good place to park, the better option was to walk away.

Walking ( or say riding ) away from the crowded beach was a good opportunity to appreciate the colors of Queen E in summer. Here I took my time taking some images that interested me, rather in a very leisurely manner.
















 Literally, it was the proverbial "walk in the park". No pressures. I was not on any photo assignment. Nor did I compel myself to take stunning photos for a publication or anything. It was a casual have-fun stroll with my camera with me, firing away my Nikon D90 rather randomly.

Let me share the moment with these images. I could only post a few of the several images I took.