Wild Drake Photography

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  • Visiting Constanta – An iPhone Experience

    Constanta, Romania, is the second, and final, Eastern European city that I travelled to for work.  As I stayed there for almost two weeks, I managed to see a couple other places in Romania that I will describe in upcoming posts.  Constanta is an interesting city with contrasting beauty and decay.  One area on Piata Ovidiu is now a pedestrian only street, lined with cafes, pubs and souvenir shops, as well as the Museum of Natural History and Archeology and the Grand Mosque of Constanta.  When looking at Google Maps Street View of the area, the image, from 2011 shows it was filled with moving and parked cars and far less pedestrian friendly than it is today.

    pedestrians, tables and shops line the street in Constanta Romania
    Piata Ovidiu is a Great Street to Wander

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  • Visiting Varna – An iPhone Experience

    Recently, I had the opportunity to travel to a couple countries in Eastern Europe for work. In order to keep from interfering with work but be able to make as many images as possible, I decided to rely on my iPhone for photography.  There will be several other posts in what I am subtitling “An iPhone Experience”.  I was hoping to find another old film camera while travelling, to supplement my iPhone photography, but that didn’t pan out this time. The first place I went was Varna, Bulgaria, which is a port city on the Black Sea.

    varna opera house
    The Varna Opera House

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  • Sooke River Bridge Graffiti

    Sooke River Bridge Graffiti

    There is really only one way into town, and that is taking Highway 14 over the Sooke River Bridge, but just because driving over the bride keeps the graffiti out of sight, it doesn’t mean it’s not worth checking out. Once you step off the sidewalk and onto the path that leads under the bridge, you catch your first glimpse of it.

    a broken umbrella lies next to the Sooke River bridge
    Umbrella Abandoned
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  • The Film Bug Bites

    Recently, I have written about the Pocket Ensign film camera I picked up.  That camera has brought back the fun of analog photography to me and introduced me to medium format film, as it uses “120” film, which is still available in many camera stores.  While I have only just started to get familiar with the Pocket Ensign, I saw an old Brownie Hawkeye just like the one my parents had when I was growing up.  Naturally, I had to have it.  The good news is that it is in great shape… the bad news is it takes 620 film, which is no longer produced.

    old film camera on the beach
    The “New” Brownie Hawkeye

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  • Rainy Days in Tofino

    One of my favourite places to go to get away from the hectic pace of life is Tofino, BC.  It is a picturesque town about half way up the West coast of Vancouver Island and is exposed to the full force of the Pacific Ocean.  This makes for some great storms and the perfect place to wash away your worries.  Even when the rain is coming down its hardest, you’ll find someone out for a walk on the beach.

    a couple with a colourful umbrella walk in a downpour on the beach
    Perfect Weather for a Walk on the Beach

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  • The Ensign Experiment Continues

    A couple of weeks ago I wrote about picking up a new (to me) old medium format film camera; a Pocket Ensign. Today I picked up my first roll of developed film. Knowing that the camera was close to a century old, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was prepared for a complete blank loss and hoping for something. Anything. I was pleased to see that despite several “learning opportunities” during my first roll of film, there were a number of reasonable images.

    statue with a telescope
    Looking Back

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  • A Walk at Ogden Point

    With the day being a sunny break from an otherwise rainy week, I decided to head out for a walk along the Ogden Point Breakwater and of course I had to bring my camera along.  The breakwater is a favourite of many locals and tourists alike, even on a windy February day.

    silver rails line the path to the lighthouse at the end of the breakwater
    Strolling along the Ogden Point Breakwater

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  • Turning Back Time For Creativity

    A while ago I wrote about how I took an online photography course to help develop my creative side. It was a great experience and I want to keep doing things to challenge myself and explore more creative options, so I took another leap. This time I bought what is technically a Medium Format, antique camera. I say technically because it is certainly not what first comes to mind when I hear medium format (ie. Hasselblad, Mamiya, Pentax… Or one of many others with interchangeable backs and lenses…). It is a Pocket Ensign No. 28 camera (made in England), that is somewhere near a century old and I have been assured it works. It’s by no means in mint condition, but that’s part of the charm.

    Pocket Ensign bellows camera with case and Ilford film
    The Old Brit

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  • Cloudy Day at Sheringham Point Lighthouse

    It was another wet, grey weekend, but I wasn’t going to let that keep me in, so I went for a visit to Sheringham Point Lighthouse near Shirley, BC.  The lighthouse is at the end of a short trail that winds down a fairly steep hill.

    old lighthouse on an overcast day at the end of a path
    Sheringham Point Lighthouse

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  • Being Creative on a Sick Day

    After a couple of rainy days when I was stuck inside with a cold, I was getting anxious to get out with my camera, but wasn’t feeling up to it.  Instead, I thought I’d stay inside where it was warm and dry and try to find something creative to do with my camera.

    colourful oil and water pattern
    Globs of Colour
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