Beauty in the shadows, old signs and Covid-19 fashion

The Streets Of Calgary
July 28, 2020
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As a Calgary Street Photographer who spends most days walking around the streets of Calgary, I tend to notice things that most people either choose to ignore or just don’t pay any attention to. As a photographer, light is very important to me. Light can make the most mundane corner of a back alley, a building, everyday items or people so much more interesting and turn them into things of beauty. It’s amazing how different times of the day can produce light that one minute makes a surface look dull and boring; yet an hour later that same surface can look like a beautiful piece of art.

Below are a few examples of how light can turn the mundane into bright colourful works of art.

Red crate (Fuji Classic Neg) – light falling across this wall turning it into a thing of beauty with hues of reds and oranges complimenting each other perfectly.

Blue canopy (Fuji Pro Neg) – light cuts across this back alley striking the blue canopy perfectly complementing the blue sky

Red canopy (Fuji Provia) – Midday sunlight creates a striking block of orange on this Beltline apartment building

Blue window (Fuji Astria) – A splash of vivid blue on this window makes a striking , bold statement against the plain beige on the wall.

Witches hat (Fuji Provia) – deep shadows silhouette a traffic pylon against the bright buildings behind

Old signs on the streets of Calgary

Unfortunately as old buildings make way for modern offices, apartment buildings and condos we loose more and more vintage signs everyday. When you look at old photos of any city landscape it’s always full of large, bright signage hung from the wall or beautifully painted business names adorning the tops of old brick buildings. These signs where a great way to add some flair to your business and in days gone by, were the staple of advertising and the most creative way to make your business stand out from the rest. Luckily, there are still a few dotted around the streets of Calgary and I’ve now started photographing them as a side project and will post the more interesting ones on the blog in the future. For now, here’s just a small selection (below) that I’ve seen so far.

The lions den (Kodak Portra 160) — Superior Auto Body (Kodak Portra 160)

Covid-19 will be mandatory in some places in Calgary.

Calgary council has passed a new bylaw, requiring people to wear masks in all indoor public buildings and public transit in the city. It means masks will be mandated in all City of Calgary buildings, buses, trains, taxis, malls and grocery stores. It applies to all members of the public and employees who are in public areas of buildings who are not able to properly distance. Masks also don’t need to be worn if a person is separated from another person by a shield or plastic barrier. Citing the rising numbers of coronavirus cases, the City of Calgary says it will make masks mandatory starting Aug. 1 2020. Officials say they hope the mask bylaw will limit the spread of the coronavirus and prevent another lockdown. “We need to take bold action now if we want schools to reopen, if we want kids to feel safe, if we don’t want to close the economy again,” Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi said. “This is critical.”

Many people are using the pandemic to make a fashion statement

When the going gets tough, the tough get going Billy Ocean once sang. The Covid-19 pandemic is no different, and while some complain and demonstrate against wearing masks others fully embrace it and use it to make a fashion statement.