I met LJ out one night while I was in downtown Vancouver checking out my friends band. LJ is a homeless man who survives on the street by selling his artwork to passers by. Finding materials in back alleys and dumpsters provides him with a new blank canvas everyday on with which he can express himself. During breaks in the concert I came outside and we got to spend about three 10 minutes sessions chatting away getting to know each other while he continued to work on his latest piece. He kindly allowed me to document with my camera his progress and in essence his way of life. Here are some of the shots;
It’s funny how things turn out, we can go over in our minds a hundred times how we think a situation will play out, but in reality there are far to many variables for us to accurately predict an outcome.
Before I left Australia I had plans of what I was going to accomplish during my time in Vancouver. Where I would to travel to, what I would be photographing and the sorts of people I would be meeting. Then reality hit, and not in a bad way, just in a way that I hadn’t predicted. I was faced with either trying to hang onto the plans I had predetermined in my head or just to go with the flow and see where it led me. I chose the latter, either out of laziness or perhaps I was just looking for excitement in the fact that I didn’t know where I would end up. Whatever the case I occasionally ended up questioning myself on the decision. I wondered if I had wasted opportunities. Opportunities that would take me months of saving up capital to get back again. But I know that sort of thinking only leads to negative ends, and ultimately regrets.
I think when we are faced with that uncertainty all we have to do is look at ourselves and ask a simple question. Am I happy?
Who knows, what if back in the day you had taken a different path to the one your on now, you might have ended up in a better financial situation, by chance became famous or even found a new love. What you should really think is who gives a shit. That path could have just as easily led you down a road where you got hit by a bus. Over the top perhaps, but life is unpredictable. Just be happy for what you have right now, if your alive, if you have friends and family who care for you, if you have enough money for a roof over your head and some food on the table then life is good.
For me, even though I am not on my chartered course right now, I know I have always been sailing in the right direction. These last 5 months… this incredible summer… has been unforgettable and simply beautiful. I want to thank every person that played a part, you made it special. From the homeless guy that collected empty beer bottles from my bedroom window when I was hungover and cheered me up, to my mate who dragged me across the Atlantic to photograph a wedding in Italy and everyone in between. You made it magical. So am I happy? A resounding fuck yes would be the answer.
With Van City’s sun shining bright, I’ve been living the dream life.
Here’s to the people:
The homeless guy who collected empty bottles from my bedroom window
The mate who dragged me to Italy
A beautiful girl who showed us around Siena
A guy whose about to have a baby at a friends Bucks Party in Montreal
Bad day, looking for a way,
home, looking for the great escape.
Gets in his car and drives away,
far from all the things that we are.
Puts on a smile and breathes it in
and breathes it out, he says,
bye bye bye to all of the noise.
Oh, he says, bye bye bye to all of the noise.
-Patrick Watson
We came in search of escape, to be free, to feel honest love and pure friendship. The journey was winding, thoughts of forever young running through my mind the entire time. Once we arrived the destination seemed endless, my memories feel as if they will never fade, they will never die. There I found answers to questions I am yet to ask. I witnessed 4 people bond quicker than this sweet ass super glue I bought from the dollar store around the corner. Tofino magic. A place filled with breathtaking landscapes, crisp daytime air you could swear has particles of freedom in it. Clear night skies where the milky way twinkles brighter than city lights, reminding me of my place in the universe. Doing the Moses twist, dancing alone amongst the gods, then heading back to rest my head on the beating hearts of inspiration.
So get in your car and go, say goodbye to all of the noise.
And check out this beautiful poem Jessa wrote reflecting on the trip.
Once I returned to Australia my next goal was to share the images that I had taken in Canada with my friends, family and the general public back home. It was always my intention before I left that I would hold a solo exhibition to showcase the work. If you didn’t get a chance to see it click here for the details.
Many thanks to a lot of good people along the way who helped to make the exhibition a complete success. I had an awesome time exhibiting my work and I felt humbled by the great turnout.
Below are photos and a video from the opening night thanks to my good photography friend Mr. Beasley. Check his incredible work here: http://www.jeremybeasley.com.au/
Here is the selection of 13 images showcased for the Canadian Streets Exhibition which were chosen out of 7500 photos that I took during the month of July last year.
1. Welcome to Vancouver
2. Our Sunset
3. The Boys of English Bay
4. Untitled
5. Existence
6. Chinatown
7. Life, on the Street
8. Canada Day
9. Fairgrounds
10. Sign of the Times
11. Granville St.
12. Untitled #2
13. Dream, Life
(prints are available for purchase – contact mail@daletidy.com for sizes and price details)
So this is it, the end of the journey. I had flown back to Vancouver from Halifax across the land which I had rolled along. A few days previous I had found myself lying in bed unable to sleep, I was considering what I was going to do with myself once I had finished studying my photography course back in Canberra. All I knew was that I wanted to keep travelling, live somewhere overseas and continue to develop my photography. Immediately out of nowhere Vancouver popped into my head. Like an epiphany, in an instant, I knew wholeheartedly that I wanted to move to Vancouver to live for at least a few years. There was no hesitation, just pure excitement. I sat in bed punching the air ecstatic that my path in life was once again crystal clear. Just like the moment when I realised I wanted to be a photographer. I felt incredibly lucky.
When I arrived in Vancouver this time, I no longer perceived the city as foreign, I saw it as my new home. I don’t know if it was just the fact that I was over the moon about my decision to move there, or if indeed all the stars had aligned to produce one of the most incredibly beautiful days of my life. But Vancouver was smiling, and I was smiling with it. It was a perfect day, from the kind people, to the chirping birds, to the styling cars, to the endless sunset and all the while the warmth from the 34 degree heat (hottest day ever recorded in Vancouver). It all combined to leave the sweetest taste in my mouth from Canada. I couldn’t wait to finish my studies and get back to where I now felt I belonged. Van City.
During the last few days on the east coast of Canada I road tripped around parts of Nova Scotia with my good friend Jackie. She took me to places like Peggy’s Lighthouse, Luneburg and the Digby Tides. As well as a few other local spots where she grew up. It’s always nice to have a local show you around, it gives you a unique perspective that is hard to gain from being an outsider looking in.
Nova Scotia is a beautiful part of Canada, It’s probably not given enough credit, with sites like Whistler, The Rockies and Niagara Falls it quickly drops down the list of must see places. I’m glad I got the chance to see it when I did.
Thank ya to Jackie and her family for the amazing hospitality! After eating out pretty much the entire trip it was nice to have a few home cooked meals :)
I had made it to the most eastern point of my journey; Halifax. 7000km on road and rail across Canada had brought me here. Having just watched the movie ‘Into the Wild’ my little adventure seemed to pale into insignificance. But all I know is that I finally got the chance to experienced Canada and in doing so had the time of my life. Plus with more of Nova Scotia still to come I was in a good spot.
“I also know how important it is in life not necessarily to be strong but to feel strong. To measure yourself at least once. To find yourself at least once in the most ancient of human conditions. Facing the blind death stone alone, with nothing to help you but your hands and your own head.” -Christopher McCandless
Perhaps one day soon ill get the chance to experience something so profound. But for now I will appreciate the warmth and comfort of a hostel bed.
Caught the train up from Montreal to Quebec City alongside an amazing sunset. Arrived in the city at night time with the Summer Festival sadly coming to an end. There was a great atmosphere about with kids playing in the streets, teens drinking under the starry nights sky while the adults mingled in the bars and restaurants. Enchanting lights guided me through the back alleys as I wandered around aimlessly enjoying the warm summer evening.
The next 2 days were just as chilled. Caught the ferry across to Lévis to watch the pink sunset, strolled around the citadel and drank a few beers. Travelling can be a tough gig at times.
Also as a random fact Quebec actually recorded no murders in 2007!
It was time to catch up with a good mate Big D for a contiki reunion, so Montreal was the next stop. One of the best cities in Canada in my opinion, it has a lot going on plus the historic city streets make it a beautiful place to go for a walk and sip on a few brews. Definitely one of the most photogenic cities I have ever been to and had an awesome time walking around photographing all of its aspects, in particular the outstanding architecture and design elements within the CBD. Cheers to Trump and Annie for housing me, had an absolute ball!
