British Columbia: Possibilities

The phrase I will remember most from BC is 'It is not possible.' This is what I was repeatedly told by a representative from the office of Premier Gordon Campbell when attempting to get permission to photograph his house. In the end, her position did not budge, but it end, it was successfully taken. But not without some tribulations.

It took a bit of detective work, but I managed to discover the location of Premier Campbell's home - and it was done entirely through legal means, including various trips to Land Title offices and contacting members of the media for information. As this was the first shooting location, the learning curve was a little high and the nerves of being apprehended by the authorities was real, despite being within my legal means of taking a picture. I was worried about cameras getting grabbed and smashed, but I shouldve worried about them getting stolen...

If there is ever a place I couldve gotten my equipment stolen from me, it was in Vancouver, withins the confines of my parents house. Stupidly, I left the camera equipment in the back of my parent's car (in a usually safe neighbourhood I might add) and the next morning, it was gone. So, I did a good deal of panicing and self-flagellating, wondering if the entire project was ruined, and scouring Vancouver for another camera. I luckily found a very nice camera (a Hasselbald 550 CM, for those who know these sorts of things) at a very reasonable price, so I bought it. The next day, all of the stolen equipment was found again in neighbour's boat, parked in their back alley. Maybe the thieves got spooked by someone walking down the alley and decided to ditch it. Or maybe they suddenly realized that theft is not a path to a truly productive and fulfilling life. Either way, I'm thankful.

So, the actual picture taking was the anti-climatic part. No arrests were made, no one even paid me much attention. But, the first pictures were successfully taken. 1 for 1.

And yes, Premier Campbell's Office Representative, it is possible!