Steveston Explorations: the Fraser

A snapshot captures a moment generally as our eyes see it, however, there are many ways to see something. By using long exposure and intentional camera movement (ICM) an image will be seen differently than from a quick glance. The long exposure allows more light to get through the lens and brings out colours that exist in the scene but may not be visible with a glance. ICM blurs the image as everything in the lens is recorded and here the vertical movement emphasizes the lines along the Fraser River and horizon as seen from Steveston. The three images that involve camera movement are taken at different times of day to capture the unique lighting available at those times. One cool thing to note is that the black band on the lower third that shows during the day is a strip of land in the Fraser, but at night the light is reflected back from Steveston and the land is now gold and the water is dark. The last two images are composites. Two 30 second exposures are combined, the top half remains clear to show a sense of place along the Fraser and the bottom shows the ICM emphasizing the lines in the water, both smoothing the current and freezing it in time.