Intentional Photography

A recent assignment from my photo club was to take a single photograph and document not just the final image, but the thought process behind creating it. The goal was to slow down and think intentionally about every decision — the subject, composition, timing, camera settings, and why the image was worth capturing in the first place.

At the start of our recent Alaskan cruise aboard the MS Westerdam, we were docked in Vancouver Harbor. From our balcony we had a great view of the waterfront and the distant shoreline. Far off in the distance, I noticed several bright yellow mounds along the shore. The contrast of the vivid yellow against the blues and greens of the harbor immediately caught my attention.

Here is the wide view of the harbor while we were still docked. If you look closely, you can just make out the yellow mounds on the far left side of the shoreline.

Vancouver Harbor

As we waited to depart, another cruise ship left the harbor ahead of us and passed directly in front of the yellow mounds. At that moment, I realized our ship would follow the same route. I decided this would become my intentional photograph for the assignment.

As we approached the shoreline, the scene became much clearer. What first appeared to be simple yellow shapes turned out to be a large industrial area filled with heavy equipment, conveyors, storage piles, and structures layered across the waterfront. I knew the strongest composition would be a straight-on view as we passed by.

Because the ship was moving, timing became critical. I only had about a minute to capture the image at the right angle. I also knew I would need a fast shutter speed to compensate for the motion of the ship and avoid blur.

I decided the image would work best as a panoramic photograph using the XPan aspect ratio. The long, cinematic format emphasized the scale of the industrial shoreline and allowed the repeating shapes, colors, and structures to stretch naturally across the frame.

Here is the final image.

Vancouver Sulphur

A quick google search told be these yellow mounds are sulphur. Natural gas is processed in Alberta and one of the byproducts of the processing is sulphur. It is transported to the harbor which is then shipped off as a component in pharmaceuticals, fertilizers, and other industrial uses.

I also setup a timelapse camera as we left the dock to capture the transit of the harbor.

Here are some additional photos I was able to capture in the harbor

Ship yard

North Vancouver