Vancouver 30 (20 of 30)

Vancouver 30 (19 of 30)

Vancouver 30 (17 of 30)

Vancouver 30 (18 of 30)

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This urban sector known as Gastown, consists of older buildings that represents the city roots as an important trade hub in the northwest.  Today, the architecture, combined with the cobble stones roads makes this location an attractive night spot for residents and tourists.

Vancouver 30 (14 of 30)

This is the historic side of town in Vancouver.  Gastown is known as the commercial and trade hub as you can see by the cargo trains that wisps through this urban center.  Today this place is a busy hub for social night outs and great place to take in clean air by the sea.

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 The surrounding city illuminates with a contrasting background of moving cloud and fog that is lit up by a nearby sky resort.

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Prestine is how I'd describe Vancouver's skyline.  But unlike some of the other major North American urban centers, Vancouver seems to breath easier.  Its height doesn't overwhelm you the way Chicago does, nor the magnitude and complexity like New York appear escapeless.  For a small scale modern metropolis, you can sense the emergence of technology, commerce, and community.  By design, Vancouver doesn't really lack anything that other cities have.  You could not complain nor feel deprived by its beauty, instead get captured by its wonder.

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Ever wonder what it would be like to live in a major city that belongs in the Northwest.  Rent is skyrocketing, and the cost of living is about 25% more than what you typically spend in LA.  Its not to say that LA is cheap, but more on the lines of having accessibility to cheaper things.



As depicted condo highrises dominate housing that are not intended to be flashy, elegant or elaborate in any style or context of fashionable living, but defined by modern and middle of the road.  Outside the modern barriers, a city surrounded by natural beauty is a better definition of this city because after all, time and time again, people will say; "Vancouver is one of the most beautiful cities."

American Landscapes - Lake Tahoe, CA

Lake Tahoe is located in the alpines of the Sierra mountain range that borders California and Nevada.  On a perfect day, the water surface resonates the most vibrant blue of its kind.  And when you engage close to the water, you can actually see its vivid clarity, as its clear water is one of the lakes characteristics that is famous for.



Over the years the water has lost its clarity as it is decreasing at an average rate of .25 meters per year. 



The area around Lake Tahoe was originally inhabited by the Washoe tribe of Native Americans.



Watersports, from swimming, paddle boarding, jet skiing canoeing, kayaking, yachting, diving, and scuba diving are some of the recreational activities that take place on the lake.  During the winter, parts of the area gets closed off due to heavy snow storms.  However, Lake Tahoe remains to be a popular attraction for winter sport activities.



If you know that there are great landscapes in your area, I encourage anyone to flock over there and engage with it.  Take the trip or journey, and it will be worth it because of its powerful imprint it will have on your conscience and imagination.

Vancouver 30 (11 of 30)

I would of regretted if I had traveled across border into Vancouver and not have taken this photo on a perfect spring day when the Cherry Blossoms have bloomed.  At this particular vantage point in the West End neighborhood, you can see the bay nestled in the background, all the while the blossoms harmonizes this urban setting with spring colors.  I shot this photo with a narrow aperture setting in order to keep everything in focus and to allow the contrasting Spring colors of the blossoms to permeate a typical cool toned cityscape scene.

Vancouver 30 (10 of 30)

The feeling you get when you've finally arrived.  If you've never been to Vancouver, entering the city on Granville bridge is like a grand entrance into a scene.  A place unfamiliar can often feel out in the distance but that feeling can be absolved to greater heights during the first glance of a picturesque view that is just a moments pass from the bridge.  This place feels familiar, where the ideas of urban character have advanced into something positively fresh, safe, and promising.  I composed this shot to trace all the energy and directional space from the rail down the center core and using long exposure to generate streaking lights from passing automobiles.

Vancouver 30 (9 0f 30)

I shot this photo deep into the hour of the sunset.  The faint hues of the sun dissipates while casting a chill glow over the surface of the water.  The details of all the structures and objects are mostly hidden in the silhouette.  The beauty of this Vancouver scene is traced by the sun's natural lighting and the practical light sources from the interiors of the buildings and lamp posts.  What you see is what you don't get.

Vancouver 30 (8 of 30)

Vancouver has a modern high rise that symbolizes the modern city which is spectacular in sight, architecturally progressive, and a livable beauty.  The overcast weather softens harsh lighting during mid day, as a result, the reflective surfaces on the green glass and steel combined with its ocean surrounding enhances this city with marine charm.

Vancouver 30 (7 of 30)

The blue sky has such a strong effect.  Combine that with the historic downtown walk in Gastown, you are guaranteed a picturesque view of the city.  A storm is likely here to stay, rather than passing through.

Vancouver 30 (6 of 30)

This is another night scene depiction of Vancouver that again illustrates its clarity and the way the glowing night sky adds to its overall charm.

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On many occasions the Vancouver sky provides a deep blue backdrop which allows the city to glow due to its regular wet seasons.  You can always picture the weather here as cool and clammy on a consistent basis and can sometimes be fun to capture.

Vancouver 30 (4 of 30)

This is one of my favorite views of the city from Burrard Bridge, an entry and exit point into downtown Vancouver.  The look and feel of the city's modern presence begins at one of these entry points, and into a place that is neither complex nor simple, but perhaps desirable as you get closer to its modern high rise lifestyle.  Glassy, steele, and clean to make it simple.

Vancouver 30 (3 of 30)

An ethereal sky illuminates this downtown Vancouver skyline view set in Stanley Park.  This modern sky rise setting has a view that benefits from an earthly tone that is resonated from the park's surroundings. This is by far one of the easiest place to capture extraordinary views of the city and to experience the clarity that it imbues.

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A cargo port occupies the bay nearby and offshore from Gastown district, an important industrial sector in Vancouver. This is a gorgeous night scene taken on shore facing north as you see the sprinkling lights in the background coming from North Vancouver.   The water reflections makes ordinary night time scenes into magical moments.

Vancouver 30 (1 of 30)

I finally completed and rendered my Vancouver collection and thus the title the Vancouver 30 series.  Lets get inspired!!

In my limited travel experience, I've yet to encounter a city that has this much sense of clarity, a continuous theme throughout this urban landscape series.  I enjoyed this view from the Vancouver lookout tower.

Vancouver - Spring 2013

As many of you already know, I've been living in Vancouver for little over a month now.  Subsequently, I've taken a lot of photos of this gem of a city.  So let this be a forethought that perhaps i shall be adding some of these photos here.

Peru - Inca - Machu Picchu - Part 2

When the explorer Hiram Bingham III encountered Machu Picchu in 1911, he was looking for a different city, known as Vilcabamba. This was a hidden capital to which the Inca had escaped after the Spanish conquistadors arrived in 1532. Over time it became famous as the legendary Lost City of the Inca.



The engineer Kenneth Wright has estimated that 60 percent of the construction done at Machu Picchu was underground. Much of that consists of deep building foundations and crushed rock used as drainage.



Many of the building blocks that have been used to create Machu Piccu weigh 50 tones or more yet are precisely sculpted and fit together with great precision that the mortarless joints will not permit the insertion of even a thin knife blade.



The ruins of Machu Picchu were declared an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 the ruins have also been included in the new seven wonders of the modern world list.





The term ‘Machu Picchu’ literally means ‘old mountain’



Archaeologists believe that a small pox epidemic obliterated the residents of the site within 100 years of its establishment. It is said that the epidemic was brought by Spanish Conquistadors, and amazingly, they could never locate the exact site of Machu Picchu despite their proximity to spread the epidemic.



Trekking on the Inca Trail is the most popular way to approach Machu Picchu through several portions of original Inca stone pathways. It is a three-day journey, but the government restricts the number of trekkers to 500 due to fear of wearing away the trail. Compulsory porters are included in the trekking expedition.



Voting from Internet audience has caused Machu Picchu to acquire a place in the New Seven Wonders of the World. The National Geographic Society dedicated its April 1913 issue to Machu Picchu, honoring its recognition.



Machu Picchu was originally built as a fortress, and then turned into a capital city of the Incas.



The site covers 80,000 acres (32,500 hectares). Terraced fields on the edge of the site were once used for growing crops, likely maize and potatoes.



Machu Picchu is believed to have been built by Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui, the ninth ruler of the Inca, in the mid-1400s. An empire builder, Pachacuti initiated a series of conquests that would eventually see the Inca grow into a South American realm that stretched from Ecuador to Chile.

Machu Picchu has a number of structures that would have enhanced the spiritual significance of the site.

One of them, the “Temple of the Sun,” or Torreón, has an elliptical design similar to a sun temple found at the Inca capital of Cuzco. It is located near where the Inca emperor is believed to have resided at Machu Picchu.

Although Machu Picchu has a wall, modest gateway and dry moat (likely used for collecting rainwater) it doesn’t appear to have been set up with military purposes in mind, and there is no evidence that a battle of any sort was fought there.

It is situated about 75 miles (120 kilometers) northwest of the town of Cusco. Cusco was the old imperial Inca capital, which was both the administrative and the religious center of the empire. 

No one really knows, but these are all possibilities. The Inca Trail is a walking route that leads through the mountains above the Urubamba river, following (at least partly) the course of an old Inca roadway leading to the city of Machu Picchu. 

One stone used in the town's construction is estimated to weigh 300 tons. Archaeologists are unsure how it was moved in place at the top of a mountain.

Machu Picchu did not survive the collapse of the Inca

Peru - Inca - Machu Picchu - Part 1

Machu Picchu is the most familiar icon of the Inca civilization that dates back in the 15th century.  Everyone has seen the most famous iconic image seen from the top looking down and across to the mountain.  But there is more.  What can I say?  I was there and marveled at the site.  Old ancient stone structures that is situated deep and high in the Peruvian mountains.  A way of life became obstructed by religious convicted, colonial imperialists.

Peru - Inca Trail - Part2

The Incas were architects, they were engineers.







S

Stone fortification







Inca Terraces.





The view of Machu Picchu from the Sungate.  A rush of Adrenaline trickles down your spine at this first glimpse of the long awaited view of Machu Picchu,