02945 Vancouver 1972 - a photo on Flickriver

02945 Vancouver 1972

            It has been a while since I dipped into the really old files. This was Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1972. The original transparency, an Agfachrome, was fading badly when I scanned it a decade ago, so I probably rescued it just in time. 

Agfachrome was strange stuff. ISO 50, heavy grain, and a very warm colour shift. Even worse, its dyes were unstable and prone to early fading. Eventually, only the magenta remained. Because it was impossible to restore the original colour, I converted the digital file to monochrome, then back to RGB, and added a sepia wash. I also put it through at least four Nik Effects filters to produce a somewhat antiquated look, reduce some of the grain, and create a slight glow. It isn't about retaining detail, it's about recreating the feel of the moment - and the time.

The time: I had kicked around eastern Canada for a couple of years after university, but not yet found a place that felt like home. I was 23 years old. Then Vancouver captured my heart. There was something about the mountains meeting the ocean... the winter rains never bothered me... Kitsilano, the neighbourhood seen in the foreground - really a collection of old wood houses, now all gone - was crawling with counterculture kids. The city itself wasn't too big or cold or alienating. The streets were friendly. Rents were reasonable ($50/month for a room). It would be a good place to live and come of age and figure out what I wanted to do in life. 

I made this shot from an upper window in a house at 3rd Ave & Arbutus. Too bad I wasn't shooting Kodachrome that day, but then the image would still be pristine and I would not have created this slightly surreal take on the city. The camera was a Pentax Spotmatic, and I think I was using a 105mm lens. 

Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission © 1972 James R. Page - all rights reserved.

Taken in: Canada / British Columbia / Vancouver / Kitsilano (show map)

Taken on: November 1, 1972

Tags:

Vancouver

British Columbia

BC more »

Canada

city

urban

mountains

clouds

rain

buildings

West End

hi-rise

glowing

dark

moody

Kitsilano

wood houses

West Coast

45 years ago

film

scan

Agfachrome

ISO 50

grainy

Nik Effects

b&w

black and white

sepia

altered

surreal

archival

long gone

color slide

colour slide

transparency

scanned

copyrighted

1972

James R. Page « less

Sets appears in: • Best 1970-1979 • Not Explored more » • In the City • Monochrome From Slides • Vancouver, BC « less

Groups appears in: • Monochromatic world • Joy of Black & White more » • Metro Vancouver History • FOTOCYFER - The Light's Hunters • Living Life Through A Lens « less

Camera: Nikon SUPER COOLSCAN 5000 ED (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Nikon SUPER COOLSCAN 5000 ED
Color Space:	Uncalibrated
Software:	Adobe Photoshop CS6 (Macintosh)
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