AUGUST 2002 – Three colorful high rise buildings in Vancouver, British Columbia. Photo © Mark Zanzig/zanzig.com
The story behind the image
British Columbia is my dream place to be. I did not know that before our long trip in 2002. But during that trip I realized that it can’t get any better, really. For me, that is. B.C. has it all: the Rocky Mountains, the Pacific Ocean, the wildlife, super-friendly and relaxed people, and Vancouver. A city that is big enough to be a real city but not as huge as L.A., New York, London, or Paris. It’s a city on the doorstep to adventure.
This photo shows three high rise buildings in downtown Vancouver (from left to right):
- 1400 Robson Street
- 1500 Alberni Street
- 1500 West Georgia Street
This image would be impossible to shoot today, for three reasons.
Firstly, the building on the left (1400 Robson Street) has been deconstructed between October 2018 and September 2020. It has been replaced by two new towers – aka The Landmark on Robson – that have been advertised as “The Landmark that elevates Vancouver to the highest international opulence”. Wow. (Don’t you just love real estate marketing language?) And frankly, looking at their website, this seems to be absolutely true.
Secondly, a new high rise building has been added on the right, so the large area of blue sky is probably much smaller today.
And thirdly, the view from the position I used for this shot is blocked by other high rises today that have been built since August 2002.
Okay, all this is not a huge surprise as Vancouver certainly is one of the most demanded places at the pacific coast in North America. Its proximity to the United States also adds to the attractiveness. Plus, more than two decades are a long period of time, and noone can expect an attractive dynamic city to stop developing further.
What I really like in this image is the futuristic look, created by the contrast of the high rise buildings (their form and their colors, almost as if an alien power has put them their) and the natural elements surrounding them (the blue sky, the green and red trees and plants.)
This image probably also made Vancouver the city of my dreams.
Design ideas
The high resolution image
| Capture Date | August 2002 |
| Location | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
| Camera | Canon AE-1 Program |
| Image Source | Slide Film – Fuji Sensia |
| Digital Image Source | EPSON Perfection 4870 Photo |
| Digital Image Source Format | TIFF, 48 bits/pixel, sRGB |
| Edited Image Format | JPEG, 24 bits/pixel, sRGB |
| Edited Image Dimensions | 6541 x 4344 Pixels |
| Copyright | © by Mark Zanzig/zanzig.com |
Zanzig.com Photo Hub 