A Little Industrial Work
Ice Cave: Great Location (Needs Some Work), Columbia Icefields
I’m excited to be a part of a special photo tour happening this August, based out of Aurum Lodge. Samantha Chrysanthou & Darwin Wiggett, Leslie & Mark Degner, Alan Ernst and I will spend an extended weekend guiding a small band of photographers around some locations near the lodge. Plus we’ll have special full-day, dedicated photographer access to a pair of visually rich locations: the old Brazeau Collieries mine site at Nordegg, and the Athabasca Glacier at the Columbia Icefields.
The event runs from Friday evening through Monday lunch-time, August 19 – 22, 2011. The cost is $899 for a single-occupancy room, or $749 for a double-occupancy room; these prices include all lodgings, meals, guides and access fees to the sites. There may still be one or two spaces left as I write this — we pre-announced the tour to past participants and spaces were quickly reserved. If you’re interested in attending, contact Alan at the lodge.
Abandoned Cars & Scattered Nuggets, Brazeau Collieries
For more information and a few sample images from the locations, see the event PDF brochure.
Folks may have some idea about the photographic potential at the Athabasca Glacier, but the Brazeau Collieries mine site in Nordegg is more likely to be an unknown factor. Let me simply say that the when I visit this site — which (as an official provincial and national historic site) can only be done with an authorized guide — I’m like a kid in a candy store! The mine operation was substantial in its hey-day, and there is an incredible wealth of industrial subject material remaining to work with. Plus information from the site guide about the history of the operation, for those who are curious about the story. This all-day photographer access is a rare privilege, and the group is sure to come away with many fantastic photographs of the buildings and equipment around the site.
From my last quick visit to Brazeau Collieries, I prepared a brief slide show over at the 500px photo sharing community. Check it out!
