A Film School Reunion in Saskatchewan

This last week I was soaking up the nostalgia on a film school reunion tour around Saskatchewan with some of my closest friends. While we've all been back over the years, I don't think we've all been back at the same time since we were actually students.

With so many of us living out of province now, this Saskatchewan trip became the perfect excuse for us to all travel back to Saskatoon and Regina to hangout, reminisce, and go back to some of our old stomping grounds. I can't quite remember the last time I've consumed this much beer in a single week lol.

Amazingly everything always seems to fall back into place when revisiting old friends. The trip coincidentally lined up with move-in week at the University of Regina, which immediately triggered so many great memories of my years living in the dorms there.

If there was any more glaring reminder of just how much has changed since my days as a film student, my feature-length documentary was also playing at the 2024 Regina International Film Festival just days before I made it back. With the trip finalized long before I even knew the doc would pick up the 'official selection' here, it was another serendipitous bit of timing.

These moments always seem too few and far between, but what a great week. I'm glad we're still making memories all these years later.

Autumn River Views in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

A few autumn visuals across the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Imagine Van Gogh in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Imagine Van Gogh is a projection-based exhibition that showcases the work of Van Gogh on giant screens through close-ups, animated transitions, and reveals timed with classical scores. This limited run exhibition has been popping up in cities across Canada this year with this latest installation of Imagine Van Gogh currently open in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.  

For those curious on whether this experience is worth it, that really all depends. 

If you're an art lover, enjoy gallery visits in general, or are just looking for something new to do, Imagine Van Gogh is easily justifiable as a worthwhile outing. The projections and music are powerful, the exhibition is unique, and it truly is a different way of admiring pieces that even the most casual Van Gogh fan will recognize. 

My only real criticism of Imagine Van Gogh is the cost. 

Keeping in mind that ticket prices likely vary by location, the cost in Saskatoon for a timed weekday ticket was $41, the weekend ticket was $51, and a flex ticket (untimed) was $61. With the projections on a 30 minute loop, the vast majority of people will be stretching to spend a full hour to feel like they've got their money's worth.

For comparison, the nearby Remai Modern costs less than a third the price and offers enough exhibits to fill an entire morning. I also spent twice as much on a ticket to Imagine Van Gogh as it cost to see 20 of Van Gogh's paintings in person at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris last year. So, in short, yes it's a neat exhibition worth seeing, but you also won't be alone if you want to grumble about how overpriced it was in the gift shop afterwards.

More Travel Shoots in Saskatchewan

This week saw the creation of several new photo essays from a variety of locations around Saskatchewan, largely centred around Saskatoon. In addition to several previews that debuted on the @editingluke Instagram over the last few days, these latest collections will be released as part of the Hey, Canada series in the near future. More to come soon.

 

A Travel Photographer on the Canadian Prairies

Over the last 6 weeks I've found myself scouring the Canadian prairies in an effort to make up for some of the lost opportunities over the last year and a half. While some of this was planned, the majority of these shoots snowballed as a result of the extended warm weather, overdue visits, and frankly, because I just seemed to be on a roll. This autumn has seen new travel shoots across Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, with features in Winnipeg, Brandon, Regina, Moose Jaw, Saskatoon, Calgary, Lethbridge, and of course, Medicine Hat.

Many of these shoots will continue to be added to the Hey, Canada series as they're completed, but below is a collage of some of the random snapshots from the last few weeks.

Exploring Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

A few visuals from around Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.