Vintage Hat Motel Postcard

The latest addition to my postcard collection is this vintage 1960s souvenir from the Hat Motel in Medicine Hat. I took quite a few pictures of this neon sign last summer (although it's clear the original sign was changed at some point). The location has had several other modifications over the years, but it's still very much a retro looking motel today. The Hat Motel still has one of my favorite neon signs in town.

Hat Motel ca. 2013

Police Point Park in Winter

At the end of last summer I went to Police Point Park to do a photo shoot of the leaves that had just started to turn. The park at the time was colourful, rich, and lush - a natural wonderland that lent itself to being photographed. With that shoot as inspiration, I wanted to return to Police Point to capture the parallel view at the other end of the spectrum. Little did I know that the result would turn out so well.

More than just documenting a location, with this shoot I was really keen on capturing the textures of the park. From the ambient and soft glow of the sun to the crisp snow, wispy grass, and cracked bark, I loved the challenge of finding symmetry and patterns in a landscape that otherwise seemed chaotic. The winter scenery is harsher, more sharp, and naturally more monotone, and yet I found it to be incredibly beautiful. Perhaps it was because I had lower expectations than when I did my summer shoot, but everything just seemed to pop (especially when I got around to editing) and I kept finding scenes that inspired me.

It looks like those beavers I saw last summer have been busy - tons of the trees right next to the river had these familiar teeth marks in them.