Shooting Squamish River Ranch in the Upper Squamish Valley
I spent the last few days at Squamish River Ranch, shooting both digital and tintype out in the Upper Squamish Valley, and Still feeling very inspired by what took place over the last few days.
Squamish River Ranch sits in the Upper Squamish Valley, about an hour and a half north of Vancouver, where the mountains, old growth forest, and the Squamish River all meet. It's a horseback adventure outfit run on a simple idea they call going the old way: disconnect from the noise, get on a horse, and let the land do the rest. The herd is its own kind of story, a mix of rescues, ex race horses, and mini ponies, each one with a history of how it found its way into the fold. The ranch operates on the unceded territory of the Squamish Nation.
I was out there working in two formats. Digital let me move fast and chase the light coming through the trees and across the water. The tintypes slowed everything down. Wet plate collodion is a process that asks for patience, and there's something fitting about making a photograph the old way at a place built around doing things the old way. Horses standing for a long exposure, the silver coming up on the plate, the valley holding still for a minute. It suited the ranch.
Big thanks to Stacey Paradine for having me, and to her ranch hands Amelia Vincent and Gale Makie for being so good to work with. They also took me out for a trail ride on horseback through the property, which was the best way I can imagine to actually understand the place I was photographing.
If you're looking for horseback riding near Squamish, Squamish River Ranch is worth the drive up the valley. Go the old way.
