With New Year on the horizon, my wife and I were thinking where to spend the eve. At first we decided to go to Niagara Falls . It's less than an hour drive for us and I wouldn't mind having a glass of champagne and capturing some fireworks over the falls at midnight but, it's always crowded there and the drive back would surely stretch to few hours.

 I'm not forty any more so driving till 3AM doesn't particularly appeal to me any more unless I'm driving up North. Hmm, stay overnight? Well, in Niagara Falls , in a hotel worth staying for the fun of it the price for That night would be $500+. Hmm, that's nice chunk toward a piece of glass so, I rather drive... but, since I'm driving why not drive somewhere further, more interesting and staying in a bit more average hotel?  

  Quebec City ? I love it but, 10 hour drive each way and the weather could easily make it 20 hours...

  Montreal ? I like it but, not in winter.

 Than, my wife said: How about Ottawa ? Well, the Capital of Canada is just five hour drive from my home and we haven't been there for something like twenty years. I wouldn't mind capturing fireworks over the Parliament buildings! And the galleries I heard about... Ten minutes later, for just over $100 a night, we had a room booked in Holiday Inn located right in the city, just few blocks from the Parliament.

 We left home early Saturday morning and had an interesting drive there. Interesting because about the third way there it started to snow a bit and the road got icy which I found out at about 120/hr negotiating a turn... Well, I did stay on the road but from that point on many cars didn't so, getting to Ottawa took some extra time. Still, we arrived before our room was ready so, we went exploring.

 We drove by the Parliament – the stone facades of the buildings looked beautiful but, there was no parking right by it so, we decided to go there later. We went to see the  ByWard Market. The first stop: the parking lot. Hmm, snow around us so, how about finally trying some winter IR? I didn’t see a worthy subject so, just took few snapshots.

Yup, just like I suspected, snow reflects a lot of IR and that makes for much more contrast than in visible light shots.

 As we walked towards the market, I tried to utilize that contrast but failed…

(btw, ignore the time stamp in the IR shots, my camera clock was set way off)

What’s the big deal about the ByWard Market? http://www.byward-market.com/   For Europeans, no deal at all. For North Americans, streets lined with small stores, vendors on the sidewalk and all the commotion is unique.

We milled around

and even that all of it was interesting, I couldn’t get inspired. I was looking hard but, in the world of subjects, I couldn’t find anything compelling to shoot.

I even looked to the sky for it but, failed.

We dined, bought some cheese and wine and went to the hotel. I asked for a room on the top floor, with a view toward the Parliament. I got what I wanted. From above, I could see few of the typical (for older Ottawa ) houses

and city skyline including the Parliament clock tower (on the left)

Now, this was a bit more to what I like to shoot so, I took few more evening snapshots from the hotel room window

Next day, the National Gallery of Canada was the place we wanted to see. They allow photography in general areas and in some (not all) exhibits. No camera bags allowed.

Well, the hallway did impress me!

and so much to see behind every door

art, art and more art everywhere

I could hardly wait to see the Inuit art section. The soap stone and bone carvings, the stories and legends behind it! Surely, the National Gallery of Canada would have a fantastic display of such art.

Well, great expectations lead to even greater disappointments. The quality of the Inuit art displayed was excellent but the variety and quantity was lacking to the extend that… the only words that I am able to describe it with are: it is a national disgrace!!!

 In the National Gallery of Canada I have seen on display more Swedish, silver, salt shakers than Dancing Bears sculptures made by Native Canadians!!! Heck; as a matter of fact, I don’t think that I’ve seen there a single Dancing Bear. Guess, somebody decided that Swedish silverware  is real art so it got a huge hall and Inuit work deserve no better than couple of small rooms in the basement… Gosh, what a shame! It makes me angry, every time I think about it! It is impossible that they would not know that The Inuit believe that after death a person is reincarnated as an animal continuing the chain of life. For an Inuk, return as a polar bear (the mightiest of all of the Arctic animals) is a dream hence the dance to show the pleasure and joy. This is the legend of the dancing bear and this alone, in my book, should be a reason enough to dedicate entire section to sculptures of dancing bears!

 Even if one does not know the legend, it’s enough to see few of such sculptures. I was unaware of the legend until I have seen a dancing bear, a soap stone Inuit carving, in one of the Quebec City galleries. Arctic , Inuit, polar bear, statue… “stone cold” comes to mind but that could not be  further from the truth. Overwhelming warmth, joy and happiness were virtually radiating from the 2 inch tall figurine!  That commercial gallery had dozens of such carvings and one better than the other. Looking at them was a breath taking experience. I wanted to dance with the bears and I’m a guy who doesn’t dance! It was what to me defines true art – a perfect and complete expression of one’s feelings without the viewer having a faintest clue what is really behind it. I may be weird but, I’m not alone. My sister (visiting from Switzerland) and I were so awe struck by the dancing bears that we knew that there must be a beautiful story behind them and we had to find out (and we did) what the story was. Consider this; Some two years later, my wife was going to Switzerland to visit my sister. I asked Majka (my sister) what would she like from Canada . The answer was simple: “Nothing unless, you can get me a Dancing Bear.” Well, the best of these babies (made by artists from Cape Dorset ) aren’t cheap but her wish was granted – I found a selection right in Burlington ON (my home town), in a local gallery. A selection! Yet, I didn’t see a single one on display in National Gallery of Canada! I think that it truly is a… NATIONAL DISGRACE!

  I guess, as a reader, by now you had enough of my rant so, lets go back to the Ottawa visit.

We left the gallery and in the front of the building, we were greeted by a giant spider

A short walk to the river yield a nice view of the Parliament. I wondered for a moment, how many photographed it from this vintage point… well, but how many photographed it from this vintage point, in mild winter, in infrared??? Up comes out my IR modified D50 mounted with 35-70 F2.8 . OK, so, this lens is a dog for infrared photography but, personally I like the “old newspaper” look that it can produce so, just maybe, you may like it to

Ending the visit to the National (?) gallery with such disappointment (yup, I just can’t let it go) I didn’t feel like continuing the plan to visit as many galleries as possible so, we went to look for a nice place to have something to eat and drink.

Found nice Scottish pub with staff in kilts, haggis on the menu and a selection of 100+ single malt Scotch whiskeys. Well, I skipped haggis and scotch (frankly, I dislike the taste of Scotch ) opted for a steak and some really good Scottish (?) draft bear  

By the time we rested enough to get back to the hotel, it was already dark and the traffic was thinning out.

Hardly anybody in the Rideau Center

It was really the time to get ready for the New Year Eve celebration except, we were tired and decided to stay in our hotel room and enjoy the view of the fireworks from there.

I set my camera, took few test shots

enjoyed time with my wife and waited for the midnight to come. At the stroke of midnight , we popped champagne, kissed and looked through the window to see… Ottawa skyline undisturbed...

I can only guess that the fireworks were cancelled due to the wind and light, freezing drizzle or, maybe because I was expecting them too much. After all, great expectations…

All of the above may lead you, the reader, to the false conclusion that I am rather unhappy with the outcome of our Ottawa visit. Ottawa is beautiful and there are many things and places to see. I’m not really a city photographer so, it’s hard for me to convey the true feel of that city. Also, spending there just two days does not give one enough time to see everything. If you are going for a visit, I suggest a week stay and a better plan than we had. Or, do as we did – go there to relax and for couple of days take the life exactly as it comes.   

Andrew Kalinowski

Jan. 2007