Creston’s annual Wildsight photography show, Local Colours, is back again for its ninth year on Nov. 25. This year we will showcase the works of five local photographers on the big screen at the Tivoli Theatre. Tickets can be purchased at the door for $10 and will include free popcorn! Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 7:30.
Our first presenter, Justin Vance, was born and raised in the Creston Valley. He started ski mountaineering and climbing at the age of 18. After moving away for eight years and marrying his wife, he moved back to Creston to start a family and help run the family business. He somehow still manages to get out into the mountains and tackle multi-day ski traverses. His presentation this year will be of a six-day, 90-kilometre ski traverse, from Toby Creek to Welsh Lakes in the Purcell Mountain Range, that he and three friends completed in 2017.
Creston Valley photographer Karen Whitford is new to the show, and our second presenter. She will be showing her photographs of landscapes, birds and wildlife, from near and far.
“Growing up on the farm with a mother that loved and appreciated the world we live in, I developed a passion for nature, wildlife and the beauty around us,” said Whitford. “My passion for photography allows me to capture and enjoy some of the moments of wonder I see on my journeys.”
Also making his Local Colours debut is Tom Weager, who moved to Nelson from England in 2009.
“In the Kootenays, we’re blessed with a blooming spring, a bright summer, a golden fall and magic winter, what better combination for a landscape photographer is there?” said Weager. “I have always thought that a good photo captures a moment but a great photo tells a story. I’ve always struggled to put experiences into words, that is why I love to use my camera.”
Returning to the show is Jesse Moreton, who moved to Creston nine years ago from Ontario and is still getting lost in the mountains. His presentation this year will focus a little less on classic photography, and a little more on trip “firsts”. He’ll start out with a Mount Rainier adventure which was his first experience mountaineering. The other two were the first backpacks he and his wife attempted with their kids. One to a familiar local spot, the other to a wet and mosquito-infested pass in the Northern Purcells. His aim will be to motivate, inspire, entertain, and share his passion.
Andrew Bibby is returning for his third Local Colours show with nature photography in two parts. The first half will be showcasing landscapes and wildlife from popular hikes in the Kootenays. The second part will chronicle a seven-day wilderness kayaking trip in the Yukon. The trip covered 160 kilometres of adjoining lakes and rivers, starting in the former gold rush town of Bennett at the end of the Chilkoot Trail, and finishing in the Yukon River at Whitehorse.
For more information visit https://wildsight.ca/events/local-colours-2019/