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Banff artist offers backcountry vision

Anyone who’s ever stepped foot into Banff National Park’s vast backcountry knows it’s something special. It’s the place where silence reigns and colours dance.
Angie O’Connor shares backcountry images.
Angie O’Connor shares backcountry images.

Anyone who’s ever stepped foot into Banff National Park’s vast backcountry knows it’s something special.

It’s the place where silence reigns and colours dance. It’s rugged around the edges and doesn’t come with all the bells and whistles that make cities tick. It’s a whole lot like amateur photographer Angie O’Connor.

Reminiscent of a high-test cup of cowboy coffee – bold and refreshing – she’s unfiltered and genuine. And during October she presents Feral Photography, an exhibit of original images on display at the Banff Public Library.

Many of the images were captured in Banff, but they’re not the usual stand-by places and visuals locals come to expect.

“There are so many places in Banff that I haven’t seen,” O’Connor said. “(Banff’s backcountry) is a place more people need to see.”

Most notable pieces in the show include Boomer, a close-up black and white image of a horse, Tuffy’s Tail, a black and white shot of horse hair in barbed wire and Cynosure, taken at Elk Pass.

While she takes a mean picture, she says she knows where her image-taking capabilities end.

“I’m not a people photo taker,” O’Connor said with a laugh.

Her interest in photography began in high school. Becoming the yearbook editor meant, by default, she had unlimited access to a camera. It followed her wherever she went. And she held onto it until she realized she’d have to give it back at the end of high school. After a couple of years with a trusty point-and-shoot, she ‘upgraded’ and learned about composition, the rule of thirds and lighting.

But at heart, the self-proclaimed ‘farm girl’ is a minimalist. No filters. No polarizers. What you see is what you get.

“I’ve just always wanted to show people what’s out there,” she says.

And at the heart of it all, O’Connor says, the image is only part of a photo’s magic.

“I sometimes ask family and friends if they like a picture,” she said. “But they’re not going to say it’s a bad picture. I’m trying to hit the balance – what am I going to get that I’m going to like?”

For more information on the artist or to purchase an image, please email [email protected].

Feral Photography runs until Oct. 31.


Rocky Mountain Outlook

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