My friend B and I have joined the 52Frames community, where you have a weekly photography challenge every week (it is pretty cool - you should all check it out!). This particular week’s topic was transportation and B had the idea of wandering around Calgary’s Core.

It ended up being a brilliant idea.

I don’t particularly think Calgary has a very interesting or pretty downtown, and it can’t really compare to places like New York or Dublin. I find it quite pedestrian and commonplace, truth be told. Don’t get me wrong - I love Calgary with all my heart, but downtown? Meh. However, every time B and I go on adventures - it ends up being extraordinary and things happen that are unforgettable. So, I resolved myself to just let everything go and ‘see’ the Core as though it was new and try and photograph the Calgary that I love.

Anyhow - this day did not disappoint. B and I had quite the adventure, we made several interesting friends, none were Old Men on Bikes, (if you have followed along with my random stories, you will know what this means). We discovered a Calgary that is both gritty and welcoming, a Calgary full of hard contrasts and soft shadows and a Calgary that holds surprises tucked in uninteresting spaces. We followed streets in straight lines until we didn’t - but never once did we get lost. We sat in a green space eating delicious ice cream and watched a diverse body of humanity pass us by while listening to the beautiful rasp of a busker on her guitar.

All told, it was a full day of honking horns, concrete, street corners, raised eyebrows, smothered laughs and moments of bewilderment - and I think we definitely found not only the extraordinary in the mundane, but beauty in the ordinary.

Thanks B, I cannot wait until the next adventure!