Vancouver doesn't really have a convenient place for rallies and demonstrations so whenever there is a need for a protest it usually happens behind the Vancouver Art Gallery. Almost every non-consulate-related protest at least starts there. Some of them happen in front, which is where the Tibetan protest from last year happened, but if they are expecting numbers and need to set up information booths they are sited in the larger space on Georgia.

The good thing about either location is that they are only a couple blocks from my present work place. Often I can hear the sounds of the protest and I know I can quickly walk over there on a lunch break to see what is happening.

The Save the Wild Salmon rally is protesting the government's handling of farmed salmon. Farmed salmon is suspected by some of spreading diseases among wild stocks and of getting free and interbreeding with wild stocks. Ocean farms also are regarded as blights to the coast where they are situated, often leading to a die off of indigenous shellfish and plantlife in its vicinity. Farmed salmon are also given antibiotics and fed some weird stuff. Apex predators like sea lions sometimes run afoul of these locations and have to be run off, sometimes killed. You can read more about this point of view here.

Mostly I love the rallies because people are there to be photographed. They are not there because they are shy. They want to be seen and want their message to be recorded. Even a film photographer like me gets to walk right up to people and take their photograph. And, as you can read above, I can spread the message to. Take it as you will.

And if they want just the message and not their face, they can hide behind the message too.

Last night I developed my biggest batch ever. I developed three 35mm rolls and one 120. Partly because I got this roll mixed up among some older ones and so in order to make sure I got these pictures up today, I had to develop them all. Also I wanted to know how quickly and efficiently I could develop -- if I was an old school film photojournalist. So from start to finish, maybe two hours of developing after eating take out food.

Unfortunately, my next developing session needs to wait until I replace my thermometer, which I broke while cleaning up.