24 pics from ’24

Since 2010, I have compiled an annual set of photographs that matches the year in number. In 2024, I decided to double up and create two series from my collection of around 8,000 photographs made during the year: 24 monochrome and 24 colour photographs that explore my interests in people and places based around art, culture and natural heritage.

In the Rockies

With Kananaskis Country close to my doorstep and Banff National Park just an hour’s drive away, I took advantage as much as possible to take in the splendidly soaring scenery of the Canadian Rockies with Shearwater, my converted Sprinter camper van.

Get there early and stay there late!

Unusually, I stayed in Canada for the whole year and gained value from repeatedly returning to the same places to see some of the seasonal changes in the montane landscapes. And with at least one camp out during eleven of the winter, spring, summer and fall months, I was able to hang around and do what you need to do to get the best out of the light: get there early and stay there late!

Mount Buller and Buller Pond, Spray Valley Provincial Park, Alberta, Canada. © J. Ashley Nixon

This included several excursions into the Elbow and Sheep valleys and around the “interstitial” perimeter of Upper Kananaskis Lake. I did many hikes with my canine companion, Aspen the Airedale up into the mountains from the Smith-Dorrien Spray Trail, a gravel logging road that connects Canmore and the Kananaskis Lakes. On one trek I missed a turn off and hiked the wrong way through the forest for an hour or so before coming to terms with my mistake and turning back. The photograph of Rummel Lake (below) took me five hours to make!

Rummel Lake and The Tower, Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, Alberta, Canada. © J. Ashley Nixon

Bow Glacier

In April, Jennifer, Aspen the Airedale and I attempted to hike to, and photograph the Bow Glacier, the head of the catchment that supplies most of Calgary’s drinking water supply. Heavy snow thwarted us and we abandoned the hike but we made it back to the Bow in November before the next inundation closed up the Icefields Parkway, one of the most specatacular driving routes in the world from which many other glaciers, such as the Athabasca can be viewed.

Bow Lake and Glacier, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada, Apr 25, 2024. © J. Ashley Nixon

The arboriculturist

Closer to home, literally over my garden fence, a photography project presented itself “on the block” when an arboriculturist paid a visit to my neighbour’s tree, a Swedish aspen. It was a great opportunity to watch a professional tree feller perform and to learn about his experiences getting to, and working in Canada.

Maury the Arboriculturist fells a Swedish aspen, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. © J. Ashley Nixon

Calgary Stampede Parade

Once again, I participated in the Calgary Stampede Parade. Although my lenses were particularly focused on the award-winning performance by Raíces del Perú (Roots of Peru), I had the opportunity to roam amongst the horses, marching bands and other floats which generated some of my photo selects for the year.

A member of a marching band performs in the Calgary Stampede Para, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. © J. Ashley Nixon

Dance Culture

In 2024, I published Dance Culture, the first in my new series of zines called Ramifications about culture and natural heritage. It is based on my exhibition of dance performance portraits at cSPACE Marda Loop during Exposure, Alberta’s Photography Festival in February 2024. You can view and purchase this zine at Betula Books.

My fascination with dance and latino culture was recharged in August as I photographed the three days of Expo Latino. This provided me with my first professional opportunity to photograph my son, William performing his electronic dance music (EDM) on stage as Niteshade.

Niteshade performs at Expo Latino 2024, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. © J. Ashley Nixon

Also in August, I photographed the Flamenco performance of Barcarolle, a dance concept influenced by Venice, created by Berlin-based dancer, Fiona Malena and Calgary artist, Paul Van Ginkel.

Fiona Malena performs Barcarolle at cSPACE Marda Loop, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. © J. Ashley Nixon

More pics from 2024

You can view my other pics from 2024 (monochrome and colour sets) on my photo website.

Books and blogs

As well as Dance Culture, mentioned above, I published the second in my series Ramifications. The photo zine, On Tour features the Tour de France as I saw it from my home village of Haworth, Yorkshire and in locations across France.

Images invoke memories of when and where they were made.

I also released a blog, Photographing a Sense of Place that explores the concept of place in photography: how moments captured in time connect with us in the future because images invoke memories of when and where they were made. It was written to support my teaching of Writing about Images at Mount Royal University. Students and other readers might find it interesting!

Thank you for reading about this year’s collection of photographs and for your continued support and interest in my books, photography and films in 2024.

Wishing you a good and better year in 2025. Enjoy life’s journeys. Keep well!