J. Whyte Photography

Fort Macleod in southern Alberta is great place for photography. The town's main street is one of the most beautiful in Alberta with several historic stone buildings jammed together in two long rows.   For Macleod is so fantastic that one of the films in the Ghost Busters franchise was recently filmed here. There was a great car chase ghost scene that caused havoc all over town.  But one of the most interesting buildings to photograph is the old, abandoned American Hotel on the edge of Fort MacLeod's downtown.   History of the American Hotel It has been a challenge to find historical information on the American Hotel. According to the Alberta Heritage Survey Program database, the American Hotel originally opened in the 1890s as the Klondyke Hotel.  In 1900, the name was changed to the American Hotel and sold to one HH Wash. In 1901, Tom Atkins Purchased the hotel from HH Wash.  Later in 1913, WH Atkins constructed addition to the hotel which included 4...

Medicine Hat is one of Canada's most historic prairie cities. Its built along the Trans-Canada Highway just west of the Saskatchewan border and has many historic buildings that remain in its commercial centre.  One of the most historically significant buildings is the historic Monarch Theatre. Located in the city's old and very historic downtown, the Monarch has a long and storied past.   I was not aware of it when I first visited Medicine Hat, but this building catches your eye immediately. I have not seen anything like it in other small prairie cities that I have visited. Historical Significance of the Monarch Theatre The Monarch was the first building in Canada to be purpose built as a movie theatre, and since it remains in use as a movie theatre today, it remains the oldest operating movie house in Canada.  Originally, the facility also included a billiards room and tobacco shop making it an entertainment destination of sorts.   The Monarch screened its...

Whenever I head out from Calgary on a rural exploration trip that takes me towards the south east, I often take a drive past Brant's last remaining wooden grain elevator to have a look at it and see how it's doing.  And maybe if conditions are good, see if I can get a photo that is better or different from what I have currently.  The old Wheat Pool Elevator is pretty easily accessible along a gravel road on the edge of town. It's the last remaining elevator here, and would likely have been torn down long ago but for its purchase by a local farmer for grain storage and handling.  The tracks that run through town are still being used, so there is some economic sense to keep it in operation. **Scroll down to see pictures** The grain elevator itself dates back to the 1920s and was likely built by Home Grain. After a series of mergers and acquisitions, the Brant elevator found itself within the Alberta Wheat Pool system.  In fact, it retains its current green colour from ...

The Cluny area of Alberta is pretty much directly east of Calgary, and just north of the Siksika Nation. I had never explored the area and search for abandoned locations for photography, and I knew from Google Maps that there was some excellent candidates for photography locations. So this past fall, I took a drive to the are for sunrise. And what a trip it was!  Check out my YouTube Channel and join be in person if you want.  North of Cluny, I found a few really beautiful locations, including one of the most amazing abandoned barns I have ever seen in this part of the world.  This one, I was not suspecting.  I took photographs from all four sides, but I liked the photographs with the tall dead grass in the foreground the best. I find stubble and cultivated fields are least nice for a foreground.  I recommend trying to find nice foreground if the situation allows it.  This fantastic old barn was actually my second location.  The fir...

Are you interested in photography?  But is your camera getting dusty because you just don’t have the time to get out and shoot? Maybe it’s time to do a photography project.   Currently, I am trying to photograph the interior of abandoned and preserved prairie school houses.  Here are a couple of examples of abandoned schools.  Photography Projects   Motivate Given what I mentioned above, you probably have already guessed that I view motivation as one of the main selling points for doing photography projects.  In fact, the process of goal setting with concrete and measurable outcomes is commonly used to increase performance. Psychologists use the method to treat patients. And corporations use the method to build staff engagement.  So why not use it in your personal life?  Why not in your photography? Having a photography project goal with outcomes that you can use to motivate yourself is a great idea. It doesn’t matter what it is. Shak...

Batoche National Historic Site is one of those fantastic places.  Unique.  Isolated. But culturally relevant. Yes, it’s out of the way and you have to try. But isn’t that what seeing the world is all about?  Catching glimpses of lives past and cultures seemingly lost but reemerging? Well, if you are looking to see and experience the living history of one of North America’s early people, then a visit to Batoche may be the next best cultural excursion for you! Brief History of Batoche In 1885 a rebellion or uprising by Metis and some First Nations in Saskatchewan broke out and was directed at the government of Canada. The uprising is known as the North-West Rebellion (or the North-West Resistance, Saskatchewan Rebellion, Northwest Uprising, or Second Riel Rebellion). After a number of battles and skirmishes, the North-West Rebellion came to an end at Batoche where the Metis and its famous leaders Louis Riel and Gabriel Dumont held out against a large conventional m...

Where to start with Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump? Hmmm. Well, there is a growing interest in North America’s indigenous peoples. In Canada, we typically refer to indigenous people as First Nations.   And with this growing interest in North America’s first peoples, there is a corresponding increase in tourist visits to indigenous heritage sites. And one of the most interesting of these sites is in south western Alberta at a place called Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump. What is Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump is UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site. That fact alone should get your attention.  My guess is that the colourful but descriptive name for the site does give you some insight into what happened here over the past 6000 years.  Still, it might be helpful to provide some additional context.  Basically, a buffalo jump is a cliff like land formation which First Nations people could use to hunt buffalo.  Basically, hunters w...