VanSPC Member of the Month

Jim Lowrie

A Vancouver based photographer, Jim Lowrie has held an interest in photography and the visual arts since an early age. Jim’s primary interests are in street, travel, urban and natural landscape photography. In his photography, Jim seeks to document the interactions and candid moments of human beings within the built environment utilizing a minimalist approach and natural light to record the everyday chronicles of urban life. Some of Jim’s work can be viewed on flickr and IG @jlowriephotography.

1. What one piece of advice would you give street photographers just starting out?

   To get great shots, sometimes you have to ‘make your own luck’. For me, this means having both patience and perseverance, and stepping out of my comfort zone. Some of my better shots were taken when I stuck it out for 20-30 more minutes at a particular location, looked at a scene from a different perspective, or decided to move closer to my subject

2. What are your top two places in Vancouver for shooting and why?

   You can always find me in my own neighbourhood of Mount Pleasant where I encounter many of the same people on a regular basis. I also like the variation in streetscape and architecture in and around Gastown.

3. Which three street photographers have influenced your work the most?

   Garry Winogrand

   Fred Herzog

   Alan Schaller

4. Describe your work using up to four keywords.

   Playful, Dichotomous, Humorous, Thought-provoking (ok, that’s five words)

5. Tell us about (up to 5) books, music or other art forms that influence your photography.

   Modern Color, Fred Herzog (2016)

   Under Vancouver - 1972-1982, Greg Girard (2017)

   The Street Photographer’s Manual, David Gibson (2017)

   Reclaim the Street, Stephen McLaren (2023)