All text and photos by Nick Delany, including banner image.
This October, I joined Danish photographer Thorsten Overgaard for a multi-day street and portrait photography workshop in downtown Vancouver. Working exclusively in black and white, I explored the city through light, geometry, gesture, and character.
1. Geometry, Silence, and the Shape of the City
The workshop opened with an exercise in seeing structure first. Vancouver’s downtown core, with its mix of modern lines and historical brick, offered a perfect stage.
The first three images reflect this disciplined search for order and balance: the silhouettes climbing out of shadow into soft natural light; the long-vaulted hallway where a lone figure becomes an anchor in a sea of repeating arches; and the sharp morning sun carving planes of contrast onto a heritage façade.
Thorsten Overgaard encouraged us to slow down and wait—to let the light reveal the composition rather than forcing it. In these scenes, architecture becomes not just backdrop but protagonist. The frames echo that quiet interval, the Japanese concept of MA—space that breathes, space that defines.
2. Layers of Urban Texture
Our next focus was Vancouver’s layered character—the places where reflections, discarded objects, and architectural detail speak their own urban dialect.
A reflection in the Water Street Café window showed both the restaurant interior and the street outside—a collision of worlds separated only by a pane of glass. A pile of spent spray cans in a graffiti-scarred alley hinted at late-night artists or restless teenagers. And a curving metal staircase caught light like a fine art sculpture.
Each subject hints at past human presence—someone has just left, someone is about to enter, something has just happened. These scenes are less about people and more about what people leave behind. Overgaard often reminded us that street photography is not just about capturing faces; it’s about capturing traces.
Here, Vancouver feels lived-in, expressive, slightly imperfect—and that is the point.
3. Moments of Humanity
As we settled into the rhythm of the workshop, our attention shifted toward the emotional pulse of the street. Moments of joy, curiosity, and contemplation emerged naturally as we moved through Gastown and downtown.
The images in this grouping—laughter shared among a small group, a photographer catching passing people between shafts of light, and A man staring out a café window, as though the day had suddenly become heavier or more beautiful—reveal the subtle arcs of human gesture that animate a city.
The challenge was not to interrupt these scenes, but to enter them gently, letting light and timing do the heavy lifting. Overgaard’s guidance centred on anticipation: watching for the turn of a head, the fall of a shadow, the unfolding of a mood.
These photographs become narrative fragments—small stories told in the language of expression.
4. Portraits in Natural Light
The final exercise brought us into the realm of portraiture—still in natural light, but with a more deliberate collaboration. We had now reached our portrait session; we had to slow down enough to work with intention. No strobes, no backdrops—just autumn air, soft light, and two willing subjects.
We focused on gaining the desired result in camera with careful light readings on the face to dictate exposure and the use of reflectors to fill in the shadows. Shooting wide open to enhance the background bokeh and techniques to direct and relax the model inspired these results.
Their expressions were natural, unforced. We spoke, we smiled, and the camera simply recorded the honesty of the moment.
In these portraits, the workshop’s themes converge: attention to light, respect for space, and a search for authenticity. They serve as a fitting conclusion to a journey that balanced structure with spontaneity.
Closing Reflection
What I took from this workshop was not just a set of images, but a renewed discipline in how to see—the interplay between light and shadow, the narrative potential within ordinary moments, and the subtlety required to create honest portraits.
Vancouver, with its shifting weather, textured streets, and diverse humanity, became both teacher and subject. These four contact sheets represent not only the city but a deeper understanding of photographic intention: wait, watch, and let the moment reveal itself.
Nick Delany
I began photography in my teens with a Kodak Instamatic and developed my interest in B&W photography early with my Pentax SP1000. After 40 years of work I returned to my hobby, able to apply more time to learning and travel. I joined VCC on my arrival in Victoria in 2019 and found the club to be an inspiration to learn and try new things. I was fortunate to be the Photographer of the Year at VCC in 2023 and have earned a PPSA certification from the Photographic Society of America by gaining more than 300 acceptances in International Competitions plus over 100 awards. The bulk of my photography has been wildlife either in the Pacific Northwest or Africa but my current passion is B&W Street & Landscape photography. For wildlife photography, my equipment is the Sony A1 or A9 matched with the FE 200-600mm or the FE 70-200mm zoom. For all other genres I use a Leica Q3-43mm and for my B&W images I use a Leica Q2 28mm & M11 Monchrom with 50mm. I have been married to my fellow Club member Kathryn Delany for 40 years and we love to travel to destinations seldom covered by other photographers to seek out new and interesting stories.
Edited by Anke Weber
Co-Editor, Close-Up Digital