(First photo by Giles Clement, second by Trevor Ball)
VicFolk, meet (as if you don’t already know him) Tyson Elder: the bearded man with a cam that wanders concerts and streets making life look musical through his lens. Tyson is one of a team that forms YYJ’s Rocktographers (rocktographers.ca) and anyone performing this town has had their good side highlighted by one of these creative camera crafters. Tyson’s site (rocktographer.ca) highlights his sense of humour with the main page picturing him blowing St Patty’s green beard glitter at the viewer. The site also highlights his incredible talent at his profession with diverse pics from local radio station personalities to pop up shows to the ever-loved Rifflandia Festival. This guy is serious about his snapshots. Introducing Tyson:
Give us a quick background on what makes You:
Photographer, music lover, travel, concert goer, wanderer, beard grower, sunburnt, writer, beer drinker.
Describe who is your community:
Photographers. Artists. Musicians. Music fans. Bar flys.
What is the basis of your business/art and what are the important footings that build your business/art creation model?
Celebrate photographers, gather community, create, connect, make something tangible
What are three things you think the city couldn’t live without?
Coffee, beer, and music scene.
What are three things you absolutely adore about your city?
If you moved here from somewhere else, give us a story of the first time the city felt like home:
I moved here from Winnipeg when I was still in high school. We moved around a lot when I was younger because of my father’s career. Nowhere had really felt like home for a long time. There was always the possibility of having to leave town. I got really good at saying goodbye to friends and cities. It wasn’t until I came home from a backpacking trip in Europe that I knew that Victoria was my home. It was that ferry ride home, the sea air, the blue skies, and greenness. It was like I was seeing Victoria and BC for the first time.
What are some lessons you have learned being an entrepreneur/artist in this town?
Nothing is easy. Even if you are passionate about the things you do and create, it takes hard work. If you aren’t willing to put in the work, it’s not going to work out. Sometimes the passion breaks through the waves of exhaustion and that’s what makes you know what you are doing is worthwhile.
(VanVic: we are going to write these words above our bed so we can read them last thing every night and first thing every morning!)
Also, let other people help you. Despite something being your baby, you have to let other people in. You can’t do everything by yourself. You can, but not well. In the past year I’ve had several people join my team at Rocktographers. Kirsten James, Webmeister Bud, and Lindsey Blane. All of them with specific skills that have made Rocktographers bigger and better than I could have ever imagined. I doubt we’d have the success we have had without their hard work.
What are some things that drive you crazy about your city / what are things that you would change?
Victoria is very stuck in its ways. Maybe that has to do with its large elderly and hippy population. It drives me nuts that there seems to be no growth or expansion here. Anytime someone wants to do something that could potentially bring jobs, tourists, or - god forbid - money to this town, it always gets shut down. Maybe that’s why I see so many empty storefronts downtown (another thing that drives me nuts). People are leaving to start their businesses elsewhere because they can afford rent in other communities and will have the support of the locals.
I don’t know how to change this mentality of “not in our backyard,” but I have some ideas. I’m thinking a smaller island and sending all these people to it. Ha.
If I had the ability, I would certainly like to change our public transit system to work better for commuters from the western communities and the peninsula. I’d also like to see more youth arts programs like The Vera Project (a Seattle youth program that teaches kids about music and arts in hands-on ways).
What’s next in business/art for you? What’s next in life for you?
Obviously, I’d like to make money with the art I create. It hasn’t really happened yet but I’m getting there. That’s always been the next step with any venture I’ve started. I don’t need much but I would like to keep cornflakes on the table.
I’d love to start travelling again. I miss the call of the open road and the adventures that come with it. Whether that is with a band or on a solo journey, we will have to see. Iceland is looking pretty appealing these days, though
(VanVic: we went there last summer. GO!)
What do you hope for the next generation of people in your city?
I hope the next generation of people in my city have an easier time finding places to live and jobs that can help sustain a decent lifestyle. It’s sort of a scary time in Victoria right now. There are very few affordable places to rent - let alone buy - and fewer jobs that pay a livable wage. While I think that some suffering is required for good art, I’m a firm believer that everyone should have a roof above their heads and food in their belly.
What are your favourite places to go/experience things in and around your city?
I love coffee shops. There is something about the energy in those rooms that gets me jazzed about things…maybe it’s the caffeine. I always bump into people from the Victoria music scene in my favourite coffee shop. We usually end up talking for hours about everything and nothing. It’s my favourite way to find out what’s happening in the city at any given time.
Where do you live in the city and why do you like that area? What are your favourite haunts in the hood?
I don’t live in Victoria proper right now. I sort of live near Sidney but in a more rural setting. We have horses, an apple orchard, and no cell reception. It’s a nice area but not where I planned to be. It’s a little too remote sometimes. Most days you can find me at Discovery Coffee on Discovery St. It’s pretty much my second home and more importantly my office. I also spend a lot of time in Quadra Village these days and will probably be living there by the end of the summer. Part and Parcel is by far one of my favourite restaurants in the city and I can often be found there getting lunch.
What is the funniest/craziest thing that has happened to you in your city?
A few years ago I was at Goldstream Park with a couple of friends trying to take pictures of bald eagles. A good friend of mine is an avid bird photographer, but as we were walking back to the car we noticed something weird about the river ahead. It was florescent green. It looked like the ooze from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Our attention turned to that and a couple of my photos ended up on the front page of the paper.
(VanVic: annnnd the green ooze was…?)
Do you plan to stay in your city for a long time or are you considering moving somewhere else relatively soon?
Victoria is home. While I’ve often contemplated moving away to start something new somewhere else, I can’t fathom leaving the Island to live somewhere else. I’ve always travelled and wanted to explore the world but Victoria is always a good place to come home to.
What memory will you always hold dear of this city? What makes you go “Aw, my city”.
I don’t think there is any particular memory that I hold close about the city, but more the feelings I have when doing things here. Warm Summer nights on ocean beaches and patios with friends, cherry blossoms filling the streets (and triggering my allergies) in the Spring, rainy Winter nights by the fireplace, and walking through the woods just outside of town in the Fall. The way the community comes together to celebrate and support the many arts and music festivals throughout the Summer certainly warms my heart. These are my people.
Thanks, Tyson, for this amazing insight into Victoria. See you at the next concert (we’ll be the ones crazy dancing all night long).
Next blog features ‘twinsies' : cool Vancouver places, their twins in Victoria, and vice versa.
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