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Photography plays a major role in our coverage of projects around the globe, made possible by our team of dedicated City Ambassadors. To recognize the hard work of these contributors, we will be sharing regular Q and A segments on SRC City Ambassadors. For this Ambassador Profile, we talked with Calgary photographer Kevin Cappis, known on the SRC Forum as Surrealplaces.
SRC: How did you get started tracking development and taking pictures of construction sites?
KC: I’ve always been interested in skyscrapers and architecture, even as a child. A visit to my aunt’s office on the 30th floor of Calgary’s Dome Tower got me interested in highrise buildings. In high school drafting class my drawings were typically of buildings, and I’ve done a fair bit of 3D digital artwork over the years, most of which focused on skyscrapers and skylines.
What’s your favourite local project in the pipeline right now?
Right now it would be Telus Sky simply for the pure architectural design; a beautiful building by a really talented architect. The Royal would be a close second, simply because of the urban format Grocer and Canadian Tire store going into it. It’s a game changer for Calgary’s Beltline neighbourhood.
What are you up to when you aren’t tracking local development?
If it’s in the summer, I’m usually in the garden. If it’s in the winter, I'm most likely toying around with my guitars. Lately I’ve been spending a lot of time with my drone.
Is there anything about your local development scene that would surprise people from other cities?
I would say the quality and level of design on recent projects would surprise people from other cities. Calgary’s past buildings were mostly bland boxes with little flair. People in the city now seem to care about design and quality and how it relates to the public context.
What gear do you shoot with?
These days I primarily use a Nikon D7200 with a Tamron 18-270mm lens. With plenty of range, it’s an excellent lens for construction pics.
What’s your favourite thing about life in Calgary?
Aside from being so close to the mountains, I love the fact that Calgary is always moving, always changing. It’s a growing city with a great mix of people from other cities and countries.
You can follow Kevin on our Forum, as well as Twitter and Flickr.
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