Say what you want about corporations, but the fact of the matter is that with a large company, more dollars can go into what is objectively advertising. Take Whistler Blackcomb, regularly voted Best Ski Resort in North America. Where they could say “Hey, ski with us!” they choose to instead approach the task as an art project. The ski resort has wowed us in the past, from the “Embedded” series that saw Mike Douglas camping in a patrol hut at the top of Whistler Mountain for a week prior to opening day, to the magic of miniatures in WB XXS, using tilt-shift photography.
This year, though, the promo team has truly outdone themselves. Through the eyes of various locals, they bring you “Beyond”, a 4 part web series designed to show you “a closer look at the people that make the place and their dedication to never standing still”.
While 3/4ths of the series focus on local athletes – specifically, Eric Hjorleifson and Jen Ashton, Douglas, and David Carrier Porcheron – Episode 3 concentrates on meteorological photographer David McColm, whose stellar shots are peppered throughout this page.
Dubbed “The Night Watchman” (awesome nickname), his time lapse work shows this world in a vastly different light, giving a new perspective on a scene most might take for granted.
Here is a story of a man who is passionate about his home. A man that thinks nothing of missing hours of sleep to get the perfect combination of light and colour. The result is literally breathtaking. Similar to thinking that you know, say, Candle in the Wind, and then hearing Elton John perform it live. The notes are all there, but it’s somehow much more exhilarating, more gutturally enjoyable.
When other more nefarious corporations are sacrificing this wilderness while chasing the profit margin, McColm’s work is that of a one man crusade which reminds us all to not just look, but really see the beauty in the world.
