The Lands, the Lens and the Allure

Maybe it’s because University District offers jaw-drop, backdrop beauty. Or our grand plans and careful progress are coming into clearer focus. Maybe it’s simply that forward thinking Calgarians are starting to check us out.

There are umpteen reasons we are valuing the visuals these days.

When the one behind the lens is professional local photographer Neil McElmon, we linger longer as we view our lands in a different way. University District commissioned Neil to shoot some of our recent events.

He was surprised by what he saw.

“Development plans for University District look fantastic,” he says.

“My eyes capture wide angles, interesting corners, beams of light and faraway things. My goal is to capture the story my eyes could never tell you, but the camera can. I want to show you what I see, the way I see it.”

“Neils’ take – through a 4×6 frame – turned fleeting University District moments into lasting markers that resonate, entice and move viewers emotionally,” says West Campus Trust Development Marketing and Communications Director Maureen Henderson.

“His capture of the Concert on the Pond stopped us in our tracks,” says Maureen. “This single frame reflects the connectivity, community and culture University District plans to promote. We decided to amplify it with a Shaganappi billboard and show it off to the city.”

Enjoy Neil’s candid portraits, festival documentaries, minimalist prairie landscapes and rural abandoned settings around the city and on his Instagram feed here.

Casting locals! Do you live in and love Calgary’s Northwest? Or know someone who would be great to feature here? Drop us a line!