Sunday, October 5, 2014

Inspiration For A David Lynch Film

I have two shots today, taken a couple of years back, and several months apart. This is the Ottawa River up the valley at Deep River, a small town, and both shots are along the same stretch of waterfront. Across the river is the Quebec shore. The first shot is a spring shot, with high waters; the second is later in the year. Deep River is a planned community, dating back to the 1940s. It was built to house employees of a nearby nuclear facility, and is in the northern reaches of Renfrew County.


Deep River is so named because the river is at its deepest here; early French voyageurs were already using the term coming through here in the wake of Champlain's trips up the river. It is a lovely stretch of the Valley here, and at some point the eccentric film director David Lynch must have come through the area. He references the place at least twice in his films, once in Blue Velvet, and the second time in Mulholland Drive, when the character Betty, played by Naomi Watts, mentions that she came from this town.



34 comments:

  1. This seems a lovely place in your spare photos

    ALOHA from Honolulu
    ComfortSpiral
    =^..^= . <3 . >< } } (°>

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  2. Lovely reflection in the second photo.

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  3. The mirror effect in that second photo is quite striking.

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  4. The water level in each season is amazingly different, is that a lighthouse half under water during the spring high tide? Fab reflections in the calm waters second shot.

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  5. Great shots!

    I'm going to ask: how deep is it?

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  6. Wonderful shots, William, what a breathtaking reflecion in that second photo!
    As you've see, I love beïng at the waterfront now and then, so this place would suite me very well, I think.

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  7. I love more the second shot !

    Tomás.

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  8. Amazing how different a place looks when the water is calm. Shot 1 is full of motion; shot #2 is tranquil. Put me on a boat in #2!

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  9. Being a long time Lynch fan I really appreciate this post!

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  10. Lynch is a favorite. Love his takes on our quirky world. Blue Velvet a fav.

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  11. @Cloudia: it's a place I've passed through many times.

    @Marleen: a rare thing to see the river like that.

    @Revrunner: I've only seen it like that the one time; most of the other times I've been up there the river's had motion to it.

    @Grace: It's a model of a lighthouse, anyway, at the end of the pier, and that particular spring the water was pretty high. You didn't walk out to the end.

    @Luis: thanks!

    @Furry Gnome: definitely.

    @Tex: thank you!

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  12. @Norma: I know it's quite deep. I did look around on the net for a reference, but the only thing I could find suggested it's four hundred feet deep. That seems a bit too much, and wikipedia was the source. I'll have to find out whenever I get up there next.

    @Jan: it's a pleasant waterfront, but there are days when it's not!

    @Tomas: thank you!

    @Greensboro: the upper valley's a wonderful place. I always get drawn to the views of the Quebec side, where the hills seem to rise up right out of the water.

    @VP: I'd seen Mulholland Drive, but hadn't recalled that particular line.

    @Birdman: there are times I've seen this area where it's very much what you would expect out of a Lynch film: surreal and mysterious.

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  13. I am always interested in how a place got it's name. This looks like one of those places that gets photographed a lot.

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  14. What an interesting history about this place.

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  15. Quite a difference! I especially like the second shot.
    By the way, I loved Blue Velvet and hated Mulholland Drive. :-)

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  16. Very different moods! That second shot is very serene.

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  17. @Judy: I would think so, and the waterfront is very close to the Trans Canada Highway here.

    @Sharon: there's a lot of culture up this way as well.

    @Linda: thank you!

    @Jose: I went more for the latter and disliked the former!

    @Kay: I certainly thought it was peaceful.

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  18. Like the backstory and the comparisons

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  19. I love that 2nd shot! And Blue Velvet!

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  20. Quite the photographs and quite the river!

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  21. Fascinating story William and beautiful shots.

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  22. absolutely love the 2nd shot
    calm, beautiful and I love that reflection too

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  23. Love the reflection in the second photo.

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  24. @Peter: thanks!

    @RedPat: that second shot seems quite popular.

    @Mari: it's a river I've gotten quite used to, and one with character.

    @Denise: thanks!

    @Glennis: thank you!

    @Jen: it's so rare to see that river calm.

    @Randy: thank you!

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  25. Lovely reflection in the second photo.

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  26. It's a beautiful spot! We did a trip to Lake Superior Park and the photo ops were wonderful!

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  27. Nice photos and an interesting narrative. I couldn't ask for more!

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  28. @Annette: thanks!

    @EG: I think so.

    @Jennifer: it's been awhile since I've been back that way.

    @Pat: thanks!

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