Vancouver, BC's 2023 Skyline: Aerial Architecture Photography of Downtown and the Lower Mainland | Koby Photography

I’m lucky to call Vancouver home. Growing up here as a fashion and lifestyle photographer, the trips downtown always amazed me. Like many, I grew up in the surrounding Lower Mainland area in Richmond, B.C. Entering adulthood and my working life, the opportunity to now live in the Mount Pleasant area and to be a portrait photographer surrounded by the creative energy here is something I’ll always be grateful for – especially in a city polarized by the cost of living.

Through my street photography travels to some of the world’s most romanticized cities, I’m yet to find somewhere that has the balance Vancouver brings. The water, the mountains, the people, the community, and the feeling of the city moving faster than you as it races to develop into the future all offer diverse experiences that go beyond just eating, drinking, and going out: the mainstays of most inland metropolitan cities.

Most importantly, the multiculturalism of Vancouver is something I’ve grown so accustomed to that the homogeneous crowds of most other cities take me aback.

"Home Sweet Home”. Stanley Park and the Coal Harbour skyline from the rear window of an airplane. Available as a fine art print here.

“Vancouver Port Sunset”. Vancouver’s downtown port and harbour, welcoming container ships from across the world. Available as a fine art print here.

These are all the biased reflections of someone who grew up with family roots here (albeit only one generation) and loves this city. On the other hand, Vancouver is a rainy, gloomy place for most. It’s cliquey, often lonely, and it’s hard to break into new social dynamics if you’re moving here. People here are often quick to be kind on the outside but finding a deep connection is where the stereotypical Vancouver flakiness unfortunately shines.

Finding my network of friends here through my school and university career is something I’m lucky to have and I’m grateful for it today. Many of them moved to Vancouver and the mainland for jobs. Finding those like-minded to you in a city much divided by socioeconomics is hard to come by. In a post-COVID world, it takes courage to reach out to people you look up to and share an interest with. It’s even hard to retain those connections for more than just a beer or coffee meetup.

I’ve always been the one photographer in my friendship circle, surrounded by those pursuing careers in finance and real estate: the career paths often required to thrive in a city like this without necessitating a side hustle. I fell into the latter path and hence how I started my photography business as a side hustle alongside my software sales career.

Today in 2023, I’m privileged to call photography my full-time career after growing it on the side for so long. I’m able to pursue the shoots that energize me creatively and not just keep the lights on. Taking on this new photographer identity and finding connections with those of a similar creative mindset is my mission for the years to come.

With that in mind, having the opportunity to illustrate the skyline of a city like Vancouver, which means so much to me, with aerial photography images is my way of honoring this place and fostering connection and community for those enthralled by these images.

“Granville Island and False Creek”. Situated under the Granville Bridge, this aerial photo from 2023 shows the unique juxtaposition of the Granville Island community amongst False Creek and the surrounding downtown. Available as a fine art print here.

Vancouver, B.C.’s downtown core including Gastown and Chinatown town centred in the middle. This image stretches from North to South, with False Creek on the left, the three main downtown bridges, and the waters beyond.

“East Vancouver Skyline”. The place I call home. Spanning from False Creek with Science World and B.C. Place Stadium, Mount Pleasant, Commercial Drive, and beyond, this 2023 image captures all of East Vancouver. The visibility includes Iron Worker’s Bridge on the left all the way through Burnaby and the Port Mann bridge. Sun rays break through the classic overcast Vancouver sky. Deep within you can see the iconic East Vancouver cross sign which marks this amazing community. Available as a fine art print here.

It’s a small city. As a street photographer, you can walk all of downtown in an entire day. I drew my street photography inspiration from traveling to new cities. This put me on alert for photographic opportunities, unique subjects, people, and a contrast of everyday life. However, when it came to photographing the city that I call home from an angle up above and not limited by the limitations of drones, I felt a new purpose.

In this cityscape photo gallery, I captured each image on my Canon R5 using an adapted Canon EF 24-70mm II lens. They’re mainly shot at ISO 200-400, with an aperture of f/5.6-8 and a shutter speed of 1/500s to limit any motion blur from the plane’s speed. A special thank you to Eddy Chiang, my pilot, for giving me the opportunity to capture these images.

These were photographed near sunset, on a day when we had called off our flight due to weather. With a last-minute break in the clouds, we at the last minute headed to the airport and captured the images here which are amongst my favourite bodies of work.

“English Bay, Sunset Beach, and Vancouver West End Skyline”. Vancouver’s iconic English Bay Beach and accompanying Sunset Beach with the rolling West End skyline leading all the way to Coal Harbour and the North Shore. Captured in 2023. Available as a fine art print here.

“Downtown Vancouver Skyline”. Vancouver’s 2023 skyline with a warm sunset glow. Rolling clouds cover the North Shore mountains and let in a soft sun coverage over the water and each building’s facade. Available as a fine art print here.

Vancouver’s Granville Island, False Creek, and Broadway-City Hall area from the rear window of a private airplane.

Vancouver’s Granville bridge at sunset, with the Vancouver House building as the highlight along with the north side of Granville Island.

If you felt a connection to my story, please don’t be afraid to reach out or follow my recent work on Instagram. Many of these images are available for purchase as canvas or fine art paper prints on my online print store. Each print is handmade and signed here in the Mount Pleasant community of Vancouver, B.C. See an image here that isn’t listed on my print store? Please reach out as I’d love to make you a custom print of an image that means something to you.

All these images are available for editorial or commercial licensing. Please contact me here for a custom quote.

I hope you enjoy exploring these images below and seeing a new side of Vancouver while being reminded of areas that reignite fond memories.

Vancouver’s Canada Place and the Convention Centre view looking South from Coal Harbour against the backlit sunset.

The Patullo and Alex Fraser bridges are backlit by sunset. Vancouver and Burnaby’s cityscape is off in the distance clouded by industrial buildings.

Brentwood and Metrotown, Burnaby skyline in 2023 at sunset.

Simon Fraser Univesity’s Burnaby campus backlit by sunset.

From the cockpit of our plane, facing downtown Vancouver and beyond.

“Burrard and Granville Bridge”. The crossing over False Creek from Burrard Bridge on the left and Granville Bridge in the centre with staples of Vancouver’s skyline including B.C. Place Stadium, Science World, and the surrounding waters at sunset. Available as a fine art print here.

View of Vancouver’s Stanley Park and Coal Harbour from the airplane window.

Belcarra Regional Park and the Indian Arm, west of Coquitlam and north of Anmore, B.C.

Granville Bridge and Burrard Bridge, with Kits Beach, Spanish Banks, and the UBC off in the distance.

False Creek with B.C. Place, Rogers Arena, and Science World captured vertically out of our airplane window.

Vancouver’s downtown with a highlight of the Waterfront area, Canada Place, the Harbour Centre, and the Financial District.

Stanley Park, English Bay, the West End, and West Vancouver across the water captured from the back window of our airplane.

The skyline contrast of the downtown Financial District against the older developments of Vancouver’s West End.

English Bay and the West End facing south, with Kits Point and Jericho Beach on the other side of the water.

“Good Morning, Gastown”. Vancouver’s Chinatown and Gastown landscape from the air, leading into Stanley Park, the North Shore, the water, and beyond. Available as a fine art print here.

“Port of Vancouver Shipyards”. Like pieces of lego, each container is filled with all the items we use every day. Bound for corners around North America, Vancouver’s port is the second larger port on the West Coast of our continent. Each container and what’s inside of them tell a story and hold items that last a meal, a moment, or generations. Available as a fine art print here.

The Pleasantside community on the water, to the west of Port Moody and south of Anmore, B.C.

Belcarra Regional Park and the Indian Arm, west of Coquitlam and north of Anmore, B.C.

Port Mann bridge and the passing railcars beneath, leading into Surrey, B.C.

The Vancouver Convention Centre, Canada Place, and Coal Harbour with the classic floating Chevron gas station in the water.

The whole expanse of Vancouver’s Coal Harbour and West End, backlit by sunset with all of downtown Vancouver behind it.

The Port of Vancouver shipyards, the Waterfront railway, and all of downtown Vancouver’s skyline with Kitsilano and UBC off in the distance.

Sunset Beach across from Kits Point, west of the Burrard Bridge with downtown Vancouver and Stanley Park lit up by the sunset.

Vancouver’s West End skyline, with older buildings and condos than the rest of downtown.

The ports of North Vancouver and the North Shore, with the Lions Gate Bridge and West Vancouver off in the distance.

Port Mann bridge and the passing railcars beneath, leading into Surrey, B.C.

“New Westminster Skyline”. Where I was born. This aerial view of New Westminster from 2023 captures the waters and piers of the New Westminster Quay, the whole length of Eighth Street, and visibility to Surrey, Burnaby, the downtown Vancouver skyline, the North Shore mountains, and beyond. Available as a fine art print here.

The skyline of False Creek, Olympic Village, Mount Pleasant, and East Vancouver. The visibility and views stretch all the way to Surrey and the Port Mann bridge to the south.