Gary Runka was a hobbyist photographer and documented his work and personal life through photography as he travelled across every region of British Columbia. His photographs document the evolution of British Columbia communities and regions over a 30 year period. Gary Runka's core interest was land and changing land uses. Many of his photographs tell a story of urban edge and/or natural resource compatibility/conflict. There are also a substantial number of photographs related to soils, including soil profiles, soil erosion and land (topography, drainage etc.) capability for agriculture. The collection also includes specific client-related photos, tied to Land Sense Ltd. client file job numbers.
The collection also documents personal travels and hiking trips throughout British Columbia and backpacking in some historic areas, such as the West Coast Trail and Cape Scott. These photographs also represent land evolution over time, including extent of alpine glaciation or biodiversity/plant species inhabiting the area.