Category Archives: Inspiring

And It Was All Yellow

Posted on 10/13/2024 by Jens

The Thanksgiving long weekend is a great time to photograph the trees turning brilliant shades of yellow, orange, and red. I love the light and colours at this time of the year. The air is so crisp and it’s a joy to be outside with my camera all day. My intention was to get there early in the morning when there would be little wind. The calm conditions would allow for nice reflections in the mountain lake. Please click on an image to see a larger version and comments are always welcome.

Posted in Autumn, British Columbia, Colour, Holidays, Inspiring, Mountains, Travel, West Coast | Leave a comment

The Antiheroes of Our Ecosystems

Posted on 09/29/2024 by Jens

I was quite surprised to come across three Turkey Vultures ( Catharses aura ) when I was out for a walk with my camera and telephoto lens. When you see these raptors in the distance you know they are Turkey Vultures because their wings are raised in a V and when soaring they make wobbly circles. They sometimes fly low to the ground to pick up the scent of dead animals and also use updrafts to carry them into the sky.

The Turkey Vulture eats carrion or fresh carcasses which they find by using their keen sense of smell. Their stomach acid is extremely acidic which allows them to digest just about anything. By taking care of carcasses the Turkey Vultures provide an essential service by preventing diseases that would spread from rotting flesh.

They have a featherless red head and a hooked pale bill. Some would say they are not the most attractive bird when seen up close, but they have evolved with traits that make them unique. Please click on a photo to see a larger version.

Posted in Autumn, Birds, British Columbia, Inspiring, Mountains, West Coast, Wildlife | Leave a comment

Mallard Ducklings

Posted on 07/06/2024 by Jens

This morning I was fortunate to spend some time photographing a female Mallard duck and her ducklings. They were very curious about the human being with a camera and telephoto lens. Despite being so small they are already very good at swimming and diving. Be safe little ducklings and watch out for Bald Eagles. Click on the image to see a larger size.

Posted in Birds, British Columbia, Inspiring, Summer, West Coast, Wildlife | Leave a comment

Beach Trees

Posted on 04/27/2024 by Jens

When walking on the beach I noticed these beautiful trees created in the sand by the receding tide. Their formation is also helped when the beach has a slight incline. I didn’t have a macro lens, which would have been ideal, and I had to work hard not to get my feet in the picture. I received a lot of curious glances from people walking by. Click on the photo to see a larger version.

Posted in British Columbia, Inspiring, Minimalism, Spring, Travel, West Coast | Leave a comment

Happy New Year

Posted on 12/31/2023 by Jens

May the coming year bring you joy and success. Wishing you a prosperous New Year filled with happiness and new opportunities. As we bid farewell to the old embrace the New Year with open arms. Click on the photo to see a larger version.

Posted in British Columbia, Colour, Holidays, Inspiring, West Coast, Winter | Leave a comment

Haida Gwaii

Posted on 07/19/2023 by Jens

I just returned from a ten day trip to Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve. This is an archipelago isolated from the mainland. It has many unique plants and animals. I look forward to sharing my photos of its richness and beauty. Click on the photo to see a larger version.

Posted in British Columbia, Historical, Inspiring, Summer, West Coast, Wildlife | Leave a comment

Barred Owl

Posted on 05/21/2023 by Jens

On Friday I went for a bike ride in the cool of the evening. I saw a large bird sitting on a fencepost and it flew right in front of me before landing on the branch of a tree. I was amazed to see it was a Barred Owl (Strix varia) and was disappointed that I didn’t have my camera and telephoto lens with me. For the next few days I returned to the same location at dawn and dusk and was thrilled to get some images of this nocturnal predator. The Barred Owl has a distinct hooting call which sounds like “Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you-all?”. Click on any one of the three images below to see sharper and larger versions.

Posted in Birds, British Columbia, Inspiring, Spring, West Coast, Wildlife | Leave a comment

Happy New Year

Posted on 01/01/2023 by Jens

Embrace the New Year with an open heart and a fierce spirit. Cheers to new horizons. Click on a photo to see a larger version.

Posted in Birds, British Columbia, Holidays, Inspiring, West Coast, Wildlife, Winter | Leave a comment

A Rare Encounter

Posted on 10/16/2022 by Jens

The middle of October is a time when I start to think about taking images of Fall colours in British Columbia. After driving in the dark for a few hours I arrived at my location and started taking photos of the Autumn foliage. While I was adjusting my camera settings and tripod I started to feel like I was being watched. That’s when I saw the large pointy ears with distinctive tufts of black hair. It was a Bobcat ( Lynx rufus ) that was sitting quietly behind me. I quickly changed to a telephoto lens and was able to capture a couple of good images before it disappeared into the forest. Unfortunately, the background consists of pavement and cement. The photos would’ve been perfect if I had photographed this beautiful wildcat in its natural environment. Click on a photo to see a larger version.

Posted in Autumn, British Columbia, Inspiring, Mountains, West Coast, Wildlife | Leave a comment

Raw and Unfiltered

Posted on 08/29/2022 by Jens

I just returned from a twelve day trip to northern Vancouver Island. The nickname ‘Fogust’ is appropriate because there was a lot of fog each morning, which would usually burn off by the middle of the day. There was an abundance of wildlife and I spent time observing and photographing Killer Whales, Humpback Whales, a Minke Whale, Dall’s Porpoises, Pacific White-sided Dolphins, Steller Sea Lions, Harbour Seals, Sea Otters, Bald Eagles, Peregrine Falcons, Pelagic Cormorants, Black Turnstones, Red-necked Phalaropes, Bonaparte’s Gulls, Marbled Murrelets, Pigeon Guillemots, Black Oystercatchers, Common Murres, Rhinoceros Auklets, Surf Scoters, Lion’s Mane Jellyfish, and of course, the bird in the picture below, which is a male Belted Kingfisher ( click on the image to see a larger version ). This area is the traditional lands of the Gwa’sala-‘Nakwaxda’xw, Kwakiutl, and Tlatlasikwala First Nations. To see some of my photos from my trip you can click on the ‘News‘ tab or the ‘Galleries’ tab and then the gallery titled ‘The Great Bear Sea‘.