In July I spent 23 days exploring Iceland with my camera and I experienced good weather and some spectacular sunsets. My trip ended with two nights in Reykjavik and a chance to see some museums. I will miss not being able to eat Skyr yogurt for breakfast and being able to get a sandwich at the Sandholt bakery. You can see images from my trip in my Iceland gallery.
Pacific Rim National Park Reserve is one of my favourite places to camp. The kilometres of rugged shoreline, dramatic old-growth forest, tide pools and sprawling beaches make it an ideal place to explore with my camera. Although there was a wolf advisory in effect and I was sleeping in a tent, I didn’t see or hear any of these animals. After eating my fair share of salmon burgers and fish tacos I returned to the hectic pace and traffic noise of Vancouver. Even though I’ve only been home for a couple of days I already miss the relaxing sound of the surf…
At the Hastings Park Race Track the horses are exercised early in the morning. I spent some time using a slow shutter speed, panning the camera with the action and snapping the shutter. I like this photo because the jockey is stationary and for the most part in focus. The background and legs of the galloping horse are blurred which conveys a sense of motion and speed. I also like the flying tail of this beautiful animal. Click on the photo to see a larger version.
The results are in and one of my images won an amateur honourable mention in the Worldwide WOW Photo Competition. The photo is titled Vancouver Fog.
Ted Grant’s career as a photojournalist spans sixty years. He has received the Order of Canada and won many awards as a photographer. His iconic image of the the prime minister, Pierre Trudeau, sliding down the bannister at the 1968 Liberal convention in Ottawa is a wonderful photo. In an interview he said that as a photojournalist he doesn’t run around with his camera, he just finds his spot and then he waits.
When I arrived at this location I really liked the perspective of all the seaplanes in a line. There were two mechanics and they had removed the engine cowling of the seaplane at the front and I took a few images but wasn’t happy with the photos. So I waited. The mechanics were testing the engine and then they had to reattach several pieces of the engine cowling. One mechanic finished the job by grabbing a hose and spraying the area of the seaplane where they had been working. As a photographer sometimes you need to be patient and like Ted Grant says, you need to find your spot and just wait…
These ravens were gliding or hovering in the evening breeze. I enjoyed standing here and watching them. Eventually they would land in the trees and then take off again and continue to play in the wind. Click on the image to see a larger version.
I’ve wanted to photograph these boathouses ever since I first spotted them. I like the reflection of the boathouses in the water and because the interior is lit and the glass is semitransparent they remind me of a Japanese lantern. A long exposure took care of any ripples in the water. Click on the image to see a larger version.
In the Fraser Canyon is the Alexandra bridge which was built in 1926 for the Cariboo highway. The last time automobile traffic was allowed across the bridge was in 1964. The Niaka’pamux and Sto:lo First Nations have lived in the area for over 9000 years. Because the canyon becomes narrow at this point it was an important fishing site. The first European people to visit the area were Simon Fraser and his crew during their expedition down the Fraser Canyon in 1808. I had the bridge all to myself and enjoyed exploring this vanishing part of British Columbia. Click on an image to see a larger version.
As I was driving across traditional First Nations land I came across this house with a sign showing support for Gino Odjick. He was born just outside of Maniwaki, Quebec on the Algonquin Native Reserve and played for eight seasons with the Vancouver Canucks. Number 29 was a very popular hockey player with fans and in First Nations communities across Canada. Click on the image to see a larger version.
The mountain in the foreground is Joffre Peak ( 8927 feet ) and Mount Matier ( 9131 feet ) is in the background. In the middle of Joffre Peak is the Aussie Couloir which people ski down when the conditions are right. To the left, below Mount Matier is the Anniversary glacier. If you look closely you can see four backcountry skiers making their way up the glacier. The fresh snow made the mountains look beautiful, but there was the real danger of avalanches. Click on the photo to see a larger and more impressive version.
