One of the great things about living on southern Vancouver Island is that there are so many fantastic places to go for a walk or hike and its easy to branch off and see something different from the last visit to the area. This most recent hike, being on Easter Sunday, there were many people out enjoying a sunny day near the Sooke Potholes. Instead of going to the Sooke River, I branched off on the trail that runs next to Mary Vine Creek.
Just over a five minute drive from home, I “discovered” a great new location for photography. Maybe not so much discovered it as realized what has been right under my nose for ages. The Sooke Region Historical Society describes the Lannan Flats area on a local historical marker as such: “The Lannan family farmed hundreds of acres along the shores of Sooke basin in the early 1900’s. In summer community picnics and horse racing took place on these salt flats. Earlier, in 1864, Ash’s Landing, east of Lannan Creek, was the starting point of the government trail leading to the Leech River gold rush site”. It’s a little early for summer picnics and I don’t think the area has seen horse racing in decades, but it is still a great spot to get down to the relatively sheltered waters in the Sooke basin and take some photos.
When I know I’m going to have some idle time I like to bring my camera with me. Such was the case today, as I had my car in for servicing and knew I’d have several hours to spend around downtown Victoria. There are so many things to see and photograph around the area it’s easy to spend hours wandering around taking photos.
Okay, I may have made up a word (or maybe not), but I think that Phogtography suits what I did today. I went out in the fog to take photographs. Not content to just stay indoors on a misty, foggy Saturday afternoon, I decided to make the most of it and get out with my camera. 
This year I want to take more photos both locally and when I am away from home. I started off the year with a trip to the Tofino area, where I had the chance to do a good amount of shooting and appreciating that beautiful area. January is frequently stormy and this year was no different.
Once again it has been far too long between posts and there have been fewer opportunities to get out and take some photos. Somehow it always seems like there is less time in December than any other month. Life gets hectic with shopping, holiday events to go to, family gatherings and there’s always something unexpected coming up. Even the days are at their shortest… although that can sometimes be to the benefit of the photographer who likes to sleep in. That is when the sunrise and sunset are at decent hours, making it much more convenient to get out with a camera and just enjoy the world around you.
One thing is certain… no matter what else is happening, time goes on. And with it, things change. Some so slowly it’s almost imperceptible, while other things so quickly it seems if you blink you might miss them. Somewhere between the extremes is the changes that take place in autumn. Slowly the leaves start to change colour, at least on certain types of trees and other plants. Then they begin to fall cover the ground like a colourful carpet. Around here the rain starts to become more frequent and the rivers and creeks start to flow more swiftly. In some cases they go from being almost totally dry stream beds to rushing flows of water.
The leaves have been changing all around… at least those that do change colour and fall off. So it seemed like the perfect time to buy a new lens (okay, any excuse will do for that) and try it out. While the middle of a forest is not necessarily the best place to try out a wide angle lens, it didn’t stop me from trying. I hadn’t even made it home from the camera store with the lens, when I stopped for a few quick snap shots and managed to check out a new location (to me) where I know I will be returning to when I have more time.
I had a great time attending my first World Wide Photo Walk (WWPW) a couple days ago (in it’s 7th year). I met a few photographers for the first time and a couple I’ve known for a while. We met just as the first few, scattered, drops of rain were falling and had time for a brief overview of the recommended route and a group picture. As we headed out the rain started to become more consistent. About an hour and a half into the walk, as I was crossing the Blue Bridge, the sky opened up almost as if someone had turned on a firehose. Fortunately, I had rain gear for my camera and camera bag. My clothing, on the other hand, was good for a light rain at best. After quickly ducking into a nearby hotel for some shelter, it was decided to enjoy a hot coffee and hope the downfall decreased. I was in luck, and by the time I finished a tall cup of Starbucks Pike Place coffee, the clouds had parted and the rain let up. I returned across the Blue Bridge, back to the downtown area, and managed to slowly dry up a bit while taking some photos that I am quite happy with.
Wild Drake Photography 