Wild Drake Photography

Blog

  • Exploring The Saanich Historical Artifacts Society

    Exploring The Saanich Historical Artifacts Society

    There are so many different places to visit and things to see on Vancouver Island that it is easy to put off going to any of them, thinking, I can go there any time.  The Saanich Historical Artifacts Society / Heritage Acres Museum, is easily seen when driving on the main highway towards Victoria International Airport or the ferry to the mainland and has always been one of those places that I kept meaning to go to, so I finally decided to take a trip out there and see what they had to offer.  I am glad that I did.

    SHAS sign and old pumps and equipment
    Heritage Acres Museum has many items on display

    (more…)

  • A Hike Around Botanical Beach

    A Hike Around Botanical Beach

    I arranged for a small group from my local photo club to go on a day trip to Botanical Beach.  The beach is best seen at low tide, when the many unique features can be more easily observed, and the water doesn’t keep you off the beach.  This took a bit of coordination to get the timings right and as the day approached, it looked like we might be more in danger of getting wet from the rain than the ocean.

    black and white image of Botanical Beach showing rocky shore and some trees under dark clouds
    Moody clouds over Botanical Beach, BC.

    (more…)

  • Macaulay Point Park

    Macaulay Point is now a nicely maintained park in Esquimalt, BC, with walking trails overlooking the shore.  It contains protected plant life and structures left over form its days as Fort Macaulay, also known as Macaulay Point Battery.

    old Fort Macaulay bunker in a field with purple flowers
    Historic bunker is surrounded by a fragile ecosystem

    (more…)

  • Appetite for Art Show

    This past week I had the opportunity to participate in my first art show, where I had some prints on display. The Appetite for Arts show in Sooke, BC is held annually, and art pieces are paired with food dishes, which have been inspired by the art.

    Art on display in the hotel ballroom
    a variety of art works by various local artists

    (more…)

  • Fun with Filters

    Every once in a while I like to get a little creative after I’ve ‘finished’ processing my images and today was one of those days. I had taken a short walk with my camera in downtown Victoria and made some interesting photographs, like this one of a short section of the sidewalk.

    Purple rock squares inlaid in the sidewalk
    Stepping Stones

    (more…)

  • No More Snow

    After more snow than we are used to around here (that would be pretty much anything more than a trace that disappears the same day), we are back to ☀️ sun and rain ☔️ showers.  I had the chance for a quick walk around town and saw the birds hanging out together.

    A flock of pigeons on power lines
    Birds on a Wire

    (more…)

  • More Phogtography

    I enjoy getting out with my camera pretty much any chance I get, but foggy days are special, because they can transform the ‘ordinary’ scenery to something very different.  Today was one of those days, so I decided to go to the boardwalk in Sooke to check out what was in store for me this time.

    a bird rests on the boardwalk on a foggy day
    Thick fog on the water

    (more…)

  • A New Place and an Old Favourite

    I recently learned of another park nearby; the Blinkhorn Nature Park, which has a wooded trail surrounding a small lake and today was the perfect day to check it out.  For most of the way around the lake, the trail was far enough away that you could only catch the odd glimpse of the water through the trees.  There was one nice approach to the lake that offered an interesting view, though.

    a mirror image photograph of Blinkhorn lake, partially covered in ice
    Looking across Blinkhorn Lake

    (more…)

  • A day by the sea

    While things have been busy lately, I did manage to get out with my camera recently and make some photos at a couple nearby spots.  First I was by Esquimalt Lagoon, in Colwood, where there were plenty of ducks and seagulls.

    ducks and seagulls on the water
    The lagoon is a favourite resting place for many birds

    (more…)

  • A Visit to the Lake

    Poirier Lake is one of those places that I love to stop by for a nice little break, where there always seems to be something of interest to photograph. It is not often there is more than the things of layers of ice around the edges of the lake, but with temperatures hovering just below the freezing mark for a little while, the ice is now thicker than I’ve seen it and covers the entire surface of the lake.

    A clump of grass pokes through an ice covered lake
    Standing out through the ice

    (more…)