Wild Drake Photography

Tag: photography

  • Top Ten Photos of 2023

    It is that time of year where I once again look back over my photography from the past twelve months and select the favourite ten photos I created during that time. As always, these are the ones I like for various reasons, and not necessarily the ten most technically perfect ones. Each photo has a story behind it and collectively they act as an inspiration to continue to create photos and further develop creatively. They are presented in a random order. Without further ado, here they are:

    I started off the year going to Botany Bay, in Botanical Beach Provincial Park. January weather can be quite stormy along the coast, and while this day was not too wild, it did provide enough action to provide an interesting setting for this photograph. I liked the way the rock in the foreground was jutting out from its surroundings, mimicking the island behind it jutting out of the turbulent sea.

    In February I drove from Vancouver Island, down the west coast of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state, and about half way down the Oregon coast. It was far too short a trip for such a beautiful area, but I did have time to get some photos I really enjoy. This one, at Bandon Beach, was taken just after sunset, as the light was fading and the pastel colours were superb to witness. The tide was coming in and the area of the beach I was on had limited access, so I had to rush to get to higher ground shortly after this photo. I had checked the tide tables and planned my route off the beach, so I knew how much time I had, but if I’d have stayed much longer, I would have been very wet!

    This long exposure photo was created in February, on my way back from my Oregon coast trip. I had noticed these pilings and the Astoria-Megler bridge on my way through Washington state and knew I had to stop on my way back. This is only the northern end of the bridge, which is 6545 m (21,474 feet) long.

    This multi-tiered waterfall is a little more challenging hike to get to and is not too far from Port Renfrew, on beautiful Vancouver Island. I’d been here before, but the conditions and water levels were less than ideal then. On this visit, there was a nice amount of water flowing over the falls and the bubbles were swirling, creating the interesting patterns seen in this long exposure photo. It’s unfortunate that the two logs are in front of the waterfall at the rear of the photo, but they show just how rugged the area is. I had a tough decision between this photo and a portrait orientation of the same scene, which included a large log above, adding a window into the forest beyond, but that view was just a little too cluttered to make the cut.

    When I was young, I used to go to the Abbotsford International Airshow every year, and sometimes others as well. In fact, I’m sure that seeing the skill of these pilots, especially the Snowbirds, played a part on my eventual decision to join the Canadian Armed Forces. That was long ago, however, and I had not been to an airshow in decades, until last year, when I returned to my old stomping grounds. I decided to skip this year and instead I went up to Comox, where the Snowbirds make an annual visit for ‘spring training’, before the airshow season. A simple black and white conversion of this photo really seemed to make it a bold statement.

    Looking out towards the Olympic Peninsula from Vancouver Island, you can often see beautiful sunsets and fantastic colours into blue hour. This simple panoramic view just puts me in a peaceful, relaxed mood and is a reminder of what a fantastic part of the world I live in.

    Every year I try to go to at least one photography related conference or workshop. This past year was no exception. The conference was three days long, with opportunities to go on group excursions either before or after the day’s lectures. On this occasion, arrangements had been made for us to visit the Sierra West Trading Post after dark. A single, large, LED panel light gently lit the front, and a partial moon lit the side of the building and ground (note the shadow in front of the building).

    Nearby where the conference was held, I had spotted this old colliery building and thought it would make a great subject for night photography. Unfortunately, that night the clouds were blocking out the stars, but using some creative lighting (a combination of low level lighting on the front of the building and very faint red light inside) and a long exposure, this is the photo I created that night.

    I tried to do some astrophotography on several occasions throughout the year, but most times ran in to less than ideal conditions. On this occasion I took my local photography club to nearby Whiffin Spit for some night photos. It’s not the best area for dark skies, as you can tell, but it did allow me to create this rather interesting photo. While there are a few lights on the peninsula to the front, the majority of the light glowing above it is coming from Port Angeles, across the straight, and reflecting off some low cloud / fog that was rolling in. In fact, not long after this photo, much of the sky to the south was obscured.

    The final image in my top ten is from November. This past year has been drier than normal and many of the streams and waterfalls were low (or completely dry) much later than normal. That meant that many of the salmon runs were late as well. I had come to this area on the off chance that I might find a bear fishing, but not this time. It seems most times I see a bear around where I live (this is not too far away), I don’t have a camera with me, or they’re way off in the distance. Not that I want a close encounter. Anyway, the three trees along the bank seem to be stretching their roots into the water to drink it up. I slightly lightened them, and darkened the one at the rear right, to make them stand out a little more. While instinctively it may feel like the water is flowing down the photo from the mid left to the bottom right, that is a trick of perspective and what the mind expects. The water is actually flowing the opposite direction.

    So those are the ten favourite photos I created in 2023. One of the reasons I put this list together every year is to share it with others. Another is so that I can review my photos and make some observations. Here are a few things I am realizing about my photography from this review:

    • most of my favourite photos were from the first half of the year. I have noticed in the later half that while I’ve had the desire to get out with my camera, I often found it difficult to pick a destination and get out there
    • several of my favourites were night or astro images, even though I have a much smaller percentage of those in my photo libraries. I really enjoy this type of photography and would love to do more but I often find it difficult to get out on a clear night to a good location
    • Only one image was not some form of a long exposure photo, with a second one being 0.3 seconds. The other eight were true long exposures. A couple had to be long as they were at night, but most were a choice for aesthetics. Many of those required the use of neutral density filters, in order to slow down the shutter speed enough to get the desired results.
    • four photos were from overnight (or longer) trips and one other was a 3 hour drive (each way) from where I live. I don’t get away nearly as often as I’d like, but these photos show that while I enjoy photography near home, getting out to other locations inspires me
    • Interestingly, despite doing a fair bit of street/city photography during the year, none of it made it to may favourites
    • five of my photos included the ocean, one waterfall and another of a stream. Water plays a big part in my photography

    So what does this mean for the year to come? Well, I already have plans for a couple of multi-day trips (one of which is a conference) and hope to do a few overnight excursions as well. I will keep an eye out for more night / astro opportunities and maybe work on some new techniques for those times. I have a lot of other thoughts and some loose plans for the year ahead, including re-awakening my youtube channel, so keep an eye out there for new videos.

  • Top Ten (favourite) Photos of 2022

    Top Ten (favourite) Photos of 2022

    Well another year has come to an end and once again I have put together a collection of the top ten favourite photos I have made during that time. As always. it is not necessarily the technical ‘best’ photos of the year, but the ones that are special to me for one reason or another. Once you have had a chance to review them, I invite your comments or questions and would be interested in knowing which one(s) you liked best, and why. Please note, that these are not in order of preference. Without further ado, here they are:

    There you have it. I’m sure you wonder why I didn’t provide an explanation of my photos this year. That’s because I’m making some changes and trying something different. If you check out my YouTube video, you can hear more about the images and my thoughts.

    From the images above, you can see that 40% are black and white, 5 involve water, there’s an abstract one, one animal and one night shot. As for the cameras I used, they were the iPhone 13 Pro, FujiFilm GFX100S, the Canon R5 and the Canon 6D Mark II, with a variety of lenses.

    As I was mentioning, there are more changes coming, and I expect 2023 to be a big year in photography for me. I’ll let you know more about those things soon. I hope everyone has a very happy, healthy 2023!

    ______________________________________________________________________________________________________

  • Exploring Scotland with a Camera

    Exploring Scotland with a Camera

    Looking out from the castle over the city of Edinburg, Scotland
    Edinburgh

    Most of my photography adventures are close to home, on an island off the west coast of the continent, so after far too long not having explored somewhere different, it was time to do it. Of course I chose to travel over 7000 km (4400 miles) to go to an island off the west coast of the continent.

    Arriving in Glasgow with an extra day to explore before my adventure really began, I rented a small car to drive to Edinburgh. I could have taken a bus or train, but I like the experience of driving somewhere new. The fact that the steering wheel was on the opposite side of what I’m used to and it was a manual transmission car just added to the fun. Parking in Edinburgh was a bit of a challenge, and rather costly. Half a day exploring the city was far too little, but I enjoyed seeing the Edinburgh castle and doing some street photography along the Royal Mile, which stretches from the castle to the Hollyrood Palace.

    A Piper along the Royal Mile

    As this was my first visit to Scotland and there were so many great photography locations to see, I went on a photo workshop with some great guides to show us around. We started our first day by travelling to Glencoe and exploring the area, before moving on to the Isle of Skye, where we would spend most of our time. Along the way we saw some interesting sights.

    Hogwarts express steam train crossing the famous viaduct as seen in the Harry Potter film
    The Jacobite

    Most of the time I was there it rained. There were occasional brief breaks in the weather and this produced some great conditions for landscape photography.

    Kilchurn Castle

    I’ve enjoyed other photographers photos of the area for years, so it was great to be there in person and get an up close view of the area myself. After hiking up the hills and getting drenched while doing it, you gain a whole new appreciation for what it takes to come back with those images.

    The view of the lush green valley and old man of storr on a wet, overcast day
    The Old Man of Storr

    There was so much to see in a little over a week that I’d love to return at some point to explore it some more, but for now I’ve got many great memories and some photos to help remember the experience.

    Old stone bridge with a river flowing from distant mountains in Scotland
    Sligachan Old Bridge

    No trip to Scotland would be complete without visiting at least one whisky distillery, and since we were on the Isle of Skye, it was the Talisker Distillery. I managed to get a quick photo inside with my iPhone, between samples.

    A variety of Talisker single malt Scotch whisky
    The tasting bar at the Talksker Distillery

    There was much more I saw and experienced but I’ll leave you with one last image. As I noted earlier there was a lot of rain and some breaks in the weather. This brought with it more rainbows in a little over a week than I am used to seeing in a year!

    Beautiful rainbow over a woodland area on the Isle of Skye
    Could this be the Rainbow Connection?
  • Exploring Gabriola Island

    Exploring Gabriola Island

    Just a short 20 minute ferry ride from Nanaimo, is the wonderful Gabriola Island, but I’d never really explored it before. I recently spent the day exploring it with my camera and had a great time.

    Morning Light at Gabriola Island

    The rock formations there are simply amazing. The many patterns left on the rocks create such such unique foregrounds for photos that I didn’t want to put my camera down, but it’s nice just to spend some time wandering about, enjoying it all.

    Intricate patterns created by time and the elements

    In places the shoreline has been sculpted by the ocean to create what looks like a covered walkway, or a stone covered pathway along the water.

    Waves of Stone

    Thanks for stopping by to check out this post. More of my photos can be seen on Vero, where I can now be found.

    Photography on beautiful Gabriola Island, BC
  • Top Ten (favourite) Images of 2021

    Top Ten (favourite) Images of 2021

    This is now the seventh consecutive year that I am writing a post about my top images of the past year. Last year at this time, I, like many other people probably were, thought life would be back to something resembling normal by now. As we all know, life had different ideas for us. I really hopped that I would be getting out with my camera more often as well as posting more frequently, but that didn’t happen. I did get out a bit and had some photos that I am happy with, so I am sharing them here, along with my thoughts.

    Several times a year I go into the city specifically for photography, but often even when it’s not a photography specific trip, I still bring my camera with me. That is what happed with the photo below. I had taken my car to the dealership for some very minor work and had an hour or so to hang out while it was being done. Across the street is a large building that was reflecting the wispy, white clouds and blue sky and I thought the pattern was interesting, as was the contrast between the lighter (left side) and darker side. This photo actually received a live review on one of my favourite podcasts, Behind The Shot – Image Critique (on YouTube) and I did a little re-editing based upon their suggestions.

    reflections of the sky
    Shades of Blue

    One of the few times I went on a photography specific trip was when I went up to San Josef Bay in Cape Scott Provincial Park. It is a long drive, but always worth it. The rainy weather made for a less than comfortable day hike at the beach, but it certainly added an element of atmosphere to the photography that day.

    a group of rocks with trees
    San Josef Bay Sea Stacks

    This year I also found myself having a greater appreciation for abstract scenes and the beach can be a great place to find them, if you can look beyond the grand vistas. The patterns in the sand are disrupted here, by this piece of kelp that has formed a gentle loop along with evidence of foam bubbles that burst after the waters receded.

    kelp looped on the sand
    Natural Beach Art

    Looking down, I saw this beach scene, below, and though it looked almost like a pencil sketch of a distorted Jaba the Hut face. I decided to capture it and process it as a black and white image. I’ve since tried my hand at a little pencil sketching, but nothing quite like this!

    seeing faces in the sand
    Face of the Beach

    The biggest trip I took in 2021 was to the Kootenays, and I took advantage of the trip to do a lot of sightseeing along the way, as it had been many years since I had driven the southern route through the province. I definitely don’t want to wait too long before exploring the area more. I liked the way the river was flowing past these three old posts in the Slocan River. It gives me a calm, relaxed feeling.

    three decaying poles
    Last Three Standing

    Some of the areas I drove through on that trip showed signs of past fires. As unfortunate as it is for wildfires to destroy trees and anything else in their path, it is interesting how what was left behind afterwards can still catch the eye and be appreciated. While this lone tree stood on the angled ridge line, against a foreboding sky, renewed signs of life can be seen, like the small evergreen a little lower on the hill.

    a burnt tree on the hill
    Scorched but Standing

    With the morning sun low on the horizon, the hills around the Osoyoos area were accented by the shadows and the distant fog. I loved the way they seemed to go on and on and the warm feeling I get, looking back at this image.

    rolling hills and mist
    A Study in Layers

    I know earlier I talked about looking down for unique images, but it pays to look all around, including up, if you want to find something different than everyone else. I saw these cables and the way they intersected and knew they would make an interesting subject. I shifted my viewpoint around and waited until the clouds drifted to a point where they added more interest to the scene and quite like the result.

    cables under tension
    Got Your Wires Crossed?

    There are many places close to home that I like returning to over and over, and this is one of them, but the specific scene is not one I’d previously paid much attention to. It’s a little cove, just off to the side from a lighthouse that is the normal subject of my attention. This time, I decided to do some long exposure photography, and happened to notice that, from the right angle, the rock formation on the beach looked like a couple of stacked pyramids.

    rocks, ocean, waves
    Long Exposure in Front of Natural Pyramids

    My final image selected for the year captures a traffic circle in the snow, the day after Christmas (Boxing Day here in Canada, among other places). The heavier traffic on three sides of the roundabout leave a clear dark path, which kind of remind me of an ancient Egyptian eye hieroglyph. In the last couple of months I have started using my drone more often for photography and am really enjoying the perspective.

    a traffic circle in the snow
    Snow on the Eye-way

    I hope you’ve enjoyed this look back on my favourite photos from 2021 and come on back to see what 2022 will bring.

    Remember, if you enjoy my work, you can always buy me a coffee!

  • A Different Perspective

    Well it’s been far too long since I last posted and that is about to change. The past couple years, during all the Covid-19 related issues, have been disruptive on any sort of normal routine for many, including me. I am looking forward to returning to a more regular routine of getting out on photography excursions and posting my thoughts and experiences on them here. You’ll find some photography tips and educational advice added in with my posts about different locations I have visited.

    An overhead view of Ella Beach on Vancouver Island

    You will also find images I have made with my drone, such as the one of Ella Beach (above), from the day after a major storm which washed out many roads and took out power across much of southern British Columbia.

    Sooke Marine Bordwalk / Rotary Pier

    Drone photography allows access to a whole new perspective that you just can’t normally get from a land based viewpoint. The Sooke Marine Boardwalk, as seen here, with Ed Macgregor Park in the background is a good example of this. Normally, the only way to get a view from the water-side, you would be at sea level (on a boat) or across the water in East Sooke, so you wouldn’t be able to tell what lay just behind the park. The previous image of the beach was taken directly overhead and allows you to see patterns formed on a large scale that you might otherwise only see if you were looking out the window of an airplane flying way overhead.

    Don’t worry, this blog is not turning into a dedicated drone photography site. There will continue to be many more photos from a terrestrial based point of view.

    No need for a drone to get a different view point when you’re a seagull

    Thank you for continuing to follow me and I’d appreciate if you could recommend the blog to others who are interested in photography or Vancouver Island (where much of my photography is from).

    A Bird’s Eye View of Sheringham Point Lighthouse

    One last thing. I love coffee and it keeps me going, so you can now support me and my photography efforts by buying me a coffee. Just click on this link: Buy Me A Coffee

  • The Snowbirds Continue to Dazzle

    You can probably guess by the title of this post that I had a chance to photograph 431 Air Demonstration Squadron, better known as the Snowbirds. The last time I did that was on film, over 30 years ago. Back then I couldn’t get enough of air shows, and the Snowbirds were always my favourite performance at them. I went to the Abbotsford International Airshow many times when I was young, as well as several others. The amazing precision flying in the old Tutor aircraft never failed to impress me, and I have no doubt played a big part in my positive impression of the Canadian Armed Forces as a whole. I am quite certain this played a big part in my eventual enrolment and 25 year career in the CAF, where I got to see places and do things that most people only experience on TV or at the movies.

    After the tragic end to last year’s season for the Snowbirds, I was very happy to hear that they were going to be flying again this year, and would be doing some training at Canadian Forces Base / 19 Wing Comox, which is within the zone I am allowed to travel during our current Covid restrictions. I had a rare day off during the week and got up extra early to drive there. It was a beautiful day, with low lying fog near home, which on any other day, would have made me want to stay to do photography in the local woods, but not this time. I arrived in Comox early and was warming up with my camera when I got a surprise…

    CF-18 Hornet flying out of Comox

    A pair of CF-18’s took off and did a couple passes over the airfield a little while before the Snowbirds took to the air, as did a CH-149 Cormorant Search and Rescue helicopter.

    A Cormorant shortly after take-off

    While it may ‘only’ been a training day, I was primed for the main event. By the time the Snowbirds took to the air, there was a good sized, appropriately socially distanced, crowd of two dozen or so photographers in the open area where I was. As the roar of the engines grew louder with the ascent of the Tutors, the clicking of the shutters became frenzied. The mountains made for a nice backdrop, but the chainlink fence between the runway and my position made things a little more challenging than at an actual airshow.

    Part of the Snowbirds flock soars over the runway

    When they were training over the water, which was behind me (in relation to my position facing the airfield) I was able to capture some exciting maneuvers without any obstructions, but the background wasn’t as picturesque.

    Nine of a kind
    Three Across

    Watching the Snowbirds training flights over 35 years after I first saw them preform and I still felt the excitement I did way back then; perhaps even more! I’m planning on going back to the Abbotsford International Airshow (hopefully this year) to see a variety of planes and demonstration teams perform, but I have no doubt which my favourite will be again.

    I hope you enjoyed this departure from my usual landscape / nature photography.

    Dancing above the clouds
  • Woodland Photography

    Woodland Photography

    One of the many things I love about living on Vancouver Island is how I am surrounded by trees. When I hike or just wander in the woods I get a relaxing, calm feeling and other concerns seem to fade away. The Japanese have a term for it “shinrin-yoku” (forest bathing) and apparently studies have shown what many already suspected: it is relaxing and beneficial to your health.

    Ferns growing from an overhead moss covered branch

    To get to many of the places I’ve photographed and written about on my blog, I’ve had to spend time wandering through the woods before arriving at my destination. While those posts may feature a waterfall, the ocean, a lighthouse, sunset or some other spectacular sight, the wander through the forest is always an important part of it for me.

    The arbutus tree branch tree

    I always keep an eye out for a new location to photograph. Sometimes I check out areas on a map or by using various apps, but other times I see somewhere that looks interesting while driving by. The location of the images in today’s post is from an area I drive by daily and have often thought I should check out. As you can see, it is a beautiful area to explore; rich with a variety of trees.

    Standing alone, surrounded by many

    I’m glad I stopped to check this area out a couple times in the last week. I will keep going back and looking for different conditions, as a nice fog or even misty rain would really make some of these trees (like the ones just above and below) stand out from the others.

    Moss and lichen give a distinct look to this tree

    Thank you for taking the time to check out my blog post. Please comment and let me know what you thought and share it with anyone who you think may enjoy my photography.

    “Ancient trees are precious. There is little else on Earth that plays host to such a rich community of life within a single living organism.”
    — Sir David Attenborough
  • That was 2020… What Photographic Adventures will 2021 bring?

    That was 2020… What Photographic Adventures will 2021 bring?

    In the past, I’ve written a year end recap and look at things I plan or hope on accomplishing, photographically in the coming year. After a one year absence of that post, I am getting back on track. Somehow missing a post looking forward at what 2020 might hold in store for me seems fitting. Not in my wildest dreams (nightmares???) would I have guessed that almost the entire year, and beyond, would be dramatically affected by a global pandemic. I had been looking forward to a major photography trip in October, which had been planned well over a year in advance. At first I thought things might be getting back on track by then, but as the months wore on, it became apparent that it wouldn’t happen and it would be difficult to say when things might be back to a point when I could even consider an international trip would be. I had big plans, in my mind, for the year, but felt sapped of energy and let many things, like this blog, my YouTube channel, local photography outings, etc, slide. As I write this, the first people have received vaccines and while it will take many months yet, better times are in sight.

    Bull Kelp

    Despite all the cancelled trips, outings and events, there was much that happened for me, related to my photographic endeavours. I started off the year with a photo trip to Tofino, where I explored the wreckage of an old warplane and even made a short video of it. Shortly after that, things first got hectic in my non-photography work and then Covid set in. Still, I became even more involved in the local arts scene. As a Director on the Sooke Arts Council, I was involved in starting our art gallery, and subsequently became Vice President of the Council. This took up a lot more time than my earlier involvement did, however, it has been very rewarding, and working with artists of various other forms has been a positive influence on my artistic development.

    Gallery by Sooke Arts Council

    I also became more involved in various social media endeavours. While I have not grown my Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter or Flickr followings significantly (in fact, I have not kept up on them nearly was much as I wanted), I have made more connections with other photographers and artists through them, which has led to positive artistic growth. As a direct result of my involvement in some of these sites, or reaching out to those on them, I have had the opportunity to appear, or have my photography be featured, on various mediums. Images of mine have been reviewed on episodes of Behind The Shot. I have been a returning guest on Latitude Photography Podcast, and represented the Sooke Arts Council on the All Sooke Days Podcast. I even had my picture in the local paper, hanging the sign for our new Gallery… and there’s still time for a little more exposure before the end of the year!

    BC Legislature & Victoria’s Inner Harbour

    I did manage a couple quick trips on Vancouver Island, where I scouted areas I hadn’t previously been to. Strathcona Park and the surrounding area have much to offer, and I know I will be doing a lot more exploring there in the future. My short trip to Campbell River included a whale watching trip with Aboriginal Journeys Wildlife & Adventure Tours, and had a fantastic day viewing Humpback whales, seals, sea lions, various birds and other sea life. This is another area that I want to spend much more time in with my camera!

    Humpback Whale “waving goodbye”

    This all brings me to the point where I look forward to 2021. A lot of things are still uncertain and trying to make any definitive plans will be difficult, but I have some general goals in mind. One of those is quite simple. Get out with my camera more often than in 2020. Along with that, I want to be more regular and consistent with my blog posts and YouTube videos. Hopefully, I will be able to grow followers on both, as well as other social media platforms. In addition, I want to continue to increase my exposure on through appearing on podcasts, blogs, local media and anywhere else I can arrange. With any luck, travel will be back in the cards in the not too distant future. I’ll definitely be exploring more areas on Vancouver Island and if all goes well I’ll be checking out more of British Columbia this year, as well as at least one more distant locale. I’m looking forward to a great year and hope you follow along on my adventures, here and on my other sites.

  • Shipwrecks!

    Shipwrecks!

    Royston Shipwreck with Comox, BC in the background

    Pages: 1 2