Wild Drake Photography

Tag: Vancouver Island

  • 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!

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  • 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!

  • Seaside Photography

    I’ve tried to get out with my camera a number of times recently, but everywhere I’ve gone there have been large crowds so I changed my plans. I decided to get up early… really early, and head down to the Sooke boardwalk before anyone else.

    Sooke Harbour

    By really early, I mean I was down at the waterfront by 4 AM to do some night photography. While there was nobody at the boardwalk, off to the east there was a crew on the fishing boat and it was lighting up everything around as it pulled away and slowly glided past. Once it faded off in the distance in the Salish Sea I was able to turn my camera to the south-east and focus on the Milky Way.

    The glow from Port Angeles below the Milky Way

    Next I took a little time to have breakfast and wait for the light. As the dawn approached, a heavy fog blanketed the harbour to the east and slowly began to spread along the southern side of the harbour past the boardwalk. I had been hoping to get a good photo as the sun lit up the Olympic mountains to the south-west, but with the rapidly approaching fog that didn’t happen.

    Blue Hour over the Olympic Mountain Range

    The fog that blew past completely obscured East Sooke.

    A Lone Buoy in the Fog

    While it wasn’t quite what I was expecting for a sunrise, it was still a beautiful morning and any day I can get out with my camera is a good day!

    Foggy Sooke Harbour Sunrise
  • 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

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  • No Time For Photography

    No Time For Photography

    Okay, maybe I have had some time for photography, but far less than normal, and certainly less than I expected. Since Covid-19 related restrictions started, months ago, I, like pretty much everyone else, have had to make changes and adjustments to many things. While we were lucky enough in my corner of the world to be able to get out locally without too many issues, there were still a lot of disruptions. I had to cancel a couple planned photo trips off Vancouver Island, but managed to fit in a quick visit to Strathcona Provincial Park.

    Lower Myra Falls

    It’s an area I’ve been wanting to visit for quite some time, and now that I’ve had a chance for a little exploration, I’m eager to get back and see more of the area; however, that will have to wait for some time. Since getting back, I’ve been involved in a new project that has been taking up the majority of my spare time.

    A little background first. For the past several years, I’ve been involved in the Sooke Arts Council; a group that promotes local / regional artists and participation in various art forms. As a Director on the SAC board, I assist with planning, organizing and running various initiatives. In late May/early June, an opportunity came up for the SAC to potentially start our own gallery! This could be a physical space to display & sell our art, hold our meetings, have art classes and let other community groups have a space for meetings. We started preparing the gallery space in late June and had hoped to have it up and running quickly, although we knew it would take a lot of effort to get everything in place.

    The Future Home of Gallery by Sooke Arts Council
    Rough Beginnings

    As you can see, the gallery space would take a lot of work to get ready to show anything. All through July and the first part of August, we worked at transforming the space into something resembling an art gallery. This meant untold hours of planning, cleaning, building, moving, etc. On top of all that, we had to get the proper permits and inspections done and make sure we were compliant with all the Covid-19 precautions.

    Work in Progress

    Once some things were patched, the floors, walls and ceilings were painted, and lightbulbs replaced, we could start to see more of the potential in the space. Another thing we needed was a sign. After a little debating, we settled on a straight forward sign that would go above the main door. At 4’x8′ it almost acted like a sail and practically pulled us into traffic as we temporarily moved it into the gallery on the breezy day we picked it up. A photo of me putting up the sign even made the local paper.

    A Fresh Look to the Exterior of our new Gallery

    Show Ready

    One of the biggest supporters of SAC and the arts in Sooke had been the late Sooke councillor, Brenda Parkinson. Brenda had started painting in her last few years, and her husband, Stewart Parkinson, was kind enough to let us exhibit (and sell) a selection of her works. We also featured some paintings by late SAC member Lili Wilde in the first show.

    The (Covid-19 compliant) Grand Opening was this past Saturday, 15 August, 2020, and was a great success. I’ll be volunteering at the Gallery one day most weeks and look forward to meeting everyone coming through the Gallery. Up to this point, I’ve had very little time for photography, but with the gallery up and running now, that should start to change and hopefully I’ll have some interesting photo adventures to share with you soon.

  • Keeping Busy During the Pandemic

    Keeping Busy During the Pandemic

    As I write this, at the beginning of April, 2020, the Corona virus / Cover-19 pandemic is having a significant impact on people around the world.  It is hitting some areas far harder than others and there are varying levels of restrictions being put in place depending on one’s location.  Here, in British Columbia, Canada, (without going into  too many specifics, as things tend to change) we are still able to do essential things, like grocery shopping, working (in some sectors), etc., and exercise outdoors is permissible, as long as an appropriate distance between others is maintained and there are not large crowds. Many businesses are closed, as are some parks, with restrictions in many of the ones that remain open.  This has meant that I have not been getting out with my camera much, lately.  I did manage to make a few photos of flowers, though.

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  • A Beautiful Day… Trashed

    A Beautiful Day… Trashed

    Okay, I may have overstated things slightly in the title of this blog post, but it is really annoying when some people have to be so inconsiderate, especially when they are out in nature. This isn’t something that is specific to this day trip I took, unfortunately it is something that is far too common. Today started out great. It was a clear, albeit frosty, morning, which was a relief from all the rain we have had to start the year. I had decided to go explore an area hadn’t been to before, as well as some of the surrounding area that I was more familiar with.

    A Frosty Start to the Day

    The half-hour drive to the turnoff went smoothly, but I was certainly glad to be driving a 4×4 vehicle once I was on the, at times, very uneven, rough, gravel road. The great thing about the rough road and the fact that it is a little more remote and rustic area, is that there are less people and vehicles around, so it is easier to make photos in nature than some other areas. As I drove along the road towards my destination, I came across several little waterfalls that I had no idea were there. While there was a lot of branches obscuring them from a clear view, I was able to get a couple images of them and now know they are there so that I can return in the future.

    One of the Unnamed Falls Along the Way
    Scenes Like This Seemed to be Around Every Corner

    I pulled up to my destination, by the Diversion Dam, which was by no means the end of the road, but it was as far as I had planned to explore on this day. A quick look around and the area was beautiful… but it didn’t take long before I saw signs of the kind of people who have to trash a place and so often result in areas being closed to the public or otherwise restricted.

    Warning (Sign) Shot

    One of the first things I noticed was a yellow warning sign, which had a bullseye target taped to it, and had been shot to hell. Although hard to tell without looking closely, the sign warns that when the siren sounds the water may rise fast, due to operation of the diversion dam. Nearby, there was a large circle of rocks that someone had made for a fire pit, and close to that were several deteriorating boxes of used shotgun shells and other debris. Sadly, this wasn’t the only area along my drive on the backroads that I saw this type of junk, along with other trash.

    An Old Campfire Rock Ring and Pile of Shot Shells
    The Outdoors is Not a Dumping Ground 😦

    As it was still frosty out and the way down to the water and river below the dam was slippery and steep, I decided not to go down there on this occasion, but instead went up to the top for a better view.

    The Diversion Dam
    A Thin Layer of Ice Still Partly Covers the Surface Beyond the Dam

    Having scouted out the area, I started my return journey and stopped for a coffee at the wonderful Cold Shoulder Cafe, in Jordan River.

    Jordan River’s Best (and Only) Coffee Shop

    Despite the 6°C (43°F) temperature, there were quite a few people in wetsuits on stand-up-paddleboards, surfing & kayaking. The local campground had quite a few people in it as well. While most of those would have been day campers, I had noticed several cars in the area with heavy frost on their windows at a campsite I had passed earlier in the day, so apparently some people are cold weather campers.

    Is That How They Surf Down Under???

    Thanks for taking the time to check out this post. Please make sure not to be one of “those people” who leaves a mess… better yet, try and take back a little of the litter that others have left there, to leave things a little better than you found them. It’s the least we can do.

    Paddling Off Into the Sunset