
Wildlife and Landscape Photography
Wildlife and landscape photography from British Columbia, Alberta, the Yukon and the Northwest Territories.
Wildlife and landscape photography from British Columbia, Alberta, the Yukon and the Northwest Territories.
“Here you go”. With these words my instructor handed me a well-used Zeiss Praktica camera equipped with a 50mm lens. Of course it was manual focus back then. And the camera controls were manual too. There were no auto settings or programs to help with the taking of photos. “I want you to shoot some street scenes and anything else you find interesting” he continued and also handed me five rolls of black and white film, 36 exposures each. I was all of 19 years old but that day in 1971 started a passion that continues to this day. Between trying to remember how to get the most out of this manual camera with all the different settings and trying to find interesting things to shoot the time passed quickly and the five rolls of film were used up in a relatively short period of time. Developing the film and making contact copies was next. Much to my surprise I had some really good shots. Next I had the chance to experiment with some high-end studio equipment. Another instructor showed me how to extract colours from colour negatives and how to manipulate these colours for printing. Suffice to say that I was hooked. The shutterbug had bitten and found in myself a willing victim. Over the years I have owned several still cameras, all film. Some with manual film advance, some with motor drives, some with interchangeable lenses, which I used to shoot lots of pictures. When the film was full I took them to my favorite photo lab and waited with great anticipation for the results, sometimes great and sometimes not so much. I have boxes of them. Without a proper darkroom there was little choice on what a photo could be.
Then, in the late 1990s, digital photography was the new thing and film was slowly dying. A good quality digital camera was very expensive. So I went on a self-imposed hiatus from photography for almost a decade and a half.
Then the old passion came back with a vengeance. After experimenting with different formats and cameras I finally figured out what was needed to take great photos with the new digital equipment and I also had to decide on how I would like to present myself as photographer. I like to think of myself as a storyteller. Sometimes the story unfolds in a series of photos of an event like a Hooded Merganser devouring a white fish or two Blue Herons fighting over fishing-rights. Other times it is the power of just one photo, which leaves the viewer wondering what exactly happened. One good example is a wolf I photographed a while back. I had been very exited initially when I took the photo but, when I looked at the picture on my computer screen, I discovered that he was blind in one eye. Being no longer part of the pack he was out on his own fending for himself. How did he receive the eye injury? Or it is the story of a trip I took and what I saw through the camera’s viewfinder. Another time two photos taken in two different locations at different times with similar textures can tell a story. The possibilities are endless.
I sincerely hope that you enjoy this website and take part in my adventures of discovery.
Arnim Preuss
On my way to another photographic adventure
.......and action
Thank you very much for visiting this site and taking part in my adventures. In order to facilitate faster loading times the photos on this website are low quality jpgs. High quality versions of some of the best photographs you see here are available at my online store for either download and print yourself or have them printed and framed by the nice people at Picfair. Can't find what you are looking for? Just drop me a line on the Contact Us page and I will make the photo available to you in the store.
A random selection of my favourite photos and the stories behind them. These photos are also available for purchase in my online store at Picfair.
Street photography of some of my favourite places
West coast herring roe fisheries and their impact on the environment
A heartfelt welcome to these eternal migrants
A collection of funny advertisements for this site
Come back soon for this page. It is currently under construction
Keeping the 1860's alive and well in the Cariboo region of British Columbia
A not so random collection of photos converted to black and white
A late season journey to the Orford River in Bute Inlet
Another grizzly tour, another grizzly story
A journey through Cottonwood Park throughout all seasons
A random collection of landscapes when traveling
A Morning Walk In The Park
Early October Grizzlies
July Outing To Watch Grizzlies
They are everywhere.......
It's dangerous out there.......
It's a smorgasbord out there.......
New content added
Soaring high or catching fish eagles are a delight to watch
I completed it twice.....
A discarded fish head attracts the attention of several different parties.....
A truly graceful bird which is always ready scrap.....
Trumpeter Swan and American Coot getting a running start.....
The second largest land mammal in its surroundings
Majestic rams at their finest
The majestic beast at its finest
It took a while but eventually success was mine
Cute and agile
Mother Nature's clean-up crew
A Hooded Merganser and its prey in 50 frames
Cute or a nuisance?
When all else fails I shoot birds
A Lesson in how to learn from one's mistakes
Cuteness with a tail
Sharp talons and a deadly beak made short work of the unfortunate snowshoe hare.
Everybody likes airshows
it's all about food.....
Surfing, Kite Surfing and Wind Surfing at its finest.....
Thank you very much for visiting this site and taking part in my adventures. In order to facilitate faster loading times the photos on this website are low quality jpgs. High quality versions of some of the best photographs you see here are available at my online store for either download and print yourself or have them printed and framed by the nice people at Picfair. Can't find what you are looking for? Just drop me a line on the Contact Us page and I will make the photo available to you in the store.
I hope that you have enjoyed your visit to this site so far. Please come back soon and check out the additional content. Thanks for visiting.