My Favourite Photos, And Why I Like Them

I like dragonflies a lot. These elegant creatures, which hover in one spot just to take off in what can only be described as aerobatic. I had always wanted to photograph them in flight, but I never had the patience to do it. Until the day I made it my priority. I stumbled on a secluded lake with a very target rich environment. It was a hot summer’s day in early August and besides the dragonflies a great number of mosquitoes were present, thirsting for my blood. I just hunkered down and tried different things, but it was all for not and all the shots came out blurry. Then, in a last-ditch effort of desperation, I switched the camera to manual focus. A little tweaking and a little more practice and I had I had found the perfect formula. I was now shooting them at will. The best one even won me the first prize, $1,000 worth of photographic equipment in a competition.

Fast forward a couple of years. I found myself again in a target rich environment. I noticed that the dragonflies liked to hover in one area in particular. So, in order to shoot them from the side, I sat down in the gravel of the creek bed, adjusted my monopod and started shooting. To me this photo is the best of the series. The dragonfly is contrasted by the dark, blurry background, showing off its bright colours. The slight blur of the wings suggests movement.

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I like to photograph Orcas, these black and white giants of the sea. Playful and deadly, they are on top of their food chain. Here is the story of this particular photo. 

I had invited my cousin, who was visiting from Toronto to accompany me on a wildlife tour I had booked out of Campbell River. We were cruising through the many channels in search of the elusive orcas. We had seen plenty of Stellar sea lions and Pacific white sided dolphins and I had given up all hope to see orcas at all, when our guide pointed toward the shore very far ahead. He had seen a spout and gunned the powerful outboard motors toward that direction. It seemed like an eternity until we spotted another spout not too far in the distance. I reacted automatically, bringing the view finder up to my eyes while checking simultaneously that the camera was switched on, composed the shot with the appropriate zoom setting, waited for the autofocus to be locked and started shooting. I got five frames in at 7fps, then it was over. We spotted the orcas a short while later and then they were gone. I wondered how the photos would turn out. They were shot into the sun but the end result speaks for itself.

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Who doesn’t love dolphins, these agile creatures roaming the seven seas. Our group was on our way back to Campbell River after a very successful outing watching grizzlies on the Orford River. It was early October, and our group was travelling in an open Zodiac boat across the smooth waters of one of the many channels which surround the islands between the mainland and Vancouver Island when we spotted a rather large group of Pacific white sided dolphins. It was a very target rich environment, and it was almost overwhelming. Luck was also needed for this particular situation. The resulting photo has, like most of my photos been cropped from the original to show off the photo at its best.

Why do I like this photo? The dolphin appears frozen in mid-air, its powerful tail throwing the very detailed water droplets about and a line suggesting that the water is beading off its sleek body, while the setting sun highlights its blowhole and forehead. The eyes are pointed downward and focussed on where the mammal will enter the water again.  

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I love to take photos of Great Blue Herons. These great birds line the shores of British Columbia in search of their food. Anything is game, from small fishes to snakes or frogs, sometimes even small mammals will be swallowed by these creatures. They build their much too small nests high up in trees where they raise their young. 

This particular photo made my favourite list because it shows the heron in very great detail, its plumage and also that of the grasses. It was a cool December morning when this photo was taken.

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Loons have no problem getting on my favourite list. The haunting call of these elusive, shy birds can be heard along the shores of many lakes throughout Canada. They usually try to keep their distance from humans and because of that are not very easily photographed. 

I like this particular image very much. It was taken on a somewhat grey morning in June. This loon was busy trying to scare off one of its competitors and therefore did not pay any attention to me. I like especially the way the bird’s reflections on the water’s surface are dithered by and therefore are accentuating the shallow waves.

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Some people love them, others hate them. Yes, their crowing can get a tad annoying, especially in the early morning hours when everybody is trying to sleep. Other than that, they are quite intelligent. This particular specimen entertained me for quite some time until it flew off.

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Great Grey Owls are elusive creatures. And then, all of a sudden, they are not. I was on my way to somewhere else, when I spotted this owl sitting by the side of the road in a meadow and hunting for rodents. Even though I kept my distance, the owl did not approve of my presence and gave me a dirty look. This is it.

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This photo in an example of perfect timing. When I pulled up into the parking lot at Cottonwood Park early in the morning, I had already spotted the coyote. The outside temperature was a cool -23°C as I got out of my car. The coyote disappeared into some brush, and then I spotted the fox. It was working its way along some brush along the bank of one of the islands on the Nechako river. Then suddenly the fox stopped. I raised my camera again to take the shot and much to my surprise saw the coyote through the viewfinder. This photo depicts the moment when the fox noticed that there was something terribly wrong. A wild chase ensued, and the fox eventually escaped. After only fifteen minutes I climbed back into my car and drove home with a big smile on my face.

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I love bighorn sheep, and rams in particular. It is fun to watch them navigate the steep slopes in the terrain in which they live. This particular photo was a chance meeting on one of my outings and it shows off the ram to its full advantage.

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This particular shot is the only one worthy of mentioning of one of the worst tours I have ever been on. 

This photo was taken from the dock prior to our departure. Like usual the loon kept its distance, but I caught it anyway.

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Grizzlies are awe inspiring creatures. On top of the food chain, they rule the forests, rivers and hillsides in their respectable ranges. The only danger other than mankind is another, larger grizzly. This particular one tried to cross the river but decided to turn back midstream.

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I had gone out on another wildlife tour in early spring. The light was atrocious when we spotted this individual along the shoreline. He was minding his own business when we showed up. He checked us out, found that we were no threat and went on about his business.

I like this photo for its colours. I also like the fact that even though the exposure was only 1/40 sec and it was shot handheld from a rocking boat, it turned out pretty nice.

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Grizzlies are fun to watch. They do have their own individual personalities and this particular individual seemed to be the content just floating around in the water and having a bath. 

Besides the coastal colour pallet this particular photo shows also the grizzly at its best, don’t worry, be happy.

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This is the same individual as in the previous photo. Deep in thought the only thing missing are some candles and a glass of wine.

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Who doesn’t love otters, these agile and playful fish catchers? Once up in a while they can be seen on land like this individual. This photo was taken early in the morning.

I love the way the otter reflects in the calm waters of the river. Golden hour was just that, golden.

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These three individuals were all part of one family unit of five, which I had been photographing for several days. These three decided to pose for me. Aren’t they adorable?

I like the way they are posing for me. I assume that the one on top was the mother and the other two are pups. I don’t know where the other two were, but I spotted them a couple of days later. 

This photo was taken an hour or so before sunset.

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I spotted these three feral cats in a parking lot in Campbell River close to the harbour. I had just time to squeeze off three frames before they dashed off in different directions. They were part of a larger feral cat population, which called the harbour home. When I returned one year later all the cats were gone.

I like the way they are posing for me, and I mean posing in the loosest sense of the word. Their intense stare makes this one of my favourites.

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