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"You and I have memories
Longer than the road that stretches out ahead
…
On our way back home
We're on our way home
We're on our way home
We're going home",

"Two of Us", Lennon–McCartney, 1969

Ron's Shadow on the Dempster Highway, NWT

There is nothing like getting home after a few months away. I sleep so deeply, so contently. I’m slowly going through the images. It will take a while. It never seems like I’m getting anything worthwhile during the trip. I’m always driven to find that illusive image, that trip defining moment that is a touchstone. As I pick the best images, my “keepers”, I’m finding a few surprises, images I didn’t think much of at the time. There will be a few photos that emerge as trip defining. I don’t think many will be more rewarding than the Aurora Borealis images from the Yukon

Northern Lights, Yukon

As hard as these trips are, traveling this way has been very productive. We keep trying to come up with a new way to do this. So far this is the best way for us. I’m not sure where our next trip will be. But I’m not in a hurry to be on a 3-month road trip again.

Old Church Saskatchewan

Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, AB

Rainbow in Yukon

Train Tracks, Saskatchewan

Tangle Creek, Jasper, AB

Larson Homestead, Grasslands, SK

No Expectations

Once we turn the van around and start heading for home, my shooting habits change a little bit. After shooting everyday for 10 weeks, you see things differently. I can afford to be picky about what I shoot. I can also just relax a bit and have some fun. I don’t have any expectations. I just shoot when I want and what I want.

Ron & the Milky Way

Shooting without purpose is fun. I just let my eyes make all the decisions.

Hodgeville, Saskatchewan

Mule Deer

Burrowing Owl

Cadillac Grain Elevator, SK

Quetico Provincial Park, ON

It’s been a great trip this year. We had many exciting moments. Sure, the driving and living out of a van can be tiresome but all that gets filtered out after a while. After 25,000 KM and shooting 32,000 images, it will be great to get home.

The Farm

Alberta

Think I'll go out to Alberta, weather's good there in the fall
I got some friends that I could go to working for…

Ian Tyson "Four Strong Winds", 1962

Mount Edith Cavell, Jasper National Park, Alberta

After driving right through without shooting in August, it was fun to spend some time in Jasper and Banff after the crowds had thinned a bit. It was still very busy but we didn’t have any trouble getting a campsite.

Bull Elk

Hoary Marmots

We met up with Adrien Veczan and Julia Wong for hiking and photography. We really enjoyed our time with them in Jasper.

We also met up with Aidan Ramos in Banff where he is working for the summer. Aidan shared some of his photography from his time in Banff. It was great to visit with him as well.

Moraine Lake, Banff National Park, AB

We ended our time in Alberta at our friend Bruce Whaley’s place. Bruce displayed his paintings at the Strathearn Art Walk. We helped him set up and spent the day in Edmonton. It gave us a different perspective of the city. We enjoyed our time with Bruce and his family.

Edmonton, Alberta

You Make Your Luck

Black Bear

That’s what my dad used to say to me. In other words, work hard and be prepared. Working with animals can be very unpredictable. There are things I do to better my chances of getting a shot. I preset the cameras, clear the cards everyday, charge the batteries and have the cameras out ready to grab in the van.

Stone Sheep Ram

There are other things I do. Anticipating and understanding animal behaviour are very important. If a bear is walking through the woods, chances are it will continue in the same direction. Move to a clearing and wait. Did I mention patience is important too?

Grizzly Bear

Pika

Woodland Caribou

Sometimes though, no matter how well prepared I am, I miss the shot. I saw this wolf at the side of the road. As I was positioning the van, it stopped and looked at me. It would have been a perfect shot. I missed it. This is the best I could do.

Gray Wolf

I guess that’s what keeps me going out here. I can always do better and learn more.