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.

Happy New Year!

2012 was quite a year for us. I don’t think I have had a better year for photography. After weeks of editing and processing, I’ve finally made my way through the summer shoot. 60,000 images boiled down to 2100 worked images. This process is usually demoralizing and sometimes downright depressing but this year seemed different. I really enjoyed the marathon session of editing. Reliving this trip was wonderful. I was surprised with the number of panoramic images I did. If you would like to see more of the most recent images, check out our latest page (click).

Here are some my favourite images of the year:

Blue Jay - Click for larger

Female Black Bear - Click for larger

Common Loon - Click for larger

White-tailed Deer Leaping - Click for larger

Stormy Saskatchewan Dawn - Click for larger

Great Horned Owl - Click for larger

Pika - Click for larger

Upper Kananaskis Lake - Click for larger

Porcupine Caribou - Click for larger

Native Hunter - Click for larger

Tombstone Territorial Park, YT - Click for larger

Kluane Range, Yukon - Click for larger

Salmon Glacier, British Columbia - Click for larger

Maligne Lake Boathouse - Click for larger

Elk Island National Park, AB - Click for larger

The memory cards are cleared. The batteries are charged.

Next!

Our Own Bed

We are finally home. This has been one of the best summer trips we have ever had. However, it feels great to be home after travelling almost 27,000 km. I get to a point where I’m creatively spent and no longer productive. I wish I could just stop and rest along the way but it is so hard to not shoot when you are travelling in Canada.

Tombstone Territorial Park, YT - Click for larger

I thought it would be interesting to share my 5 favorite and least favorite moments of the trip. Let’s start with the negative so we can end this on an up note.

5 Least favorite things about our trip:

• Missing my mom’s surprise 85th birthday party. Sorry mom!
• Lori and I getting sick on the road. It’s never fun to be sick but when travelling it is especially hard.
• Problems and worries about the van. I worried everyday something would give out. It finally did resulting in a $700 repair bill and 2 nights in a motel.
• No decent photos of Grizzlies or northern lights.
• The incredibly long days of driving. Mind numbing really.

5 Favorite moments:

• The moment I photographed the barren land caribou north of the Arctic Circle. A dream come true.

Porcupine Caribou - Click for larger

• Celebrating our 30th anniversary in Jasper with friends.

American Pika - Click for larger

• Camping in Grasslands National Park during a thunderstorm. The light was fantastic and I howled and the coyotes answered!

Grasslands National Park - Click for larger

• Standing above the Salmon Glacier in BC.

Viewing the Salmon Glacier, BC - Click for larger

• Witnessing Bull Elk in rut in Jasper.

Bull Elk Bugling - Click for larger

As we rest up for our next adventure, we will work our way through the many thousands of new images. I will continue to share as we go.

Fun in the Rockies!

We left the prairies behind and headed for the hills. Lori and I have had good luck with weather and have had some great light for photography.

Mount Chephren and Waterfowl Lake - Click for larger

We started in Waterton National Park and then made our way north to Banff and then on to Jasper where we met up with our friends from Ontario - Robert and Olga McCaw and Scott Fairbairn. It was fun to do a bit of visiting and photography together.

Mount Edith Cavell - Click for larger

We have hiked a few trails and had lots to see and photograph. I prefer Jasper to all of the other Rocky Mountain National Parks.

Mount Edith Cavell - Click for larger

Hiking the Cavell Meadows trail on Mount Edith Cavell we found many Hoary Marmots and Pikas willing to pose.

Hoary Marmot - Click for larger

Hoary Marmot - Click for larger

American Pika - Click for larger

American Pika - Click for larger

Lori heard a noise outside one evening and went to investigate. It was a Great Horned Owl right beside our cabin! I grabbed a camera and it stayed long enough for me to get this shot.

Great Horned Owl - Click for larger

We will head north from here to the Yukon and Alaska.