Salmon run on Vancouver Island - How to get Good shots while Watching Black Bears get Fat

I've recently been able to show a few fellow photographers around our new home and in particular they came during the Salmon spawning season on the local rivers. I had been working on an article about what to shoot and how in these conditions and have finally been able to finish my thoughts after talking about the bears and where and how to get the shots with those friends.

Sigma, Please bring it back

There is one piece of camera gear that I sold that I truly want a new version. The Sigma 120-300 was one of my most used lenses for low light nature photography and I would love for Sigma to come out with a new version updated for todays Sony cameras. See my latest blog posting for my particular reason for wanting a reasonably priced large aperture telephoto zoom.

Black Bears on Vancouver Island - first video of the Salmon season

As we approach Labour Day on Vancouver Island the Salmon have already started making their way up some of the rivers, and when they do the black bears forego the blackberries and head up river. Salwa and I have been out each evening walking along the river for the last week or so and she put together this video from one of the walks.

My Love/Hate relationship with Canon R5 -how that relates to the release of the R5 mark II

With the latest releases from Canon and after selling my R5 a few months ago I really have to think about whether or not I will buy this camera or start to divest in my Canon gear. Latest blog post goes through my thoughts on this camera and what I’m thinking now.

Campbell River Eagles

Campbell River on the east coast of Vancouver Island is a town with many highlights from a photography point of view. Bears and salmon in the fall, Whale sightings daily, and eagles….so many eagles. Below is a gallery of some of the most interesting bald eagle shots I have captured this year. Most of these shots have been taken within 10 km of home. This is one of the things I look forward to after work daily going for a walk along the coast with the camera with a chance to capture some interesting action and some beautiful birds of prey.

Northern Lights from Campbell River

The skies lit up with pastel colours as the Northern Lights were visible across much of North America due to a parade of coronal mass ejections that interacted with the earth’s magnetic field. If you could get away from city lights the Aurora was visible to the naked eye but with a camera we can capture a bit more light and get some amazing shots.

No Fixed Plans - Episode 10 - Don’t Settle

The final episode of our 5 months on the road with our camper trailer and cameras. We chased the sun, but the rain and cold were always just nipping at our heels. It may not have been the trip we expected but it was certainly a trip to remember.

Winter Photo Trip - Final Stage - the long road home

After getting our trailer fixed in east Texas, we took a long detour all the way to Miami for a boat show. The weird weather followed us pretty much to the Florida border and then we finally got some sun. The way back allowed us to visit old friends in South Carolina before that long trip across the country and then back north. We did manage to find plenty of interesting places to stay and some great photo locations. We also finally got to really do some back country camping on BLM land instead of mostly being in State or National parks. This was a nice change of pace camping out there mostly alone. Take a look at the final days of our trip, both the nature and landscape was amazing. In the end this was what I would consider a sampler trip, not too much time any one place but we now know a great many places we want to go back to. Hopefully some places where at the right time of year we can get those portfolio shots.

NO FIXED PLANS - STAGE 9 - Westward bound again

After our detour to Florida for a boat show we started back towards the west coast. The road seemed clear a head of us but storms were right behind us all the way. We did start to find some of the best campsites of our trip and some fantastic photo locations along the way. Welcome back to our photo road trip as we visit a beach tree grave yard in South Carolina, go through sand storms in Texas, sleep with the cows in Arizona, and find some burrowing owls in the California desert.

Burrowing owls on the side of the road in California.

Bears Galore

Salmon spawning in the rivers on Vancouver Island means food for bears, and that means a lot of bears wandering up and down the rivers near home. Black bears are currently after the pink salmon as they come up river and that gives me a great chance to capture them doing lots of interesting things. Take a look in the Bears gallery to see some of the latest shots.

Tech Blog - The Fuji GFX100 II.

Another temptation but is it a camera that a nature and landscape photographer should buy?

NO FIXED PLANS - STAGE 8 - MORE TEXAS

Texas was so big that we couldn’t fit everything into one video. This episode takes us along the southern border through Big Bend State park and up to Marfa a tiny artist town in the middle of nowhere.

No Fixed Plans - Stage 7 - Texas

This episode of Chasing the Sun takes us into Texas and down to Big Bend National Park. Head on over to No.Fixed.Plans on YouTube to check out more.

Tech Blog - Nikon, You are definitely tempting me.

Winter Photo trip - Stage 3 - The Desert States

Once we moved in land from the California coast into the desert climates the weather was supposed to get much warmer. We it did show some sunlight but as usual we were met with unusual weather but that often made for more interesting pictures. This blog takes us through California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas with stops in many of the national and state parks. This is a bit of a long blog post but there was so much to see I think it is worth the read.

Hoodoos on the road up to Mt. Lemmon near Tucson, Arizona.

Show Case: Winter Photo Trip

We packed our camper and moved on from the Okanagan Valley to spend winter along the west coast of the US and Canada. First leg of that journey is on Vancouver Island where we have encountered much of what makes this area a rainforest. Cold wet weather but amazing pockets of beauty. We have traveled through Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and then moved back towards the coast and back up to our final destination in the Kootenays of British Columbia. The trip is now over but I’m still processing shots as I go back through them. Below is a collection of what I think are my favourite images from the trip.

Dark and misty

Shoreline near Cape Lookout in Oregon

Sleepy time

Sea Otter at rest in Morro Bay

Devil's Punch Bowl

More rock features along the Oregon coast on another rough windy day.

What is left

After the wind and waves have removed much of the rock there are often interesting features left that are harder to erode.

Locking horns...I mean antlers

Spring is almost here but there is always time to practice a bit of fighting for these bull elk.

Colourful lichen

Some interesting colour in the foreground and that lone rock between the grey sky and the waves. Seemed like an interesting composition.

Oregon rocky beachscape pano

Some similar rocky features on shore to match the rocks and sea stacks out in the bay

Rocky shoreline

Beautifully textured rocks shaped by the wind and the waves near Coos Bay, OR.

Baby on board

Sea Otter with a sleepy little one resting on her chest.

Splash

Some pretty good sized waves hitting the rocks near Coos Bay, Oregon. We will definitely come back for some storm surges.

Burrowing Owl in flight

I have been wanting to see burrowing owls in the wild for years, turns out I just need to drive by them on a road near a farm.

Places to go, people to see

Burrowing owl heading back to that burrow

Texture sans colour

Monahan Sandhills after the worst of the winds.

Iconic South Carolina

Almost iconic sunrise on a South Carolina beach. Just need a crescent moon to top it off.

Boneyard sunset

Sunset over the beach boneyard at Hunting Island, SC.

Live oak pano

Live oak canopy, nice spot to camp for a few nights. Moss park near Orlando, Florida.

creepy, swampy

Cypress swamp in eastern Texas.

So much wind

We drove through some nasty weather to get to Monahan Sandhills in Texas.

Spanish moss...oh and a Great horned owl

Backlit Great horned owl watching over its young in a nearby tree.

Hop

Spotted sandpiper hopping across the rocks

A really big bird

Sandhill crane in flight

Talquin

Sunset on lake talquin, Florida.

Portal

Like stepping through a portal into a new land, or just the mouth of a cave.

Balanced or wedged

This is called Balanced Rock at the end of a really nice hike in Big Bend national park.

Santa Elena

This was actually the first time we saw water in the Rio Grande, every other time we had crossed it we just saw sand. This is quite an improvement :)

Survival

What I think is a Big Bend Bluebonnet flowering alone at the edge of another slot canyon (Tuff Canyon).

Window to the world

That is how this was described to us, and it was appropriate. Another place you don’t want to be when things are a bit wet and slippery.

Sun on the grass

From a fantastic viewpoint on Davis Mountain, the sunset painted the sky and lit up the grass.

Long light

There was just a strip between the clouds and the mountains but when the sun went between them it was magical.

Painted ceiling

A cave in Hueco tanks that contains some of the most beautiful petroglyphs.

Hueco

Hueco tanks, Texas. Boulders everywhere but the name is due to these parts of the rocks where water collects in this desert climate.

Sand and Shadow

As the sun starts to head towards the horizon the shadows in White Sands get longer and deeper.

Dunes

Perspective and distance are difficult to define in White Sands but the mountains in the background give you some idea how big these dunes are.

The trees are white....

and the rocks are red. Hiking through Cave creek canyon.

Painted

Pretty little painted redstart seen at a ranch near Portal, Arizona.

Moon over Cave creek

Taken from our campsite (sunny flats). A beautiful place to stay, hike and take pictures.

Tiny Stretch

Anna’s Hummingbird stretching in the morning light.

Gila portrait

Gila Woodpecker posing, I’m assuming this was it’s good side :)

Balanced Rock Pano

multi-shot panorama taken near Mount Lemmon, Arizona

Hoodoos galore

On the road to Mount Lemmon we passed a large section of hoodoos.

Good morning thrasher

Curve-billed thrasher on a Cholla just outside the window of our trailer in Tucson Mountain State Park.

Wiley is behind one of those

Looking down on Saguaro Cacti and towards Tucson, Arizona.

Off we go

Red-tailed hawk taking off from a dead Saguaro Cactus

Three Blue

Three western Bluebirds hanging out on an ocotillo in Tucson Mountain State Park.

Spread perch

Cactus Wren on an Ocotillo

Face in the rock

You can alway find something in the rocks, much like staring at the clouds.

Rocks and Branches

Not a Joshua tree, but in Joshua Tree National Park.

Lotsa boulders

So many boulders to climb in Joshua Tree.

The Struggle

It feels like everything is struggling to survive but everywhere you go life pops up around the rocks and sand.

Mostly wavy red

Another shot from the Valley of Fire, mid morning light on the Fire Wave trail.

Textures Galore

The wind has certainly made some interesting shapes and textures on this rock.

Curvy Lines

So many colours, curves and textures. Fire Wave trail in Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada.

Desert Bighorn

In the rocks around our campsite in Valley of Fire State park we found a few groups of Desert Bighorn Sheep grazing on what little there is to offer.

In the Valley of Fire

There lives a Desert Bighorn Sheep…that can be hard to find sometimes.

Dunes just after the rain

The rains came through in stages this day, from almost clear skies one moment to strong winds and rain just a few minutes later. You can see the clouds in the distance from the previous burst.

Sand storm

Between us in the sand dunes and the mountains in the background the wind was wreaking havoc across the valley. It came to us soon enough for a blinding walk back.

Death Valley Salt Flats

Sunset on the Salt Flats is a very interesting thing to experience. You sometimes feel like you are on a frozen lake but the reflections are just a bit different.

A harsh land

Death valley can have all fours seasons come at you in a matter of a few minutes. Rain, snow, sun and wind all multiple times in a single day.

Face wash

Close up of a sea otter washing and puffing up the fur around its faces near Moss Landing, California.

Side Light

A little side light on the bluffs at Bodega Bay, California.

wrapped up in the kelp

This sea otter was puffing up its fur and wrapping itself in the kelp for a good half hour before settling into a good nap.

Stay away

Hawks hunting over Highway 1 in California, one turned around to find another a bit closer than it wanted.

What you catch when it rains

When we started walking the beach looking for shots it was mostly sunny, a few minutes after this shot we ended up completely soaked.

Redwoods and Barred Owl

Saw this Barred owl flying through the redwoods at dusk. It was so dark in there that this shot was taken at 16000 ISO, 1/80sec handheld at 600mm and I still had to raise the exposure by a full stop. The sony 200-600 did a great job in the darkness.

It's not a secret

near Secret Beach in Oregon, will have to come back here for a sunset or a storm.

Tiny Crescent Moon

The tide is receding, the sun is setting and we have a crescent moon over the coast near Bandon, Oregon.

Oregon Sunset

Oregon has some spectacular coastlines, this area around Bandon certainly kept us busy looking for shots.

Stand tall

Lone tree standing on a small island in Deadman’s Cove, near Cape Disappointment, Washington.

Moss and Martin

This was a lucky find, thanks to another photographer who saw it off the trail in Goldstream provincial park.

Shoreline Silhouette

Sunset near the lighthouse in Ucluelet, BC

Pine Marten

A pine marten taking a quick look at us before climbing down this mossy tree.

Hover

Belted Kingfisher hovering over the edge of the shore in some nice side light.

Killdeer on the Rocks

As the tide moves out the shorebirds search the exposed rocks in the bay at Rathtrevor Provincial park.

shorebirds

Catching shorebirds in flight can be a challenge as the move so quickly but it can be worth it when the light hits them just right.

Golden sunset over Frank Island

Chesterman Beach leads to Frank Island when the tide is low. As the waves recede we get a beautiful reflection on the wet sand.

The view from Ucluelet

As you look out to the south from Ucluelet there are so many Islands to explore.

Into the setting sun

If you drop your exposure when shooting directly towards the sun you can sometimes get this silvery hue to the reflections on the water.

Getting the shot

Salwa, working on getting the right composition as the sun drops behind the trees.

Foggy morning

Simple trees in the fog, but it really caught my eye as we were making our way to Cox Bay.

Watching thee Sunset

From the Beach in Cox Bay, the sunsets can be pretty amazing.

Can you tell which way the wind blows?

A consistent wind from the ocean makes many of the trees grow in a way that they look like they are being pushed inland.

Cox Bay lookout

The climb to get to this lookout was like walking up a muddy waterfall. In the end it was worth it for the view across the bay towards Tofino.

The lone surfer

As the sun sets there is always one person that has to catch the last good wave.

It was a wet and rainy day

Panoramic view of Cox Bay after the rains

Look up, way up

Everywhere you look in the rainforest you see something beautiful, sometime you have to look up or you will miss it.

Tree and Rock

Another sunset near Tofino, BC.

Heading for a perch

Bald Eagle heading towards a good perch by the coast near Parksville, BC.

Black bunny

Always a few rabbits hanging around Rathtrevor Park. Pretty brave with all thee Eagles around.

Coordinated flight plan

It is amazing to watch these shorebirds twist and turn in coordination

On a breeze

Adult Bald Eagle making it look so easy.

Sanderlings

quick flight over to the next good beach spot to look for whatever is in the sand

Almost hidden

A good spot to see what is happening out on the water without being exposed.

Majestic

A great blue heron on the beach with fantastic mountains of the British Columbia mainland in the distance.

Salwa on the Rocks

Looking for just the right location for a shot in Goldenears Provincial Park.

Gold Creek

In Goldenears Provincial park, a beautiful rainforest setting outside of Vancouver.

Nature Photography on the Road - Part 2: The West (Wet) Coast

We are off on an extended photography trip through the west of Canada and the US. We wander down highway 1 and 101 from Washington through the north of California trying to stay ahead of the cold and rain while taking every opportunity we have to get shots of the amazing coastline.

Double rainbow over Lone Ranch beach. Click on the image to go to the blog post for the second leg of our trip.

Gear Wish List - What I would like Sony to do in the next Couple of years.

I have been using Sony camera gear for pretty much as long as Sony has been doing mirrorless cameras. They have been pretty good at bringing out new and innovative technology at a time when other companies were doing 4 year cycles with small incremental improvements. Now that they are right up there with Canon (in some areas ahead and in some still lacking) I thought I would put down on “paper” what I would like to see them do in terms of what we personally would want for our photography and videography. We are getting to the point were our wishlist may not be what many others want, but I have a feeling there are other nature photographers who might want some of the things here. Let me know what you think as I’m sure others have completely different wants and needs.

One of the items that was on my wish list was an update to the A7RIV, and before I finished one arrived. This camera ticked many of the boxes that I thought would be improvements, added some things I didn’t know I wanted, and omitted some things I had hoped for. It was compelling enough for me to purchase and I’m pretty happy with the results.

Meet the neighbours

We have been hiking around the Okanagan valley and the Kootenays for the last year looking for any interesting nature we can find. Pika and bats are two that are new to me in terms of getting shots.

Pika sunning on the rocks — Pika warming up in the sunlight in Kokanee Glacier park

A rare find. Daylight hunting for what is likely a little brown bat.

The Sky at Night

After the wildfires settled down around the Okanagan valley, the sky at night has been relatively clear more often that not. This has given me a chance to get out and experiment with some night photography. Using everything from a fisheye out to 1000mm I can get some very different perspectives. Next step is to look deeper into the stars, galaxies and nebulas once I get more used to using the star tracker.

Milky way over the cherry farm. Canon R5, 8-15mm f/4 at 8mm, f/4, 30 seconds, ISO 3200

Moon descending behind the trees in the Okanagan Valley. Canon R5, 500mm at F/4, 1/200s, ISO 200

No Fixed Plans

Originally we thought Arizona and New Mexico would be as far as we would travel on this trip. The weather again would be the deciding factor as we were able to spend a couple of weeks in the area before the cold came to find us. In this episode we get to hike through some iconic parks but only see a portion of these beautiful states. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch videos phocused on nature photography, travel locations, photo tools and technology.

Salwa uploaded our latest video, the fifth installment of our west coast trip. Valley of fire in Nevada and Joshua Tree in California are two very different and beautiful desert like landscapes. Fantastic hiking and scrambling up rocks to find amazing photographic landscapes.