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Jan 14, 2025

Second tier Nature photography setups from each brand.

Jan 14, 2025

If you are, or want to be, a nature photographer there is a bit of gear that is actually necessary to be able to do so. Most of us are aware of the high-end gear, those huge lenses that cost as much as a small car, and the high speed, high resolution cameras that the companies show off with all the latest tech (or so we are told), and if price was no object, or if it is your full time job and can write the expenses off, then this article isn’t for you!

Jan 14, 2025

Oct 26, 2024

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

Oct 26, 2024

As fall approaches we wait for the first rains to help the water flow in the rivers along the coast of Vancouver Island. Here on the Island, the main species I like to photograph that benefit from this abundance are the Black bears….

Oct 26, 2024

Oct 8, 2024

Sigma, Please bring it back!

Oct 8, 2024

For many years my go to lens for nature photography, especially for lower light conditions, was the Sigma 120-300 f/2.8. This was by far the sharpest lens I had ever owned at least until the Canon 500 f/4 II.

Oct 8, 2024

Jul 18, 2024

My love/hate relationship with the Canon R5 and what to do with the R5 Mark II.

Jul 18, 2024

About 2 months ago I sold my Canon R5 with a couple things in mind. I knew there was a Canon R5II coming soon and the rumours looked like it might be a camera worth keeping my 500 F/4 II lens to use. I also figured that Sony would need to come out with something similar in the near future and it is likely that one of those two options will decide what gear I will be using for the next few years.

Jul 18, 2024

Dec 13, 2023

Winter trip - Final stage - ...and this little piggy went wee wee wee all the way home

Dec 13, 2023

Our winter trip took a bit of a turn to the east so that we could go to a boat show in Florida, after some fixes to the trailer in east Texas we made a bee line to Miami spent a week there and then quickly again started to head back west.

Dec 13, 2023

REcent Videos

Featured

Aug 26, 2024

Black bears fishing on Vancouver Island

Aug 26, 2024

We really look forward to fall on Vancouver Island, the salmon start to run and when they do the bear come to the party. This short video is from one of the first outings this fall. Salwa put together a fun video of these three bears that were fishing within a few feet of each other.

Aug 26, 2024

Dec 29, 2023

NO FIXED PLANS - EPISODE 10 - DON’T SETTLE

Dec 29, 2023

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.

Dec 29, 2023

Nov 30, 2023

CHASING THE SUN. STAGE 9 - WESTWARD BOUND AGAIN

Nov 30, 2023

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.

Nov 30, 2023

Aug 28, 2023

Chasing the Sun. Stage 8 - Texas...really, really big

Aug 28, 2023

So big that Salwa split it into 2 videos. One this second one we wander along the Mexico border through Big Bend State park and then back up to an interesting little artist town called Marfa.

Aug 28, 2023

Jun 21, 2023

Chasing the sun: stage 7 - Texas is big

Jun 21, 2023

We didn’t originally have plans to go to Texas but with cold and snow following us on our way south we found that there might be a little warm weather down at Big Bend. Once in Texas it was hard to leave, partly due to the distances and partly due to circumstances that were out of our control. This video gets us down into Big Bend National park after a few interesting stops along the way.

Jun 21, 2023

Apr 18, 2023

Chasing the Sun. Stage 6 - Not enough time in Arizona and New Mexico.

Apr 18, 2023

Our time in these two states was short on this part of the trip with another Arctic weather mass heading our way. We did get some good hiking in some iconic areas, a taste that is going to bring us back for more.

Apr 18, 2023

Mar 31, 2023

Chasing the Sun. Stage 5 - Valley of Fire and Joshua Tree

Mar 31, 2023

We explore Valley of Fire and Joshua Tree hiking some beautiful rocky landscapes and getting some of our favourite photos from the trip so far.

Mar 31, 2023

Jan 30, 2023

Chasing the sun. Stage 4 - California coast to Death Valley

Jan 30, 2023

Salwa was very busy editing this fourth installment of our winter trip. In this episode I find an owl in some really big trees. Salwa spends quality time with a sea otter and we both get hit by rain and sand on the same dunes.

Jan 30, 2023

Jan 10, 2023

Chasing the sun. Stage 3 - Washington and Oregon

Jan 10, 2023

Quick video marking the end of our time in southern BC before we take off for the winter on a new Photo/video adventure through the Western US. Can't wait to get out there with the camera on a daily basis again.

Jan 10, 2023

Dec 25, 2022

Chasing the sun. Stage 2 - Tofino and Uculet

Dec 25, 2022

Latest uploaded shots

Beach landing

Pileated Woodpecker landing on some deadwood on the beach near Parksville, BC.

Flicker flight

I was actually ready for the take off this time….usually I turn away for just a second and miss it.

Secret, not so much.

Referred to as Secret falls, it was difficult to get a few moments with no one in the shot. Will have to come back at a better time when I can play with composition a bit more.

My first bison

A quick trip (11 hours of driving) up past Edmonton, Alberta to see some Bison.

Reacing into the sea

Bald eagle just about to grab a fish along the eastern coast of Vancouver Island

Chestnut Backed

Chestnut backed chickadee with a tasty morsel for the young.

Ready for a nap

A river otter curling up for a nap along the Vancouver Island shoreline.

A little nest material

Osprey bringing some twigs back to the nest in the Kootenays

A waterfalls back there

Coming through a small slot canyon to the so called secret falls on the west coast of Vancouver Island.

Storm to the left, blue skies to the right

A very windy day with little storms cells blowing through made for some interesting skies and shadows across the landscape.

Fisheye and milky way

full view of the milky way over the cherry farm in the Okanagan Valley

Got it

The Osprey with the yellow perch and me with a shot I’ve been wanting for quite a while.

Two Loonies

The equivalent of two bucks, but only in Canada eh!

In one talon

Osprey with a single talon on this unfortunate perch.

Look at that felt rack

Mule deer turning to take a look at me just as the sun drops behind the mountain.

Spotted

Spotted Sandpiper along the shores of Mahoney lake in the Okanagan valley.

Mist or Smoke?

Fire season has started early this year after a week of record temperatures in the Okanagan Valley. Not sure if that is changing the light at sunset or just a bit of haze from the heat.

Finally in the clear

Male Bullock’s Oriole. I have been trying to get a clear shot of one of these for months.

Got lunch

Bald eagle trying to return to the nest with something leftover. The winds were making for a difficult landing.

Well isn't that adorable

I thought it was a little chipmunk but have been told this is a golden mantled ground squirrel….still adorable.

Change on the menu

Osprey taking a run across the field and going after a few smaller birds on the edge of the marsh. Maybe osprey are not exclusively fish hawks.

Long grass

Good place to hide but we could see those big ears even before you looked at us. Mule deer resting near the river.

Yellow-breasted Chat

A rare bird even for the Okanagan valley now, but it does nest in a few places here

Keeping an eye out

Male bald eagle watching from above the nest as the female takes off to grab some food.

Wing cover

Yellow-headed blackbird showing off some beautiful white wing patches as it takes off from a cattail.

Got wings

Bald eagle chick figuring out what to do with those wings.

Fly softly and carry a big stick

Osprey taking a rather large twig up to the nest

Spotted

A Spotted Sandpiper flying over a tiny mountain lake.

A new song

I’m used to hearing red-winged blackbirds in the marsh but the song of the yellow-headed blackbird stands out even more.

Last shot

Just as I was heading home today a bald eagle came up river towards its nest.

At the nest

Great fun watching a pair of Osprey building their nest today.

Grey as a ghost

Male Northern Harrier wandered into the field as I was shooting a pair of Osprey.

Western Meadowlark

Singing the morning away

First Peregrine

First time to see Peregrine falcons and I’m lucky enough to watch them around their nest for about an hour. Most of the time they were not within shooting range but I managed a couple of shots.

A little backlight

A (not so) little backlit great horned owl.

Bird on a Wire

One of the prettiest birds and another new bird for me, the Mountain Bluebird is much more pure blue than the Western or Eastern Bluebirds.

Time to go

Bald eagle taking off from a dead branch

In a desert field

Say’s Phoebe taking off from a field in the South Okanagan Valley, Canada’s only desert.

Two is better than one

When you are talking about Great Horned Owls....especially if they are beside each other.

Nesting material

Bald eagle heading back to the nest with a bit of straw and grass.

Pretty under wing

A young dark morph hawk flying in the Okanagan Valley

Quick Turn

Male kingfisher turning to head back to a perch.

Two Blue

Pretty little pair of Western Bluebirds resting by the side of the river near Osoyoos Lake

Lovely blue

First good shots of a Western Bluebird on a cold winter day in the Okanagan Valley.

Snow and Harrier

Low light and with a bit of snow coming down and I was still able to track this harrier while hunting at 1000mm on the EOS R5

Mountain Goats

Found a small herd of mountain goat just off the side of the road today north of Summerland. They had found some patches of edible grass near the bottom of what seemed like mostly scree slope.

Harrier

Beautiful lighting just before the sun dropped behind the mountains. Female northern harrier hunting over the field.

Red tail

Lovely pattern underwing

Top of the hill

When looking at grand landscapes you often miss the interesting details. Having a telephoto lens gives you a chance to zoom into areas that may not grab your attention until seen through that view.

King perch

Nice to find a belted kingfisher that doesn't leave the moment I bring up the camera

Pygmy

It took a couple of weeks of looking but I managed to get a shot of a Pygmy owl. Definitely looking forward to getting to see more of these tiny hunters in better light and hopefully in flight but this is a good start.

As the clouds move

Out for a drive up the Slocan Valley this very cloudy morning. Happened upon a group of 6 bald eagles hanging out on the edge of the River. Shot at 840mm, f/9, 1/1000s, and ISO 4000.

Love the eyes of a Barred owl.

Those black eyes just look right through you.

Beautiful side view

Juvenile Red-tailed hawk hunting along the Niagara River

Reflections

Sometimes it is just about reflecting on the colours. A very calm sunset over the St. Lawrence River.

Is it still a water fall?

If there is almost no water…more leaves than water.

On a tiny perch

Hoping for a chance to see more Northern Hawk Owls this coming winter as we search out new areas.

Gentle Landing

Greater yellowlegs coming in for a landing.

Oxtongue Rapids

A couple of shots along the Oxtongue River as the clouds started to come in.

Jupiter, Saturn and the Milky Way

Out taking shots of Neowise in Haliburton and turned around to look at Jupiter and Saturn sitting just above the horizon to the left of the Milky Way. So nice to get back to where you can see dark skies at night.