Surfers Sunset

I like the simplicity of this shot.
A picture should invite a person into it’s story. If it doesn’t,than it doesn’t work!
People like to enter the scene themselves. They are seeing through the photographers eyes for that moment!

Surfers Sunset

This is another example of that clearing along the west on a cloudy day. This strip of blue runs from the north to the south usually and produces fantastic sunsets.
Always keep your eye open for this meteorological phenomenon. On cloudy days , the Western horizon will show a well defined clearing and it’ll run from south to north. Hang around with your camera, the fireworks will be coming along soon. The sky is a screen basically!
I asked this guy to pose for me. I needed somebody in the foreground. The sky is great,but it’s only wallpaper. You have to have at least one subject in the foreground.

Surfers Sunset

Basically the same shot,but with my longer focal length.
Back-lighting a subject works well as long as the contrast difference is great between the subject and background.

Wind/Kite Surfing at Sunset

I cane across these boys out at Chesterman’s Beach at sunset. As you can tell,the wind was up and everybody was taking advantage of it.
The wind comes from the sun,or because of it more accurately. The sun heats up the surface of the earth and the air becomes lighter and rises. Much the same way a Lava lamp works. We’ve all seen those hypnotic little throw backs from the 60’s!
Anyways,these air currents are happening everywhere and start to push the air around stronger and stronger,until they make become a measurable force. Lots of heat will produce lots of wind.

Wind/Kite Surfer

I saw these guys were going to cross and waited for them to meet. I only got two shots off before they were out of composition with each other.
The light was very different and I had swung, probably, only 90 degrees to the east from the shot above. I like to have the sun at my back at sunset . However,I couldn’t get around to that position because the tide was in and I like dry feet! I’ve always thought that my chest-waders would work well in this situation!

Kite Surfer

These guys can really move along. They sometimes catch air for several seconds.

God Rays

These clouds are showing what I call God Rays. Beams basically!
I love this kind of light. However,when they happen you have to be at a spot that has something in the foreground! It’s fantastic for wallpaper,but on it’s own it’s mediocre at best!
I always joke with my friends when I see something like this ,that it would look much better with a nice nude out in front!
Something like that could elevate this shot into a much higher state of eye candy!

Wet Blue Heron

I found this guy down at Thornton creek. One of my favorite places for wildlife.
I usually get bears down here,but there were no bears and this fellow didn’t seem to not mind me getting close.
Each animal has a unique personality . Some are skittish,some are brave etc.
Whenever I approach a animal,I am always watching for the signs of stress. The first give away is when the ears fold back. Almost all animals that have ears (except this guy),displays this sign. Horses,dogs,cats,you name it.

Mini

This is a bear I call Mini. She is smaller than the average bear,but has alot of smarts. I always am on the look out for her. When she comes out,I always train my lens on her. Something always happens!
At this moment ,she and her cub”Doodlebug “(3rd) are at the falls at Thornton creek and Mini has just spotted another bear. Their eye sight is poor ,but they catch movement excellent! When they think they see movement far away,they will try to get a higher vantage point to try and figure out what this approaching animal is!
This is what she’s doing. She was already in a scrap with Bruno and has a scar over her left eye. She’s protective but not stupid.
The year before this cub, Doodlebug (2nd) was spooked by a bear across the creek and it ran away to the other side of the creek and climbed up a Alder. Unfortunately ,that was the tree I was standing beside! I could of reached out and grabbed Doodlebug by the scruff of his neck! I looked at Mini and her eye’s were wide and she was looking straight at me. I slowly backed out and gave them both space.
You see ,she was smart and realized from me visiting dozens of times that I was an animal that had never been aggressive. She never charged me,and I appreciate her intelligence greatly!

Heron in the Rain

Heron’s are the perfect example of a animal with a great deal of patience. They stand perfectly still and wait for their prey to come to them. They will, when they see a small fish start leaning forward very slowly. Until they are within striking range!
I have no idea what this guy is doing however. There are no small fish here! Only spawning salmon and they ain’t little! I saw it’s attention being drawn by passing fish and wondered if it would ever attack a large salmon? I think this is a immature Heron and basically doesn’t have the smarts yet!

Wind Surfer at Sunset

I like this angle because it has a tree I’ve always liked in the background. It’s got that curve because of the constant wind. You only see tree’s like this on the edge of the open ocean.
Getting it at sunset is a bonus!

Immature Heron

This Heron was a great subject because he allowed me to get close. I really do think he only does this because he’s “young”

Bear at Sunset

I like this shot because of the background. The Heron standing in the water diverts the attention nicely.
I saw the bear coming and waited for him to cross the spot I had picked out. I call this technique the “Spider and Fly”. I see a great background and wait for a primary subject to enter into the scene.

Immature Heron in Flight

This is that Heron I kept running into down at Thornton Creek. I got some good shots because he/she was young and not too suave about staying away from other animals! Lucky me!
The conditions where such that I had to boost the ISO and assume that he was going to jump and that I had better raise my shutter speed. I don’t like blurry subjects,but even than ,sometimes the mistakes can have merit just because of the Abstract quality!

Lennard Lighthouse Storm

I originally came out here in the afternoon and did a few shots. I was not impressed with the light and left.
I had to check on a house down in the area and decided to check back in later if the light looked more promising?
Turns out the light did break and I got some great shots!

Lennard Island Lighthouse Sunset

This is what happens when a thin clear horizontal slit along the Western horizon opens up! The sun sneaked in and gave a great show! I actually, in hindsight should of rode my bike over to Frank Island first,but instead walked over and that wasted precious time! When the sun comes through something so thin as this ,it usually only lasts minutes. Like a rainbow.
No matter what you do,in hindsight you would always do things differently! Thats just the way things are.

Lennard Lighthouse Storm

I had to wait while there was FANTASTIC light for a wave to crash! I needed to have a large wave break for the action I wanted. I think I had 5 minutes in total here before the sunset.
I only got a handful of good shots in that time.

Frank Island Nest

I’m not sure who was on top in this shot? I back lite this shot and it gave a high contrast. It pushes out the subject.

Full Moon Rising Over Chesterman’s Beach

I shot this from Frank Island looking towards the south end of Chesterman’s Beach. The moon was coming up and the clouds added a nice addition!
The surfer’s board being a bright yellow is beautiful! In low contrast moments like this,having something so bright is great to direct the eye.
I had to pump the ISO up to the max at 1600.