TOFINO

I didn’t shoot this today. I shot it on Sept 15th/2014. Because our weather is BAD! I know I’m not going to be getting out any time soon,so I thought I’d start posting some shots I’ve taken recently.
I was looking northward when I shot this. Tofino is situated on the north end of the Eoswista peninsula. It’s at the end of the Trans Canada Highway.

HELI RIDE

I went up in a Helicopter today. A local environmental group wanted shots of some pristine valleys.I took 666 shots! Good thing I’m not superstitious!
We used Atleo Air’s helicopter (Bell 206-B Jet Ranger). I’ve used these helicopters a lot when I use to be a exploration Geologist.
These Helicopters are right up there with Otters & Beavers for bush flying!

I even had enough time to rush out in my boat for a short sunset harbour shoot too!
I went to visit Romeo as soon as I got out! I couldn’t see him anywhere on his island but soon saw him flying to greet me! Juliette must still be down at the salmon run?
Hung around with my feathered friend for awhile & than took off to try & squeeze in other subjects for the evening shoot.
The Heron’s are all around the harbour! They seem to be everywhere. So I was able to get a few of them with that gorgeous setting sun.
I spied a fishing boat coming in with a large black smoke trail! I wondered if it was on fire & went to investigate? It did have a fire but it wasn’t serious. It looked like the exhaust pipe had accumulated some carbon build up from the diesel & had ignited. I don’t even think they were aware that there was a flame coming from the top of the pipe?

Had a very busy day today! Got the best of the air & water today!

TOFINO GLORY!

LENNARD ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE

I took this on OCT 3RD,2010. I had to wait 17 months to get this shot. I wanted to get a shot at sunset,from the air when the full moon was rising!
I got one shot at it per month. I needed to have no clouds in the west & no clouds to the east! If there were clouds to the west,the sun would be blocked & the land would be too dark. If there were clouds to the east,than I would have the light but wouldn’t be able to see the moon!
So I needed to have no clouds in both directions when the full moon was rising & that took 17 months!
I originally envisioned the full moon rising behind Tofino,but the moons orbit was way too far north to line them both up! So technically speaking………I’m still waiting! I now know the moon must have a very southerly orbit to even think about trying to do this again!
Sometimes I feel like such a child trying to figure these things out!

TOFINO SUNSET

“Where I Play”

The weather did break today,but the light got snuffed big time by yet another Frontal system! A clearing arrived 1am this morning.It was clear up to 1pm or so. I wasn’t about to go out knowing that the light was going to go south!
I was looking forward to getting out! I need to go play!

So because I didn’t get anything today, I thought I’d show you were I do go & play!
This is where I spend alot of time looking for bears,wolfs,Sea Lions etc. (even Orca’s!)
I originally took this Oct 3rd,2010. I am looking to the east ,down Tofino Inlet. The small islands at the bottom of the shot are where the Daredevil & Delilah live! The larger island on the left to be exact. They live in Tsapee Narrows.
Looking up to the right is Grice Bay. It is one of those shallow bays. It was low tide so you can see some of the mudflats exposed.
The Sea Lions are at the back of the shot. Tofino Inlet continues around the corner to Deer Bay.
There is always something going on down here! Never a dull moment!

Radar Beach Fly By

The light was terrible today,so I didn’t bring the camera out. A mini high pressure system is suppose to move in tomorrow. So maybe I’ll have something fresh for you guys?

I shot this originally on Oct 4rth/09. I went up in a plane near sunset. I love the long shadows! It gives texture to a otherwise flat looking surface. One of the problems with Aerial photography is that the land tends to flatten out!
Thats why I only go near sunset. I get not only the texture but also get the golden light! A win win in my books!!

This is Radar beach. It is at the base of Radar hill. The trail to the beach is not on the official Park plan,but it is a very popular path for people to take. Another unofficial trail is the one to the crashed Cansol airplane! That crash is on the south side of Radar Hill at the base of the hill.

Bloom in Gods Pocket (Lemmens Inlet)

I went up in a plane today and took some aerial’s.
I didn’t notice this when I shot it,but it would appear that a plankton bloom was happening in Lemmens Inlet in a spot locally called “Gods Pocket”. The bloom is that red colour and can wipe out fish farms. There are no fish farms around Lemmens,but there are many oyster farms.
They happen in the summer when the waters get warm and the bad plankton increase.

Lemmens Inlet with Lone Cone in Background

The foreground shows the mud flats and by the looks of it,alot of seaweed growth!
Lone Cone is in the background on Meares Island

Tofino and Summer Fog

I shot this as we were coming in and it shows Tofino with the fog being held at bay by the heat from the land!
If you look closely ,you can see another plane (Tofino Air) coming in for a landing in front of us!(right of centre)

Tofino at Sunset

This is Tofino in all it’s glory!
The last (visible) wavelength to be seen at sunset is Violet. It’s the most delicate colour as well. The contrast is always weak with it,because the sun has almost completely set. Not much intensity. But the softness is incredible!

Wickaninnish Sunset Moon

I had waited approximately 17 months to be able to go up in a plane and shoot these aerials.
I needed no clouds on the eastern and western horizon’s and it had to happen when the full moon was rising! Those three parameters all lined up on October 3rd.
I always shoot from a plane with the door off. I do not want to shoot through the door window. You reduce your expensive lens to a cheap one by going through another medium.(which I might add is almost always scruffed up)
If you do it and have friends with you. Remember that whoever sits in the back seat is going to get the wind blast and it’s always cold!
This is the true colour.

Lennnard Island Lighthouse Moon

You can clearly see the soft painting this vast area! It was just starting.
I used my big lens to shoot this. I wanted to zoom in to compress the foreground/background. It makes the moon look bigger than what it really is. There’s no trickery involved here. It’s just the normal principal’s of Optics at work.
I guess in hindsight ,that I should of been several miles further out in the ocean to the west! That way when I zoomed in on the lighthouse,the moon’s size would of been even bigger!! and I guess lower in altitude too.

Cox Bay Moon

This is Cox Bay with the full moon rising behind it! The landscape is covered in that gorgeous hue of Violet at sunset.
This shot showcases why so many people come to Tofino! The beauty is on a scale that few places can match!

Tofino with Full Moon Rising

This is one of the reasons why I waited so long to go on this aerial shoot. I wanted to shoot Tofino with the full moon rising over it. I wanted to use my big lens to compress the scene and as a result get the moon huge over top of Tofino!
Unfortunately, the best laid plans often times go a skew !
The moon was rising too far north! Because Tofino looks to the North,the only angle you can shoot it with the moon behind it ,is from the NW looking to the SE. The moon was way too far north and after realizing this, I was very disappointed.
I will have to go up again in the summer. The moon will be at it’s most southerly point on or around the summer solstice of June 21 st. As it stands right now the only two dates I can get the shot of the full moon over Tofino is May25th/10 and June 24th/10! (the best times to do something like this ,seems to be acouple of days before the Full Moon date)
I can’t have any clouds on either the eastern or western horizon’s on those two dates.
I also will have to be about 10-15 miles away from Tofino to the NW looking back to the SE. I don’t even know if I can line the two up? A horizontal shot with the full moon on the far left and Tofino to the right would be what I would settle for.
We’ll see.
Stay tuned!

Wick Moon

This shot was taken 1/2 hr before the second one above and you can clearly see how the light structure has changed!
This shows the tranquil setting of the Wickaninnish Inn on Chesterman’s beach. The moon was rising in behind and the light was perfect!
I think my focal length was around 150mm.
I always shoot my aerial’s near sunset. It not only gives texture to the other wise flat terrain,but a warm colour! Win,win!!

Lennard Island Lighthouse Moon

I took advantage of shooting everything I could get my hands on.
Plane trips are expensive and you need to have a route already thought out and brief the pilot before you go up.
Lennard Lighthouse looks great bathed in this sunset light.

Frank Island

This shows the size and shape of Chesterman’s favorite walking spot to watch the sunset,Frank Island.
I zoomed in on several shots of Chesterman’s and could see the people walking on the beach with long shadows .

Opitsat Village on Meares Island

This shot is looking roughly NW with the village of Opitsat in the foreground and the Cats Face mountains in the background.
The bottom slope of Lone Cone Mountain(Meares Island) can be seen at the right hand side of the shot.

Tonquin Beach

This shot is looking NE and shows Tofino’s local beach,Tonquin. It can be walked to easily and is a great spot to watch the sun go down. Wickaninnish Island lies to the west and unfortunately cuts off the sun right before it sets,from this location.

Wickaninnish Inn at Sunset

This shows the Wick in the foreground and in the background you can see Browning pass channel at the foot of Meares island.

Frank Island

Frank Island is in the foreground here and Meares Island is in the background.
It shows how thin the Esowista Peninsula is!

Lennard Island Lighthouse

The Lighthouse can be seen in the foreground and to the NW ,you can see Cats Face in the back right.
A mining company (Selkirk)wants to do a open pit on this beautiful mountain top! They would effectively cut 1/3 of the top off. It would never be restored back to it’s glory again.

Radar Beach

This is Radar beach looking to the NW.
There is a trail from the top of Radar hill ,down to the beach.
People find glass balls here from time to time. They break loose in storms over in Japan and the oceans currents carry them over here!

Airplane wreck on the South Slope of Radar Hill

This is a Canso 11007 amphibious airplane resting on it’s belly on the southern slope of Radar hill.
It crashed on Feb 10/45 around 11pm. It had 12 people on board and all survived! Praise was given to the pilot (Ronnie Scholes) for stalling the plane at the right moment against the slopping hillside! They had alot of fuel on board and several 250 lb depth charges. (This plane was not a bomber at this time. It was a “Dumbo” and not a “Cat”. It was simply transporting the bombs)They must of gotten a helicopter later to lift those bombs out of there.
They had just taken off before midnight and the Port engine quit on them. They were already low,so the pilot could only fly straight.
After the crash ,a fire ensued from that Port engine and the pilot put it out with a fire extinguisher.
They set up a make shift tent with a parachute and addressed the wounded. The first plane to check out the accident didn’t take off untill 3 am. They could hear shouting from the airport and a planes engine starting up.
When it went over,they shot off a flare and thought they didn’t see them,because it just went past the hill. However,it came around the other side of the hill and dropped a flare of there own.
Everyone was scarred that the flare was going to ignite the fuel spilled all over the place and that they would surly die.
It didn’t and they survived. they packed everyone else out in the morning and the plane remains there to this day.
The Park would like people to not go there,but the truth is that it is probably the most visited site!

Tofino Inlet

This is looking east past Tsappee narrows.
The two islands in the foreground are were the Daredevil and his mate live. The one on the left is where their nest is.

Long Beach

You not only can see Long Beach but also the airport (left).
In the background you can see the entrance to Barkley Sound.

Clayoquot Sound

This shot show cases the Sound and Tofino. You can’t see Tofino because we are looking north and it’s at the end of the peninsula.
You can see however,Cox Point in the foreground with Cox Beach to the right and Chesterman’s beach northwest of it.

2009, October 32012, March 11 Tofino Photography3 Comments

Cox Beach

This shot shows Cox Point in the foreground and Cox Beach to the right of it. You get a feeling for the width of the peninsula ! Not much.

Maltby Slough

The channel in the foreground is Maltby Slough . You can clearly see how narrow the peninsula is ! You can also see the highway running to Tofino on the left of the Channel.
In the background you can see Lone Cone on Meares Island.