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The community of Blind Bay is a favorite holiday destination by visitors all over the world. The bay itself is located on Shuswap Lake, BC and is loved by those who love sunshine, sandy beaches, boating, hiking, resort living and fine restaurants; basically it has it all! In the winter this area is fast becoming a major snowmobile destination, with challenging terrain and powder that is measured in feet, and not inches! The first thing I noticed when I observed this scene, was that there was so much to see (detail; just look at all the homes on the hillside!). Prior to capturing this image I had to consider that in order to see all the mynute details in a print form, it would have to be blown up, and quite substantially. So, I took two shots, one of the left side of the scene and the other of the right side of the scene, and later (in post production), I “stitched” together. Now, I have a file that’s almost twice as big than I would have had, if I had captured the scene in just one shot. Yay!
Here’s an interesting question. Does a photographer create a photograph, or is it the scene that presents itself? I think it’s a combination of both. What do you think? Granted, some scenes just happen to present themselves and are easy to photograph, while others require research, time, patience and praying for the right weather and light conditions. More often than not however, as I approach a beautiful scene, I find that trees and plants obstruct my prized composition, and that's when I have to dig into my creative self. Sometimes, I walk away empty handed. Although landmark photography is generally easy to shoot, it’s the more difficult and unique scenes that I’m drawn to. That stated, getting off the beaten path is always my choice destination and create the most amazing memories (and captures too!). It was late in the day when I stopped and followed a tributary to the Athabaska River; just east of Jasper, and within Jasper National Park. I hoped to capture some reflective and silhouetted river scenes but by the time I got to the river, storms were forming and started to circle the valley around me and after some hiking around, this riverscape developed! Yes, one could say this scene presented itself and had nothing to do with the photographer but skill, know how, an eye for composition and patience was required. I suppose resilience to rain is also required, because I got soaked to get this shot (but it was so worth it!).
I arrived at the “Ancient Forest National Park” (in the interior of British Columbia) before sunrise, hoping for fog. The little bit that was there however quickly dissipated but I did manage to capture capture a couple moody shots. The calmness in the forest was very indicative of what I felt; all alone, at peace and at awe with nature. As I meandered along the man-made boardwalks through the forest, I could feel myself depart from the world outside, in both in time in space. I certainly was in my element and for a moment, I was a child again, without a care it the world. It’s there, in those “all alone” moment in nature, that I recognize just how much I value my lifestyle, while recognizing (respectfully) that it isn’t (or can’t be) for everyone. That said, I hope you can get lost in my photos too :-) What I like about this photo is it’s perspective, which was hard to find in the darkness of this ancient forest. I did however stumble across this scene where the light coming in from the background, combined with the darkness in the foreground, gave this photo depth. Without depth, this photo would have been flat. You’ll also notice that I used a shallow depth of field, which I chose to help draw your eye to the large tree on the right.
