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So, "What's so great about Tofino?", you ask. This! Known for its sandy beaches and old-growth rain-forest, Tofino attracts surfers, nature lovers, campers, whale watchers, hikers, bikers, boaters and fishermen alike. Whether you want to get close to nature, or be pampered, Tofino has it all. There are many fine restaurants, hotels, gift stores and many fantastic art galleries too (being an art lover, I went in them all!). While in Tofino, I stayed in an ocean front RV resort, that wasn't too far from the downtown core. From there I cycled the many lengthy, paved pathways and I strolled along the resort's beach too (Arlo, my 7-month-old puppy loved it, and so did I!). Capturing an epic ocean, sunset shot was on my bucket list, so every evening I'd check the horizon for those perfect sunset cloud formations. On this evening, I noted that the clouds were be lining up and forming perfectly, however my hopes got squashed when the marine layer (clouds) formed along the horizon. I thought I got skunked but..... read on. I got a few shots of a rather boring sunset before I turned away. Walking back to my RV, someone suddenly came up from behind me and said, "You should see the sunset now!" and with that, I did an about face! Back at the beach, the sun was peeking through a small opening in the clouds, and it was just a sliver! Knowing that time was of an essence, I quickly set my camera to capture the sun's rays and started shooting in repetition. The sunset lasted seconds! For all the photos I (unfortunately) miss, I'm fortunate to get others; a photographer's reality.
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.
I drove to the coast of Oregon without an itinerary, and although there were a few places I really wanted go visit, I wanted the freedom to explore. Besides, I wasn’t in a hurry, until…. read on. I drove to the ocean from Salem on all the back roads. I took my time and even took a side trip up a (creepy!) one lane mountainside road to check out a water fall but the it was running much too fast for my photographic liking. By the time I arrived at the coastline, it was pouring, and hard! It was also very windy; which makes driving the RV so much fun…. not! That said, I felt the day was done and I was done too, lol! The next morning I drove south, in and out of all the state dune parks along the 101. I was looking for one that had some photographic advantages, when I finally chose one with a jetty; it was from here that I captured this photograph. In the distance, the ocean sky was dark and threatening; I could see the rain coming (again!). Although it was overcast, I was very bright. It perfect for capturing the cresting white waves, I was thrilled! When it was time to look for somewhere to stay for the night, I stopped at the North Lake RV resort in Lakeside, only to discover they were closed for the season. The lovely owner Karen however was there, and when I explained I simply needed a place to park, she graciously welcomed my stay. Later in that evening Karen called me to say, “There’s a huge rain and wind storm coming, starting at 10 a.m., with winds up to 80 miles an hour; we’ll likely lose some trees”. She suggested that I leave the coastline by morning, while I could. Needless to say, I left before 8 a.m. and as I did, it was pouring buckets… again! With only two noteworthy images in hand (one to follow) I was disappointed… but at least I got two! :-) Happiness is in the accumulation of micro moments… and my “micro” visit to the Oregon coast was indeed memorable!
