28 Jan

Posted at 11:42h in Photo Tours
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Breathtaking Breach

Are you looking to capture stunning images like the one in this post? Are you looking for a great photography adventure in 2019?

 

We are currently working our way through the priority booking list for all those that requested “first right of refusal”, and once that is complete we will be posting the trips online, hopefully in early February.

 

For those of you who are not aware, we allow clients to sign up to our priority booking list, more details can be found in the Priority Booking section of the Photo Tours page.

 

Once 2019 is available, we will begin to take names for our photo tours in 2020.

 

To see many of the great images that I was fortunate enough to capture on our trips over the years, visit my Journeys gallery.  Feel free to contact me for more information on any of our photo tours [email protected].

Breathtaking Breach

Are you looking to capture stunning images like the one in this post? Are you looking for a great photography adventure in 2019?

 

We are currently working our way through the priority booking list for all those that requested “first right of refusal”, and once that is complete we will be posting the trips online, hopefully in early February.

 

For those of you who are not aware, we allow clients to sign up to our priority booking list, more details can be found in the Priority Booking section of the Photo Tours page.

 

Once 2019 is available, we will begin to take names for our photo tours in 2020.

 

To see many of the great images that I was fortunate enough to capture on our trips over the years, visit my Journeys gallery.  Feel free to contact me for more information on any of our photo tours [email protected].

14 Jan

Posted at 16:03h in Photo Tours
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Good news for those that are looking for a late November trip, we have added a new trip to the roster for 2018 the “Kluane-Haines Explorer”, and there are spaces available.

 

View from Above

This trip starts off in Whitehorse in Canada’s North, and splits time between exploring Kluane National Park, and photographing the Dall Sheep that traverse the mountainside in this breathtaking environment.  This is followed by visiting Haines, Alaska, where you will spend several days along the river that is still open, and photographing the thousands of Bald Eagles that migrate to these open waters.

 

More information about this trip is available on my Photo Tours page or contact me [email protected] for more information.

 

We are in the process of finalizing all the details of 2019 trips, and will be contacting those on the priority booking list soon about securing your spot.

Good news for those that are looking for a late November trip, we have added a new trip to the roster for 2018 the “Kluane-Haines Explorer”, and there are spaces available.

 

View from Above

This trip starts off in Whitehorse in Canada’s North, and splits time between exploring Kluane National Park, and photographing the Dall Sheep that traverse the mountainside in this breathtaking environment.  This is followed by visiting Haines, Alaska, where you will spend several days along the river that is still open, and photographing the thousands of Bald Eagles that migrate to these open waters.

 

More information about this trip is available on my Photo Tours page or contact me [email protected] for more information.

 

We are in the process of finalizing all the details of 2019 trips, and will be contacting those on the priority booking list soon about securing your spot.

15 Oct

Posted at 14:49h in Photo Tours
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I’m just arriving back from the Great Bear Rainforest trip of 2017, and it was another one to remember.

 

Carryout Dinner

We were treated to the opportunity to spend time photographing three different Spirit Bears, which is always a highlight of the trip. These bears are quite rare, and exist in only a few places along the Coast of British Columbia, so the fact that we were able to spend time (more than just a glance) with three of them is really lucky.

 

We go to the Great Bear Rainforest for more than just Spirit Bears, we also hope to see Black Bears, Grizzly Bears, Humpbacks, and whatever else we come across along the way.  This is why the trip is named “Into the Great Bear Rainforest” instead of Spirit Bear Trip.

 

We had the opportunity to see a Grizzly Bear with two cubs, and quite a few Black Bears, all of which seemed to be taking advantage of the salmon (alive or dead) that were in the rivers, or that have washed up on the shore during high tide in some of the inlets.  We even saw a very unique looking Black Bear that seemed like it’s fur had a bit of white and black in it, it was a very interesting looking bear.

 

Some of the “whatever else” that we had the opportunity to photograph this year was some time spent photographing Humpback Whales (even seeing a few distant breaches), Transient Killer Whales, seeing an Elephant Seal in the distance, and a short time with Harbour Seals.   We also saw a few Bald Eagles perched in the trees,  a few Great Blue Herons, and several Pine Martens that were feeding on leftover salmon along the river.

 

This trip was like none other that I experienced in the past, and that’s why I keep going back. For the first time in the last four years I was tortured by sun, pretty much 7 full days of sunshine, with very little cloud. Which made photographing whales or bears along the water at certain times of the day very challenging. I guess all those years that I wished for a little sun while sitting in a downpour came all at once.

 

As always I was joined by an excellent group of people and welcomed by the terrific crew of the ship, these trips would never be the same without them.

 

To stay up-to-date with my latest images, including ones from this trip, visit my Recent Photos gallery.  If you would like to join us on a Great Bear Rainforest trip in the future contact me [email protected].

28 Sep

Posted at 12:39h in Photo Tours
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Nature’s Bridge

I’m getting excited for my fourth trip into the Great Bear Rainforest located on the coast of British Columbia.  While the Great Bear Rainforest is home to the rare, and unique, Spirit Bear, we don’t only focus on them. Instead we spend our time touring the Great Bear Rainforest for all the different species that call it home.  This includes Black Bears, Grizzly Bears, Humpback Whales, Harbour Seals, Bald Eagles and sometimes even Coastal Wolves if we are lucky, and of course the Spirit Bear.

 

Spirit Kermode Bear Great Bear Rainforest

Balancing on the Rocks

What I enjoy the most about this trip is the diversity of the species that we can photograph, and that we never really know what to expect.  One year can be very different from the next.

 

I am also looking forward to trying out the Canon 400 f/2.8 L IS II lens for the first time in the Great Bear Rainforest.  The f/2.8 aperture can really come in handy on some of the low light days, due to the rains and cloud cover that are common in the rainforest this time of year.

 

To see the images from past trips (which highlights the diversity of species) check out my Great Bear Rainforest Journeys Gallery.  If you would like to get your name on the list to experience this unique location for yourself, contact me, [email protected].

 

Stay tuned for a post trip update.

Nature’s Bridge

I’m getting excited for my fourth trip into the Great Bear Rainforest located on the coast of British Columbia.  While the Great Bear Rainforest is home to the rare, and unique, Spirit Bear, we don’t only focus on them. Instead we spend our time touring the Great Bear Rainforest for all the different species that call it home.  This includes Black Bears, Grizzly Bears, Humpback Whales, Harbour Seals, Bald Eagles and sometimes even Coastal Wolves if we are lucky, and of course the Spirit Bear.

 

Spirit Kermode Bear Great Bear Rainforest

Balancing on the Rocks

What I enjoy the most about this trip is the diversity of the species that we can photograph, and that we never really know what to expect.  One year can be very different from the next.

 

I am also looking forward to trying out the Canon 400 f/2.8 L IS II lens for the first time in the Great Bear Rainforest.  The f/2.8 aperture can really come in handy on some of the low light days, due to the rains and cloud cover that are common in the rainforest this time of year.

 

To see the images from past trips (which highlights the diversity of species) check out my Great Bear Rainforest Journeys Gallery.  If you would like to get your name on the list to experience this unique location for yourself, contact me, [email protected].

 

Stay tuned for a post trip update.

26 Aug

Posted at 15:43h in Photo Tours
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I’m just arriving back from the 2017 Fishing Grizzlies of the Taku where we spent five days along the river photographing just that (grizzlies fishing the Taku River and its tributaries).  The 2017 Fishing Grizzlies of the Taku sure stood up to its name, we had many grizzlies that were fishing (one we photographed for over an hour fishing in front of us).  This year the river was full of salmon, and unlike last year, we weren’t competing with a crazy good berry season, therefore it drove upwards of 20 different Grizzly Bears to the rivers in order to pack on the pounds with high-calorie fish.  Not only were the Grizzlies fishing, but the tended to grab the smaller Pink Salmon which they would then enjoy right in front of us (even if it took them 20 minutes, like one bear called Pablo). When they did catch a Chinook (or King) salmon they would often take it into the woods because it was like a three course meal the fish are so big, as these fish average up to 20 pounds and measure an average of 36 inches, so you can see why they would need to take it away to eat it all.

 

This year the trip was action packed, and more than just photographing the bears fishing, we started the trip off with a beautiful, almost 45 minute, ride over the mountains and large lakes to get us from Atlin, British Columbia, to the Bear Camp.  It is one of the most stunning ways to see this unique landscape. Once we arrived at camp, we started seeing bears almost right away, and the action continued for the next five days. Watching, and more importantly photographing, bears fishing adds a new dynamic to the photos of a single bear when compared to a place like the Khutzeymateen where they are feeding on Sedge Grasses and doing the occasional clam digging.  You get to watch the bears splash around in the water, or dive in from the shore, and we even watched one bear completely disappear under the water (ears and all) and snorkel to find the fish – I would show a picture but all it looks like is a splash in the water.  You also get to see the bears battling the fish, either by trying to trap them in their paws, or keep a hold of them in their mouth while the fish try like crazy to get away, and the odd bear almost seemed to like to show his conquest to the crowd before enjoying it.

 

 

In addition to bears fishing, we were fortunate enough to have several bears rub on a rub tree that was right at the Bear Camp, and so close, that it was hard to get the entire bear in the frame even shooting at 100mm (the shortest lens I could put my hands on).

There were also a couple “battles” that happened among sub-adult males trying to establish dominance, unfortunately I was at a different viewing site when this occurred so I didn’t get any photographs, but the clients that were there were extremely happy. I did watch another once at a distance of two bears sussing each other out.

 

There were also a few different moms with cubs from cubs of the year two second year cubs.  The mom with the cubs of the year was still a little bit apprehensive about bringing her cubs close-by, so we had to enjoy them at a distance, but the moms with the older cubs had no problem walking right by us with them, and fishing in front of us.  It was interesting to watch how the different moms behaved with their cubs, with one mom being very greedy with her fish and smacking her cub around when it tried to steal her fish.  Whereas another mom would catch fish and bring it back to her cub to share, and let the cub steal it away.  I am curious to know whether one upbringing will lead to more successful adult than the other.

 

We had the opportunity to also photograph animals other than bears, there were Bald Eagles, although in fewer numbers than in the previous year, but more were coming in each day.  There were other bird life such as Spotted Sandpipers, Common Mergansers, Crows, and Dippers (again in fewer numbers than previous year), and squirrels and hares hanging around the camp.  A few of us were even lucky enough to see and photograph a Pine Marten as we walked back from one of the viewing sites.  And for anyone interested in testing out their cameras AF settings, lots of Salmon jumping out of the water.  There was certainly lots to see and photograph.

 

In addition to the many photographs that we walked away with, it is a unique experience just to sit alongside the river and listen to the river flowing, and the crunching of bones when the bear started eating a fish close-by.  Unlike some other places where you can watch Grizzlies fishing, this trip is limited to 8 guests, so there are very few people that are witnessing some of the unique things that you are.  It is just so calm and peaceful.

 

To stay up-to-date as I post more images, and to view images from previous trip visit my Recent Photos gallery.

I’m just arriving back from the 2017 Fishing Grizzlies of the Taku where we spent five days along the river photographing just that (grizzlies fishing the Taku River and its tributaries).  The 2017 Fishing Grizzlies of the Taku sure stood up to its name, we had many grizzlies that were fishing (one we photographed for over an hour fishing in front of us).  This year the river was full of salmon, and unlike last year, we weren’t competing with a crazy good berry season, therefore it drove upwards of 20 different Grizzly Bears to the rivers in order to pack on the pounds with high-calorie fish.  Not only were the Grizzlies fishing, but the tended to grab the smaller Pink Salmon which they would then enjoy right in front of us (even if it took them 20 minutes, like one bear called Pablo). When they did catch a Chinook (or King) salmon they would often take it into the woods because it was like a three course meal the fish are so big, as these fish average up to 20 pounds and measure an average of 36 inches, so you can see why they would need to take it away to eat it all.

 

This year the trip was action packed, and more than just photographing the bears fishing, we started the trip off with a beautiful, almost 45 minute, ride over the mountains and large lakes to get us from Atlin, British Columbia, to the Bear Camp.  It is one of the most stunning ways to see this unique landscape. Once we arrived at camp, we started seeing bears almost right away, and the action continued for the next five days. Watching, and more importantly photographing, bears fishing adds a new dynamic to the photos of a single bear when compared to a place like the Khutzeymateen where they are feeding on Sedge Grasses and doing the occasional clam digging.  You get to watch the bears splash around in the water, or dive in from the shore, and we even watched one bear completely disappear under the water (ears and all) and snorkel to find the fish – I would show a picture but all it looks like is a splash in the water.  You also get to see the bears battling the fish, either by trying to trap them in their paws, or keep a hold of them in their mouth while the fish try like crazy to get away, and the odd bear almost seemed to like to show his conquest to the crowd before enjoying it.

 

 

In addition to bears fishing, we were fortunate enough to have several bears rub on a rub tree that was right at the Bear Camp, and so close, that it was hard to get the entire bear in the frame even shooting at 100mm (the shortest lens I could put my hands on).

There were also a couple “battles” that happened among sub-adult males trying to establish dominance, unfortunately I was at a different viewing site when this occurred so I didn’t get any photographs, but the clients that were there were extremely happy. I did watch another once at a distance of two bears sussing each other out.

 

There were also a few different moms with cubs from cubs of the year two second year cubs.  The mom with the cubs of the year was still a little bit apprehensive about bringing her cubs close-by, so we had to enjoy them at a distance, but the moms with the older cubs had no problem walking right by us with them, and fishing in front of us.  It was interesting to watch how the different moms behaved with their cubs, with one mom being very greedy with her fish and smacking her cub around when it tried to steal her fish.  Whereas another mom would catch fish and bring it back to her cub to share, and let the cub steal it away.  I am curious to know whether one upbringing will lead to more successful adult than the other.

 

We had the opportunity to also photograph animals other than bears, there were Bald Eagles, although in fewer numbers than in the previous year, but more were coming in each day.  There were other bird life such as Spotted Sandpipers, Common Mergansers, Crows, and Dippers (again in fewer numbers than previous year), and squirrels and hares hanging around the camp.  A few of us were even lucky enough to see and photograph a Pine Marten as we walked back from one of the viewing sites.  And for anyone interested in testing out their cameras AF settings, lots of Salmon jumping out of the water.  There was certainly lots to see and photograph.

 

In addition to the many photographs that we walked away with, it is a unique experience just to sit alongside the river and listen to the river flowing, and the crunching of bones when the bear started eating a fish close-by.  Unlike some other places where you can watch Grizzlies fishing, this trip is limited to 8 guests, so there are very few people that are witnessing some of the unique things that you are.  It is just so calm and peaceful.

 

To stay up-to-date as I post more images, and to view images from previous trip visit my Recent Photos gallery.

11 Jun

Posted at 11:16h in Photo Tours
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I am just getting home from seven awesome days in the Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary located on the coast of British Columbia. This pristine estuary is located on the northern coast of British Columbia, and is the only Grizzly Bear Sanctuary in Canada.  Visiting a location like this, really makes you appreciate all the hard work that went into setting this land aside as a sanctuary, because it is remote, pristine, and untouched.  Because the Grizzly Bears in this area cannot be hunted, most of them tend to not mind us photographing them from the zodiac (however there were certainly exceptions).

 

On Alert

This year, I was hopeful that we would get to see some Grizzly Bear Cubs given the amount of mating we watched in 2015.  Mother Grizzly Bears tend to not bring their cubs into the estuary until they are yearlings, because there can be some big males that make their way into the estuary, and therefore a big risk to the new (and very tiny) cubs of the year.  Well, I was not disappointed, and my expectations were exceeded.  We had the opportunity to see four different moms with cubs (while one we only saw briefly). In addition to just seeing them, we got to watch, and photograph, some really neat interactions between the moms and cubs, with one cub trying to learn how to dig clams while watching his mom, and seeing the cubs snuggle up with their mom to sleep, and even had the opportunity to have one of the mothers nurse her cubs right in front of us.

 

We also got really lucky with both the number of Grizzly Bears that we saw, and also lucky with all the different aspects of the bears lives that we got to photograph.  We got them eating grass, courting and mating, interacting with cubs, swimming, digging clams, napping, jumping, and so much more.  It was like we had the opportunity to see everything that the bears do all compressed into seven days.

 

The “and more” in the title is because I expected to see Grizzly Bears, considering it is a “Grizzly Bear Sanctuary”, but I didn’t expect to see some of the other species that we saw.  Most notable of course was the wolves that we saw on both the 4 day trip and the 3 day trip, and was the longest I have ever got to spend with a wolf in the Khutzeymateen (way longer than the few seconds I saw one for last year). In addition to the wolves, over the seven days I also saw a few Black Bears, Mink, and even a Porcupine. And among some of the birds and ducks we got to see were Harlequin Ducks, Bald Eagles, and more (although the birds, especially the small ones, can be hard to photograph).

 

I walk away from the seven days with in a state of awe over how lucky we were to get some of the things that we did, and with thousands of photos to go through and edit and get to re-live the experiences through the photos.  I’m looking forward to getting the chance to visit again in the future.  I was also very lucky with the two groups of people that I got to spend the seven days with.

 

To stay up-to-date with my latest images, visit my Recent Photos gallery, and to see the images that I have taken in my previous trips to the Khutzeymateen, visit my Khutzeymateen Gallery.

 

Now I have a couple months until I spend more time with Grizzly Bears on the Fishing Grizzlies of the Taku that I will visit in August.

 

Feel free to contact me, [email protected] with any questions about this trip.

I am just getting home from seven awesome days in the Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary located on the coast of British Columbia. This pristine estuary is located on the northern coast of British Columbia, and is the only Grizzly Bear Sanctuary in Canada.  Visiting a location like this, really makes you appreciate all the hard work that went into setting this land aside as a sanctuary, because it is remote, pristine, and untouched.  Because the Grizzly Bears in this area cannot be hunted, most of them tend to not mind us photographing them from the zodiac (however there were certainly exceptions).

 

On Alert

This year, I was hopeful that we would get to see some Grizzly Bear Cubs given the amount of mating we watched in 2015.  Mother Grizzly Bears tend to not bring their cubs into the estuary until they are yearlings, because there can be some big males that make their way into the estuary, and therefore a big risk to the new (and very tiny) cubs of the year.  Well, I was not disappointed, and my expectations were exceeded.  We had the opportunity to see four different moms with cubs (while one we only saw briefly). In addition to just seeing them, we got to watch, and photograph, some really neat interactions between the moms and cubs, with one cub trying to learn how to dig clams while watching his mom, and seeing the cubs snuggle up with their mom to sleep, and even had the opportunity to have one of the mothers nurse her cubs right in front of us.

 

We also got really lucky with both the number of Grizzly Bears that we saw, and also lucky with all the different aspects of the bears lives that we got to photograph.  We got them eating grass, courting and mating, interacting with cubs, swimming, digging clams, napping, jumping, and so much more.  It was like we had the opportunity to see everything that the bears do all compressed into seven days.

 

The “and more” in the title is because I expected to see Grizzly Bears, considering it is a “Grizzly Bear Sanctuary”, but I didn’t expect to see some of the other species that we saw.  Most notable of course was the wolves that we saw on both the 4 day trip and the 3 day trip, and was the longest I have ever got to spend with a wolf in the Khutzeymateen (way longer than the few seconds I saw one for last year). In addition to the wolves, over the seven days I also saw a few Black Bears, Mink, and even a Porcupine. And among some of the birds and ducks we got to see were Harlequin Ducks, Bald Eagles, and more (although the birds, especially the small ones, can be hard to photograph).

 

I walk away from the seven days with in a state of awe over how lucky we were to get some of the things that we did, and with thousands of photos to go through and edit and get to re-live the experiences through the photos.  I’m looking forward to getting the chance to visit again in the future.  I was also very lucky with the two groups of people that I got to spend the seven days with.

 

To stay up-to-date with my latest images, visit my Recent Photos gallery, and to see the images that I have taken in my previous trips to the Khutzeymateen, visit my Khutzeymateen Gallery.

 

Now I have a couple months until I spend more time with Grizzly Bears on the Fishing Grizzlies of the Taku that I will visit in August.

 

Feel free to contact me, [email protected] with any questions about this trip.

29 May

Posted at 12:07h in Photo Tours
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I’m on my way to one of the most wonderful places in Canada, the Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary, where I will be joining Brad Hill of Natural Art Images. This pristine estuary has provided me with some of the most memorable Grizzly Bear experiences (and photos).

 

Blowing Bubbles

Located off the Coast of British Columbia The Khutzeymateen is officially known by many different names including: Khutzeymateen Provincial Park, Khutzeymateen Grizzly Sanctuary, Khutzeymateen Inlet Conservancy, Khutzeymateen Inlet West Conservancy, or for those of us that like to use slang – the “Khutz”. The Khutzeymateen is a provincial park located off the coast of British Columbia established in 1994 and covers over 44,000 hectares of land. This park is only accessible by water, and only two operators hold permits to bring guests into the park. This makes it a very unique place to photograph Grizzly Bears, as you are one of under 200 people that get to visit the park that year. And when you are taking photographs you don’t have to worry about a dozen tour buses showing up and hundreds of people crowding in next to you.

 

Given the remoteness of the Khutzeymateen, it makes the photos that you get really unique. This year I’m hoping to focus on getting more shots of animals in their environment. The landscapes in this area are stunning, and I don’t think in the past two years I have really walked away with enough shots showing the Grizzly Bears in this pristine and beautiful area. However at the end of the day, we can only walk away with what the bears decide to give us. If they don’t want to swim, then we won’t get any swimming shots, and same goes for animalscapes.

 

Battle of the Beasts

Whatever the Grizzly Bears decide to give us, whether its swimming, walking, eating, fighting, or even mating, I’m sure that I will come away with some really great images. I’m really looking forward to the opportunity to spend 7 days with two different groups of 6 other people and getting the opportunity to meet new people, and hopefully even meet some new bears. For images that I have taken over the past two years, visit my Khutzeymateen Gallery . Trips for 2018 are already sold out, but if you would like to get your name on the priority booking list for 2019, please contact me [email protected] for more information. Stay tuned to my Recent Photos and Khutzeymateen Gallery for the images and stories from my 2017 adventure.

I’m on my way to one of the most wonderful places in Canada, the Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary, where I will be joining Brad Hill of Natural Art Images. This pristine estuary has provided me with some of the most memorable Grizzly Bear experiences (and photos).

 

Blowing Bubbles

Located off the Coast of British Columbia The Khutzeymateen is officially known by many different names including: Khutzeymateen Provincial Park, Khutzeymateen Grizzly Sanctuary, Khutzeymateen Inlet Conservancy, Khutzeymateen Inlet West Conservancy, or for those of us that like to use slang – the “Khutz”. The Khutzeymateen is a provincial park located off the coast of British Columbia established in 1994 and covers over 44,000 hectares of land. This park is only accessible by water, and only two operators hold permits to bring guests into the park. This makes it a very unique place to photograph Grizzly Bears, as you are one of under 200 people that get to visit the park that year. And when you are taking photographs you don’t have to worry about a dozen tour buses showing up and hundreds of people crowding in next to you.

 

Given the remoteness of the Khutzeymateen, it makes the photos that you get really unique. This year I’m hoping to focus on getting more shots of animals in their environment. The landscapes in this area are stunning, and I don’t think in the past two years I have really walked away with enough shots showing the Grizzly Bears in this pristine and beautiful area. However at the end of the day, we can only walk away with what the bears decide to give us. If they don’t want to swim, then we won’t get any swimming shots, and same goes for animalscapes.

 

Battle of the Beasts

Whatever the Grizzly Bears decide to give us, whether its swimming, walking, eating, fighting, or even mating, I’m sure that I will come away with some really great images. I’m really looking forward to the opportunity to spend 7 days with two different groups of 6 other people and getting the opportunity to meet new people, and hopefully even meet some new bears. For images that I have taken over the past two years, visit my Khutzeymateen Gallery . Trips for 2018 are already sold out, but if you would like to get your name on the priority booking list for 2019, please contact me [email protected] for more information. Stay tuned to my Recent Photos and Khutzeymateen Gallery for the images and stories from my 2017 adventure.

08 Apr

Posted at 15:03h in Photo Tours
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My first time visiting the Yukon was last summer before the Fishing Grizzlies of the Taku. Since then I was back again in November as the starting point of our Alaska Eagles trip. The landscape in this area are just stunning, so when I was given the opportunity to go up to the Yukon and actually spend some time photographing there (as opposed to just using it as a trip starting point), I jumped at the chance. This time, the plan was to spend a few days photographing Dall Sheep that call many of the mountain ranges in this area home.

 

Anyone that knows me knows that I prefer to photograph the large carnivores of North America (and as evidenced in my portfolio and journeys galleries). Going on a trip that wasn’t focused around these species was certainly a change, but I was up for the change.

 

I will admit heading into the trip, I thought I would end up with some decent images of Dall Sheep, but I really didn’t expect the calibre of images that I would get. The animalscape opportunities in this area were way better than I anticipated, and some of the best of all the places that I have visited. Instead of just shooting a Dall Sheep, you are really shooting landscape images with Dall Sheep in the image, and the landscapes were really quite stunning.

 

In addition to getting animalscapes, we were also able to capture images of a Ram that lost one of his horns (likely during the rut last year), which our wildlife guide said was really quite rare. We also got some cute images of moms and yearlings resting, and eating together. For just being there for two days, I was really impressed with the variety of images that I was able to capture.

 

Getting to the areas where these sheep live is really a physical challenge, especially while carrying all my camera gear (two pro bodies and multiple lenses including a 500). We were also dealing with really strong winds and melting snow conditions, but braving these conditions was worth it for the images that I came away with. These were not shooting from the side of the road, or set-up type of images, instead one location required almost two hours of walking in melting snow, and then up and down a pretty steep hill to get to the area where the Rams were hanging out.

 

This trip gave me a greater appreciation for the life that these sheep have to endure, sleeping on the edge of cliffs, battling winds, climbing mountains, and all the while trying to avoid the predators that also call this area home (such as wolves and wolverines). I know that Dall Sheep were born to live in these conditions, whereas my body clearly was not built to climb mountains. However I endured, and was able to capture some simply stunning images, that I could never have imagined before going on the trip. Having to work so hard for these images actually makes the images more valuable to me, and other than one other photographed (Brad Hill), no one will have these images, because we were the only ones shooting on the hillside these days.

 

At the end of the two days, I was really sad that I didn’t plan to spend more time with these guys, but when booking you think 2 days should be enough time with Sheep, right? I bet if I spent a week there I would have walked away with some very unique images, with each day offering something different.

 

To find out more about this trip, feel free to contact me at [email protected].

My first time visiting the Yukon was last summer before the Fishing Grizzlies of the Taku. Since then I was back again in November as the starting point of our Alaska Eagles trip. The landscape in this area are just stunning, so when I was given the opportunity to go up to the Yukon and actually spend some time photographing there (as opposed to just using it as a trip starting point), I jumped at the chance. This time, the plan was to spend a few days photographing Dall Sheep that call many of the mountain ranges in this area home.

 

Anyone that knows me knows that I prefer to photograph the large carnivores of North America (and as evidenced in my portfolio and journeys galleries). Going on a trip that wasn’t focused around these species was certainly a change, but I was up for the change.

 

I will admit heading into the trip, I thought I would end up with some decent images of Dall Sheep, but I really didn’t expect the calibre of images that I would get. The animalscape opportunities in this area were way better than I anticipated, and some of the best of all the places that I have visited. Instead of just shooting a Dall Sheep, you are really shooting landscape images with Dall Sheep in the image, and the landscapes were really quite stunning.

 

In addition to getting animalscapes, we were also able to capture images of a Ram that lost one of his horns (likely during the rut last year), which our wildlife guide said was really quite rare. We also got some cute images of moms and yearlings resting, and eating together. For just being there for two days, I was really impressed with the variety of images that I was able to capture.

 

Getting to the areas where these sheep live is really a physical challenge, especially while carrying all my camera gear (two pro bodies and multiple lenses including a 500). We were also dealing with really strong winds and melting snow conditions, but braving these conditions was worth it for the images that I came away with. These were not shooting from the side of the road, or set-up type of images, instead one location required almost two hours of walking in melting snow, and then up and down a pretty steep hill to get to the area where the Rams were hanging out.

 

This trip gave me a greater appreciation for the life that these sheep have to endure, sleeping on the edge of cliffs, battling winds, climbing mountains, and all the while trying to avoid the predators that also call this area home (such as wolves and wolverines). I know that Dall Sheep were born to live in these conditions, whereas my body clearly was not built to climb mountains. However I endured, and was able to capture some simply stunning images, that I could never have imagined before going on the trip. Having to work so hard for these images actually makes the images more valuable to me, and other than one other photographed (Brad Hill), no one will have these images, because we were the only ones shooting on the hillside these days.

 

At the end of the two days, I was really sad that I didn’t plan to spend more time with these guys, but when booking you think 2 days should be enough time with Sheep, right? I bet if I spent a week there I would have walked away with some very unique images, with each day offering something different.

 

To find out more about this trip, feel free to contact me at [email protected].


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14 Mar

Posted at 19:30h in Photo Tours
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The Photo Tours page on my website is now live.  These trips are offered in conjunction with Brad Hill of Natural Art Images.

 

Most trips for 2017 are now sold out, however, there are still a few spots available on the Fishing Grizzlies of the Taku.

 

The 2018 tour dates are also now available, with a number of trips already sold out.  There are still spots available on the Marine Mammals, and Fishing Grizzlies of the Taku.  Visit the Photo Tours page for more information on these trips.

 

If you would like more information on these trips, feel free to contact me at [email protected].  You can view images from my past trips in my Journeys Galleries.

08 Feb

Posted at 13:14h in Photo Tours
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I’m a little late with this blog post, but I had a wonderful time during my winter trip to Yellowstone National Park. The last few years I have taken the Christmas Break and gone down to Yellowstone, and despite the fx rate, decided at the last minute that I would do the same thing for a few days this Christmas. Yellowstone in the winter is different than Yellowstone in the Spring or Summer in that only a small portion of the park is even open, from Mammoth Hot Springs through the Lamar Valley to the North East Entrance in Cooke City, and it tends to be reasonably quiet, even over Christmas break.

Lone Wolf

What draws me to Yellowstone is that it usually has a wide variety of wildlife to photograph from Bison, Elk, Deer, Coyotes, and if I’m lucky wolves. Besides the wildlife photography, I really enjoy snowshoeing in the powder snow that falls in Yellowstone, and exploring areas off the beaten path. I don’t usually go into a trip with any expectations, and this trip was no different, my only expectation was to get away for a few days and get a break from the office and just get out in nature and get my head cleared.

 

After spending time the last three winters in Yellowstone, I’m coming away this year realizing that no year has been the same, with a different highlight the last three years. Last year I was thrilled with my opportunities that I had with the wolves, however this year, had considerably less chances with them. Instead, I had an unforgettable day with River Otters, which was a first for me, and I spent pretty much the entire day just photographing the River Otters. I walked away with some excellent images from the experience (if only there was better light), and I really enjoyed the opportunity to watch up to five of them coming out of the water and “playing” around in the snow. I was also really lucky in that I saw several of them with trout, so not only did I get to see them, photograph them, but also got them with a meal, which is really quite the opportunity.

Fishing Hole

River Otters are known to be a playful species, and I wasn’t disappointed. They came out of the water a number of times and would roll around in the snow, crawl over one another, and even “dance” around before jumping back in the water and taking off. They also seemed quite curious and looked right at the photographers that were enthralled with them, and the River Otters seemed like they were showing off for us a bit. One word of advice if you are looking for River Otters, if you see something duck their head in the water and assume it was just a duck or dipper, have a second look and make sure that it isn’t actually a River Otter.

 

I was surprised, however, that I came away with very few shots of the “staple” species such as Bison, Elk, and Pronghorn, especially compared to previous years.

 

Last year in Yellowstone I had some unforgettable Wolf encounters, seeing wolves everyday of the over one week trip, and getting the opportunity to watch as two wolves tried to take down a large male elk, or as members of the wolf pack fed and slept next to a carcass. I also had the chance to hear them howling around me while snowshoeing, which if you have ever experienced it you know how mesmerizing it is. But this year I had a few far off wolf sightings, however the photographs did not compare to what I had the year before. But the highlight of getting to see River Otters made the lack of wolf photos worth it.

 

Pygmy on Point

This year I also saw a few Northern Pygmy Owls which was another photography first for me. The only unfortunate part (from a photographers perspective) is that they were always perched on the very top, or close to it, of very tall trees, I still walked away with my best shots of Northern Pygmy Owls, and now that I know what to look for I’m optimistic that I will see more, and get even better shots in the future.

 

So while the trip wasn’t like it was last year, or even the year before, I wouldn’t hesitate to visit Yellowstone again next winter if I have the time.

 

Stay tuned to my Recent Photos for images posted as I edit them, and if you would like to learn more about my recent trip to Yellowstone, feel free to email me [email protected].