Island Paradise
Vancouver Island is one large green park. It amazes me that wherever you go, there is incredible unspoiled beauty and nature. Walking out into the woods you are bathed by a calming green canopy. A true rainforest full of ferns, moss, incredible trees, and water all around. Regardless of the conditions, a walk in this great park always energizes and refreshes. Mind you, getting up at 5:30 you need some motivation.
On a recent trip with Brad Powell (www.bphoto.ca) we explored Koksilah River Provincial Park http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/koksilah_rv/ and then a stop at Goldstream Park http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/goldstream/ which is one of my favourites on the Malahat.
Hope you enjoy some of these recent images.
Early Morning Peace
I went out very early on a Sunday morning with photo buddy Brad Powell to Honeymoon Bay past Lake Cowichan. Getting up at 5:30 a.m. I seriously thought I had lost my mind. When we got to Honeymoon Bay and stumbled through the dark to the shore, we saw the first glimpse of the sun breaking through the fog. Setting up, we could feel the warmth on our face, and our mind calming down and becoming quiet. To hear the silence of the early morning, to see the peace of the sun breaking out over the still water, it was all worth while.
As Brad said, the early morning is the best time of the day: calm, quiet, peaceful and everything is just perfect. The day is yet to come but you are ready for it now.
Waterfalls in summer
This is probably one of the most photographed falls here in Nanaimo. There are always people with a camera pointed at the falls. Whenever I go there, the falls present a different face and mood. This particular image was taken in the summer - the water flow was enough to create that long exposure look but placid enough to result in some interesting patterns at the base. The summer can be an interesting time to photograph waterfalls here on the island if the summer has not been so dry as to leave no water in the local rivers - which of course is becoming a real concern. There is a lot of life around the falls - owls, eagles, crows, otters on occasion, and some fish as well.
The Joy of Island Rains
Rosewall Creek WaterfallMy daughter (5 months pregnant) was kind enough to hold an umbrella over my camera allowing me to take this shot.
With the recent storms and deluge on the Island, it is hard to remember how much joy and pleasure the rains bring us. Hiking into the many ravines and all the streams in our background is always cleansing and invigorating. I feel as the cobwebs are being blown out, and energy being pumped into one's soul. All this rain is what keeps our forests green, gives us fresh clean water and makes our little island a special place. Let's see what water falls I can find this coming year on the island. If you would be willing to share your special place or waterfall, I hope you will drop me a line.
Island Water falls
Chaser-River-fallsWaterfall at Chase River
This fall on Vancouver Island has been especially nice to capture the colors. Combined with the abundance of waterfalls, it is hard to resist going out with the camera. The sound of the water combined with the changing colours I find very pleasing to all my senses. Recently I went out to photography one of the hidden gems in the middle of our city: the water falls on the Chase River at the top end of Collier Dam park. It is a very small fall. The combination of trees, fall colours and the sparkling water just draws you in. The more you visit this site, the more you see. I hope you enjoy this capture of the scene.