1/365Eight Bolts Think it’s time for another 365 Day Project—expect an eclectic mix of urban abstracts, back alleys, and epic landscapes as well as some off the wall feral shopping carts! I did one of these in 2015 (should really bundle those images into a book) and loved the creative challenge. I’ll be looking to create and post at least one …
Landscapes
Making a Mark – Urban Abstract Subjects
Marked Playing with abstract subjects of tire marks and cracked concrete. Looking for the Smaller Scene Sometimes the most mundane urban landscapes hold the potential for the creation of interesting “urban abstracts.” I often look for abstract images that may say more about a place and try to simplify a larger, more complex scene by focusing on a small part of it. The resulting photograph …
Lovekin Rock at Long Beach
Early in the sunset the sky over Lovekin Rock is a mix of pale blues and salmon. It gets better! There’s something about a wet beach at sunset that I just can’t get enough of. Over the course of the summer I check the tide tables and try to find days when the sunset coincides with a low or dropping tide. …
Stopping at the Kennedy River Canyon on the Way to Ucluelet
The long winding drive from Port Alberni to Ucluelet is demanding and I usually try to make at least one stop along the way to take a break and do some photography. The challenge is to find new locations along the Kennedy River where the river has carved channels through the rock and then smoothed the stone. Steep cliffs line …
Payzant Falls on the Juan De Fuca Trail
A couple of weeks ago I did a day trip out to the west coast between Port Renfrew and Victoria. This stretch of coast is the home to the Juan De Fuca Trail, a 47 km long trail that follows the coastline. Hikers have the option to do the whole trail as a multi-day hike or to pick and choose …
Union Bay Coal Hills
Large chunks of black rock on the beach at Union Bay are remnants of the area’s historic use as a coal shipping terminal between 1888 and the 1960s. Pilings are other evidence of historic industrial activity at Union Bay. I’ve lived in the Comox Valley for some time now but have never walked out into the coal waste hills at …
Lions in the Dunes at Goose Spit
The sand dunes at Goose Spit are a small and remarkable place to visit in the Comox Valley. It is easy to miss this unique dune ecosystem located about mid-way from the last parking area at the gates of HMCS Quadra and the end of the spit. Yellow Sand-verbena (Abronia latifolia) can be found in the dunes at Goose Spit. The dunes …
Awe Inspring Avatar Grove
The main attraction at Avatar Grove, an ancient gnarly western redcedar. Avatar Grove is an awe inspiring grove of old growth western redcedar and huge Douglas-fir trees. It’s hard to describe the feeling in this quiet forest near Port Renfrew. The trees are immense, towering over a forest floor covered with a chaotic jumble of fallen moss-covered wood, deer fern, …
Bravery Needed at Bonnell Creek
Two of the three main drops at Bonnell Creek Falls. Some waterfalls are challenging to get to—Ammonite Falls and the Trent River Falls are two good examples. Both of these require a rope assisted descent down a fairly steep slope. I’m not fond of heights and have visited both of these locations several times without problem. Bonnell Creek Falls are just a …
Return to Rosewall Creek
I like the hike up Rosewall Creek—it’s fairly easy going and the walk doesn’t take much more than 45 minutes to get to the first view point of the main falls. At this time of year, the water levels are high and accessing good view points for photography is challenging. Rosewall Creek flows through lush west coast forest. Today I …