I am a retired Veterinarian living on southern Vancouver Island. As a child growing up on the prairies I was always happiest when I was outside playing in the bushes and fields observing and interacting with nature. This translated in my later years into a keen interest in photography, where I could attempt to capture in photographs the wonderment that I felt. Of course back then it was all film photography and therefore I was limited by my finances as to how many photos I could actually afford to take.
My subsequent veterinary studies and practice took most of my time and did not leave me with much time to pursue my photography interests. However, upon retiring I soon found myself back hiking on mountain and forest trails and once again reconnecting with my passion for nature and, of course, photography.
Photography equipment had advanced significantly and the film days were mostly gone and we now had digital cameras. I embraced the new camera technology and also started a new activity, recreational diving. This was a whole new world to explore and photograph. I enjoy the challenges posed by photographing subjects underwater as well as the opportunity to capture the images to view later at my leisure. My wife and I have traveled the world diving and photographing undersea life, as well as photographing nature on land.
While I always enjoy a beautiful portrait of any wildlife subject be it bird, mammal or undersea creature, I usually endeavor to capture the subject within and interacting with it’s environment or even sometimes the photographer. A bird in flight, an animal hunting for food or an inquisitive fish looking at the photographer always adds an extra element of interest to a photograph.
Even landscape photographs are enhanced by the changing conditions imposed by mother nature. An angry sky, a beautiful sunset or the rolling surf are just a few examples of mother nature adding an extra element of interest, enhancing the viewers appreciation of the photograph. Photographing nature is oftentimes challenging but with the challenge the rewards of getting a good photograph can be very fulfilling.
