During a quiet and peaceful evening paddle down the the Bowron River we came across a female moose having a snack of tiny willow buds. Of course the most delicious ones were at the very top…almost out of reach!! Enjoy!

This was the view from camp where we cooked supper over an MSR stove and listened to the sounds of the Common Snipe as they dove for bugs high above us. The Bowron Lake marsh has to be one of the most spectacular wetlands in the world.  On our evening paddle we photographed beaver, moose with calves, loons and osprey. Apart from bird songs there was complete silence. The experience was beyond words. It was an evening never to be forgotten. Enjoy.

It was 6 am on Mothers Day when we came around a bend in the Bowron River. This mother moose had full intentions of sleeping in on Mothers Day, until we, the first tourists of the season, came paddling by. Not yet used to the daily parade of park canoeists, the moose got up and watched us as we drifted past her. Later that morning when we returned to our camp for breakfast, we noticed the moose had bedded down once again. With her calf nearby, she was taking Mothers Day seriously!

As mentioned in my last post, my friend Mike Duffy and I went to the Bowron River Marsh to photograph. I was shooting for my new Cariboo Chilcotin Coast book and these Cariboo wetlands are one of the most spectacular in the world.

Up at 4:15 am, Mike and I paddled out to the marsh before dawn. It was clear and – 5 degrees. It was cold, but it was so beautiful, we never even thought of the temperature. There was no wind and the moon was still bright against the dark blue sky. We were in awe. The only ripples on the water were from the slight movement of our canoe. When I made this image, I was thinking about how lucky I was to have the moon in the landscape when 5 Canada Geese flew into the scene. CLICK! How lucky is that!!

The marsh was in flood, so that is why this part of the marsh looks like a lake.

At the crack of dawn tomorrow morning I head off with my beautiful red Chestnut cedar-canvas canoe to one of my favourite spots to photograph…the Bowron River marsh within Bowron Lake Park. At this time of the year the water will be high allowing me to paddle easily throughout the wetlands. With any luck I will see moose, beaver, and whatever birds have arrived there.

The ice has just melted in the Cariboo Mountains, and at 1000 metres elevation, it is still extremely early in the summer season. Hopefully the mosquitoes haven’t arrived as yet, but I know better than to bet on that!!

So stay tuned next week when I’ll share my latest creations. I made the above image on a previous visit to the Bowron River marsh.

Photo Tip: In order to emphasis the moose, I threw the background out of focus by using a shallow depth of field.

When you drive west from Williams Lake, and you climb up onto the Motherstone (the volcanic Chilcotin Plateau), one is often greeted by dynamic skies and changing weather. As a photographer, it is one of the joys of travel in the Chilcotin.  From a composition perspective, because I was attracted to the single line of trees and the ominous sky, I reduced the space given to the green grass to a sliver. Enjoy.

On Saturday evening there was a Super Moon which was over 13,000 kms closer than its average distance to the earth and it appeared 30% brighter and 14% larger than normal.  To catch the action I drove to town and arrived just in time to make this image of the moon over 100 Mile House. When it came over the horizon, I have never seen the moon so large. It was amazing!

Farmer’s Markets are opening throughout the Cariboo Chilcotin. It’s that great time of the year when we get to eat fresh salads every night for supper. Fruit, vegetables, local produce of all kinds…doesn’t get much better than that! Support your local producers.

One of the best places to recreate and to photograph is in BC’s Chilcotin Country. Here I am photographing the harvest moon in mid-September at one of the well known Chilcotin resorts. Who can guess where I am and at which resort??

Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism Association

West Chilcotin Tourism Association

This is one of the most beautiful little birds I have come across on the Cariboo Chilcotin plateau. It was first drawn to my attention when I was photographing the Spirit in the Grass book. Every year I go back to the same spot along the highway above the Fraser River and sure enough, they are back breeding at the same location. Who can guess what it is? Enjoy!