The Best of 2011 Part II

I'm not sure if the large number of favourite pictures from the latter 6 months of 2011 is indicative of any improvement in my skills or because better weather gave me more opportunities. Regardless, selecting only 12 pictures from 6 months of work proved too challenging for a procrastinator like me - So you get a Part II and a Part III!

July began with a trip to the Vancouver Aquarium where the best image captured turned out to be of the feathered variety rather than the fishy variety. Thanks to the "Birds of Prey" show I was afforded a super-close encounter with a stunning bald eagle.

July was also a month with several family birthdays (including my own). Combining three generations this photo of my Aunty Sylvia, my cousin Andrea and her beautiful one year-old Lucy (all of whom celebrated a birthday within a week of one another!) has special sentimental value to me.

Lucy surely wins the "cutest of the year award"!

No other month of the year brought as many pictures as August and among the highlights was a trip to the Greater Vancouver Zoo.

Of all the many awesome pictures I was lucky to capture, the set featuring the oh-so-not-camera-shy Ostrich was number one!

WEEK 34 brought with it a summer night jaunt around Vanier Park, False Creek and Olympic Village. Armed with a tripod and intervalometer I snagged some long exposure shots I am immensely proud of.

I made my first attempts at "light painting" with this sculpture...

And this art installation...

Meanwhile, this next picture was somehow stumbled upon by a rock band in Greece who recently enquired about using it on their next album cover!

My night ended at Olympic Village capturing images across False Creek of B.C. Place. The stadium upgrade was still in progress back in August so I might just have to visit this spot again now that all the new exterior lighting is complete.

September brought with it a new toy in the shape of a Lensbaby and this was my favourite shot I managed to (literally!) squeeze out of it...

Come back soon for the final part of this look back through 2011 which will include pumpkins, macabre kitchens from hell, Canucks and glorious sunsets!

Until next time folks...

2011 WEEK 30 & 31: On Safari Part III

During our safari adventure at the Greater Vancouver Zoo, there was one animal that stood head and shoulders above all the others - for more than one reason. He was so curious, so comical and so good at modeling for the camera, I felt he deserved to be the star of this final selection of pictures.

Look at those legs! They'd make a super model jealous!

This female ostrich did not appreciate her male companion so she turned her back on him... but he just laughed. How rude.

Shunned, he came to investigate us. "I'm ready for my close-up!"

Sometimes weird coincidences occur when one's finger presses the shutter release button on the camera. Sometimes one doesn't realize what we've got until we get home and see the photo in a larger format. Case in point, this next picture...

"Look out for that bug!"

Of all the birds I've had the pleasure to photograph during the course of my 2011 photographic adventure, I think this Ostrich is my new favourite model. Admittedly, he's odd and fascinating in all kinds of ways but my goodness, he has SO much personality! Looking at him straight on, he reminds me of a Wallace & Gromit character with the classic over-bite.

He doesn't have a single bad angle...

This final picture is slightly cropped to really bring out the close details. There's something about this guy that is so totally awesome and Punk-Rock. If he listened to music, The Sex Pistols would be most played on his iPod. His favourite movies would be Repo Man, Hard Core Logo and Tank Girl!

I hope you've enjoyed this week's wildlife adventure!

Until next time folks.