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.

WEEK 30 & 31: On Safari! Part II

Welcome to Part II of the July long weekend safari adventure at the Greater Vancouver Zoo.

Not far from the Giraffe paddock something very large was picking its way through the grass. There was a Blue Heron nearby that was dwarfed by this creature and as it came closer, we wondered if it had had an accident of some kind. For all intents and purposes, this bird looked like it had been torched and was in serious need of some cosmetic surgery.

This is a Marabou Stork and, contrary to his appearance, he is totally fine. They all have this bare, scarred look. It's hard to tell from the above photo but this bird was HUGE. According to wikipedia they grow up to 150cm in height, weigh 10-18 lbs and have a wingspan of at least 3.5m!

Guess who?

This an African White Rhino and there are two subspecies, the Northern and the Southern. Given that there are only known to be seven Northern White Rhinos in existence, all of whom are in captivity, I'm guessing this one is a Southern White Rhino. At 40yrs old he is the oldest inhabitant of the Vancouver Zoo.

From the same continent are these African Buffalo which, due to their unpredictable nature, have yet to be domesticated. In fact they're so aggressive they've been known to take on lions as seen in this youtube video that to date has garnered a staggering 62 million views!

Just as aggressive, although you'd never think it from the below picture, is the Hippo. Two fascinating facts: 1) Despite weighing between one and half to 3 tonnes, they can easily outrun a human and over short distances can hit a speed of 30 km/hr. 2) Hippos' closest living relatives are Cetaceans - i.e. Whales.

Speaking of animals that can outrun humans...

This little guy will grow up to be one of the fastest Equines (70 km/hr) on the planet. The Kulan originates in Asia and following a successful conservation effort were recovering well until a few years ago when poaching made an aggressive return. Kulan are now on the critically endangered species list with less than a thousand left in the wild.

In an even worse situation is the Scimitar Horned Oryx. Hunted for its horns, the Oryx once occupied the whole of the Sahara and are considered extinct in the wild. There has not been a confirmed sighting of one in the wild in over 15yrs... There are believed to be over 2,000 Oryx in captivity.

This Arctic Wolf must be one of the few Vancouverites who actually doesn't mind the cooler summer temperatures this year.

This crazy looking ball of fun didn't seem to have an identification sign beside his enclosure. Is it a Hyena perhaps? Bragging rights for anyone who can identify it!

Contrary to popular belief, Camels store neither water nor beer in their humps. It's actually a fat reserve. Capable of surviving without water for months, when Camels eventually stop for a drink they can consume a staggering 57 liters in one sitting!

This Black Burro was one of the most laid back animals of the day. Whereas this Emu...

Is a perfect set-up for Part III. Coming soon...!

Until next time folks.

2011 WEEK 30 & 31: On Safari! Part I

Gosh its been a busy couple of weeks. Plans were made to get out and snap some awesome pictures and at every turn those plans were scuppered by work commitments, unexpected turns and miserable Vancouver weather. Thankfully the July long weekend finally cooperated and I got a chance to take lots and lots of pictures on a mini safari adventure to the Greater Vancouver Zoo. So many pictures in fact, I'm going to make up for lost time and post at least a couple of entries in the coming days - so come back again soon.

Growing up in Jersey in the Channel Islands, I was spoiled when it came to viewing endangered species thanks to Gerald Durrell's Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust (now known as Durrell). I'd only visited the Vancouver Zoo once before many years ago and remember being underwhelmed by the experience. The bad publicity the Vancouver Zoo received a few years back kept me from ever giving the place a second chance.

Until now.

And what an awesome day it turned out to be!

Located minutes off of Highway 1, the Greater Vancouver Zoo is about an hour drive outside of the city and for $25 it's comparable with many other local attractions. Though there are the usual over-priced concessions etc. ($18/hour for a quad bike rental!) there are many picnic areas throughout the well-maintained park. Bring a packed lunch and you're good to go.

But enough about the facilities. How about the wildlife?

When you first enter the park there's a nice little petting zoo with rabbits, chickens, goats etc. Not exactly an endangered species but this next fellow might be come Thanksgiving...

Looking as unattractive as possible obviously wasn't an adaptation that deterred predators for the poor turkey... Higher up the food chain, this Lynx didn't seem to have a care in the world... When you've got an old cardboard box to sleep in, why worry about a thing?

I am an unashamedly proud cat person. Cats have always been a part of my life and so it was fascinating to see habits that I've seen many, many times before be played out by other species of cat far wilder and bigger than the kind I'm used to. This lioness didn't have a box big enough to sleep in but she had grass to lie amid...

Plenty of time for a good yawn...

A friend to share some love with...

...And clearly not a care in the world!

This is one super relaxed cat...

Getting pictures of wildlife is challenging at the best of times. Movement is unpredictable and often fast, many animals being, well- WILD in nature, don't want to be close to humans (can't say I blame them) and even in a wildlife park, there are protective fences etc. to contend with. You'll notice a lot of these photos have blurry/softish lines through them - that's the chain link fence. The trick is to use a long lens and a steady hand and hope you're lucky enough that the wildlife is in a good enough mood to spoil you with a close up. I'd say I got really lucky...

This next picture is a Peregrine Falcon. I would not want to try snapping his picture while in flight... He's the fastest member of the animal kingdom clocking in at a staggering 325 km/hr. when in a hunting dive!

This next fellow isn't nearly as speedy but has a certain gangly grace unmatched by any other species. There's something about his perpetual sardonic expression that I love.

There's a beauty to every species. With some its easy to see. Others require the best angle. Take for example the Baboon. With their bulbous, bright red, almost painful-looking behinds, they can definitely be off-putting. Several of the photos I took of them were far too gross to show here but thankfully this one showed me his best side.

I have many, many more images to share so check back again over the next few days!

Until then... Happy July long weekend!