Hidden! Khutzeymateen Wilderness, British Columbia.
It is the time of year when brilliance is all around us. Highlighted by holidays, giving, and times with family. The change of seasons in the Pacific Northwest is motivational as well, with winter rains, early snow, increased streamflow, the return, and ascendancy of salmon upriver, and the annual gathering of eagles taking that to full advantage.
I know that I can be inspired simply by taking a walk in the woods near our house. But what do you do when you can’t get out? Over the past few weeks, a number of factors kept me indoors and less active. However, this morning, I was up early, sipping a mocha on the banks of the Nooksack River, watching, and taking images of the eagles along the banks, congregated in nearby trees, and flying overhead. Good to feel alive and back in nature again!
Late Fall Migration! Skagit Valley, Washington.
Thankfully, when I can’t get out, I have a list of photographers who inspire me. That I can follow on their Instagram accounts to spend time with the wildlife, mountains, and rivers that I love without leaving home. These are photographers who have like interests to mine, whose sense of light and beauty is dead-on for me, and who also live in beautiful, wonderful parts of the west.
Many of these photographers I have met, but some I know only from following their work, being followed back, and being encouraged by their artistry, adventure, and sense and wonder of the beauty this world has to offer. It would be my greatest pleasure to meet with them for a photoshoot some day!
Dive On In! British Columbia.
Some are well known, some with full time jobs with National Geographic or Canadian Geographic, who get to travel to all the places I want to go: Alaska, Antarctica, Manitoba, Gaspe Peninsula and so many others (some of them even warm and sunny). Some have literally thousands of followers.
· Chris Morgan is a podcaster and author, conservationist, and TV host here in the Seattle area. I met Chris many years ago working on a partnership effort with Conservation Northwest. www.chrismorganwildlife.org
· Daisy Gilardini is a CanGeo photographer in residence and a Swiss Nikon Ambassador. We haven’t met but were on different boats in the Khutzeymateen Wilderness this spring. www.daisygilardini.com
· Paul Nicklen is another NatGeo contributor. His early photos of diving in Antarctica, immersed in streams taking pictures of bears, and his capturing of wolves all over were early motivations for me and my photography (not early enough as I only found Paul’s work once I got too old (?) to dive and swim rivers with a full load of cameras and lenses). www.instagram.com/paulnicklen
Nooksack Valley Morning! Washington State.
The following are smaller, more local regional photographers, those with whom I find a direct connection and who I follow at least once a day. These are the photographers that really enthuse and inspire me, and without competition, make me want to both be a better photographer, to get out even more, and see more of this world:
· Ash Williams lives and shoots in the Canadian Rockies, and his photos and videos are just great. Jealous of his ability to get to those high viewpoints (and his new drone work). www.isolatedpeakphotography.com
· Anthony Bucci lives on Northern Vancouver Island and his collection of photos of owls, bears, coastal wolves, and other wildlife is hard to beat. He also offers wildlife tours. www.abucciphotography.com
· Matthew Ross is a wildlife, nature, and documentary photographer out of Colorado. Met Matthew on a Yellowstone trip years ago. His photos of elk, bear, moose, and pikas are just amazing. www.mrossphotography.com
· Kyla Black is a photographer and back-road explorer from Alberta. Her capture of light, wildlife, and structural landscapes photos are beautiful. Really makes me want to travel to the Alberta area with my camera. www.gatheringdustphotography.com
· John Scurlock does aerial photography from a self-built plane. He shoots primarily in the cascade and Canadian Rockies. John is a long-time supporter of the Whatcom Land Trust auctions, and I am lucky to have a number of his prints in my home. www.jaggedridgeimaging.com
· Loren Mooney is a wildlife and nature photographer based near Yellowstone and Tucson. Another great photographer I met on a trip to Yellowstone National Park. www.instagram.com/loren.mooney
· Steve Schellenberg I met on a sailing trip to the Great Bear Rainforest years ago (Steve was photographer and first-mate). His photos of the arctic and coastal regions are just fantastic. www.instagram.com/steve.schellenberg
· Gary Ratcliff is an old friend, paddler, and member of the Maryland Trail Club (so many years ago). Gary actually took me down my first self-guided, multi-day river trip on the Selway years ago. His landscapes of the San Juan Mountain region of Ouray, Telluride and Silverton are just beautiful. www.ourayimage.com
Shoreline Search! Khutzeymateen Wilderness, British Columbia.
If you enjoy my photos at northwestriversphotography.com, I hope you will look up these photographers and their work -- and support them if one of their prints really moves you. Especially now, during the holidays, when beauty and family surround us – what a great time to get a quick jolt of nature and the wonders it has to offer our hearts and souls. The work of these artists is guaranteed to bring that directly to you.
And don’t forget to check out my new online shop at www.northwestriversphotography.myshopify.com
Endnotes:
· For those interested in additional information on the Washington and British Columbia coastline, an innovative new project developed by the Hakai Institute and various partners, OceanConnect, offers ocean enthusiasts a view of the Salish Sea—the stretch of Pacific waters straddling the border between British Columbia and Washington State—that they’ve never had before. Unlike other forecasters, OceanConnect provides a map of currents up to 40 hours into the future, high-resolution data for sea temperature, and standard information for air temperature, wind, waves, and tides.
· Attached below is an article on the Khutzeymateen Wilderness written by Professor of Biology Peter Hudson at Penn State University. Peter was on my trip earlier this spring and he offers great photos as well as incredible insight into the life of grizzly bears in this article by PTAware .
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