Images of 2016

Here is my collection of favourites from the past year. I wish you all a very wonderful holiday season and a healthy and prosperous 2017!

Cheers!

1) “Aglow” – The iconic Enderby Cliffs light up as a winter’s day comes to a close

2) “Sovereign” – Enjoying some incredible conditions at Sovereign Lake, Vernon, BC

3) “Day Break” – Ringing in the new year atop Silver Star Mountain, overlooking Vernon, BC

4) “Inversion” – Otherworldly scene featuring inversion clouds blanketing Vernon, BC

5) “Swansea Point” – Lovely creek pours into Mara Lake near Sicamous, BC

6) “The Rock” – Mara Lake near Sicamous, BC

7) “Sweeping” – Early spring hits the Shuswap, Enderby, BC

8) “Fire Hills Pt.1” – Evening sky lights up over Enderby, BC

9) “Idyllic” – a perfect afternoon fly fishing Mabel Lake near Lumby, BC

10) “Two Suns, One Oasis” – Spring at McGuire Lake in Salmon Arm, BC

11) “202” – Long exposure at dusk over the Shuswap river in Enderby, BC

12) “Sunnybrae Selfie” – Shuswap Lake in the spring near Salmon Arm, BC

13) “Fire Hills Pt. 2” – Another amazing sky unfolds over Enderby, BC

14) “Stand Tall” – One of my favourite trees overlooking the Shuswap River, Enderby, BC

15)”Moments Like These” – Surreal evening on the Shuswap River, Enderby, BC

16) “Bitten” – Battling mosquitos along a swollen Shuswap River in Enderby, BC

17) “Swallowtail” – Zooming in on a smaller world, Enderby, BC

18) “Rock Blossoms” – Ellison Provincial Park near Vernon, BC

19) “Motherhood” – Okanagan Lake near Vernon, BC

20) “Tenacity” – Surviving the odds on Shuswap Lake near Blind Bay, BC

21) “Bursting” – Spring in full bloom at Swan Lake, Vernon, BC

22) “River Art” – Sand patterns along the Shuswap River, Enderby, BC

23) “Belvidere Sky” – Enderby, BC

24) “A Seat in the Shuswap” – Near Salmon Arm, BC

25) “The Ramp” – View of Sicamous, BC from the gliding ramp

26) “Sky Melt” – Unusual cloud formations over the Shuswap River in Enderby, BC

27) “Rainbow Pasta” – Ashton Creek, BC

28) “A Vibrant Shuswap” – Enderby, BC

29) “Phoenix” – Vertical panning last year’s devastating fire at Kettle River Provincial Park near Westbridge, BC

30) “Similkameen Sizzle” – near Cawston, BC

31) “Farm Life” – Keremeos, BC

32) “Summer’s End” – Skimikin Lake near Salmon Arm, BC

33) “The Tune of Autumn” – Fall scene along the Shuswap River, Enderby, BC

34) “New Horizons” – A first visit for me to Wallenteen Lake near Salmon Arm, BC

35) “Fall on Fortune” – Spallumcheen, BC

36) “On the Edge of Paradise” – Kalamalka Lake, Vernon, BC

37) “Autumn Road” – Spallumcheen, BC

38) “Cotton Candy Shuswap” – Enderby, BC

39) “November Tree” – Kalamalka Lake, Vernon, BC

40) “Christmas Magic” – Wonderful winter scene to end the year

Images of 2014

As I’ve done in years gone by, here are my favourite images from 2014. I’ve had some truly amazing experiences this year and I’m so thankful to God for every blessing He provides. I hope you enjoy this collection!

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful new year!

Fields of Gold – Enderby, BC

Shuswap Lake, Sunnybrae, BC

Okanagan Lake, Vernon, BC

Scottish Highland Cattle, near Enderby, BC

Creek spills into Mara Lake, near Sicamous, BC

The Cliffs and a rainbow, Enderby, BC

Hole in the Wall, Coquihalla Lakes area, BC

Sitting on the dock, Shuswap Lake, Sunnybrae, BC

Shadows and springtime giants, Enderby, BC

Salmon, Huihill Creek, Roderick-Haig Brown Provincial Park, near Chase, BC

Kay Falls, near Sicamous, BC

The Fire Goblin – face in the cloud following a sweeping rain in Enderby, BC

Water Picnic – a very high Shuswap River, Enderby, BC.

The Eagle Tree, near Enderby, BC

Where’s the human? Similkameen River, near Keremeos, BC

Drama unfolds over Enderby, BC

Shuswap RIver and Enderby Cliffs during a spring sunset, Enderby, BC

Top of the Cliffs, Enderby, BC

Moon rise over the Similkameen River, Hedley, BC

Light at the end of the tunnel, Canoe, BC

Rustic among the new, near Lumby, BC

The Lagoon, Blanket Creek Provincial Park, near Revelstoke, BC

Lost in the woods, Kentucky-Alleyne Provincial Park, near Merritt, BC

Wharf and summer foliage along Shuswap Lake, Salmon Arm, BC

Sisters. Gardom Lake, between Enderby and Salmon Arm, BC

Shuswap River, near Lumby, BC

Hiker basks in the majestic beauty of Manning Provincial Park, BC

Colourful winter, Spallumcheen, BC

Shuswap River, Enderby, BC

Summer’s best, Harker’s Organics, Cawston, BC

Scottish Highland Cattle, near Enderby, BC

 

Mount Robson Workshop a Huge Success

I just got back from our 3 day workshop in Mount Robson Provincial Park as part of the Discover BC Photo Tours workshop series. Twelve enthusiastic participants joined fellow instructor Kelly Funk and myself in one of the most picturesque destinations in British Columbia. For the most part, the weather cooperated. A few hours of rain challenged us on Saturday morning and again on Sunday afternoon, but the clouds and fog made for some dramatic scenes. And the saturation from the rain added to the impact.

A good time was certainly had by all, starting with an awesome wine and cheese welcome, made possible by Tourism Valemount. Silvio and Jennifer went above and beyond in helping to make this workshop a hit, providing the transportation to and from field locations throughout the entire weekend!

Friday night also included classroom style instruction on Camera Basics, Lighting, Exposure and Creative Compositions. The group was just itching to get out onto the trail the next day.

Saturday included trekking up the Berg Lake trail to Kinney Lake.

Along the way participants were offered further instruction on vertical panning, shooting lifestyle imagery, shooting water, shooting stitched panoramas and using filters. On Saturday night the group was shown how to use long exposures to turn truck tail lights into streaming beams of awesomeness tunneling towards a clouded Mt Robson. It was the perfect ending to a great day of instruction and shooting.

Sunday arrived and the weather was rather subdued, borderline flat; the perfect conditions to be shooting Rearguard Falls.

The group spread out almost immediately to find their vision and create their scenes. It was really fun to see the creative energy surface and it was here that we stressed the importance of filters when shooting waterfalls and high contrast scenes. Just when it seemed like we had exhausted the location, two rafting groups decided to hit the water and give us an opportunity to instruct on action/lifestyle photography.

After lunch on Sunday the rain started in. The group voted and we opted to use this time to stay inside and instruct on a critical element in image creation; post-processing. Here we covered topics like work flow, using Photoshop, shooting RAW, clone-stamping, highlight recovery, colour matching and outputting. This was very well received and Kelly and I have decided to make this a regular part of our workshop curriculum.

Monday was an optional day and most of the participants stuck around for the added day. We used this time to head up to White Falls along the Berg Lake trail. We were available to the group for any questions along the way, but we made a conscious decision to let them put their newly acquired knowledge to work. I look forward to seeing the shots produced by our participants.

If you want to join us on an upcoming workshop, click here to see what’s coming up for 2012. We are currently working on adding more workshops throughout BC for summer and fall of next year.

Discover BC Photo Tours launches new website

Discover BC Photo Tours (a joint venture between Darren Robinson Photography and Kelly Funk – Natural Wonders Photography) is proud to announce the launch of its new website www.bcphototours.com. Our mission is to foster an environment conducive to learning photography, both artistically and technically. By fusing together dynamic small group learning with optimal one-on-one instruction, participants are sure to notice a dramatic improvement in their imagery whatever their skill level. Through our workshops, we strive  to bring the classroom to life by introducing participants to some of the most iconic and breathtaking locations in British Columbia.

We’d like to thank Powell River based designers Massive Graphic for putting together such a captivating site. Please check it out and stay tuned as we release details on our Wells Grey Provincial Park workshop in March 2012!

Also, be sure to become a Facebook fan of Darren Robinson Photography by clicking here.

 

Inspired By Nature Workshops – Change of Dates

Due to the rapid loss of daylight during the fall season (and to appease many schedules), the dates of the last two workshops in the Inspired By Nature fall workshop series have been moved. The new dates can be accessed here. There is still space left for both October workshops (The Magic of Water, and Intimate Sunshine Coast), so contact me at darren@darrenrobinsonphotography to book or find out more about the two Saturday afternoon sessions.

The Province

The Province newspaper just published a great article by Jane Mundy on travel highlights of the Sunshine Coast, including the Sunshine Coast Trail, geocaching, and nature photography workshops.

Thank you to the Province and to Jane for helping us expose the beauty of the Sunshine Coast!

Please enjoy these other Sunshine Coast images.

Rushing creek found in the Mud Lake/Duck Lake trail system

The Sunshine Coast is blessed with ocean and freshwater lakes, including Haslam Lake in Powell River.

The Sunshine Coast is surrounded by coastal rainforest.

Quarry lake on Texada Island

Photo workshop participant awaits the perfect sunset moment. Palm Beach near Powell River.

Focus shifts to Mount Robson in September

Oh, the weather was glorious for the Coast in Focus Photography workshop last weekend here on the Upper Sunshine Coast of BC. Although the group was a smaller one (in numbers, not collective height :)), an amazing time was had by all the participants. Some of the locations changed this year, which worked out incredibly well given that this was our first year of the workshop without rain. Most notably was our visit on Sunday to Heisholt Lake (Quarry Lake) on Texada Island. The group seemed rather keen to make this amazing locale the grand finale shoot of the weekend. I am very excited to see some of the imagery produced by the workshop participants.

But now, we put Coast in Focus behind us and get ready for our Mount Robson Photography Workshop in September! This one is filling up quickly, so if you are interested in improving your imagery through professional (and experiential) instruction, be sure to book your spot soon! Kelly Funk and I will also have details coming fairly soon on our newest workshop for 2012….the incredible Purcell Mountains 🙂 Stay tuned.

Coast in Focus participant sets her focus on the Palm Beach tidal pools

Sweetwater Creek was the location for our water shoot

Sea Fair was on - great opportunity for creative scenes like this 30 second exposure

We took advantage of some unreal cloud formations that looked like jellyfish - how fitting!

 

 

Sunday's Heisholt Lake shoot was the perfect ending to a great weekend of learning

 

Participant Gabe joined me in an 80 ft plunge into the lake to finish off the weekend

Summer workshops to get you shooting…better!

I love spring. It provides me with much needed hope that summer is just around the corner. It means the beginning of more favourable “keeper-to-loser” image ratios, warmer light, new blooms, bluer skies and longer shooting days. In great anticipation of the short (seems shorter anyways) season, I eagerly plan shoots and workshops that will keep me shooting as much as possible while the weather is delightful rather than frightful. 

With this in mind, I have now put together the new Inspired By Nature photo workshop series here in Powell River. The new series consists of four, four-hour evening workshops spanning the glorious summer/fall months on BC’s Sunshine Coast. The workshops are geared towards those that wish to vastly improve their photography skills, but are limited due to time restraints and unforgiving commitments called life. Topics include: All About Light, Composition 101, Intimate Sunshine Coast (macro/close-up photography), and The Magic of Water. Each workshop begins with a recap of camera basics to ensure that everyone is in the know when it comes to their basic camera functions. I will email a camera basics worksheet a couple of weeks before each workshop for all participants to review for homework (darn rights there’ll be a test…it’s called the field shoot :)). Then once we are done our recap, we will start putting that new knowledge into practice in some of the most spectacular locations on the upper Sunshine Coast. Here’s the catch. To ensure everyone gets as much attention as possible, I am capping each workshop at 10 people. So make sure you contact me as early as possible if you would like to reserve your spot. Each workshop is only $75 per person!

If you are the kind of person that doesn’t want to wait to learn…there is also Coast in Focus, a weekend chalked full of classroom and field instruction, fun and unforgettable photographic experiences in Powell River. My good friend Kelly Funk hosts this weekend workshop with me as part of our Discover BC photo tours. Stay tuned as we continue launching more experiential photography workshops throughout our beautiful province. To steal an old cinematic cliche, it won’t be long until we’re “coming soon to a theatre near you.” Or something to that effect. Coast in Focus is now 1/4 of the way booked, so contact me right away to book!

See things differently

See things differently. This was our theme for the Fall Photography Workshop which happened over the past weekend. Technical and artistic knowledge aside, I really wanted to stress to my workshop participants the importance of seeing things differently. With so many images in the world and so little time to appreciate them all, as a budding photographer, this is how you best get your images noticed. Start seeing things that others might have missed. Look at your subject from a different angle. Climb a tree for a bird’s eye view. Hit the ground and compose upwards. Shoot that stunning mountain meadow through a pair of mirrored sunglasses. Challenge yourself to constantly see things differently. By doing so, you will become a better photographer, blowing your audience away with your fresh perspectives on subjects they have likely seen time and time again.

Looking up into the towering trees at Haslam Lake

Zooming into the eye of a bighorn sheep

Sir Donald through the sunglasses

Contrary to the Coast in Focus workshop earlier in the year, the weather that we experienced this past weekend was outstanding. Dramatic clouds, vibrant early fall colours and flat lighting only when we needed it – shooting the many waterfalls of Appleton Creek. This was the ideal workshop setting and I had the ideal group of participants.

I was instructing a very geared and excited group of individuals. After some “inside time”, covering topics ranging from camera basics, exposure, lighting techniques and the rules of composition we hit some of the most amazing locales where participants were able to put what they just learned into action.

And did they ever.

What I love most about these weekend warrior workshops is that I get to witness some very amazing transformations in my students in a very short period of time. During the first few field shoots, most participants tend to stick close by me, ask a ton of questions and timidly wait for subject matter to smack them in the face. But as the weekend goes on, their confidence levels increase dramatically as they take in knowledge and they become unstoppable image hunters in the field. This group was very much the same. By the time Sunday’s Appleton Creek waterfall shoot came around, my students were self-sufficient, waterfall shooting maniacs. I was excited to see them climbing waterfalls (safely of course), shooting low, shooting high, eagerly attacking the beautiful scenes from all angles. I actually had to pull them out of the field against their will so we could cover post-production techniques before the weekend ended. I love creating monsters.

My students, no…friends, are now well-armed with the knowledge and confidence to take their respective photo sectors by storm. I had an amazing time with each of them and wish them all the best in their future photographic endeavors.

Participant Carolee Penner's shot of Gorge Falls

My view of participant Candace Roadknight getting low and shooting the creek

Pre-designing your shot ~ the lost art of pre-visualization

When it comes to photography (and most other facets of my life), I tend to be a bit of a winger. Planning and pre-planning does not come naturally to this guy. More often than not, the only thing I know about my next nature shoot is the trail I am going to explore, and which flavour of Nature Valley granola bar I am going to take with me….almond. I must admit, sometimes this renders favourable results as I set almost no expectations, and usually come away with something good, sometimes great. However, I am quickly learning that the lost arts of pre-visualization and pre-planning need to be utilized on a more regular basis.

There are tremendous benefits to pre-planning my shot before I put my car key in the ignition. For one, it saves me time. Knowing what I am going to shoot before I shoot it? How could that not ensure I maximize my time in the field and get back in time for the next gripping episode of Dexter. There is also the challenge of it all, especially to a self-admitted winger. Planning and pre-visualizing my next shot puts me outside my comfort zone, and I like that.

There is a lake on Texada Island called Heyshelt Lake, or Hayshelt Lake, or Hoyscholdt Lake, something to that effect (the jury is still out on the name of this gem and it hasn’t graced any map I have ever seen). It should be called Holy Shit Lake, because once you fix your eyes on it you won’t believe that a place this overwhelmingly stunning actually exists.

quarry lake on my first visit in 2009

 It is a quarry lake, meaning that the rich minerals from the surrounding rock quarries are the reason this lake is the colour it is. Catching the beauty of this lake on camera, that was the easy part, real easy. I had been here twice before and knew I had to plan someting extraordinary for my third time around and I eagerly looked forward to the challenge. So, I pre-visualized.

I wanted to showcase diving/swimming in this island paradise, adding the human element (and thus creating a commercial/tourism ready image). The image became clear in my mind. I would be lake level and a diver would drop from the heavens overtop of me into the turquoise waters of Holy Shit Lake. All that was left was to catch the ferry with my models, and make it a reality!

This shot existed in my mind for months, now it's a digital file

After that pre-shoot visualization took place, other shots surfaced in me noggin that I added to my checklist before shoot day. I wanted to get a shot of the jumper backlit with the sun bursting behind him. Check.

sun bursting off of diver contemplating how lucky he is!

The jump

I also wanted a shot illustrating the romance of it all….two good looking models frolicking in the sexy waters. Done and done.

A couple that dives together....

Several successful images, all pre-planned, captured within 30 minutes of each other…allowing me enough time to take many jumps into the lake myself. Afterall, Dexter was on summer break 🙂

Dexter would want me to jump!

D