Snapshot

Snapshot: Male Anna's Hummingbird

in ,

A male Anna's hummingbird sits perched on the branch of a cedar tree. After closely watching this little guy's patterns early each morning, I noticed he tended to land in a few particular places. So, with the hopes of capturing an image of him in his natural setting, I carefully set up my camera with remote shooting and began to stare at the branch for the next 4 hours. Getting the timing and focus just right was extremely tough but after some narrowly missed attempts, it finally worked out! It took a lot of patience and planning to create this image but I'm really happy with it and have a newfound love for this beautiful bird. Click here to order a print of this image.

Canon 5D MK4 | 100mm 2.8L IS Macro lens | 1/400 sec | f/3.5 | ISO 1600.

A second shot of the hummingbird on one of his favourite perches. His colours and cute little feet are just the best!

Snapshot: Anna's Hummingbird

in ,

An Anna's hummingbird pauses in flight early this frosty morning. Weighing about as much as a nickle, their wings beat from 40-50 times per second while their heart beats around 1,220 times per minute! Amazing little birds.

This is the first image I’ve captured using the new Canon 5D MKIV’s WiFi feature, which allows you to adjust settings, see live view, & shoot remotely from your phone. That let me stand inside the house and avoid disturbing the bird. Quite an awesome feature! It meant pre-focusing the image though and then hoping that the bird would pause for an instant in that razor-thin plane of focus. In the end, one shot worked! Exposure: 1/4000 sec, f/3.5, ISO 3200. Canon 100mm f2.8L macro lens.

Surf's Up!

in

If you can brave the cold water, the west coast of Vancouver Island is home to some fantastic waves in winter. This past week I was happy to catch some action while heading out on a hiking trip. I used to photograph a lot of skateboarding back in the day so it was fun to try my hand at some surfing. It's beautiful blend of human and nature. I have fond childhood memories of standing on the shore and watching my Dad surf as well. The smell of the ocean mixed with campfire is so nostalgic for me around this time of year. Stoked to shoot some more again this season! Might like to find a longer lens than the 70-200mm as well.

Bonsai Tree at Fairy Lake - Port Renfrew

in , ,

This little hemlock tree at Fairy Lake near Port Renfrew is simply incredible. Growing out of a submerged log, it hasn’t had the resources to get much bigger than a few feet tall - even though it's known to be at least 30-40 years old. It must also be one of the most photographed trees on Vancouver Island! No two photos are quite the same though as the surrounding scenery is always changing - fall vs. spring, morning vs. evening, drought vs. flood. Below are a few images I’ve captured, including when heavy rains nearly submerged the tree. A few times a year the water level gets so high that the tree goes completely under water! How it survives that and the constant attention it receives, I'm not quite sure, but I'm always thankful for its zen-like presence amidst our busy and chaotic world. Prints available by emailing prints@tjwatt.com

Snapshot: Sunset over Port Renfrew Marina

in , ,

May and June have been incredibly busy months for me. I've been away from home almost non-stop which has meant little time for updates! Most of my time has been spent in Port Renfrew working on the construction of the Avatar Boardwalk, guiding writers and travelers to the various ancient forests, filming with drones, and exploring some new areas myself! At the end of a grey day last weekend I was treated to an incredible surprise sunset. Nice to see such rich colour out there :)

Snapshot: Incredible Clouds Over Victoria, BC

in , ,

Here are some images of the incredible clouds and sunset in Victoria tonight as seen from Summit Park. It's pretty rare to see mammatus clouds and other stormy type patterns but the hot humid weather today put on quite the show! Wish we had unique and interesting weather like this here more often!