canadian geographic - best wildlife photography 2014
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8/16/2019 Canadian Geographic - Best Wildlife Photography 2014
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Images from CanadianGeographic’s Photo Club
SPECIAL COLLECTOR’S EDITION
B E S T
WILDLIFEPHOTOGRAPHY 20
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PHOTOCLUB
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EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK 5BY TYRONE BURKE
INTRODUCTION 7BY MICHELLE VALBERG
ON THE PROWL 8
THINGS WITH WINGS 40
WHAT’S IN THE WATER 68
JUNIOR PHOTOGRAPHERS 92
BEST WILDLIFE
PHOTOGRAPHY 2014
8
40
68
92 F R O N T C O V E R : J O H N Z I M M E R M A N ; B A C K C O V E R : D A V I D W H I T E
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Worth the waitSorting through the year’s best wildlife photography is one of the privi-leges of working at Canadian Geographic. Every year I marvel at thecalibre of the images we receive through our contests. Not only amI impressed by the photographic skill, I’m blown away by the patienceit takes to get so close to breaching humpbacks and tiny tree frogs.
I have wide-eyed admiration for wildlife photographers. Even thoughthe genre has always been my favourite type of photography to lookat, I’ve had lile success actually producing any. Never the most
patient (or light-footed) person, I frighten off animals long before I geta decent shot.
Yet, with our photo club members as inspiration, I finally got into awildlife blind this spring and waited it out. Hours before dawn, I seledin next to hundreds of thousands of sandhill cranes, which were pass-ing through Nebraska’s Plae River Valley as they migrated towardCanada’s Far North for the summer.
Each minute I shivered in the darkness, I gained yet more respectfor the toughness of wildlife photographers. Then the sun finallycrested the horizon, and thousands of cranes stirred and swooped.When a hunting eagle zoomed in and sent the cranes scaering,
I suddenly understood where wildlife photographers find their patience.There’s no spectacle on Earth that can match nature in action.It’s worth waiting for.
Tyrone Burke
Sorting throuorti throleges of workilecalibre of thecaliI impressed b II esse Iit takes to getget
I have wideI idethe enre haenre
ESIDENT AND PUBLISHER André Préfontaine
E-PRESIDENT, CONTENT CREATION Gilles Gagnier
OJECT EDITOR Tyrone BurkeNIOR EDITOR Aaron KylieEATIVE DIRECTOR Suzanne MorinSTOM PUBLISHING MANAGER Mike Elston
SOCIATE EDITOR Harry WilsonSISTANT EDITOR Nick WalkerW MEDIA EDITOR Heather YundtCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Sabrina DoyleSTOM PUBLISHING EDITOR Michel a Rosano
NSULTANTS Roger Bird, Canadian Museum of Nature, Royal Ontarioseum
OTO EDITOR Laura StanleyAPHIC DESIGNER Ksenia NigmanovaODUCTION COORDINATOR Kendra StielerW MEDIA DEVELOPER Paul PolitisLOUR TECHNICIAN Glenn Campbell
ERNS Brendan McConnell, Siobhan McClelland, Justin Nalepa,my Thomson
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nadian Geographic Best Wildlife Photography 2014 is published bynadian Geographic Enterprises on behalf of The Royal Canadianographical Society
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BN 978-0-9867516-0-8. No part of this publication may beroduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any formby any means, without the prior written consent of the publishera licence from The Canadian Copyright Licensing Agencycess Copyright). For an Access Copyright licence, visit
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te of issue: September 2013 Copyright ©2013. All rights reserved.
nadian Geographic and design are registered trademarks.Marque déposée.
ounded in 1929, the Society is a non-profit educational organization.Its object is to advance geographical knowledge and, in particular,
o stimulate awareness of the significance of geography in Canada’svelopment, well-being and culture. In short, the aim is to make Canada
better known to Canadians and to the world.
PRESIDENT
Dr. Paul Ruest, PhD, Winnipeg
VICE-PRESIDENTS
Mr. Bruce Amos, Ottawa; Mr. Gavin Fitch, Calgary
SECRETARY
Ms. Beth Dye, Kamloops, B.C.
TREASURER
Mr. Keith Exelby, Ottawa
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Animal insincFrom aop a small cliff, I could see clumps of walruses gruning andwrihing en masse on he beachfron. I was a grea vanage poin,bu I waned o ge closer. Much closer.
Led by my guide, I crep up slowly, unil I was wihin a mere ofhe herd. The firs hing ha hi me was he smell: an overpoweringscen of 10,000 we animals, like a feid beachfron barnyard. I wasamazing o be so close.
Under he fla ligh of cloud cover, I sho close-ups of hewalruses’ leahery, ancien-looking skin, bulbous eyes and whiskers.Jus as I decided i was ime o go and urned away, here wasa hunderous sound — he herd was on he move. I fired off a fewshos, bu I wasn’ even sure if my camera was in focus. My sensesold me just shoot .
The dus kicked up by he walruses creaed an ehereal mis,illuminaed by he sun as i peeked hrough he clouds. In hamomen, everyhing came ogeher. I go “he sho.”
When phoographing wildlife I ry o be atenive, o anicipaewha an animal will do nex. Even a sligh change can ransform an
ordinary phoo ino somehing exraordinary, bu you can overhinkhings oo. Someimes a phoographer’s mos valuable ool is insinc.Michelle Valberg
I wasn’t even sureif my camera wasin focus. My sensestold me ‘just shoot.’
From aop a IFrom ao a Iwrihing en Iw Ibu I wanedb I
Led by m I II Ihe herd. Thscen of 10, Is Iamazin oa
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ON THE PROW
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A wild animal never knows if its most
recent meal was its last. There are no
guarantees that the next hunt will be
fruitful. With ears perked and claws
drawn, predators need to be constantlyalert. When the time comes to make
the kill, there is lile room for error. An
animal needs to eat, or it will eventually
be eaten itself.
wild animal nevd ani
recent mea was ien ea
guarantees t at tuar t
fruitful. ith earfr e
rawn re atorsors
Swimming upstream to spawn, salmon navigate therush of rapids and leap up waterfalls. All that exertion
necessitates rejuvenation, and as they rest salmon are
vulnerable to predators like this hungry black bear,
photographed by Kevin Mazur.
Photographer: Kevin MazurLocation: Near Tofino, B.C.Species: Black bear and salmonCamera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 70-200 mm lensPortfolio: mazurimages.ca
Fast food
CONTESTrunner-up
WILDLIFE
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“Large males oen weigh more than 700 kilograms,
but my guide estimated that this polar bear was just
400,” says Jenny Stevens. “The ice melted early,stranding him 80 kilometres from Baffi n Island. My
guide didn’t think the bear would make it to winter.”
Photographer: Jenny StevensLocation: Near Baffi n Island, NunavutSpecies: Polar bearCamera: Nikon D90, 70-200 mm lens
Rocky road
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Images from CanadianGeographic’s Photo Club
SPECIAL COLLECTOR’S EDITION
B E S T
WILDLIFEPHOTOGRAPHY 20
$12.95canadiangeographic.caDISPLAY UNTIL MARCH 31, 2014
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Kermode bears are one of Canada’s most unique
animals, and the gene that gives these black bears white
fur is rare. In parts of their range, less than one per centof bears are white, and even in their densest concentra-
tions, lile more than 30 per cent have white fur.
Photographer: Jenny StevensLocation: Gribbell Island, B.C.Species: Kermode bearCamera: Nikon D90, 400 mm lens
Rare bear
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While out fishing in his kayak on the north coast of
Vancouver Island, Steven Rose spoed this bear in
search of somewhat humbler prey. “Black bears will li
rocks and throw them around like pebbles as theymooch around for sea slugs and crabs.”
Photographer: Steven RoseLocation: Near Port Hardy, B.C.Species: Black bearCamera: Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, 200 mm lensPortfolio: stevenrosephotography.com
Slippery slope
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During the months they’re awake, grizzlies eat almost
constantly, but immediately aer hibernation they eat
very lile. It takes time for their bodies to return to
normal. This newly awake bear was flipping logs anddigging in the dirt for food when Chris Gale spoed it.
Wild animals don’t take direction, and geing them in
the right position is one of wildlife photography’s chal-
lenges. “This cub was very co-operative,” says Jenaya
Launstein. “He climbed from branch to branch,snacking on leaves.”
Photographer: Chris GaleLocation: Near Buckinghorse River, B.C.Species: Grizzly bearCamera: Nikon D7000, 24-70 mm lensPortfolio: wildnorthphotos.com
Photographer: Jenaya LaunsteinLocation: Waterton Lakes National Park, Alta.Species: Black bearCamera: Nikon D300, 200-400 mm lensPortfolio: launsteinimagery.com
Get up, stand up The bear up there
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A grizzly bear can take down an elk or even a moose,
and they’re famous for their skill as salmon fishers, but
these giant mammals aren’t just carnivores. Given the
chance, they’ll eat almost anything, including sweet
berries and bier dandelion stems.
Photographer: Terry BiltonLocation: Near McBride, B.C.Species: Grizzly bearCamera: Nikon D7000, 70-200 mm lensPortfolio: terrybiltonphotography.com
Vegetarian option
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Some species are threatened by urbanization; others thrive
in it. The red fox is of the laer group. Feeding on small
wildlife and scavenging trash, they’ve colonized cities in
Japan, Australia and Canada — and much in between.Lise De Serres photographed this one in Montreal.
While scouting campsites for the coming summer, Nat
Miller came across this photogenic fox lounging in a Kil
Provincial Park campground. “For half an hour she lay i
bush and sniffed around. It was the most beautiful fox I
seen, and the best chance I’ve had to photograph one.
Photographer: Lise De SerresLocation: MontrealSpecies: Red foxCamera: Nikon D3S, 70-200 mm lensPortfolio: pbase.com/lizzee
Photographer: Nathan MillerLocation: Near Parry Sound, Ont.Species: Red foxCamera: Canon EOS 60D, 300 mm lensPortfolio: amphotographyinfo.ca
Foxtrot The red fox lounge
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CONTESTrunner-up
WILDLIFEThe red fox can carve out a life in the tropics or in the
Canadian Rockies, where Terri Shaddick photographed
this one. It owes its adaptability in part to its eatinghabits. These foxes will consume whatever’s around,
from delectable berries to tiny rodents.
“I’d spent the day shooting the year’s first snowfall,
when I noticed something in the distance,” says Shirley
A. Davis. “I parked, rolled my window down and waitedTo my delight, this coyote troed past with a hare in it
mouth and no concern for my camera.”
Photographer: Terri ShaddickLocation: Jasper National Park, Alta.Species: Red foxCamera: Canon EOS 7D, 300 mm lensPortfolio: epicphotos.ca
Photographer: Shirley A. DavisLocation: Near Canmore, Alta.Species: CoyoteCamera: Canon EOS 7D, 100-400 mm lensPortfolio: surelyadavisphoto.com
Quite a mouthful The waiting game
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“Usually I head wherever the storms seem to be mov-ing,” says Ian McGregor. “When I saw this
ominous cloud, I turned down the nearest road
and captured this image from the side.”
Photographer: Ian McGregorLocation: Near Yorkton, SaskatchewanSpecies: 24ºCCamera: Canon 50D, 300 mm lensPortfolio: www.ianmcgregorphotography.com
Light and shade
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Wolf packs have a culture all their own. Within the
pack, wolves will fight with each other to establish
dominance, but at heart they’re a lot like other dogs.
They love to play — rough.
Photographer: John ZimmermanLocation: Montebello, Que.Species: WolfCamera: Canon 1D Mark IV, 70-200 mm lensPortfolio: johnzimmermanphotography.ca
Pack mentality
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CONTESThonourable
mention
WILDLIFE“On a beautiful December day I went for a drive, hoping to find some
wildlife to photograph,” says Michelle Valberg. “I saw a bit of moveme
out of the corner of my eye, and only had one opportunity to get a sho
before the coyote was gone.”
Photographer: Michelle ValbergLocation: OawaSpecies: Coyote
Camera: Nikon D4, 200-400 mm lensPortfolio: michellevalberg.com
Jump around
Many animals blend into their native environments,
but rarely is their camouflage as uniform as this Arctic
wolf’s. Since the expansive spaces where these wolves
roam is unusually monochromatic, the perfect camo
is snow-white.
Photographer: Bill MaynardLocation: Montebello, Que.Species: WolfCamera: Nikon D700, 200-400 mm lensPortfolio: coolwildlife.com
Whiteout
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For some wildlife images, photographers shiver in
blinds in the wee hours. Other photos come a bit
more easily. “This was a very curious wolf,” says
Jesse Schpakowski. “It approached me, and aer
a while it even lay down and fell asleep!”
Photographer: Jesse SchpakowskiLocation: Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, Alta.Species: WolfCamera: Nikon D90, 300 mm lensPortfolio: wildlensphotography.ca
Stare down
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They’ve been persecuted for being among nature’s
fiercest predators, but lone wolves oen struggle
to meet their food needs. “They are highly social
animals,” says Bill Maynard. “Their survival is
dependant on the co-operation of the pack.”
Photographer: Bill MaynardLocation: Montebello, Que.Species: WolfCamera: Nikon D700, 600 mm lensPortfolio: coolwildlife.com
Wolf pack
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Wolf pups develop quickly. At just six months
of age, they are nearly full size. To grow so
quickly, they need their sleep. “This pup had
just finished a play session,” says Bill Maynard.
“I managed to fire a shot off just as he seled in
for a rather enduring sleep.”
Plenty of city parks claim to be nature oases,
but few have the wildlife to back it up. Fish
Creek Provincial Park, Alta., where Peter
Vaudry photographed this coyote, is an
exception. Though surrounded by Calgary,
it’s home to coyotes, deer, beavers and bears.
Photographer: Bill Maynard
Location: Montebello, Que.Species: WolfCamera: Nikon D300, 200-400 mm lensPortfolio: coolwildlife.com
Photographer: Peter Vaudry
Location: CalgarySpecies: CoyoteCamera: Nikon D300, 300 mm lensPortfolio: vaud.smugmug.com
Why so serious? On alert
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During the rut, white-tailed deer can get into some
intense scraps, but bucks don’t only fight during
mating season. Other times of year, their conflicts
are more playful, more like roughhousing than a
life-or-death duel.
Photographer: Jim CummingLocation: Kanata, Ont.Species: White-tailed deerCamera: Canon EOS 7D, 70-200 mm lensPortfolio: redbubble.com/people/darby8
Bucks unlimited
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The bighorn sheep’s bales are a force of nature,and this ram’s horns look a lile worse for the wear.
“It’s a show of power when rams hurl themselves at
each other,” says James Anderson. “The resounding
crash echoes through the mountains.”
Photographer: James AndersonLocation: Kootenay National Park, B.C.Species: Bighorn sheepCamera: Canon EOS Rebel T2i, 70-250 mm lensPortfolio: flickr.com/photos/jamesa1
Horn of plenty
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Sheep are synonymous with meekness, but bighornsheep can be anything but. They’ve even been known
to aack automobiles. “It looked so gentle,” says
Francis The. “Yet it had these sharp and powerful
horns that could hurt any human.”
Photographer: Francis TheLocation: Jasper National Park, Alta.Species: Bighorn sheepCamera: Canon EOS Rebel XS, 75-300 mm lens
Tough customer
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CONTESTwinner
WILDLIFE
They may be tiny, but they’re lethal when they need
to be. Jumping spiders are less than a centimetre in
diameter, but when hunger strikes they can precisely
take down larger prey, and unlike many of their arachnid
cousins, they don’t need a web to do it.
Photographer: Alain FrecheeLocation: Mascouche, Que.Species: Jumping spider with flyCamera: Nikon D90, 105 mm lensPortfolio: pbase.com/alain_frechee
Webless wonder
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The smooth green snake is one of Canada’s
most striking reptiles. Its brightly coloured scalescamouflage it in open grasslands and along the
edge of bodies of water like Ontario’s Charleston
Lake, where Shannon McCormick found this one.
Photographer: Shannon McCormickLocation: Charleston Lake, Ont.Species: Smooth green snakeCamera: Canon EOS Rebel XTi, 50-250 mm lens
Serpentine
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Like other herons, the long-legged green heron stalks its prey while
standing motionless in shallow waters, but this clever bird also uses
bait. Green herons set insects and other bits of food on the water
to tempt fish and frogs into range.
Photographer: Bill McMullenLocation: OawaSpecies: Green heronCamera: Canon EOS 7D, 400 mm lensPortfolio: billmcmullenphotography.com
Took the bait
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Millions of years before dinosaurs, there were
spiders. They’ve endured because they’re highly
effi cient predators. “Watching this one wrap its prey
was incredible,” says Lise Simoneau. “My finger was
glued to the shuer. I didn’t want to miss any action.”
Photographer: Lise SimoneauLocation: Quebec CitySpecies: European garden spiderCamera: Canon EOS 7D, 180 mm lens
Web of life
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THINGS WITH
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The earliest fossil evidence of the
evolution of wings in the Western
Hemisphere was unearthed in Alberta,
but the first feathers weren’t for flight.
These prehistoric plumes were usedto impress potential mates. With such
aesthetic origins, it’s no surprise that
millions of years later, winged animals
are still among the most beautiful
of all species.
WINGS
e ear iestea
evo ution outi
emisphereis
but the first fthe
ese re istse
Still groggy and not yet ready to launch into theday’s flight, this dragonfly was patient enough to let
Brian Robin set up his camera and lights. “The bright
markings are almost neon, and are much easier to
appreciate when a dragonfly stays still.”
Photographer: Brian RobinLocation: Desboro, Ont.Species: Canadian darnerCamera: Pentax K100d, 100 mm macro lensPortfolio: flickr.com/photos/bprobin
Still life
CONTESTwinner
WILDLIFE
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CONTESThonourable
mention
WILDLIFEBirds can be skiish, and even if you have a long lens, it’s tough
to get close enough to get the shot. “I approached this snowy owl
slowly, hoping for a decent picture,” says Rick Dobson. “It flew away,
but took a look at me over its wing as it lied off.”
Photographer: Rick DobsonLocation: St. Isidore, Ont.Species: Snowy owlCamera: Canon EOS 30D, 500 mm lensPortfolio: rickdobsonphotography.com
Flighty
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Northern saw-whet owls hide away in dense conifers where they’re
diffi cult to spot. “I was about ready to turn around because of the
density of the brush,” says Rick Dobson. “I surveyed the
situation, and this beautiful owl was staring right back at me.”
Photographer: Rick DobsonLocation: Amherst Island, Ont.Species: Northern saw-whet owlCamera: Canon EOS 50D, 50 mm lensPortfolio: rickdobsonphotography.com
Island hideaway
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Some migrations are like clockwork, with birds returning to the samelocations every year. Snowy owls are far less predictable. Their ranges
fluctuate: some years they can be spoed as far south as Texas, and
some years they stick closer to Canadian soil.
Photographer: Jenaya LaunsteinLocation: Near CalgarySpecies: Snowy owlCamera: Nikon D300, 200-400 mm lensPortfolio: launsteinimagery.com
Home on the range
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“This owl generally ignored my presence, apart from th
one moment when it looked straight down the lens,”
says John Lowman. “It was just before sunset, and as it
was hunting it flew toward the camera, revealing the
intensity of its search for prey.”
Photographer: John LowmanLocation: Boundary Bay, B.C.Species: Snowy owlCamera: Canon 1D Mark IV, 500 mm lensPortfolio: johnlowmanphotography.ca
Intensity
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Hawks and falcons are the bird species usually favoured by falconers
as trained hunting partners. Slow and stubborn, it is far less com-
mon for owls to be trained. This one cooperated with its falconerlong enough for Frank Vadovic to get a few shots of it in action.
Photographer: Frank VadovicLocation: Rondeau Provincial Park, Ont.Species: Great horned owlCamera: Nikon D300, 80-400 mm lens
Just watch me
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“Northern flickers are common in B.C., and these two came to
my deck and fought nearly every day for weeks in April,” says
Krisztina Harasztosi. “Sometimes they’d stand face to face forminutes at a time, then jump into the air and fight again.”
Photographer: Krisztina HarasztosiLocation: Gibsons, B.C.Species: Northern flickerCamera: Canon EOS 6D, 70-300 mm lensPortfolio: hakristi.com
Faceoff
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Bald eagles aren’t born with their unmistakable plumage.
Youthful eagles have dark feathers on their heads, which are
gradually replaced by white ones at they get older. Just as with
humans, the bald look is something that comes with age.
Photographer: Julie DrummondLocation: Montebello, Que.Species: Bald eagleCamera: Canon EOS Rebel XTi, 75-300 mm lens
Bold-faced
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With eyesight five times sharper than a human’s, bald eagles
are finely tuned hunting machines. But even though they can
spot prey that’s well over a kilometre away, eagles still end up
dining on carrion when they fail to catch dinner.
Photographer: Steven RoseLocation: Near Port Hardy, B.C.Species: Bald eagleCamera: Canon Mark IV, 400 mm lensPortfolio: stevenrosephotography.com
Eagle-eyed
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CONTESTrunner-up
WILDLIFEWhen soaring on thermals, turkey vultures are oen mistaken for
eagles or hawks, but their wobbly flying technique is nowhere near
as graceful. Turkey vultures are actually related to storks, and since
they’re not hunters, they’re not fancy fliers.
Photographer: Roger LeekamLocation: Mount Nemo Conservation Area, Ont.Species: Turkey vultureCamera: Canon EOS 7D, 400 mm lensPortfolio: flickr.com/photos/69233563@N07
Vulture culture
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CONTESTrunner-up
WILDLIFEThe hooded merganser’s name doesn’t really do it
justice. The male of this tiny duck species sports spiky
feathers that just might be the most impressive mohawk
in the animal kingdom.
Photographer: Serge ChenardLocation: Sherbrooke, Que.Species: Hooded merganserCamera: Canon EOS 1D Mark IV, 800 mm lensPortfolio: sergechenard.zenfolio.com
How’s my hair?
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Pygmy nuthatches are usually found in mountain forests, but
Ron E. Racine photographed this lone nuthatch at his backyard
fountain. “It had taken a bath and was literally dripping wet.
I managed to catch a drop just before it fell.”
Photographer: Ron E. RacineLocation: Kelowna, B.C.Species: Pygmy nuthatchCamera: Canon EOS 7D, 600 mm lensPortfolio: roneracine.com
Bathing beauty
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“It was late winter and all the vegetation was still golden brown,”
says Ron E. Racine. “With the sun at a low angle, I spoed this
mallard coming in to land. I took a panning shot that kept the
duck’s body sharp but blurred its wings and the background.”
Photographer: Ron E. RacineLocation: Kelowna, B.C.Species: Mallard duckCamera: Canon EOS 7D, 400 mm lensPortfolio: roneracine.com
Frozen motion
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Eagles come to this spot to feed on dead spawned salmon, andthis one could be chasing a seagull away from its meal, but bald
eagles have also been known to hunt other birds. Able to dive over 160 km/h, they prey on smaller, slower birds.
Photographer: David HodgeLocation: Near Harrison Mills, B.C.Species: Bald eagle and Thayer’s gullCamera: Nikon D5100, 18-200 mm lens
The hunted
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CONTESTwinner
WILDLIFE
Each morning, Monique Lavoie photographs birds
in her yard. “Aer a fresh snow, this beautiful blue
jay arrived to enjoy the fluffy snow. Its wings made
wonderful sprays and gave me exactly what I was
looking for: an unforgeable image.”
Photographer: Monique LavoieLocation: Chelsea, Que.Species: Blue jayCamera: Nikon D7000, 18-200 mm lens
Snow job
“Snow buntings look gentle in flight,” says Bill
McMullen. “They can even resemble a snow-
storm when they take off together. But then
they can also be very aggressive with each
other.” This pair was baling it out to establish
the pecking order.
Photographer: Bill McMullenLocation: Navan, Ont.Species: Snow buntingsCamera: Canon EOS 7D, 400 mm lensPortfolio: billmcmullenphotography.com
Fight or flight
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Great blue herons thrive in marshy, shallow waters, so it’s no surprise
that they’ve benefied from the rebound of beaver populations.
Yet Linda Stacey didn’t spot this one at a beaver pond, but at
a dyke created by nature’s other dam builder: humans.
Photographer: Linda StaceyLocation: Coquitlam, B.C.Species: Great blue heronCamera: Canon EOS 60D, 100-400 mm lensPortfolio: lindastacey.see.me
Queen of the dammed
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Thayer’s gulls summer in the High Arctic, but winter draws them to
milder spots along the Pacific Coast, like Vancouver’s Granville
Island. “When you live in a port city, you share it with other urban
dwellers, including gulls,” says Ivan Petrov.
Photographer: Ivan PetrovLocation: VancouverSpecies: Thayer’s gullCamera: Nikon D300s, 18-200 mm lensPortfolio: ivanpetrov23.see.me
Flapper style
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The painted lady may be Earth’s best-travelled but-
terfly. It lives on every continent except Antarcticaand South America, and has been known to venture
as far north as Nunavut and the Yukon. Natally Klaric
photographed this one in her Montreal-area garden.
In Canada, water covers an area roughly the size
France and England combined. All those lakes anmarshes are prime habitat for iridescent damselfl
These predatory insects hunt smaller flies along t
edges of shallow freshwater.
Photographer: Natally KlaricLocation: Beaconsfield, Que.Species: Painted lady buerflyCamera: Nikon D700, 105 mm lensPortfolio: flickr.com/photos/affi nity5
Photographer: Marie-Pier CoutureLocation: Near Quebec CitySpecies: DamselflyCamera: Canon EOS Rebel XSi, 100 mm lensPortfolio: mariepier-couture.com
Splash of colour Damsel at rest
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The colouring of the painted lady buerfly makes
like the more famous monarch, but painted ladies
much smaller, measuring only five to six centimetrin diameter. “This one looked lovely, as though it w
cradled in the leaf,” says Debbie Oppermann.
Photographer: Debbie OppermannLocation: Guelph, Ont.Species: Painted lady buerflyCamera: Canon 60D, 100 mm lens
Cradled away
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WHAT’S IN THE
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CONTESTrunner-up
WILDLIFE
Moose love water, but not when it’s icebound.
“We grabbed all the rope we had and ran down
to the lakeshore,” says Chris Gale. “My buddy
lassoed her, and about 10 of us helped pull her
up. Then she walked away, looking back at us
as if to say thanks.”
Photographer: Chris GaleLocation: Muskwa-Kechika Management Area, B.C.Species: MooseCamera: Nikon D7000, 24-70 mm lensPortfolio: wildnorthphotos.com
Rescue me
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“Every four years the spawning cycle of sockeye salmon peaks,”
says Todd Mintz. “They fight the current for 500 kilometres
upriver to return to their birth place, changing a vibrant red to
encourage mating, then dying soon aer.” This time, more than
34 million salmon ran in the Fraser River system.
Photographer: Todd MintzLocation: Adams River, B.C.Species: Sockeye salmonCamera: Canon EOS 50D with underwater housing, 10-17 mm lensPortfolio: tmintz.ca
Swimming upstream
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CONTESThonourable
mention
WILDLIFE“I’ve been photographing these loons for years, and
they’ve grown very tolerant of my canoe,” says Steven
Rose. “Two years ago, they even swam up to the boat,
le a day-old chick beside it, and swam off to feed for
40 minutes before returning to pick it up.”
Photographer: Steven RoseLocation: Havelock, Ont.Species: Common loonCamera: Canon Mark IV, 500 mm lensPortfolio: stevenrosephotography.com
The babysiers club
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Even if you live by a lake, you rarely see adult loons
catch their prey. They hunt and consume most during
their dives. Unlike their parents, loon chicks feed
above the waterline, creating photo ops for aentive
photographers like Peter Ferguson.
Photographer: Peter FergusonLocation: Algonquin Provincial Park, Ont.Species: Common loonCamera: Panasonic FZ150
Mystery dinner
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The Kermode bears that Kyle Blaney set out to
photograph proved to be only the opening act of his
jaunt along the B.C. coast. “We weren’t even looking
for whales, but noticed this one in the distance.
It breached over and over again.”
Photographer: Kyle BlaneyLocation: Hartley Bay, B.C.Species: Humpback WhaleCamera: Canon EOS 7D, 28-300 mm lensPortfolio: kblaney.com
The main event
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“This is muddy terrain along an ATV trail, but thereare a lot of frogs at close range,” says Steeve Marcoux.
“I look for the position that has the potential for the
most interesting compositions, then lay on the ground
and slowly close in on the frog.”
Photographer: Steeve MarcouxLocation: Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que.Species: Green frogCamera: Pentax K-01, 100 mm macro lensWebsite: smarcoux.zenfolio.com
Closing in
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JUNIOR PHOTOG
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The legendary French phoographerHenri Carier-Bresson famously saidha your firs 10,000 phoographsare your wors, and if he was righ,
oday’s youh have a leg up on anygeneraion ha came before. Noonly are cameras ubiquious, buyoung people are learning how ouse hem, and use hem well.
APHERS
he legendleHenri Cari lri lha your fiyare your woyo
oda s ou la l
Jenaya Launsein se ou o phoograph elk, bu
couldn’ ge close enough o ge her sho. Then she
spoted his coyoe, and made he bes of i. “His fur
was we, and he didn’ look happy abou i. I managed
o ge a few shos before he coninued along.”
Photographer: Jenaya LaunsteinLocation: Waterton Lakes National Park, Alta.Species: CoyoteCamera: Nikon D300, 200-400 mm lensPortfolio: launsteinimagery.com
Rainy day blues
CONTESThonourable
mention
JUNIORPHOTOGRAPHERS
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