Martin Rother - Shot with a Graduated Neutral Density Filter
A visit to the Broken Group Islands, on the West Coast of Vancouver Island, conjures up images of all those things really west coast; eagles, deer, otters, seashells, starfish, and quaint sandy beaches. When my friends Martin Rother and John Goulding told me of their upcoming trip to this sea kayakers nirvana I quickly invited myself along, clamoring for the opportunity to see, and photograph this remarkable place. The trip starts with a ferry Ride from North Vancouver’s Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo. Once on land again, it is a 3-4 hour drive from Nanaimo to Toquart Bay, on the west coast of Vancouver Island. This is where we embark by kayak into the labyrinth of Islands. Loading up our kayaks with all the luxuries that a modern sea kayak can stow, we headed off into the westerly breeze, destined for the furthest island west that we could camp on. After 3 hours or 14kms of scenic paddling we made it to Clark Island. Once on Clarke we set-up camp and stayed for three days playing around on the coast in the swells, checking out the other islands and looking for sea lions. My psychology on these trips is interesting when I have a camera in my possession. I find I am super keen to get up early in the am to get shots in the early morning light. When the light gets high and harsh in the late morning and early afternoon, I put it away and either play in my boat or siesta in my hammock. When evening rolls in and the light starts to get good again, that camera comes out and I shoot away til the sun falls off in the horizon. After three days of paddling and playing with my camera we headed home to Toquart Bay. Was a fantastic trip and I would highly recommend going to the islands. Beginners and experts alike would enjoy a holiday here. GO!!!! Here are the some of the resulting images. Enjoy!
Time Exposure - 4 minutes long just as the last light dives off in the horizon.
Kayaks on a beach - taken using a graduated neutral density filter to darken the clouds.
Last moments of the day- also taken with a GND Filter.
