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The Milky Way high over top the ancient trees of the unprotected Upper Walbran Valley on Vancouver Island this Thanksgiving weekend. I'm thankful for these amazing, timeless places but would most thankful for their ensured protection into the future. Here's to that effort!
This past June I traveled to the Burke Museum of Natural History in Seattle, WA for the 2012 International Conservation Photography Awards. I was lucky enough to have placed 2nd in the "Natural Environment at Risk" category with my image of a man standing on a giant stump within a foggy old-growth clearcut on Vancouver Island. The exhibit showcased a stunning array of photography from around the world depicting both the beauty and destruction facing planet Earth. It was the most powerful collection of photographs and stories I have ever viewed in one location. The event organizers did a terrific job and I was happy to have been given the opportunity to present an hour long slideshow around the Ecology and Politics of BC's Endangered Ancient Forests. Congratulations to everyone featured in the show and for the great work you're all doing! If you haven't had a chance yet to view the exhibit, it runs until Nov.25th of this year.
View of the Milky Way and a meteor from Metchosin last night. Feeling tiny.
Three of my images featuring BC clearcuts and giant stumps have been featured in an article on world-wide deforestation in issue 2 of Auto de Fe, a "cross-platform magazine of inquisitive journalism and intelligent photography." Click here to read the full story.
An in-depth interview I recently did featuring more than 20 photos is up online at: http://news.mongabay.com/2012/0723-hance-watt-interview.html. With over one million unique visitors per month, Mongabay.com is one of the world's most popular environmental science and conservation news sites. Great exposure for the plight our endangered ancient forests face!
To kick of the summer of 2012, two friends and I decided to take 7 days and hike the 75km West Coast Trail from Port Renfrew to Bamfield on Vancouver Island. It was an incredible time to say the least! Below are 10 of my favorite shots from the 1000 I took.
West Coast Trail 2012
WCT bliss
West Coast Trail tide pool at Camper Creek
West Coast Trail sunset log
West Coast Trail Tsusiat Falls at night
cave reflection
Tsusiat Fog
Boardwalk and spruce
West Coast Trail Fog
West Coast Trail km 0
I love storms - especially thunder storms - and I've been waiting for the chance to shoot lightning for years. But Victoria rarely, if ever, sees any. So when this powerful front came through, I took to the hills of Metchosin to watch the dazzling display unfold over downtown. And what an incredible show it was! Nature never ceases to amaze. Above are my favorite two shots from the evening, both taken with the 5D MKII and a 70-200mm 2.8 lens.
