Earlier this year I picked up a DJI Phantom 2 drone to use with the Ancient Forest Alliance and our campaigns to protect endangered old-growth forests in BC. The Phantom allows us to explore and document areas that were essentially impossible to reach before. Now we can fly hundreds of meters over the tops of trees to examine new, at-risk areas or carefully work from the forest floor up to the canopy, showcasing the incredible beauty and complex structure of these ancient ecosystems. For me, it's the closest thing to a flying dream where you can float throughout the woods, going whichever way you may choose. However, flying the Phantom is a little more nerve-wracking ;) The Zenmuse H3-3D gimbal is paired with a GoPro Hero 4 Black to capture the best images possible. I'm still in the early stages of flying in this challenging environment but I'm confident the clips we gather will only improve with time and become evermore useful to the cause. So for now, check out the first video I've put together which highlights the imminently endangered Central Walbran Ancient Forest on Vancouver Island. *Be sure to watch at 1080p HD **Additional ground footage shot with the 5DMKII ***Read our detailed press release here.
Snapshot: Sunrise at Willows Beach
Gorgeous sunrise at Willows Beach in Oak Bay this morning! I've been trying to make a point of biking to the ocean early each day to watch the sun come up. It's a wonderful addition to the morning routine and you just never know what you're going to get! It also happens to be at reasonable hour this time of year which also helps ;)
Canon 5D MKII, Canon 24-70 f/4L @ 35mm, 0.5 sec @ f 22, ISO 200
Snapshot: Blue Heron & Roosevelt Elk
While in Port Renfrew earlier this week I decided to check the San Juan River estuary for elk in the morning. I came across a lovely scene with 6 or 7 of them grazing in the meadow and a short while after watching, a great blue heron took flight right towards them. It's incredible what magic moments await us in nature if we only take the time to be out there and experience them.
Canon 5D MKII, Canon 70-200 f/4L IS @ 190mm, 1/400 sec @ f 4, ISO 3200
Press: Soar Magazine on Avatar Grove, Ancient Forest Alliance, and Tourism in Port Renfrew, BC
Soar Magazine has featured some photos and quotes from me surrounding old-growth forests and the benefits of eco-tourism to the town of Port Renfrew, BC. From a town who's economy was largely based on logging since the late 1800's, the transition to big tree tourism has been a novel approach, and that after being fully embraced, is truly taking off!
Avatar Grove Boardwalk Construction - September 2015
in Forests
Since 2012, I've worked as the Project Coordinator for the boardwalk construction at Avatar Grove, leading teams of dedicated volunteers each summer to improve the trails of the famed-forest near Port Renfrew. The Grove's popularity has steadily risen each year since 2009 when I first came across it, to today, where hundreds of visitors can be found walking the trails on busier weekends. With that growth, the need to protect the forest floor from the impact of trampling feet grows with it. The boardwalk also helps increase the safety of those visiting and allows them spend more time looking at the trees and surroundings instead of the next tripping hazard. The project we worked on this round was challenging to say the least - 2 major platforms and 2 staircases leading down a root and rock covered slope near the top of the trail in the Upper Grove. We lost count of the trips it took to get our tools, generator, and heavy lumber up the steep and slippery trail from the road each day. In the end though we finished yet another piece of the boardwalk puzzle. I hope that by summer of next year, most of the major work will be complete and people of almost all ages and abilities will be able to experience the grandeur of this forest first hand. It truly is a one-of-a-kind place :)
Press: Scientific American Features Sitka Spruce Forest Photo
I'm thrilled to have one of my personal favourite photos spread across two pages of Scientific American, read in print by 3.5 million worldwide. The shot is from a beautiful Sitka spruce forest near Nitinat Lake on Vancouver Island and compliments an article with Dr. Sally Aitken from the UBC Faculty of Forestry and BC Big Tree Registry. Check it out on the shelves until the end of August to get the full scoop!
Press: MacLean's Magazine Features Big Lonely Doug Climb
The 2015 Canada Day edition of MacLean's included a Guide to Being an Awesome Canadian and one of the things they featured was my photo and some words from our epic tree climb up Big Lonely Doug, Canada's second largest Douglas-fir tree. You can spot tree climbers Matthew Beatty (at the base) and Will Koomjian (near the top) for scale. See out a photo gallery with more pictures from the climb here: www.tjwatt.com/big-lonely-doug-climb/ Ascending Big Lonely Doug was an unforgettable experience - both inspiring and heartbreaking. I can now only hope that the awareness he's helped raise across so many media platforms about the threat to BC's ancient forests will help to keep the remaining adjacent forests alive.
Press: 2 Portraits for Canadian Wildlife Magazine
I had the pleasure of meeting and photographing two great individuals for the July/August edition of Canadian Wildlife magazine. Alana Krug-MacLeod was awarded the Youth Conservation Award and Brent Cooke the Robert Bateman Award (given to one who brings awareness and conservation through artistic work). It's always a fun yet somewhat nerve wracking challenge shooting environmental portraits on location but it's also great way to get to know someone and their unique story in brief window of time and an opportunity to showcase them in a beautiful light.
For Alana's shot we walked around the Pearson College Campus in Metchosin until we found this nice glowing Garry oak meadow. The harsh midday sun was challenge in most areas but here the leaves helped filter it. I crouched down low in the grass and used the Canon 580EXII strobe as a fill light.
For Brent's shot we trekked around some nice forest trails near his house before deciding on this beautiful mountain top arbutus scene at sunset. Here I used the last rays of sun as a rim light while shooting my Vivitar 285 strobe through a white umbrella on a light stand as a soft fill.