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Author Topic: Victoria Island, B.C.  (Read 6259 times)

davaglo

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Victoria Island, B.C.
« on: March 28, 2009, 10:34:21 pm »

My wife is dragging me to Victoria Island June 8th thru the 16th.  Can anyone recommend photography locations? I appreciate your suggestions.

Thanks
Jerry
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jrg

Panopeeper

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Victoria Island, B.C.
« Reply #1 on: March 29, 2009, 01:37:31 am »

If you are referring to British Columbia, then I guess you mean Vancouver Island. If so, then

1. Butchart Garden

2. Victoria Harbour and downtown

3. In Victoria there are other beautiful gardens, for example Abkhazi Garden (very good subject for photography),  and several castles, which you do not see elsewhere; this is England a century ago.

4. The road towards Nanaimo is scenic, as is (partly) from Nanaimo to Tofino.

5. I found Tofino not worth of the driving. The Long Beach is probably interesting for those, who see only rocky shore (our shorelines are almost everywhere rocky), but if you have been anywhere, where the beach is sandy, then you don't need to see the Long Beach; there is nothing else there.

A few panos from the Butchart Garden and Victoria can give you an idea:

http://www.panopeeper.com/panorama/BC.htm

Visit the Royal Canadian Museum, not mainly for photography but interesting. The panopticum (wax museum) is part of it. Skip the Sea Underworld, it is nothing.
« Last Edit: March 29, 2009, 01:38:49 am by Panopeeper »
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Gabor

wolfnowl

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Victoria Island, B.C.
« Reply #2 on: March 29, 2009, 02:27:47 am »

Quote from: davaglo
My wife is dragging me to Victoria Island June 8th thru the 16th.  Can anyone recommend photography locations? I appreciate your suggestions.

Thanks
Jerry

It depends a lot on what you're looking for.  Vancouver Island is quite diverse, with large cities such as Victoria and Nanaimo, dense forests, caves like the Horne Lake caves, big trees, ocean, farmland in the Cowichan Valley, waterfalls, land and sea mammals and birds... the list goes on.  Which part of the island are you planning to visit, and what kinds of images are you looking to make?

Mike.
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If your mind is attuned t

davaglo

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Victoria Island, B.C.
« Reply #3 on: March 29, 2009, 07:10:33 am »

Thanks for the replies. Yes it is Vancouver Island, my mistake. I like to photograph wildlife and landscape. I'm hoping to photograph Eagles and Killer Whales but would never pass up a waterfall or waterscape.  We will be staying in the Nanaimo area and radiating from there. I have not been to this area before and what you have suggested makes me think that I should get another 8 gig cf card. Sounds like a rich enviornment.

Thanks for your replies.

Jerry
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jrg

RafalA

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Victoria Island, B.C.
« Reply #4 on: April 01, 2009, 11:27:39 pm »

You probably won't find many eagles around in June, but orca tours could prove worthwhile. Most of the boats operate from the northern tip of the island; most are based between Campbell River and Port Hardy.

Closer to Nanaimo, I would recommend Cathedral Grove in MacMillan Provincial Park on your way to Tofino.

Tofino, or, rather, the Pacific Rim National Park, is worth a drive but don't forget to look east as well - too many are caught up on the surf beaches on the western side of the peninsula and completely miss some spectacular scenery to the east.

There are a number of boat-accessible marshes and giant trees groves around Tofino as well. If you do go, I recommend a visit to the restaurant "Shelter".

Another place worth visiting is Strathcona Provincial Park, either through the road to Gold River via Campbell River or Mt. Washington Resort. If you're lucky and inclined to wait, there's a resident herd of elk in the park around the northern shores of Buttle (sp?) Lake. Access is via old logging road. Paradise Meadows, accessible via a short walk from Raven Lodge at the Mt. Washington resort are definitely worth a visit.

North of Nanaimo you'll find the wilder side of the Island with a lot of old logging roads to explore. Pretty much any Prov. Park is worth exploring.

South of Nanaimo is the more settled part with a lot more agricultural and developed land.

There are hundreds of kms of beaches, forests and mountains on the Island. On a clear day you can see the Coast Mountains on the mainland - makes for a pretty picture with a bright moon.

I heartily recommend the +/- one-hour hike (from the parking lot) to the top of Mt. Washington for a sunrise on a clear day. The view is unparalleled.

For a good map and general guide to trails and sights, pick up a "Backroads Mapbook" for Vancouver Island. And enjoy your stay!
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OwlsEye

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Victoria Island, B.C.
« Reply #5 on: April 04, 2009, 08:28:19 pm »

Quote from: davaglo
My wife is dragging me to Victoria Island June 8th thru the 16th.  Can anyone recommend photography locations? I appreciate your suggestions.

Thanks
Jerry

"Dragging!" Feel lucky, Vancouver Island is filled with possibilities. I was there few years back and recall driving south on the east coast of the island. There are some very nice Provincial Parks. I recall spending a few nights on China Beach. There is some very nice camping in a Pine & Spruce Forest and a stunning beach for sunrise and sunset photography. We had hoped to drive farther south, but ran out of time.

Enjoy the island... it's a real gem in North America!
cheers,
bruce
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regards, bruce
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Neil Vanderwolf

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Victoria Island, B.C.
« Reply #6 on: May 04, 2009, 03:25:03 pm »

Quote from: davaglo
My wife is dragging me to Victoria Island June 8th thru the 16th.  Can anyone recommend photography locations? I appreciate your suggestions.

Thanks
Jerry

Nice place to get "dragged" to! I was born in Victoria and grew up on Southern Vancouver Island. There is a lot to explore and heading out to Tofino in one day is too much driving in my opinion, especially if you are being a tourist...

This is a route I would recommend, it'll take about 4-5 hours of driving which will leave enough time to take photos, grab a bite to eat etc. It will take you out of Victoria, up over the Malahat, a small mountain with fantastic views, through the scenic Cowichan Valley (great vineyards), then across the island to Port Renfrew for a feel of the West Coast and down the west coast of the island on a windy highway back to Victoria. There are a tonne of photographic opportunities along the way. The pub in Port Renfrew has great food and is midway so it makes for a great place to stop for lunch!

Have fun and feel free to email me with any questions. I worked in the hospitality industry for 15 years and know the island intimately.

Try this route.

This was taken near Port Renfew about five years ago...


This was taken last year at beach in Port Renfew, a place you must go to...

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Neil

achrisproduction

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Victoria Island, B.C.
« Reply #7 on: May 24, 2009, 01:51:30 pm »

Quote from: davaglo
My wife is dragging me to Victoria Island June 8th thru the 16th.  Can anyone recommend photography locations? I appreciate your suggestions.

Thanks
Jerry
Definitely Butchart Garden!  However if you have a macro lens, bring it with you!  
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Jonathan Ratzlaff

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Victoria Island, B.C.
« Reply #8 on: May 26, 2009, 05:48:00 pm »

Head up toward qualicum and then toward the west coast and try to get toward Tofino. Bamfield is a bit more interesting however a bit harder to get to Bamfield but I think it is more photogenic.
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Gemmtech

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Victoria Island, B.C.
« Reply #9 on: May 26, 2009, 05:55:09 pm »

While there take a trip up to Grouse Mountain, I was just there a couple days ago.

http://luminous-landscape.com/forum/index....showtopic=34816



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