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A photo shoot at small North Shuswap community by the name of St. Ives on Shuswap Lake invites for great image opportunities in summer and winter. The locality is mostly recognised for it’s recreational summer activities by local tourism operators and local resorts. The area is a great stepping stone for endless adventures and explorations to remote areas on Shuswap Lake. Floating docks and bouys sometimes provide great shots especially in winter when there is ice on them that reflects on the water. 

The late afternoon sun on this glorious day illuminated the ice crystals above the water. Fall and winter are great times to photograph in this part of the world as the low angle of the sun provides lighting conditions that are not encountered at any other time of the year. 

At Cinnemousun Narrows – where the four arms of the lake meet one can push on to Anstey and Seymour arms.  A number of nearby marine parks invite boaters and paddler to enjoy sandy beaches throughout different seasons.

A floating dock featured frozen hardware illuminated by the winter day’s afternoon sun.

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Water Photography – Capture the Power – Water in general, is a very interesting medium to photograph. Whether it is the complete still of a lake or a chopped chaos of a waterfall or that of an the ocean, images that depict motion are fascinating. How to photograph or ‘capture’ the power of water depends largely on what effects are intended to achieve. In light technical terms, images of moving water are often ‘softened up’ to make them look somewhat magical.

This is done by the use of neutral density (ND) filters mounted to a camera’s lens. This (darkened) lens provides the photographer with broader range of exposure settings.

However, softened water photography fails to bring out details, such as individual water drops or spray. So, the keys to create images that capture the power in water photography with the most details are: high speed shutter speeds with small apertures. Details are the main attributes necessary to depict the raw power of water as it moves.

In water photography, to capture the power of the water, creeks and rivers make for ideal subjects. In addition, waterfalls offer amazing opportunities to capture detailed motion.

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Ansel Adams and Alfred Stieglitz – The Greatest Pioneers of Photography – Adams, Ansel (Feb. 20 1902 — Apr. 22, 1984), photographer and environmentalist, was born in San Francisco, California, the son of Charles Hitchcock Adams, a business man, and Olive Bray. The grandson of a wealthy timber baron, Adams grew up in a house set amid the sand dunes of the Golden Gate. When Adams was only four, an aftershock of the great earthquake and fire of 1906 threw him to the ground and badly broke his nose, distinctly marking him for life. A year later the family fortune collapsed in the financial panic of 1907, and Adams’s father spent the rest of his life doggedly but fruitlessly attempting to recoup.

Seen in a more traditional art history context, Adams was the last and defining figure in the romantic tradition of nineteenth-century American landscape painting and photography. Adams’s vast archive of papers, memorabilia, correspondence, negatives, and many “fine” photographic prints, as well as numerous “work” or proof prints, are in the John P. Schaefer Centre for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona, Tucson.

Ansel Adams and Alfred Stieglitz – The Greatest Pioneers of Photography – Adams’s star rose rapidly in the early 1930s, propelled in part by his ability and in part by his effusive energy and activity. He made his first visit to New York in 1933, on a pilgrimage to meet photographer Alfred Stieglitz, the artist whose work and philosophy Adams most admired and whose life of commitment to the medium he consciously emulated.

Alphred Stieglitz was an American photographer and modern art promoter who was instrumental over his 50-year career in making photography an accepted art form.

In addition to his photography, Stieglitz was known for the New York art galleries that he ran in the early part of the 20th century, where he introduced many avant-garde European artists to the U.S.

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The White Rock Lake fire was a wildfire in Thompson-Nicola Regional District, British Columbia. Caused by lightning in an extreme drought year, the fire began July 13, 2021. Left unprioritized by the wildfire service for several days it spread to a total of 83,047 hectares and resulted in the destruction over 800 homes. The town of Monte Lake was also destroyed. The BC Wildfire Service claimed it attended the fire immediately, but a later investigations proved this to be untrue. 

By August 5, two weeks after the fire started, it covered an area of 32,500 hectares between Kamloops and Vernon, and the town of Monte Lake was evacuated. The fire resulted in the destruction of at least 28 residences and one business there. By August 6 the When the fire had reached 55,000 hectares bu August 6, evacuation alerts were issued for the cities of Vernon and Armstrong, as well as the village of Chase.

By September 12 the fire covered 833 square kilometres. Thousands of residents were evacuated and over 2,000 properties were under an evacuation order. The fire damaged approximately 70 properties in the Ewings Landing and Killiney areas along the westside of Okanagan Lake. The Okanagan Indian Band also reported 10 homes and one business destroyed.

On August 14 Monte Lake residents were permitted to return to the community. Kamloops-South Thompson MLA Todd Stone called for a public enquiry into the provincial response, charging policy “is what causes these fires to get out of control”. Residents who refused to leave a B.C. wildfire evacuation area fired back at provincial officials, who they said didn’t do enough to protect their properties.  

The massive fire between Kamloops and Okanagan Lake, destroyed multiple buildings and forced a series of evacuation orders and alerts in less than 72 hours. Residents who didn’t leave the area to protect their homes themselves were later chastised by Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth who claimed their actions hat put first responder’s lives at risk.

While their own homes and cars had burned into rubble, those who defied the evacuation fought for their community’s survival. They resisted to be discouraged by the statements of a politician who seemed completely out of touch with what went on in the fire zone. 

The BC Wildfire Service insisted it responded seriously to the fire from the start with crews and helicopters. According to the services spokes person, the fire was already very lage upon detection and it burned aggressively in difficult terrain. 

Contrary to earlier statements, the BC Wildfire Service said on July 14, the fire was 300 hectares in size and was being actioned by a crew of six (6) firefighters and a (1) helicopter.

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BC Hydro’s Wilsey Dam @ Shuswap Falls – is a paradise for anyone who loves waterfalls and white waters raging through rugged canyons. Wilsey Dam recreational area features a high balcony type platform right above the spillway and a rocky bluff view point further down river. The best views over the turbine building and waterfalls of two different bypass channels are from the rock bluff viewpoint, about one half mile south.

From the spillway, the waters are divided into two bypass channels. One channel dramatically drops approximately 20 feet down while the second channel continues at moderate descend into a rocky gorge.  The base of the gorge is the location of BC Hydro’s power generating facility.

BC Hydro’s Wilsey Dam @ Shuswap Falls is one of few dams in British Columbia that provides up close access. The water action at the spillway is particularly exciting during spring snow melt and run off. 

Wilsey Dam at Shuswap Falls, BC – To Be Decommissioned – BC Hydro plans to decommission the Wilsey Dam and 5.2-MW Shuswap Falls Powerhouse on the Shuswap River, which allows salmon access to historical spawning habitat in the river. Demolitions work is set to begin in 2026..

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As extreme drought conditions continue throughout the province of British Columbia, residents in the Okanagan grow more concerned about new wildfires every day. After a grass fire at a slope above Kalamalka Lake on the previous day and the following night, smoke was spotted a few miles west of Becker Lake. High winds ignited a spot fire to to a blaze of several hectares. Air tankers and helicopters from Kamloops and Vernon fought the wildfire for most of the day.

The B.C. Wildfire Service says it is responding to a new wildfire near Vernon in B.C.’s north Okanagan Saturday. According to the BC Wildfire Service, the Becker Lake wildfire just east of Vernon was first listed around a hectare in size but is very visible from Vernon and the surrounding area. The fire is currently classified as “out of control.” 

Fire information officer Aydan Coray said the wildfire is three to five kilometres outside of town and the cause is currently unknown. Twenty-six BC Wildfire Service fire personnel are on scene fighting the Becker Lake wildfire, alongside four helicopters and air tanker support. 

The initial fire fighting attack was carried out by one man intermeshing rotor helicopter dropping water on the grounds above Pottery Road  on Friday, July 9, 2021.  Intermeshing rotor helicopters also known as synchropters, have two main rotors that spin in opposite directions and overlap with each other. The flight characteristics of these machine make them idea for wildland firefighting as they can operate in tight spaces and difficult terrain.

An air tanker drops retardant onto the Becker Lake Wildfire shortly after its discovery. Retardants, commonly recognized by their bright red colour, are usually dropped ahead of an advancing fire by air tankers and helicopters to help contain the wildfire. The colouring allows fire crews to easily see where the retardant has landed. Retardants contain ammonium salts and are essentially water-soluble, industrial-strength fertilizer (with colouring added) that affect the burning process of forest fuels. When flames come into contact with retardant, the resulting reaction releases a combination of water and carbon dioxide that helps cool and suffocate the fire.

The Avro RJ85 AT as seen actioning the Becker Lake wildfire, features a four engine reliability providing excellent short field performance along with multiple system redundancy. The RJ85 provides excellent low speed and high speed performance making this aircraft an ideal air tanker in any terrain. It can deliver a maximum of 11,355 litres (3,000 US gallons) of retardant or water.

Air tankers are fixed-wing aircraft that have been repurposed from retired commercial airliners to help douse wildfires. They are typically loaded with long-term retardant at a tanker base prior to departure to a wildfire. These aircraft have been selected for this role because of their speed-handling characteristics and the size of the load they can carry.

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2021 Becker Lake Wildfire Vernon BC – #03 Video Archive

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Sicamous Creek Fatal Falls, BC – Three house-sized boulders in a narrow gorge divide Sicamous Creek into two cascading waterfalls. A short, well developed and marked trail leads to a viewing area from which the stunning scenery of Sicamous Creek Fatal Falls can be enjoyed.

Sicamous Creek (Fatal) Falls are called this because several people have died there of stupidity. For better views, they all climbed up on rock faces in the gorge or scrambled along steep side hills – only to fall to their deaths.

Clearly marked and hand-railed trails lead to viewing points and pathways loop around the Sicamous Creek gorge. 

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Ancient times and nature come together at the Historic Dun-Waters Farm & Short’s Creek Waterfall in Fintry BC. A long history and traces of first nation’s people and European settlers is preserved in Fintry Provincial Park on Lake Okanagan in BC.

Historic Dun-Waters Farm at Short’s Creek and waterfall in Fintry BC, is an interesting place to visit. Fintry’s octagonal dairy barn is believed to be the last standing eight-sided barn in BC and one of only a few in Canada.

Captain James Cameron Dun-Waters raised in Scotland, inherited a significant amount of money at the age of 22. To pursue his interest in hunting, he came to Canada. An explorer by nature, Dun-Waters became fond of a delta along the west side of Okanagan Lake where he settled in 1909.

He built and operated a farm business, boating service, an orchard and a fruit packing plant supported by innovative hydro-electricity generation and irrigation systems.

James was also involved with the Armstrong Interior Provincial Exhibition organisation, the CPR and the BC Fruit Growers Association. He also served overseas during World War One.

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Brenda Falls at Sugar Lake Dam, BC – A few kilometers south of Sugar Lake in Bc is the location of Brenda Falls. In 1942, BC Hydro constructed a dam to create storage and increase the power generating potential at Wilsey Dam (Shuswap Falls). This new dam allowed for another 4000 HP generating unit at Shuswap Falls, which translates to another 5.2 MW of capacity.

Brenda Falls at Sugar Lake Dam is worth a visit for photography buffs and anyone who loves the raw power of waterfalls. Caution is advised when attempting to get closer to the rivers edge via the western side’s former viewing area. A steep, badly eroded, old trail that leads down to the bottom of the dam wall and the falls.

The powers of water are best captured in high speed photography or in video. In winter, the lighting conditions can be difficult when shooting sun illuminated waters from a dark location.

Brenda Falls at Sugar Lake Dam, BC and all other hydroelectric facilities create special risks for visitors. Sudden changes in water flows in the spillway, strong currents near the dam, and the presence of numerous log jams and debris make swimming and boating dangerous.

Leave a plan of your for your own safety, stay behind fenced areas, away from all hydroelectric operating structures, and away from steep cliffs. Before embarking on a trip, ensure that you have detailed mapping, have first hand knowledge of the river and present conditions, and have taken adequate safety precautions, especially during high water.  

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