It was so much fun to co-host my first photography tour, 'Horses and Wine in France' with pro photographer and travel guide Vanessa Dewson of Focus on Photography Tours. A group of us travelled to southern France to photograph the iconic white horses of the Camargue region. Along the way, we also captured images of gorgeous birds including flamingos, egrets and storks. There were some day trips to wine regions as well.... but in the end, it was all about the horses!
The Outdoor and Adventure Travel Show!
So much fun at the Outdoor and Adventure Travel Show! Thousands of people stopped by this popular show at the EY Centre, because there is no better time to start planning for that spring or summer outdoors trip. I had a blast hosting a booth with some of my wild Sable Island horse images, and telling the stories from my 2014 Sable Island adventure. And I appreciated the opportunity to host a presentation about Sable Island. The number one question was: 'how do you get to Sable Island'? The answer: Adventure Canada.
I can't say enough about this incredible Canadian adventure company. With 2 trips planned to Sable Island in 2017, it is your chance to enjoy a lifelong dream with topnotch scientists, writers, artists, researchers, and all around fun people. More info on Adventure Canada's Sable Island 2017 trips here.
A Dream Come True!
'A dream come true' is a cliche, but that's ok. After years of finding and photographing amazing horses around the world (and up the road!), I am so excited to have received my official accreditation for EQUINE PHOTOGRAPHY from the Professional Photographers of Canada! I am ready, willing and able for any horse photoshoot, just drop me a note at sandysharkey@rocketmail.com. In the meantime, please check out my Professional Photographers of Canada profile page.
Desert Trip
California's Joshua Tree National Park is one of my favourite places on earth! A group of us travelled to Indio, California for the 'Desert Trip' concert (Rolling Stones, Neil Young, Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, The Who and Roger Waters). Following the 3 days of rock and roll... it was off to the desert.
Joshua trees
Cholla cactus
Sunset in Joshua Tree National Park
Grizzlies, Whales, Coastal Wolves and Spirit Bears in 'The Great Bear Rainforest'
The pristine, ecologically significant Great Bear Rainforest on Canada's northwest coast is home to some of our country's most revered species of wildlife including the grizzly bear, bald eagle, and the elusive coastal wolf- a seldom seen subspecies of wolf that survives on a marine diet of salmon and barnacles. But perhaps the most unique wildlife experience in the Great Bear Rainforest is a wonderfully rare sighting of a 'spirit bear', or 'kermode bear'. These bears are actually black bears with a rare gene that gives them their white colour. Spirit bears exist only in a small geographical region of the Great Bear Rainforest. My husband Rob and I were fortunate enough to be with a small group of like-minded people aboard the 'Ocean Light II' vessel, guided by the legendary photographer/ adventure guide Mike Beedell. Sailing through the Great Bear Rainforest and photographing the spectacular wildlife was truly one of the most incredible adventures of my life.
Equine Photoshoot in the Gatineau Hills
What a fantastic way to spend a beautiful summer day! A drive through the countryside to Quebec's scenic Gatineau Hills for a lovely horse photoshoot. Capturing the joy of horses and their people!
Orcas, Otters and Seals
Canada's west coast is renowned for it's breathtaking beauty and wildlife. In Telegraph Cove and Port Hardy, my husband Rob and I hopped onto whale watching boats as often as we could to experience orcas, humpbacks, dall's porpoise, seals and sea lions. After our time in Telegraph Cove we spent a lovely week in Victoria, where the wildlife wasn't hard to find. In Victoria's Oak Bay, we were welcomed by a family of otters. And the deer were so plentiful in the urban areas, they were like living lawn ornaments!
A Day in the Life of Telegraph Cove (Or, How We Survived a Storm on the Sea)
Yesterday in Telegraph Cove BC, Rob and I got into our double kayak and paddled out in search of orcas. It was sunny and 18 degrees... Rob had strategically planned for us to paddle in the same direction as high tide, then turn around when the tide returned. This all made perfect sense to me as we made our way effortlessly towards a channel where the orcas are known to feed on salmon.
Yesterday in Telegraph Cove BC, Rob and I got into our double kayak and paddled out in search of orcas. It was sunny and 18 degrees... Rob had strategically planned for us to paddle in the same direction as high tide, then turn around when the tide returned. This all made perfect sense to me as we made our way effortlessly towards a channel where the orcas are known to feed on salmon.
We were a couple of hours from shore when we encountered something neither one of us had ever seen before: a confluence of tide and currents that created swells and whirlpools and an ensuing kayak rodeo which had me wondering if I would ever hug
my dog again. I paddled for my life, Rob staying calm because...well, one of us had to. Once we were out of the turbulence we headed for a remote rocky beach because I really really needed to go to the bathroom.
As both of us began to pee behind our chosen driftwood, we were treated to quite a sight: a male orca, two females and a calf. Approximately a kilometer away, in the middle of the channel, the exact spot that we had just vacated.
So excited to get a better look, I convinced Rob that my fear of Pacific Ocean whirlpools had miraculously disappeared, and off we went, because at that moment I had to believe that I could not only paddle as fast as an orca can swim, but even faster because there was much ground (or water) to make up. The spouts and black triangular fins in the distance didn't get any bigger.
But after the ocean helped to carry us further and further from my hot shower and my three bottles of wine, we realized it was time to turn around. I pulled out my telephoto to grab a few orca shots, then we changed directions. Rob's initial plan to paddle along with the tide was great in theory. But the winds
had another idea. We were now paddling into strong waves, and we were still quite a distance from our cabin, and most importantly, my wine.
Back in October I broke my collarbone after tripping over my dog Dude. Last month the X-ray showed that my collarbone was still fractured. The double-kayak-symmetry that Rob and I had with our paddles when the day began was a distant memory, it was just
all desperation now and I became jealous of anyone with a full collarbone. The guy in that fishing boat way off in the distance. Not only did he have a motor, he probably had a full collarbone.
Then the clouds appeared. Big, black, threatening clouds. And thunder claps. Rob commented on how strange it was to have a thunderstorm on a cool day on the west coast. I commented on the fact that 'at least it's not raining'.
As the sheets of rain began to fall, I was glad that the
sunscreen streaming from my face to the inside of my mouth was flavorless. I was also glad that the salmon that dove out of the water beside me didn't land on my boat. I tried to be glad for little things. It kept my mind off the fact that we were caught in a storm on the Pacific ocean.
I no longer had any feeling in my arms and it was adrenalin that kept my paddle in the water. Rob's back was in knots. But there was only one way back, and for the next three and a half hours, we kept paddling through the waves, the rain, the occasional
thunder.
When we finally reached Telegraph Cove, Rob had to pry my paddle out of my grey hands. My fingers were stuck in a curled grip which eventually made it difficult to hold a glass of wine. But I perservered, and I drank that wine like a pro.
In total, we had kayaked for six and a half hours and covered over thirty-three kilometres, over half of which was during a Pacific Ocean storm. But at least I got a photo of the dorsal fin of an orca.
Today we are going whale watching. On a ship. With a motor.
Alberta Suffield Mustangs
I recently had a wonderful opportunity to photograph Alberta mustangs!
How did wild Alberta mustangs come to live on a small town farm near Ottawa Ontario? This is the story.
Wild horses once roamed freely on a 200 acre parcel of prairie land within Canadian Forces Base Suffield in southeastern Alberta. Genetically isolated, the horses were athletic, intelligent, physically and mentally hardy~ all traits that stallions and mares passed on to their offspring to ensure survival. In 1994, it was decided that the horses were a threat to the grasslands within the base. The government ordered a roundup of over 1200 mustangs- and every herd of stallions, mares and foals was chased by snowmobile into a catch pen. In order to save these living testaments to Canadian heritage, a small group of people started the 'Suffield Mustangs Association of Canada'. Dedicated to the preservation of this endangered breed, Smiths Falls Ontario veterinarian Gaelin O'Grady and her husband Larry turned their 400 acre mixed pasture and forest over to a herd of wild Suffield Mustangs. Recently, I was honoured to photograph the herd. Muscular, curious, gentle, hardy, known for endurance and loyalty and bred to ensure that these traits remain for generations to come. If you want to know more about Marlborough Mustangs (as Gaelin calls her herd) contact Gaelin O'Grady through her website: http://marlboroughmustangs.ca/
RBC Ottawa Bluesfest
I love spending time in nature photographing movement...animals, birds, trees in the wind. Which is probably why I love to photograph musicians~ they never stay still either! Once again RBC Ottawa Bluesfest proved that this once-humble event now deserves to be on the world map for music festivals.
An incredible time had by all !
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Flea, Red Hot Chili Peppers
Billy Idol
The Revivalists
Noel Gallagher
Jordan McIntosh
Coeur de Pirate
Peter Bjorn and John
Ottawa National and International Horse Shows at Wesley Clover Parks
In July, Ottawa's Wesley Clover Parks welcomed some of the top hunters and jumpers in the sport at the Ottawa National and Ottawa International Horse Shows. Such a thrill to see Canadian Olympian Ian Miller (and his son Jonathon) along with other world class athletes and their horses! At both horse shows I hosted a booth of Sable Island wild horse images from my June trip with Adventure Canada. I think I told the story about the wild horses to around 5,000 people who visited my booth! OK, maybe a bit of an exaggeration. I told the story to 4,995 people.
Sable Island with Adventure Canada
In June, we travelled with Adventure Canada to magical Sable Island. It is an understatement to say that this adventure was 'bucket list'. There are no words to describe. But I did put some words together, with a guest blog published by Nature Canada. (below) p.s. Adventure Canada has one expedition to Sable Island planned for July 2017~ do yourself a favour and put yourself on the land of the true wild horses!
‘It is far better to experience a place just once than to hear about it a thousand times’ ~ Mongolian saying
Sable Island. ‘The graveyard of the sea’. So steeped in Canadian lore that when I was a kid, I didn’t think Sable Island actually existed.
On my eighth birthday, I unwrapped a book about Sable Island. Page after page offered grainy black and white photos of shipwrecks, sky high sand dunes and fierce ocean swells bundled with tales of human struggle. But, it was the Sable Island horses that really caught my attention. Manes flowing in the wind, stallions clashing with each other atop seaside cliffs, herds thundering through the surf. This was the stuff of fiction.
But of course, Sable Island exists. The stories of the shipwrecks, the sand dunes, the horses. All true.
Like so many Canadians, it became my lifelong dream to visit this magical and mystical slice of geography.
Three hundred kilometres east of Halifax in the Atlantic Ocean, Sable Island sits in the path of some of the most treacherous currents in the world. The island’s ‘smile’ shape belies its historical moniker, ‘Graveyard of the Atlantic’, with over three hundred and fifty ships known to have perished off Sable’s sandy shores.
Home to just a handful of meteorologists, scientific researchers, and Parks Canada staff, Sable Island is an irresistible dream for a nature lover. Sand dunes shelter the island’s interior where grassy fields and freshwater ponds teem with life. Over three hundred and fifty species of birds have been recorded on the island. It also supports the world’s largest breeding colony of fifty thousand grey seals. But, if there was a Sable Island wildlife popularity contest, the iconic wild horses would win hands down.
The ever-shifting sands, fog, and unpredictable ocean swells have always made getting to Sable Island difficult, but that would change.
In December 2013, the Canadian government officially declared Sable Island as Canada’s forty-third National Park Reserve. Known for leading expeditions to the arctic, Canadian company ‘Adventure Canada’ was chosen to bring travellers to the land of horses and seals. This past June, my husband Rob and I joined enthusiastic adventurers and nature lovers aboard the ship Ocean Endeavour, and under sunny skies we sailed out of St John’s harbour, past a postcard iceberg, and out to sea for our final destination. As we sailed the Atlantic Ocean over the next thirty-six hours we were treated to enlightening presentations by scientists, writers, and photographers. Topics included climate, wildlife and survival on the island.
How did the horses get there? The romantic notion is that the horses swam to the island from ships wrecked on sandbars, but today’s Sable Island horses are most likely the descendants of horses that were seized during the Acadian expulsion from Nova Scotia in the 1700’s. Acadian horses were brought to the island to help build a lifesaving station and eventually they returned to a wild state.
When the government gave Sable Island the status of ‘National Park Reserve’, many Canadians worried that the island would be overrun with tourists. I too had visions of newly built accommodations, perhaps a restaurant or two, and crowds trying to get selfies with the wild horses.
Thankfully, nothing could be further from the truth.
Parks Canada’s new mandate to welcome visitors to the island while at the same time protecting the delicate environment led to an effective symbiotic relationship with Adventure Canada.
With camera gear, bottled water and hiking boots packed, it was time to set foot on Canada’s iconic Sable Island.
From the Ocean Endeavour’s anchorage one mile from shore, we climbed into Zodiac boats and landed on the southern beach. Nearby, a large grey seal lay on its side and slowly waved a flipper at us, and we couldn’t help but smile at this lazy welcoming committee. My husband Rob and I joined a small hiking group lead by a Parks Canada guide with Adventure Canada resource photographer Mike Beedell in tow. We knew the rules: there would be limited time on the island, and we were to hike only on sand or established horse trails so as not to disturb the delicate foliage which also provided shelter for breeding birds. And, if we encountered wild horses, we needed to respect the minimum distance of sixty metres.
The wild horses appeared almost immediately. Two bachelor stallions descended from a grassy ridge to cross the beach and walk along the surf, paying us no attention whatsoever. It was a fleeting moment, the stallions turning back to the ridge, giving chase and disappearing over the hill. Freedom. Wild. Raw. Nature.
We hiked through a meadow of marram grass, a thick stemmed grass that is the primary source of food for wild horses. Ascending Bald Dune, at twenty-eight metres the highest point on the island, the view is breathtaking: a freshwater pond dotted with water lilies, a mix of bayberries and blueberries skirting horse trails, grassy ridges, a glimpse of the northern beach with hundreds of grey seals, and a family band of wild horses. Arctic terns and herring gulls flew overhead and the occasional sighting of the Ipswich sparrow was especially rewarding, as this diminutive breed of sparrow is known to breed only on Sable Island.
We kept our distance as we approached the wild horse family band. Grazing quietly were two mares, still shedding winter coats, a yearling colt and a tiny foal who entertained us with his game of ‘peekabo’ behind his mother’s nuzzle. A magnificent stallion with a long tangled mane kept a watchful eye over his family.
We photographed the horses, the tiny flowers, the birds, the seals, the sand dunes. We stood still. We took it all in, joyous, exhilarated, alive.
We were experiencing one of the most beautiful places in the world.
As we hiked back to the south beach and climbed into the waiting Zodiac, I couldn’t help but notice my footprints in the sand. And with one gust of wind, they disappeared.
Zero impact by mankind. Like we were never there.
Exactly as it should be.
In Canada, we host a model for nature to be envied around the world. Wild, natural. Sable Island.
It is truly fitting that the island is shaped like a ‘smile.
Sable Island. It exists. Follow your dreams and visit.
To find out more about how you can get to Sable Island, email sandysharkey@rocketmail.com
Ottawa Horse Day
The sun was shining and the crowds came out big time to enjoy another 'Ottawa Horse Day' at Wesley Clover Parks! It was a day to celebrate the joy of horses in all shapes and sizes~ and the many horse disciplines that keep people loving these beautiful animals forever. It was a pleasure to host this wonderful event once again!
Birds of Spring
Such an incredible time of year! Spring brings with it the promise of rejuvenation in nature.... and wonderful birds!
Deer in Winter
Back from Costa Rica, to the land of ice and snow. But this beautiful white tailed deer reminded me that nature in winter is equally spectacular!
Costa Rica!
Costa Rica is heaven to photographers~ especially wildlife photographers! The Nosara area on the west coast of Costa Rica is known as the 'dry forest' region. With so many micro-climates, a road trip in Costa Rica can take you to mountaintops, rainforest, swamps, seaside, you name it. Here are a few of the images from our Nosara adventure!
It's Snowing! It's Snowing! It's Snowing!
Finally, some snow! My puppy Dude had no idea what to make of it. Until of course he started eating it!
Merry Christmas!
It's hard to believe that it's Christmas Day and there is no sign of snow! One kayaker took advantage of the weird and wacky weather ..... on this stretch of the Rideau River, usually there are ice fishermen on Christmas Day.
Happy Autumn!
I'm not crazy about the season that it leads into (winter), but I have to admit that autumn is such a beautiful time of the year. Especially when you are in the dog park, with a happy-go-lucky pup (Dude, 8 months) and a blanket of leaves to play in.
Supermoon!
Time to get out the tripod! Sept 27th marked a rare occurance, a total eclipse of a Super Full Moon. I got a shot of the Supermoon, and showed it to my astronomy-crazed husband Rob. He added the moon landmarks. I decided to take it one step further.
