New blog and website

After almost a year of having a website designed and scanning and keywording close to 2000 images, my new website is now live! And as a result the location of this blog will be changing to that of my website address....www.robertcanis.com

The reason for the new site? Aside from it looking tired and dated (it was my first and designed by me) I needed to showcase my work in a more professional manner. I also felt the growing need for a searchable image database. A number of magazines including BBC Wildlife and RSPB Birds are aware of my extensive collection of wildlife and landscape images depicting, amongst others, the North Kent Marshes and on a number of occasions have approached me to illustrate their articles. This has invariably meant me emailing them images that I THINK they would require rather than them deciding themselves. A database was therefore the answer. I knew the task was going to be mammoth but once the initial images had been scanned and uploaded it would I thought only be a matter of me keeping ontop of things by uploading new images as and when they were taken. On the site there are collections depicting habitats, details of photographic workshops and talks that are available. I do hope you enjoy it and would welcome any feedback.

Bye for now......

Wildlife Photographer of the Year

So the winners of this years Veoila Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition have been revealed and the winning shot is a cracker albeit a rather contentious one. Why? Well, like last years winner of a snow leopard it was taken using a remote camera. Many are calling (tongue-in -cheek one would presume) for the competition to be called 'wildlife photograph' not 'wildlife photographer!' I personally don't see a problem with using this technique since with many species it's the only way to record an image of that creature. I've used it in the past myself with badgers, albeit just a few times and with limited success and it is not an easy thing to get right.

There are rules to abide by if you are to have any success such as not going anywhere near their paths when setting up the camera and to position and balance the flash units in order to give an aesthetically pleasing result. One technique I used some years ago along a badger path involved a sensitive pad whereby once the badger steps on it it takes its own picture. I had this in place, covered by soil and leaves, for a week so that my scent didn't linger at the time of introducing the camera. Dummy flash heads were also positioned approximately 3m away and behind to give a nocturnal effect. Come the evening when the camera was introduced I would arrive about 2 hrs before sunset, cover the camera and flash units with polythene bags, incase of rain and camouflage the camera and tripod with camo netting. I would then retreat some distance away until nightfall then silently leave the woodland for the comfort of my home and bed. I would then return at dawn hoping above all else that the camera would still be there and that I would have a picture. In the days of film you could only go by the frame counter and then wait a week or so to get them back from dear old Kodak! It probably goes without saying I would only attempt this on private land. There are two factors you can never be sure of. 1: The species of animal that steps on the pad and 2: In my set-up, the direction in which it was heading. Out of 7 visits I got one decent image



I can only imaging the skill, fieldcraft and patience required to get similar images as those of the snow leopard and Iberian wolf and for those out there who say "if I had the same equipment and time I could have produced that" then maybe you should have a go at your local squirrels or badgers to get a tiny insight into what the winner had to do in order to obtain their image. I can assure you that the effort involved would pale in comparison. But if you get the opportunity do have a go, it's really good fun and can ultimately be very rewarding.

Lapland cont 5...Final Chapter

It was late Friday afternoon and our plane was to leave at 13.30 hrs the following day. Our plan was to get up early, tidy the cabin and return the keys en-route to the airport. My dad, Roger, was in contact with my mum saying how he was looking forward to coming back home tomorrow and that he hoped there wouldn't be any delays. A few minutes later he received a text from her saying that surely he meant in 2 days, not one! We looked at each other thinking what on earth she was talking about? He replied and duly received exactly the same text back from mum. We looked at each other again, watching each other as the colour slowly drained from our faces. No, surely not. It can't be....Thursday? Can it? We all switched on our mobiles, went onto the calendar and even checked the time and date on our cameras. No way. But there it was as plain as day. It was Thursday not Friday. How on earth could we have thought it was Friday? What are we going to do? There was no food left except for a small breakfast and we had started to pack and were mentally prepared for the journey home. After a few minutes existing in the twilight zone we decided to leave tomorrow as originally planned and spend the night in the hotel close to the airport where we had spent our first upon landing. We would have breakfast and tidy the cabin and casually make our way to drop off the keys.

Cabin and trees illuminated by the camp fire. 12-24mm, iso 100, 30 secs f4.

It actually worked out much better than we first thought. We had our first shower and shave for a week, a decent meal, a few drinks and a good nights sleep before our long journey back. Plus, our last morning at the cabin was stunning. Overnight temperatures dropped to below -5 deg C and the result was a thick frost and since there wasn't a rush to get away I of course made the most of it with some of my strongest images of the trip.

Upon reflection we surmised that because each day was so full of activities, walking, trips and so on we had simply lost track of time. Our days were dictated not by the clock but by our stomachs and nature. We ate when we were hungry, woke when it got light and slept when we were tired. Simple. What we had experienced on that fateful day was surely an acute case of Cabin Fever!

Lapland cont 4

Since the cabin was situated very close to its neighbouring countries, Sweden and Norway, we took the opportunity to visit them, even if it just meant crossing the border. Infact the cabin was on the bank of a river where the other side was officially Sweden so we didn't have far to go! We drove to the nearest Swedish village just over the border called Karasuando, realised the village was 'shut' and promptly drove straight out. I'm sure it's a delightful place to visit when there are things happening but on this occasion we didn't see any reason for staying any longer than to get a quick snap to prove we had visited Sweden. A few days later however we decided upon a quick visit to Norway where we simply had to connect onto the main E8 road and drive north for about an hour and a half. We set off very early in mist and rain but as the dawn appeared in the distance we could see snow-capped mountains looming. As we neared the landscape changed dramatically from the rolling fells and wide open spaces of Finland to towering rock faces of over a thousand metres with waterfalls tumbling down its side. It was almost prehistoric and one could imagine a Spielberg production being filmed here. We were also struck by how late autumn was compared to where we were just 90 minutes away. The Finnish autumn was drawing to an end but here it was at its peak. We thought this was strange since we were further north and in mountain country. Perhaps it was because it's more sheltered and the current in the fjords keeps at a milder temperature for longer. Whatever the reason we were glad, the colours and landscape was simply breathtaking. Neither of us had ever visited Norway before but each of us said we would at some point return.

We stopped on many occasions to take pictures, far too many as far as my brother was concerned, and after looking a the road map decided to follow the road along the southern edge of Larsbergbukta fjord. These fjord's are enormous. When you look at the map you think you'll drive along its length for just a few miles but it went on and on. An ocean going liner would look minuscule in the middle of this fjord. Sadly the weather never improved but this helped somewhat in recording the colours.

As I write there is a light covering of snow in lapland and the fjord region with daytime temperatures reaching a 'balmy' 3 deg C and at night -10.

Without doubt the best view throughout the trip.

Lapland cont 3

As written in a previous post, aside from enjoying the peace and tranquility of the place, we all hoped that we would see the aurora borealis or northern lights. I had witnessed this before some years earlier in north east Finland at more or less the same time of year but I made it clear to the others that we would just have to consider this as a bonus if we do see it. Winter is far and away the best season and even people that come over at that time specifically to see them don't see anything so our chances were slim. When I had seen them I was hiking with a Finnish colleague who said that if they do occur they would usually do so at around 11pm or 2am and indeed they did at roughly that time.

On our second night at the cabin the sky was clear and the stars were amazing. I don't think I have seen the stars so clearly or appear so big! You could make out the constellations so clearly. At about 10.45 I wandered away from the camp fire up the access track so that my 'night-vision' wasn't hindered by the fire. I stood there willing them to happen...."c'mon" I was saying...."c'mon." Half an hour later faint light-grey wisps appeared and then almost without warning a small shaft of green began moving horizontally across the north sky. I shouted to the others who had also seen it as well as a flume of green more to the north west. They ran to where I was so they too were in total darkness and for the next half hour we enjoyed one of the most amazing and natural displays you can witness. It didn't really matter what happened after that for the rest of the trip I thought, we had all seen the northern lights and neither of us would ever forget that moment.

So what causes this phenomenon? One of the best explanations I could find comes from a website called athropolis.com and goes as follows.....

The amazing color displays and formations of the Northern Lights (also called "aurora borealis") are produced by basically three things:

1. The solar wind - a continuous flow of the Sun's magnetic field carrying charged particles (electrons and protons) from the Sun's atmosphere far out into the solar system.

2. The "magnetosphere" - the area surrounding the Earth containing its magnetic field. The magnetic field is concentrated at the north and south magnetic poles.

3. The Earth's atmosphere - the protective shield of gases that surrounds the planet.

Electrically charged particles come from space (1) and enter the Earth's magnetosphere (2). They accelerate along the Earth's magnetic field lines which concentrate at the poles. The particles then plunge into the upper atmosphere (3) where they collide with the gases that surround the Earth.These collisions create energy, and the excess energy is given off in the form of light emissions. We call these light emissions the Northern Lights.

Photographing the spectacle can be a little hit and miss as it depends on how bright it is and the iso and focal length lens you use. I intentionally over-ran the exposure so the resulting images would be too light. With RAW this is better as there is less chance of any noise appearing in the dark areas and you can always reduce the exposure during post processing. I used the 12-24mm on 12mm, aperture at f4, focus set to infinity, iso at 400 and exposure times of approx 4mins.

Lapland cont 2

Finland's third largest national park, Pallas-Yllastunturi, was a 90 minute drive from our cabin so was an obvious day out. Upon reaching the park's visitor centre and enjoying a 20 minute film on the area (which they put on specifically for us in the auditorium) we enquired as to how we could reach it since you had to cross a very wide river to get to the start of the trail. They gave us the name of someone who ran a boat taxi and rough directions as to where to find him. He was out so we went into the nearby Information Centre who then gave us 2 more names, one of which was next door. Bingo! Within 5 minutes we were at the water's edge loading ourselves onto an aged Swedish military motor boat which stalled 20 metres from the landing stage. 5 minutes later and after much huffing and puffing he eventually re-started the boat and we were duly dropped off. He gave me his business card with his mobile number which I was to call when we wanted picking up.

At 1020 sq km the national park is largely made up of fells running in a north/south direction, it's highest being Taivaskero, which stands at 807m. They are surrounded by bogs and ancient forest and an excellent place for hiking and wildlife. We ourselves saw reindeer in the forest as well as siberian jay. Other notable species that inhabit this wild area include snow bunting (the park's emblem), siberian tit, ptarmigan, brown bear, wolverine, lynx, wolf and elk. We arrived in the afternoon and so we were only to spend half a day here and therefore didn't have enough time to reach the fells. I would love to hike this area in the spring and as with so many of Finland's national parks they cater for the hiker incredibly well in that there are often rest points and shelters every half day's walk or so enabling you to cover the area without a tent. During winter when temperatures regularly fall to well below minus 20 with over a metre of snow, ski's are required and there is a ski trail marked by 7 ft high red markings with a large X at the top.

The colour, texture and form within the forest just begged to be captured whether it be of a spruce sapling emerging amongst the leaves of northern bilberry or lichen festooned rocks. Bearded moss hung from almost every branch, a testament to the cleanliness of the air. Knowing that I wouldn't be concentrating on birds and mammals I packed my Lowepro with those lenses to cover landscapes and macro trying to keep weight down to a minimum, something which I am not very good at! In the end I took 2 bodies, a Nikon D2x and D300, 12-24mm, 28-105mm, 100-300mm and of course a lightweight tripod being a Manfrotto 190. Little things I took included 2 ND grads, polarisers and a lastolite reflector. I toyed with taking a small portable downloader but instead took an 8gb, 2x4gb and 2x1gb cards which I pretty much filled come the time to leave. If this were solely a photographic trip I wouldn't have hesitated in taking it.

Lapland cont 1

The four of us around the fire in front of the cabin. My brother-in-law Jim, my dad Roger, my brother Malc and of course yours truly. An open fire is very much part of Finnish culture when staying in a cabin especially in remote areas. Once it gets dark it's immediately reassuring that you will be warm for the rest of the evening and of course there is the safety element when camping in areas frequented by predators. There's a massive supply of wood in an out building along with an axe. As much a part of that is cooking sausages over the fire finished off with mustard. I love them. Malc did so a little but dad and Jim weren't quite so keen. More for me I thought!

Malc enjoying a 'wee dram' from his hip flask. Our only regret is that he didn't bring along more!

As there was no electricity for a refrigerator you use what they term as an outdoor cellar. It is in fact a small stone building with internal dimensions of around 1m sq with a shelf and a chimney. The stonework is then topped off with several layers of peat so regardless of the season the food keeps cool enough to stay fresh for several days. As the days were generally quite chilly and nightime even more so we would leave the butter and milk just outside the door. It goes without saying that the toilet was of the outdoor compost variety and with the door left a little ajar we surely had one of the best views from any loo in Europe! Adjoining the main building is a sauna. To the Finns a sauna is as much part of their culture as the pub is to ours. They will quite happily sit in there for hours. On previous visits when I have stayed with Finns and partaken in a sauna, every 20 minutes or so we would have a cool shower then sit on the steps of the house, as nature intended. No room for English modesty here! However, modesty prevailed with the four of us and so we donned swimming shorts and instead of a cool shower, we threw buckets of cold water over one another, fresh from the river. I don't think I have ever been so cold or feel so invigorated as I did then.

River Konkamaeno just 50m from the cabin

The vibrant red leaves of the northern bilberry were everywhere you looked

Aside from visiting different places, lots of time was spent around the cabin area. Autumn for obvious reasons isn't the best time for bird watching though there were lots of great and blue tits around. Ravens were noted and on 2 separate occasions, siberian jays but never close enough for me to get a shot. Great to see though and a first. They are particularly stunning when they fly and show the red on their wings and are often called the Traveller's Friend as it's not unusual for them to turn up at campfires, even in the wilderness hoping for scraps. We also spotted a female capercaillie on the side of the road next to the forest. The area was a typical Lapland habitat. A mix of rocky fells, spruce forest with scots pine and bogs. I bet the place is alive with birds in the spring. For sure there would be common crane, black grouse and whooper swan on the bog, golden eagles soaring above and tengmalms owl, black woodpecker and capercaillie in the forest. Within this huge area brown bears roam, as do wolverine, lynx and wolf as well as elk and reindeer. But more than anything else it's the silence and quality of light that you experience, especially for someone from southeast England! As wonderful as our Kentish woodlands and marshes are I can't help but always feel a little deflated when I return from such a place.

River Konkamaeno about 10m further upriver