The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of excursions to gather photo reference. Rather than spread it out over the summer, I decided to group several trips together while the venues were quieter and before school let out.
In that short span, I’ve visited Discovery Wildlife Park, Heritage Park, and Butterfield Acres, gathered plenty of photos of bear cubs, and a lot of barnyard animals for a domestic series I’m planning. You can see those posts and pictures by clicking on the venue names above.
Last week, I headed south to Coaldale, just outside of Lethbridge.
I’ve been supporting the Alberta Birds of Prey Centre for several years now with a monthly donation, and I’ve enjoyed getting to know the owner/operator, Colin Weir. He’s a very nice man, completely dedicated to his purpose, and has turned what was once a barren gully in the 80s into one of the most beautiful wetland sanctuaries you’re likely to see anywhere.
The centre is home to temporary rescues and permanent residents, while migrating wild birds return to its ponds every year. There’s even a pair of wild Great Horned Owls that nest on the property, and their offspring come and go from the centre as they please.
On this trip, one of the staff pointed out this year’s young owls perched in a tree, watching one of the school presentations.
Every time I visit, I not only marvel at the improvements and Colin’s vision for the future of the facility, but I’m continually impressed with how well cared for the birds are, both those slated to be released back into the wild and the permanent residents.
With all the photos I’ve taken the past few weeks, I have to get them weeded and sorted as soon as possible. If I don’t, they’ll sit in my “Photos to be Sorted” folder for far too long and become one more thing I need to get to.
I consider myself a decent photographer, but not a good one. Because I know so many professional wildlife photographers, my metric is very high. I’m not on their level, but nor do I want to be. I don’t make my living selling photos, but on the paintings I create inspired by the pictures I take. So while I like them to be good enough to share with all of you, they’re a means to an end, not the final product.
That also means I’m a spray-and-pray photographer. With my camera set on burst mode, I’ll take ten shots in rapid fire just to hopefully get one worth keeping. I usually come home with 1,000 to 1,500 shots from a day of critter photography, depending on what I see. Most of those are discarded on the first pass.
When I’m sorting photos, the first thing I’m looking for is whether they’re in focus. If they don’t show crisp detail, I usually delete them.
The second thing I’m looking for is expression. Is there something there that’s unique, that would help me find the personality in the subject?
The third thing is, does it make me feel something? If it makes me laugh, or I think it’s cute, sassy, or any number of emotions, that means there’s probably a painting there, or at least the potential.
Sometimes what saves a photo that isn’t technically perfect is the second or third criteria. Because most people never see most of my reference, I’ve used bad photos to inform some of my best paintings.
On this recent trip to Coaldale, I took a lot of photos. Because I’ve been there many times, what I would have kept on the first trip, I threw away from this latest one. I’ve already got plenty of bald eagle photos in my archive. Anything new worth keeping must bring something special to the party. Not just good light or sharp detail, but something that inspires. A personality shot.
If I keep every good shot, I’ve just got a folder full of the same kind of head-and-shoulders bald eagle photos taking up space.
The first pass, I’m pretty forgiving. If it’s a good shot, I’ll keep it. Then I let the keepers sit for a couple of days and look through them again. That’s when a bunch more go to the recycle bin. On the final pass, I ask myself, “Will I ever paint from this? Is this a photo I would choose as reference for a painting or a sketch?”
If the answer is a hard no, it’s gone.
So when I sorted photos from this recent trip, I deleted about thirty photos of the same eagle. They were good shots, but they were all the same. Basically anatomy photos, nothing special.
But then I came across one where the eagle had stretched up straight, pulled his head back, was looking off camera, and it made me smile. It looked to me like he was saying, “You talking to me? Are YOU talking to ME?”
So that’s a keeper.
Will I paint from it? Maybe.
The photos I keep provide me with options months or years down the road.
With all the photos I took recently at Discovery Wildlife Park, Heritage Park, Butterfield Acres, some osprey shots here in Canmore, and the Birds of Prey Centre trip, it’s taken several days of sorting and culling photos to figure out what I wanted to keep.
I can’t always take my own photo reference, especially when the animal is one I don’t have access to, like a sea turtle, cheetah, or African elephant. I’ve had generous photographer friends offer their images from time to time. But taking my own photo reference has become one of my favourite parts of painting my critters.
The experience of spending time with the animals, seeing the expressions and personalities, adds a flavour to the painting experience that’s missing with stock photos.
There is one final category of photos I’ll keep, but won’t likely ever use for reference, and that’s the memory of the experience.
If I’ve been able to interact with an animal in an unusual situation or had a special moment with a critter, those photos are priceless, and often taken by the caretaker I’m with. They help me tell the stories behind the paintings, and they remind me why I make the effort in the first place. These moments, where I’ve had a bear cub crawl onto my lap or been granted a feeding session with an owl, are so fleeting. They’re over before I know it.
The photos help me remember them and push me to get out there to find the next experience.
I always learn new things about the birds while talking to Colin and his knowledgeable staff. And frankly, they’ve spoiled me with some incredible animal encounters over the years. This trip was no different.
As much as I enjoyed coming home with new reference, the highlight of this visit wasn’t the photographs. I’ll be sharing more on that once I edit and publish a video in the coming week. That story deserves a post of its own.
Here’s a sneak peek, and yes, that’s a baby raven.
Cheers,
Patrick
For example, later this week I’m heading out on a three-day road trip to gather more reference. To make that happen, I spent Saturday morning working on a commission, drew a cartoon that afternoon, drew three more cartoons Sunday, I have to finish my month-end invoicing early because I’ll be away Friday, wrote this post, sorted and edited last week’s photos, and prepared my camera and video equipment for the road.
I want to paint a rooster, donkey, pig, sheep, goat, turkey, and other barnyard standards. When I mentioned needing reference photos, people volunteered places they knew about in the area.
I came away with excellent reference for a Highland calf, a stunning rooster, and a very large turkey. That last one will be a challenge to make appealing because, frankly, turkeys aren’t attractive animals. I also got some photos of a couple of spring lambs.
The following day, the weather was still good, and since I was on a roll, I decided to visit another nearby venue that a couple of people at Expo had recommended. 
They’re only open for four hours on weekdays right now, but that proved to be more than enough time to get the photos I needed.
I came home with so many good reference shots. Most often, it’s the photos I wasn’t specifically looking for that later reveal themselves as worthwhile painting subjects. I got plenty of pictures of pigs, goats (and kids), sheep (and lambs), alpacas, llamas, a donkey, and another Highland cow.
Even though it feels like I’m having a hard time keeping my head above water with deadlines right now, I’m glad I made these reference trips a priority this year. Between the 
Add whatever I bring home from this week’s trip, and I should be set for quite a while. That doesn’t mean I’ll stop looking for critters when I get the chance, but when it’s time to start a new painting, I won’t be short on subjects. Of course, I already have several paintings in progress and a commission to finish first, so these new ideas will have to wait their turn.
Last week, I went up to Innisfail to deliver the first print and sticker order of the season to 
Many of these animals were orphaned, injured or unable to survive in the wild and would likely have been euthanized if the park hadn’t taken them in. I’ve also seen firsthand how much Serena and her staff care about them, not as attractions, but as animals they’ve invested years of their lives into caring for.
They talk about making noise on trails, travelling in groups, carrying bear spray and knowing how to use it. They explain proper food storage while camping, why people should stay in their vehicles if they see a bear on the highway, and why a fed bear is a dead bear.
Because she was so close, I only needed my phone camera and I think I got the shots I needed for the painting I have in mind. Honestly, there’s no other bear I want on the cover of that book. There’s something profoundly special about Berkley that I still can’t quite explain, so I keep trying to find and show it when I paint her.
I also got to photograph the new cubs at the park, and some of the reference I captured last week is among the best I’ve ever shot. Watching them climb and tumble around, I already see several possible paintings in those photos.
One aside to this whole experience. I’ve wanted to record more of these trips for 
I’ve got a few more trips planned over the next couple of weeks to gather reference for upcoming paintings. It would be easy to forego these excursions in favour of more time working at my desk, as catching up is still proving frustrating and impossible. But spring is one of the best times for taking pictures. The animals are active, the light is softer, and there are babies everywhere.
This past week, Shonna and I headed north to visit her Dad and family. It’s a seven-hour drive from here, and we haven’t been up there in quite some time. We planned these dates awhile ago, and thankfully both of our workloads were a little more manageable right now, with good weather for the trip.
Every time I take the camera out, I learn something new, usually by making a mistake. This time, I left my new DJI Action Pro 5 in the car, not wanting to keep everyone waiting. That was foolish, since this kind of trip is exactly what the camera is designed for. I could have clamped it to the windshield, pressed record, and left it running. Instead, I relied on my phone for short video clips.
None of the shots from the river are good enough for reference, but I never know where inspiration might come from. Seeing wildlife in the wild is always worth it.
Even without the river encounters, we enjoyed some friendly domestic critters. Shonna’s parents’ dog, Jetta, is a classic rural yard dog. Her job is to bark at strangers, but once she warmed up, we were fast friends. I like that her grey matches mine.
Shonna’s brother’s dog, Tess, is a bundle of energy with no slow setting. I’m surprised she sat still long enough for me to take a photo. Go ahead, try to take the puck. I dare you.
But the star of the show was their new kitten, Minnie. Already a people cat, she was affectionate, vocal, and had an intoxicating purr. We joked that they would have to check our bags before we left to be sure she wasn’t coming home with us.
Whenever I photograph dogs or cats, I want to paint them, and Minnie was especially photogenic. I now have some strong reference shots, though with commissions waiting and a list of wildlife paintings underway, I don’t know when I’ll get to them. That is why the idea of ever retiring feels ridiculous. There are too many animals to paint.
On the way home Wednesday, we stopped at the cabin I often rent with friends so I could finally show it to Shonna. I had checked ahead and the owners said we were welcome to drop by between guests. Shonna and the owners have heard plenty about each other, so the introduction was overdue.
But it had received a positive response, and a few people sent me emails asking if I would finish it. So, over the last week, I put the time in to complete it, and I think Polar Plunge will be a nice addition to my print releases for spring.
Last week, I delivered the year’s first print and sticker order to the 
Porcupines are nocturnal, so they’re not active during the day, but like any animal, they’ll make an effort when food is involved. Because Kayla was inside the enclosure, feeding the cute and prickly resident, we had a nice chat while I got some decent reference shots. Add those to the ones I’ve taken at 
While I had lunch with my zookeeper friend, Serena, a couple of other people arrived. Coincidentally, they were also longtime friends of the park. Rather than the usual bear education presentation we’d seen several times, Serena gave the three of us a behind-the-scenes personal tour and visit with the bears.
Cold, dark, and windy, the rain at least let up for a few hours. While the pictures I got weren’t impressive photographs on their own, some of these shots will be amazing for reference. I’ve written before about how sunny days aren’t great because they can wash out detail in the highlights and shadows, but an overcast day provided some very exciting photos of bear fur and features.
If that weren’t enough, Serena has been hand-raising an orphaned raccoon since he was tiny. Shonna I got to see him earlier this summer, but on this day, he was getting his first look at a much bigger world, as he was let loose for a bit to run and play in a large enclosure. If you’ve ever seen a cat or dog with the zoomies, imagine that with a raccoon. He was having a very good time.
After the park, I took my parents out to dinner in Red Deer and spent the night at their place for a nice, albeit short, visit.
Several years ago, a local photographer told me about
Their primary motivation is food, so they’re usually en route to one of the small patches of grass and vegetation among the rocks, where they’ll stuff their faces before running back to their stash. It’s fun to watch.
It can get cold up there at 2200m (7200 ft), and I always pack extra layers, but it was a pleasant fall morning, and I only needed a light jacket. On a few visits, there’ve been ten or 12 other people, often photographers with much bigger lenses than my 70-300mm, doing the same thing. But on this visit, I spent an hour and a half crawling over the rocks and snapping pics with the whole place to myself. Nobody else stopped.
On each drive up to Rock Glacier, I usually see black bears or grizzlies, but none this time. They’re likely still low in the valleys, eating as much as possible before winter. But they can show up anywhere around here, and on these excursions, I’ve always got bear spray on my hip. Aside from the above pic of a line of bighorn sheep walking the top of the ridge, I only saw the wildlife I came for.
Though I have kept dozens of pika photos over the years, I’ve always felt I hadn’t quite got the one I wanted, that perfect photo to paint from. I finally got one on this trip, but I haven’t shared it in this post. It’ll just have to be a surprise.
Despite the bright sun, I got some shots of the two black bear cubs. There might be inspiration for a painting or two in the few photos I kept, but I will let them simmer and review them in a few months. My mood and circumstances can colour my perception, so shots that don’t inspire me in August might push the right buttons in January.
Although I prefer to take my own reference photos whenever possible, I am not interested in becoming a professional photographer. Connecting the dots between aperture, shutter speed and ISO and understanding how they work together, it just seems like math and bores the hell out of me.
I know that hook because I have it for drawing and painting. I can spend hours detailing little hairs or working to get the texture of a bear’s nose just right. I am confident that would be incredibly dull for most people.
So, while I revel in learning a photography trick or technique that helps me take better reference, like 
At the end of July, on the day I sent 
Though most of Alberta had been dealing with heavy wildfire smoke that week, it completely cleared up by the time I got to the cabin and stayed that way the whole four days we were there. The temperature even dropped to a comfortable level and we got some welcome rain. In fact, on the first night, it cooled off so much that we wondered if we might need a fire in the wood stove. Given the oppressive heat we’d just escaped, we had no appetite for that. But wearing long pants and a hoodie seemed strange that evening, given how uncomfortable the past month had been.
Even though I couldn’t turn off my busy brain, it was good to get away. We did what we always do: sat around talking, napped on the decks in the afternoon, walked around the large property, and played guitar, cards and Scrabble. Yes, we’re boring old men.
It was a very pretty and delightfully cool morning, and I knew there would be plenty of time to nap on the deck later in the day, so my mood improved. I wandered up the road, spooked a few deer and watched them take off across the neighbour’s newly cut and bailed hayfield. I kept my eyes peeled for other wildlife, hoping for an owl or coyote.
The base of the tree she ran up to escape was twenty feet below me down the steep bank, so her ‘safe height’ now put her at eye level with me as I stood on the road. And she was NOT happy about it.
Though I had done what I could to boost my exposure compensation to account for the dark area in which I was shooting, I needed to keep the shutter speed high to try to capture this quick little marten. In the end, none of the pictures I got were very good, but I enjoyed the moment. I don’t know if I have ever seen a pine marten in the wild, but I was pleased with the early morning treat.
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Because of my current workload and deadlines, I haven’t been able to get away for reference photos lately. Shonna and I want to see our families and visit 
When I got to the new polar bear habitat, I was surprised to find both bears sparring with each other in their smaller splash pool. They have a much larger pool, but this was clearly where they wanted to be. Baffin and Siku seemed to be having a great time, wrestling, biting, and pushing each other under the water.
Though I have just finished a polar bear painting and haven’t time to start another one, I took plenty of references for future projects.
Finally, at the other end of the zoo, I caught the red pandas awake and playful and took photos that will no doubt inspire paintings down the road. One had found a perch high in a tree, balanced over a branch, in a comically lazy pose. There’s painting potential there.
After only a couple of hours, I was more than ready to head home, sort through the pics, and finish drawing an