When I left for my near-daily walk of Byrne Creek Ravine Park in SE #Burnaby, BC., it was drizzling. By the time I got to the bottom of the ravine, the gods in their great good humour had turned the taps on full. Despite Gore-tex and umbrella, I was cold and wet by the time I got home.

Banana

Slug

Hey! That makes… : – )

Autumn urban trail

An umbrella with a view

It certainly felt like autumn in White Rock, BC, today.

Underexposed -2EV for a more dramatic effect

Westerly view

Easterly view

Trying a slow shutter speed in the breeze

Heron, gulls in the surf

Puddle self-portrait

I love going to Stewart Heritage Farm in south Surrey, BC, for nature and wildlife photos. A light drizzle had just ended and the overcast sky resulted in soft light.

It was a lovely day for bird photos. All of these were shot this morning in the vicinity of the main parking lot/canoe rental at Lightning Lake in Manning Provincial Park in BC.

Clark’s Nutcracker

American Robin

Is this a Collared Dove?

Steller’s Jay

Heron on a cold tin roof

I’m thinking 1st winter White-Crowned Sparrow?

Killdeer

There were several ravens hanging around the Manning Lodge parking lot

A shimmering gloss of raindrops and soft, overcast skies made for rich, lush colours at Deer Lake in Burnaby today.

I did some “wingshooting” on this gorgeous Great Blue Heron at Deer Lake in #Burnaby, BC, today, and then watched it fish for awhile.

Here’s an example of using exposure compensation to get the look you want. These plants were at the edge of a pond at Fraser Foreshore Park in Burnaby, BC.

I had the camera on a tripod, and took several shots, dialing in more and more negative, or minus, compensation with each shot.

EV – 0.7

EV – 1.3

EV – 2.0

EV – 2.7

EV – 3.3

EV – 4.0

All DSLRs should be able to do this, and many pocket cameras. Check your manual if you don’t know how to use these controls. It’s usually a button with a +/- sign on it. On my Nikon DSLRs it’s right next to the shutter button (that’s how useful it is!), and on my teeny pocket Canon, it’s right on the back next to the movie button. On some cameras, it’s unfortunately buried in a screen menu.

Enjoying the imminent onset of autumn? Are you nuts?

Nope, I love autumn. The coolness, the colours, the crisp and crunchy sound of leaves underfoot.

Autumn is a great time to view and photograph wildlife. Animals are active, knowing winter is coming, with some stocking up for the leaner months ahead, others migrating.

Here on the west coast of Canada, autumn also brings the iconic salmon back to local streams and rivers. It’s the season streamkeepers anticipate with hope for strong, healthy returns.

Belted Kingfisher

Autumn Stream of Dreams