A family of moose in Kananaskis Country
This was easily one of the sweetest moments I’ve seen when this bull moose nuzzled with his calf.
The bull is likely mating with the cow again this year which brings him into the same area as the calf. I didn’t expect them to have a bond but when this tender moment happened on the weekend, I was obviously wrong.
This calf was born in 2016 and still stays close to his mother. The three moose have been hanging around each other again during this year’s rut. I don’t know how long they will stay together as a little family before the bull returns to the solitary life.
When I started watching them, the calf was laying down while the parents grazed separately nearby. Over the next hour they all moved slowly around the small meadow and the edge of the forest. It was a relaxed atmosphere which I think is reflected in the photographs.
Eventually the big fellow laid down and was soon napping. The cow and calf continued grazing. And I headed home.
Sharing this post is welcomed - but please do not use individual images without permission from Christopher Martin in advance.
Flashback Friday – baby bear bites
Forgive the double alliterations in the title! I recently came across one of these pictures in my image library. That recalled the encounter with this grizzly bear and her three cubs in 2012. It was wet morning in June and my friend Jeff and I were out photographing near the Vermilion Lakes. We found the bears under the trees. While mom was sleeping, these two year olds were rough housing with abandon.
Though the bared teeth look fierce no true biting happened. Even the play lost their interest before long and they alternated sprawling across mom and nursing. We left then and it seemed they were close to a nap themselves – although they may have powered up again instead.
When they separated, I was able to grab a couple of individual shots. Truly beautiful animals. Five years on, I wonder how they have made out. Their mother, 64, was well known in the Banff area but disappeared at the age of 25 and was assumed to have died in late 2013. I believe one of these cubs was 148 who was relocated out of Banff earlier this year. That move was due to her increasing encounters with humans but, tragically, she was shot and killed last Sunday in British Columbia. A death, legal though it was, which I am having great difficulty accepting. Particularly when that province will outlaw trophy hunting of grizzly bears starting on November 30th. I’m a bit teary now so I’ll finish here.
Here is one of the last photographs I took of 64.
Sharing this post is welcomed - but please do not use individual images without permission from Christopher Martin in advance.
Christmas day around the house
Kezia and Kian had fun from early Christmas morning when Kezia told her grandparents she just missed Santa Claus. We made it out sledding in the backyard before lunch and then we had family visit in the afternoon.
On Boxing day we had thirty family members come over for dinner – kids and adults all seemed to have a great evening.
I hope everyone is enjoying a lot of family time!
Sharing this post is welcomed - but please do not use individual images without permission from Christopher Martin in advance.
Fox faces
The fox pups, properly called kits, were playful and energetic when I spent an evening watching them. In the moments between, and even during, the hectic activity, they flashed some beautiful looks. I was really happy to be able to freeze a few of these.
The sun fell under the clouds late in the evening and provided a warm, buttery light to end the day. That was special for a guy with a camera!
Sharing this post is welcomed - but please do not use individual images without permission from Christopher Martin in advance.
Spirits in the Khutzeymateen
The Grizzly Bears (Ursus arctos) rule the Khutzeymateen Inlet without challenge. In June, the boars roam the fields of sedge grass and the creeks that drain out of the mountains looking for females to court. The males are the kings but the mothers are the not only the queens, they are the heart and spirit of this land. With their cubs there is a tenderness and caring that is plain to see and wonderful to watch.
This mother and cub spent a couple of days along the beach near where we moored the sailboat and we were able to watch them for many hours. Here, they both looked up when a noise behind us drew their attention. A great mother raising a beautiful cub.
Sharing this post is welcomed - but please do not use individual images without permission from Christopher Martin in advance.
A princess’s birthday
It was my sweet little girl’s birthday last weekend. Kezia had the whole day devoted to the celebrations. She started running and kept going through the whole day. The princess party started the festivities where we hosted four princesses, and one alternately enthusiastic and reluctant prince.
–
–
–
In the afternoon, the family arrived and Kezia was happy to carry on well past her normal bed time.
Happy birthday Kezia – we love you and the light you create everyday.
Sharing this post is welcomed - but please do not use individual images without permission from Christopher Martin in advance.
Happy Birthday My Son
Yesterday was Kian’s 5th birthday. He helped plan out the party – well he chose the construction theme – his mommy did the organization and then our little tribe put the room at the Redwood Meadows House together.
Kian was so happy to have most of his cousins and his friends there. He had a great time and, with the laughing and shrieking going on all afternoon, I think all of the other kids did too. The bouncy castle was a big hit. Below, Nolan and Kashton take a break in the middle of the castle.
Austin was the heavy hitter who took down the tractor piñata, the kids descended on the spoils straight away.
And so, to my wonderful boy, I love you. Thank you for you. Thank you for who you are, who you are becoming and who you make me be.
Sharing this post is welcomed - but please do not use individual images without permission from Christopher Martin in advance.
Mele Kalikimaka!
Merry Christmas from our crazy little family. Thank you for all of the season’s greetings that people have sent our way. We hope you have a great time with your family and friends over the holidays. We’re heading down to play in the sand at Perfect Beach (as my children have labelled a small spit of shore near Kapa’a that they love to swim off of) so we will be taking advantage of the warm weather here in Hawaii.
Before we came to Kauai for our family holiday over the Christmas break, I photographed the kids in Redwood Meadows with Santa Claus while he was taking a break from the North Pole. While I was setting up the lights, Bobbi and I snuck in a family shot on the set.
Sharing this post is welcomed - but please do not use individual images without permission from Christopher Martin in advance.
Portraits: Sunday afternoon at Ghost Lake with my children
We spent afternoon driving around the Bow Valley on Sunday. We ended up playing at a beach on Ghost Lake and the light was beautiful – warm and very soft. I had to grab my camera and photograph my kids as they played on the water’s edge.
Sharing this post is welcomed - but please do not use individual images without permission from Christopher Martin in advance.
Amarin and Dave’s Family Christmas Photographs
Just before Christmas I was in West Bragg Creek at Dave and Amarin’s home to photograph their family.
It was pretty cold but we had fun shooting outside under a full moon, clear skies and a few strands of Christmas lights.
A great bunch of people and I appreciate them being game to try a few different scenes while freezing their fingers and toes a little bit. A pretty photogenic bunch too I think.
Thanks to Amarin and Dave for inviting me to join them out at Fawn Hills and “shoot” their family.
Christopher Martin Photography 