A Ptarmigan and I - Los Angeles Travel Photographer

Meeting a winter Ptarmigan was on my wish list. But it’s not an easy wish to fulfill.

One, their white plumage again the vast white expanse of the Arctic terra makes it difficult to spot them. Two, they are skittish, which may have given them the name “snow chicken” in the US.

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It was another two-hour trip on the komatiq early morning. The polar bear mom had been pushing her way cautiously towards the Hudson Bay, protecting the vulnerable cub from the wild gray wolves. The previous afternoon, we got a glimpse of the mom-and-cub duo where they had hunched down for the day.

The tracks of them in the morning led us to the edge of the Hudson Bay, where the water was frozen on the surface. We searched up and down and there was no polar bear in sight. We were happy that they made it safely into the water. From there, they launched their seal-hunting journey on sea ice. At the same time, I was sad to have missed the opportunity to see them off.

But, staying focused was never supposed to be my specialty (see my life (horror) stories to get a hint :-)). Soon, a flock of ptarmigans appeared in front of us. While the white birds couldn’t run fast enough behind the willow trees for cover, I couldn’t believe my eyes when one was instead running towards us. In fact, it felt like she was running towards me.

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The beautiful bird stopped in front of our komatiq. The time froze.

It felt like there’s only she and I in this world. She stayed there, changing poses as I pressed my shutter, as if she’s my model of the day. Face the sun… Great. Step forward please… Awesome. Now, look at me… Bingo!

Once I’ve got my fill for wildlife photography, she turned around and went to join her group.

I don’t know since when my lucky streak started with wildlife. Maybe a little dog on the street of La Manzanilla in Mexico that ran into my arms was a hint? Maybe it started when a little girl that I’d never met before gave me a hug in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles many years ago? I don’t know. I always think animals and children are the most intuitive. To be allowed in their space is a great honor.

Do you want to hear/read/see more of my stories with the animals/wildlife I meet on my travels? Some are really WILD. :D

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Girl Extraordinaire in Canada - Los Angeles Travel Photographer

When we arrived at the lodge in the remote Kaska Coast of Canada, a young girl came out in vibrant red to welcome us. Who knew, we would be seeing her everywhere in the next 10 days.

She’d be on the back of skidoo before sunrise, leading the caravan of komatiq (in cree language, sled designed to travel on snow and ice) in negative 50 degrees.

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She’d be there helping teach us how to start a fire (wilderness survival 101) with no match.

At the end of the day, when we barely made our way to our room (those in the subtropical/tropical weather won’t understand how much time it takes to take off your clothes :-) ), she’d already changed and was ready to pour wine and serve dinner when we arrived in the dining room.

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I’ve never based my life choices on my gender. But this girl impressed me by the amount of talent and energy such a slender figure can hold. The best that I could do was to focus on what I was familiar with, that is to photograph, while trying to survive the harsh environment.

She said she’s our lodge manager. I think she’s a girl extraordinaire. Her name is Bella.

Let’s celebrate the talented girls/women in this world every day. Only when all talents in this world are tapped will we as human race reach our full potential.

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I Broke My Own Rule - Los Angeles Portrait Photographer

I’ve been approached by men to photograph them and politely turned them down.

I admit, not all transformations in the world end with butterflies (Think ladybugs). But I love telling stories of butterflies while transforming women. At least that’s what I thought, until I arrived in the land of extreme.

It was near the end of the yet another incredibly cold day. They say there’s a surprise for us. I’d already used up the last ounce of heat that my body was capable of generating, after spending time at the site of the ship wreck.

Maybe it’s the vast landscape, the fire, the light, or the combination of all of them, everything seemed so magical. I couldn’t believe my eyes and had to document the beauty with something that (presumably) doesn’t lie.

We spent countless hours behind ski-doos traversing the frozen terra on this trip. Not once before did it look like Kevin is going somewhere (or everywhere) distributing gifts like Santa Clause.

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Sure, Santa may be from the far north. No way this Nolan guy is Russian. I thought he’s just explaining to me that we are at the border line between two provinces/territories - on this side is Manitoba, and, over there, it’s Nunavut.

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Russian or not, Nolan sure is a natural in front of the camera. Maybe being some sort of director helps, like Director of Operations. And Kevin, standing next to Nolan, was trying his darnest to hold back the laughter that was about to burst.

As to our scout Butch, it’s mission impossible to photograph him on a ski-doo. By the time I lock focus on him, he’d already be where sky and land meet.

Lucky me, this time, I found the equalizer between he and me. With a cup of his favorite beverage on hand, he became the best model I could ask for, no transformation needed.

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When the sun finally made its disappearance, I was more than content. At that point I realized, oops, I broke my own rule!

P.S. For the sake of full disclosure, I did have some mulled wine while making these images.

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