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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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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One Giant Leap in History - Los Angeles Travel Photographer

This image reminds me of what Neil Armstrong declared when he put his left foot on the lunar surface 40 years ago “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

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Butch is not an astronaut, and we did not make it to the moon, yet. However, in the 10 days that we stayed where everything was frozen, the land and the rivers, we experienced such intensity, not just in the coldness, but also the people that we met and their stories. Not only did we break records (we thought it was cold in Alaska), I broke my own rules.

Stay tuned here and on my Instagram account…

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