As I suspected might be the case, this Weekend Expedition was more of a working holiday, as we went over to help Catherine’s parents move. The ferry rides provided the majority of the good photo opportunities, but this is not a bad thing! A trip from the mainland to Vancouver Island provides a lot of photographic potential. Check out the results below to see what I mean.
![IMG_5107](http://ibycter.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/img_5107.jpg?w=700)
Regular ferry service between Vancouver and Vancouver Island principally services two cities: Victoria and Nanaimo (home of the Nanaimo Bar). We took the trip from Vancouver to Nanaimo, from which we got a ride to Comox (thanks Sidnee!).
![IMG_4992](http://ibycter.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/img_4992.jpg?w=700)
The mist-enshrouded evergreen hills of BC. I used to fantasize about living here when I was a boy, imagining all the amazing animals in this relatively unspoiled province.
![IMG_5004](http://ibycter.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/img_5004.jpg?w=700)
Winter light on the seascape can do some odd things.
![IMG_5032](http://ibycter.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/img_5032.jpg?w=700)
One of my favorite things to do on the ferry decks is shoot gulls. It is one of the best opportunities to practice in-flight shots from all angles.
![IMG_5112](http://ibycter.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/img_5112.jpg?w=700)
On the outbound trip, there was even some blue sky. The gull looks surprised too.
![IMG_5128](http://ibycter.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/img_5128.jpg?w=700)
Saturday evening we took in some local culture. In Cumberland, there was a Taiwanese Lantern Festival.
![IMG_5158](http://ibycter.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/img_5158.jpg?w=700)
These large lanterns made for an interesting backdrop. Bounced flash off the ceiling allowed some detail to come out in Catherine and Julia.
![IMG_5133](http://ibycter.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/img_5133.jpg?w=700)
Shooting in the dark! The ambient lighting is interesting at least.
The lantern festival culminated in a launch of aerial lanterns. I sewed up some stills into a movie to give a sense of what that looked like.
![IMG_5120](http://ibycter.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/img_5120.jpg?w=700)
This was the view on Saturday morning. On Sunday morning, the wind was raging, and dozens of eagles flew right by the window. It was too dark for photography however.
![IMG_5235](http://ibycter.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/img_5235.jpg?w=700)
The return ride was a little more choppy, but the seas are quite pretty in a grim and cold sort of way.
![IMG_5261](http://ibycter.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/img_52611.jpg?w=700)
Vancouver from the north with 18 mm (check out the boring composition…how not to use a wide lens!). This shows the full extent of downtown to UBC.
![IMG_5239](http://ibycter.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/img_5239.jpg?w=700)
Vancouver as seen from the North with a 300 mm lens.
![IMG_5257](http://ibycter.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/img_5257.jpg?w=700)
This would be the faster way to go!
![IMG_5278](http://ibycter.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/img_52781.jpg?w=700)
Vancouver is crowded, but this looks a bit isolated even for me!