Christina Craft Photography

Sedona, Arizona

2008-10-31T15:39:00.000-07:00

Very far behind in blog posts lately. These pictures were taken quite a while ago from a trip I took with my husband down to the Grand Canyon and Sedona, Arizona. I'll be posting some more pics from a trip to the rockies this past summer here soon. :)

Port Hardy, Telegraph Cove, Port Alice, Coal Harbour and the End of the Road

2008-07-20T15:38:00.000-07:00

My good friend Kirk and I went on a camping trip a few weeks back up to the most northern point on the island. It was a fairly chill trip - got to see lots of eagles, bears, deer and even humpback whales!. We had a bit of fun taking a series of still pictures in succession (about 1,600 in total) and we created this silly video. Enjoy!

Portrait & Wedding blog notes have moved

2008-06-06T21:09:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note that I'm now doing all of my wedding and portrait work through FunkyTown Photography. If you're looking for new pics, please visit http://www.funkytownphotography.com or http://victoriabcphotography.blogspot.com

In the meantime, I'm going to continue to use this blog for nature and wildlife photos.

Cheers!

Famous Monkeys

2008-05-02T15:48:00.000-07:00

My favorite animal on the planet is the adorable and critically endangered mono titi (red backed squirrel monkey). I donated some of mono titi photos recently for a popular envirnmental website. The first of four future articles appeared this week. I am hoping the article will raise the profile of this cause. You can read the article here: http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/offbeat-news/awwww-save-the-cute-endangered-monkeys/1122

Christina Craft is crazy about monkeys

2008-03-18T12:29:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: Costa Rica photos are now for sale online in my Nature Stock Photography library at the following address: http://www.naturestocklibrary.com/gallery/4502645_5VqP9

The next few posts are from a recent trip to Costa Rica, including Corcovado National Park, Manuel Antonio National Park and the Poas Volcano.
Mono Titis - The Red Backed Squirrel Monkey

These tiny monkeys are about the same size as a North American squirrel and weigh only 1kg. While it's common to see them in and around the hotel areas of Manuel Antonio National Park, they are unfortunately critically endangered.

Howler Monkeys

Capuchin Monkeys

More Costa Rica Creatures

2008-03-18T12:08:00.000-07:00

Infrared Photography - Cloud Forests of Costa Rica

2008-03-18T11:52:00.000-07:00

I recently purchased a Hoya R72 infrared filter and experimented with some of the landscapes in the cloud forest. Since the filter blocks out almost all sunlight these exposures were quite lenghty - usually longer than two minutes. The first image is exactly as the camera recorded it. I liked the colours so I left it as-is. The other two images were converted to B&W.

Other Costa Rican Scenes

Hermit Crab

Boa Constrictor

Fruit Bats

My husband Cary at the Drake Bay Airport

Corcovado National Park

That's me with a mono titi on the roof of the Costa Linda

Manuel Antonio Beach

Photo of the Day Award!

I just found out that one of my images from a previous trip to Costa Rica was selected as a photo of the day.

Spring Portraits

2008-03-18T08:40:00.000-07:00

Aurora

Aurora isn't doing so well... unfortunately, this beautiful dog is getting on in age and may have cancer. Her family wanted a few nice portraits of her and it was my pleasure to help them out. Here is my favorite:

Karna

I visited my hot chiquita friend Karna again for another short air-miles weekend trip. Calgary is only an hour and a half flight from Victoria so it's nice to be able to spend weekends there every once in a while. I didn't get my camera out too much on this trip, but I caught Karna having a laugh when we took her dog Java for a walk.

The Tahsis 63km Great Walk

2008-02-21T14:32:00.000-08:00

When I first moved to Vancouver Island I read an article about the "Great Walk," a one-day 63km walk up a logging road from Gold River to Tahasis that was billed as "North America's toughest pledge walk." There was always one reason or other I couldn't do it - usually school or a wedding or something else (uh... like maybe the fact that I've been in awful shape lately).

This year I discovered that I actually have the date free so I threw caution to the wind and signed up. I'm quite excited... it'll be a cool challenge. I've heard all kinds of things about the course - that it's quite steep at certain points since it goes through a mountain range - so I'm hoping some of my friends out there will be keen to help me train... anyone up for a hike in East Sooke park this weekend?

The nice thing about this walk is that you can raise money for a charity of your choice. I've chosen the World Wildlife Fund of Canada. I promise not to hit everyone over the head with my donation sheet every time I see you... but if you'd like to sponsor me please let me know. It's a great cause. :)

You can find out more about the great walk here: http://www.greatwalk.com/

UPDATE - Eunice & I are now also entering the Cowichan Lake 56km walk.
Eunice couldn't do the Great Walk with me because she was booked for a wedding, but we've decided to team up and do this walk together in September. This is also a charity walk, but I don't believe there is a pledge/sponsorship-type thing involved.

Karna & Java in Calgary

2008-01-08T19:49:00.000-08:00

I took advantage of some saved air miles and did a too-short weekend trip to visit my close friend Karna in Calgary. Here are some pics we took down at the Bow River with her dog Java.

Boxing Day Outing

2007-12-28T16:50:00.000-08:00

I went on an outing with my good friend and fellow photographer Kirk Klein on Boxing Day. It was a gorgeous outside and we gleefully drove past all of the mad shoppers to find our way to Goldstream Park followed by a spectacular sunset at Fort Rodd Hill. I'm a little behind on my blog posts lately, but will be adding new shots in the next week or so.

Lauren & Olivia - Model Portfolio Shoot

2007-12-26T18:55:00.000-08:00

I was cleaning out some of my files and realized these were never posted on my blog. I helped Eunice, my fabulous friend and fellow photographer, on a fashion model portfolio shoot for Lauren and Olivia way back in January last year. Eunice often shoots model portfolio images for Coultish Agency models (or for people who are trying to get into the Coultish agency) in Victoria and she is the most imaginative and creative person I've pever met. She brought all kinds of props and did almost all of the styling (Olivia did some of the makeup) and some really creative lighting. Even though the shoot lasted until 3:00 a.m., we had a lot of fun and it never felt like work. I learned so much from Eunice during this shoot - thanks Eunice! Here are some of the shots I took.

Family Portrait

2007-11-10T09:03:00.000-08:00

I met this fantastic family at Nicole & Geoff's wedding this summer and was really flattered when they asked me to take their family portrait in Tsawwanssen. Unfortunately, our first scheduled session had to be postponed on one of the rare days when BC ferries was nearly out of commission because of a bad storm. But we ended up having extremely beautiful weather on the new date and we mixed things up with some indoor and outdoor portraits. I have to say, this is probably *the* most photogenic baby I've ever seen... she couldn't stop giggling and laughing and her eyes were always so expressive. Here are a few favorites.

Family Portrait

2007-11-10T08:45:00.000-08:00

Today I had the chance to photograph this extremely fun family at UVic's Finnerty Gardens. It was a really nice day to be outdoors so we mixed things up with some documentary-style pictures and some playful traditional shots. The kids noticed the bamboo and it ended up making a great backdrop for pictures. I'll have to remember that next time I do a portrait session in the area.

Kayden

2007-11-09T07:43:00.000-08:00

It really is a small world. I helped my friend (and amazing photographer) Eunice Montenegro photograph a portrait session and when we showed up at the door I realized Eunice's client was a girl I knew back in highschool (in Ontario!). And the kicker -- her sister (who we also hung out with) was visiting from Wales!! It was a very cool reunion. Julie adoped this beautiful little boy with her partner and it was great to get to know Kayden and take pictures as he played and ran around. Here are a few shots from the session.

Meet Eunice, Kirk & Jenna

2007-11-01T20:52:00.000-07:00

As wedding season comes to a close (two weddings left for 2007), I thought I'd send an extra thank you to the three people who I partnered with this summer...the fabulous Eunice Montenegro, Kirk Klein and Jenna Tye. All four of us have our own photography businesses but we often team up to shoot together on projects. I couldn't ask for better friends or better people to work with. Here are some fun pictures from the 2007 year.

This is Eunice - en route back from Salt Spring Island. Eunice will go the extra mile for any client -- here she is holding a bouquet while taking a picture and we were both also the witnesses at an elopment back in May.

Eunice at Marlese's Preparations Kirk at Callie & Joel's wedding. Kirk the papparazi.

That's Jenna at Nicole & Geoff's wedding on Pender Island.

I love this picture of Jenna taking a picture of Cori in the rear-view mirror.

And here are a few of me. :) This was a self-portrait of me and Jenna with a fisheye - on the ferry back to Victoria from Pender Island. That's me and Eunice taking a quick break to review photos while dinner was being served at Karen & Amanda's wedding. One of the guests took this shot and gave it to us.

I can't remember who took the next series.. possibly Eunice or Jenna.. They always seem to take pictures of me when I'm laying on the ground, which I seem to do at almost all weddings. LOL

A note from Erin & Chris

2007-10-31T15:48:00.000-07:00

Wow! Thank you for bringing the best parts of our wedding to life for us again. We can't thank you enough for making us look so good without losing our true personalities. I think our favourite - right now - is the elevator one but I haven't had a proper look at the web site. We really don't have the proper words to thank you and tell you how wonderful the photos are... And thanks for looking after my Mom with the extra copies. Please keep in touch, take care, Erin

Family Portrait - Autumn Leaves

2007-10-20T13:39:00.000-07:00

I helped my friend and fabulous photographer Eunice Montenegro do a family portrait session at Beacon Hill Park. While Eunice was taking the official portraits, I was snapping candidly. If there was ever a perfect day to do a family portrait this was it! The leaves this year have been so amazingly gorgeous and we did the session on the day the colours had reached their peak.

A note from Shelley & Andrew

2007-10-18T13:30:00.000-07:00

Andrew and I wanted to thank you so much for the wonderful job you did on our wedding photos. We coudn't be happier with them, they are absolutley beautiful. I am so happy and thankful that we were able to go to so many different locations, it added so much variety to the photos. You and Jenna were so great and made us feel so relaxed and comfortable. It made the process so much fun. We have gotten so many compliments on the photos and I can't stop showing them to all of my friends and family.

Autumn in Victoria

2007-10-08T21:56:00.000-07:00

I had a rare day off today - no jobs and no need to be sitting at my computer - so I decided to spend the day outside taking pictures of random things I love - like my good friend Henry the Heron in Beacon Hill Park who always lets me get really close for portraits.

2007-10-08T08:27:00.000-07:00

The Chamerlain family was having their family reuion this weekend and booked me several months ago for a nice portrait of their entire family. My shooting partner Eunice Montenegro took a tonne of amazing candid photos while the shoot was going on and I caught a couple at the end. The following three posts are early sneak peeks because I haven't started to edit anything from this weekend - stay tuned for more as I go through everything.

The Kogan Family

2007-10-02T12:32:00.000-07:00

I made my yearly trip home to see my family and spent some time with my neices. We went to the park horse around and take some pictures.

Steller Sea Lions

2007-09-12T19:38:00.000-07:00

This blog seems to take my JPEGs and desaturate everything... which is too bad because the original shows some cool blue in the foggy sky. I love the little eyes peering out in this one.

Humpback Whale Series

2007-09-12T19:37:00.000-07:00

I still have to sort through images from a recent trip to Tofino, but here is a series showing a humpback whale going back under.

Clayoquot Sound, British Columbia

2007-09-12T19:26:00.000-07:00

Things that make my day

2007-09-04T10:00:00.000-07:00

I opened my inbox today to some really nice letters from clients...

Thanks a million for sending on the links. The pics look amazing so far. Myself and Kevin would just like to say a heartfelt thank you to both yourself and Eunice for making our day so special. We have never encountered such a professional, pleasant and exciting atmosphere from anyone before. Everyone at the wedding commented in one way or another on how brilliant you both were on the day. We cant express how much you made our day successful.
Colleen & Kevin

Looking back on Rachelle and Sean's photos from their wedding day last year at Tigh Na Mara, I realize that I never thanked you enough for capturing the day so well. The photos are not only beautiful but captured so much of the emotion that we were all feeling that day. I see by veiwing your gallery that you continue to grow in your profession, you are truly talented.
Thank you again for such great work!
Rachelle's Mom, Cathy

We just got back from our honeymoon and it was amazing. We have looked at the photos online and they are incredible! We couldn't be happier. You and Jenna are creative, thoughtful, and incredibly talented! WOW!!! We can't wait for the package...
Nicole & Geoff

A note from Marlese & Wes

2007-08-27T20:50:00.000-07:00

Hi Christina!

The photos are absolutely wonderful, we love them and we are so excited!!! You and Eunice did an excellent job, we will call you when we get back from Maui

Mar & Wes

Lake Cowichan

2007-08-27T12:14:00.000-07:00

I visited my friend's cottage for the night and we went out on her cottage-mate's house boat the next day. Holy crap - I had so much fun! I used a wide angle lens to catch all the kids jumping off.

Grizzly Bears - Hyder, Alaska

2007-08-10T15:55:00.000-07:00

I went on a vacation with my husband Cary to a place on the British/Alaska border called Hyder. Hyder's "fish creek" attracts a tonne of grizzly bears and right now is peak salmon time. There was a really nice little community of photographers hanging out, talking shop and telling hair-raising grizzly bear stories. The highlight of the trip was watching a mother teaching her cubs how to fish. The grizzly bear photos are now online at http://www.naturestocklibrary.com/gallery/2230931

A note from Sarah & Jason

2007-08-10T15:08:00.000-07:00

Hi Christina,

Thank-you soooo much!!! Everything works great and I love the pics. I'm just taking my time going through them, so I can decide which ones I would like to blow up :) There are so many good ones to choose from, it makes it hard to pick. I really appreciate all of your hard work and talent. I had such a great wedding day, and having the perfect pictures to remember it by are priceless!!! Great big hugs to you and Eunice for being a part of my special day. I will definately recommend you as a photographer to anyone in need :)

I hope you enjoy the rest of your summer!!!

Sarah :)

A note from Julie and Dave

2007-07-25T15:25:00.000-07:00

Hi Christina, I just wanted to write you a quick message letting you know how thankful dave and I both are to you for shooting our wedding. All though we haven't seen the pictures yet we know they are going to be fabulous!!!! Both you and Eunice had such great ideas and made all of us feel completely comfortable and excited about the pictures (our whole wedding party keeps talking about how excited they are for them, and what a great job you both did!!!). So Thank you Thank you Thank you!!! We are so lucky we got such an amazing photographer to photograph our important day!!! Hope everything is going well with you, and thank you sooo much again from Dave and I!!!! Jules

Off to Alaska (July 30 - Aug 10)

2007-07-23T13:12:00.000-07:00

I'm shooting two weddings this weekend before flying to Alaska to hopefully photograph some grizzly bears. I probably won't have a chance to update this blog in the meantime, but stay tuned for more pics when I'm back on August 10.

Feddersen Family

2007-07-22T16:15:00.000-07:00

I was hired to do a family portrait for the Feddersen Family who came from all over the USA to have a family reunion in honour of Dorothy and Norman's 50th Anniversary. When we finally met I thought I had my facts wrong and maybe it was a 50th birthday! Norman and Dorothy look absolutely fabulous and their family was post-card perfect. Happy anniversary Dorothy and Norman!

A note from Diane & Stephanie

2007-07-20T13:55:00.000-07:00

Hi Christina,

We wanted to tell you how much we love the pics! I'm sure you won't be surprised that I cried watching the slideshow with the song we chose!

They turned out beautifully. You are so talented! Everyone who has seen them has said the same thing...They are beautiful!

Thanks for all you did for us. We loved working with you and when wecome up to Victoria for our anniversary, we'll call you. Maybe we can all go outfor drinks!

Take care,
Diane and Stephanie

Short-listed!

2007-06-28T11:40:00.001-07:00

I just received notice that some of the images I entered into the Shell BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition and the Nature's Best Photography competition were short-listed to finalist! Unfortunately, none made it as far as an honourable mention but I was happy to get this far since it was my first time entering. The BBC contest is the largest of its kind with 32,000 entries from 78 countries. I'm not sure the size of the Nature's Best Photography Competition, but it's my favorite magazine and I'm pretty excited to make it this far.

Mute Swans

2007-06-28T10:40:00.000-07:00

I went out at 4:30 am to catch the sunrise at Esquimalt Lagoon with my friend Owen today. We were hoping for herons (which never materialized) but we did see some mute swans as the sun was coming up.

Western Academy of Photography

2007-06-28T10:11:00.000-07:00

It's graduation time for the Western Academy of Photography where two of my friends attended this year. I brought my old film camera to take pictures at the portfolio show, including this one of Kirk dressed in a clown suit for Stuart's portfolio. The next night was the graduation ceremony and I cheered on Eunice getting her diploma and hugging the school's owner -- Garry with two r's.

Karna & Java

2007-06-28T09:54:00.000-07:00

I visited my friend Karna in Calgary during one of the rainiest days of the entire year. It didn't stop Java from horsing around in the bow river, but it did stop me from taking my camera out too much. :)

Rainy Birds

2007-06-28T09:38:00.000-07:00

A very wet day in the Jasper area, but I caught this bird doing the same thing as me -- hiding from the rain.

Bighorn Sheep

2007-06-28T09:37:00.001-07:00

Not much luck with wildlife going back to Jasper and the icefields parkway, but I did spot more bighorn sheep during another sunrise. http://www.naturestocklibrary.com/keyword/bigh

Wolves

2007-06-28T09:22:00.000-07:00

I went on a "wolf walk" with Blackwolf Photography based in Golden. Two handlers join you and there's nothing standing in the way of you and two beautiful wolves for the three hour hike through the columbia mountain range. More wolf photography at http://www.naturestocklibrary.com/keyword/wolves/

Coyote

2007-06-28T09:18:00.000-07:00

I was taking pictures of a bull elk with my new friend Owen when a coyote started walking through the scene. A mad scramble to change lenses and I was able to get a few pictures before he moved on. More coyote images at http://www.naturestocklibrary.com/keyword/coyote

Osprey Nest

2007-06-28T09:13:00.000-07:00

When I was in the rockies last year I found this osprey nest so decided to go back. I used a 600mm set on a tripod with a remote trigger waiting for the pair to land in the nest. More osprey photos at http://www.naturestocklibrary.com/keyword/ospreyphoto

Black Bear Cub

2007-06-28T09:08:00.001-07:00

I saw this sweet little bear cub in a tree on the way down the icefields parkway early in the morning.

Bow Lake

2007-06-28T09:08:00.000-07:00

The famous Bow Lake in early morning. This is a stitched panorama. I took a series of six photos at 50mm (so there wouldn't be any warped edges) and moved my tripod up and down the lakeshore taking photos of the mountain and then of the lake. It was a perfectly calm morning and I had the scene all to myself.

Lake Louise

2007-06-28T09:06:00.000-07:00

I had to make a phone call to wish my friend Kirk a happy birthday so I drove up to Lake Louise. I added a neutral density filter to my wide angle lens so I could get some motion blur. More rocky mountain photos are available at http://www.naturestocklibrary.com/gallery/2243705

Bighorn Sheep

2007-06-28T09:05:00.000-07:00

I saw a herd of about 30 bighorn sheep along the icefields parkway at sunrise, including these two beautiful guys. More bighorn sheep pictures are available at http://www.naturestocklibrary.com/keyword/bigh

Icefields Parkway

2007-06-28T09:01:00.000-07:00

A rewarding sunrise along the icefields parkway. More rocky mountain photos at http://www.naturestocklibrary.com/gallery/2243705

Mountain Goats

2007-06-28T08:55:00.000-07:00

Something about this scene made me laugh.
More mountain goat pictures are now in my nature library at: http://www.naturestocklibrary.com/keyword/mountain%20goats

Whistler's Mountain - Jasper

2007-06-28T08:53:00.001-07:00

I took the tram up to whistler's mountain in Jasper in search of marmots. They were hiding so I pointed my camera to the peak where people were walking around. You can find more eoctourism photos, including this one, at http://www.naturestocklibrary.com/gallery/2231128

The Rockies -- Stay Tuned!

2007-06-07T09:59:00.000-07:00

I'll be in the rockies until June 23 spending some quality time with bighorn sheep and elk. If things go as planned, I'll also have some new images of wolves to add in my Nature Photography Stock Library -- see you back on June 23!

A note from Katherine & Stephano

2007-06-06T11:33:00.000-07:00

Christina:

This is such a treat, we weren't expecting to see the photos already. We just viewed them and they are amazing. We are thoroughly impressed by your work, absolutely fabulous. It will be great to see the medium format pics soon too. I'll let you know if we don't receive the cd soon.

OK, I've got to look at the photos again. Wow! Many, many thanks for your fine work and artistry!

K & S

Flower Fiesta

2007-06-01T11:03:00.000-07:00

I updated my Nature Stock Photography Library with new flower images, including this one taken today at Butchart Gardens. You can find the "flower fiesta" gallery now online at http://www.naturestocklibrary.com/keyword/flowers

May 18 - Queen Charlotte Islands / Haida Gwaii

2007-05-18T14:50:00.000-07:00

Another beautiful sunny morning. I was actually taking a picture of this tree against the bright blue sky when I heard a sound. I had disturbed a resting heron by accident and it flew up and took off. I caught this with my 80-200mm. This image is for sale online at: http://www.naturestocklibrary.com/gallery/2889739/1/155600435/Medium

May 18 - Queen Charlotte Islands / Haida Gwaii

2007-05-16T15:02:00.000-07:00

I shot some pictures of Haida children at a school in the Charlottes today -- to be used as stock in brochures and websites.

May 16 - Queen Charlotte Islands / Haida Gwaii

2007-05-16T14:44:00.000-07:00

The Delkatla Wildlife Sanctuary borders the town of Massett (where I'm staying) and I noticed a group of sandhill cranes touching down for a few moments on their migration route. I crawled towards them for almost 30 minutes without them noticing me, snapping pictures of them grazing in the high grass. Then one saw me approach and was startled -- which led to all of them fleeing. I was able to catch this shot as they were leaving. You can find this image for sale online at http://www.naturestocklibrary.com/gallery/2889739/1/155577462/Medium

May 15 - Queen Charlotte Islands / Haida Gwaii

2007-05-15T14:42:00.000-07:00

A gorgeous day today - and plenty of sunshine so I had a chance to catch eagles with sunset light. Again, this was taken with a 300mm f4 lens and it's uncropped. You can find this one for sale online at http://www.naturestocklibrary.com/gallery/2889739/1/155481305/Medium

May 14 - Queen Charlotte Islands / Haida Gwaii

2007-05-14T14:40:00.000-07:00

It was a little chilly and rainy today - but the weather here seems to change on the half hour so I took a risk and drove up to Naikoon Provincial Park -- home of forests like this. It was actually a little windy, but the forest protected this small pond allowing for these beautiful reflections. You can find this photo for sale online at http://www.naturestocklibrary.com/keyword/qcii/1/155611331/Medium

May 13 - Queen Charlotte Islands / Haida Gwaii

2007-05-13T14:36:00.000-07:00

My first day on the islands and what a feast for the eyes (and Eagles) -- I took this with a 300mm and it's uncropped. The eagles are as common as pigeons here and I spent about 20 minutes capturing a large group eating a dead fish left on shore.

http://www.naturestocklibrary.com/keyword/eagle

A note from Ron & Erwin

2007-04-29T16:11:00.000-07:00

Christina:

Thanks so much for getting our wedding pictures to us so quickly. We couldn't be more pleased at how they all turned out! We have spent the last several hours poring over them. We see something unique and different everytime we look at them. They are so beautiful, so creative, so intimate and captured the day exactly as we remember it. It was such a tremendous pleasure meeting you and having you work with us. You are such a professional and such a gracious and thoughtful person as well. We wish you continued success in your career and please feel free touse us as a reference anytime.

Cheers and Best Regards,
Ron & Erwin

A note from Danielle & Doug

2007-04-28T16:15:00.000-07:00

I have been viewing the photos on your web site and they turned out amazing. It is going to be hard to choose those special few to hang up in the house. They are all so beautiful. Thank you again for all of your efforts and Eunice’s efforts. You two really added a special element to our day.

Danielle and Doug

April 24 - Premier's Announcement

2007-04-24T21:12:00.000-07:00

I took pictures at an event at the BC legislature today announcing a $65-million strategy for Aboriginal post-secondary education! That's Premier Gordon Campbell at the podium.

April 20, 2007 - The Ministry of Education at Work

2007-04-20T12:24:00.000-07:00

The Ministry of Education asked me to take some pictures of the people who work there for a recruitment brochure. It was a ton of fun touring the building, setting up shots and working with everyone.

April 16, 2007 - Jordan at Six Weeks

2007-04-20T10:00:00.000-07:00

I was lucky enough to take portraits of this beautiful baby. Jordan is six weeks old and already has so much personality in her cute little face.

April 13, 2007 - Herons at Beacon Hill Park

2007-04-20T09:54:00.000-07:00

The herons have found mates and are putting the finishing touches on their nests before their chicks are born. It was a lively day in the park today and I was able to capture the action with my camera.

April 1, 2007 - Daffodil Farm

2007-04-01T12:45:00.000-07:00

It was a beautiful sunny day here in Victoria so I headed up to North Saanich in time to catch the daffodil farms at their peak. I used a fisheye to grab this particular shot. You can see more here: http://www.naturestocklibrary.com/gallery/2676296

March 26, 2007 - Premier's Awards

2007-03-28T09:21:00.000-07:00

I took pictures at an exciting event at the legislature today -- the Premier's Awards recognizing eight B.C. schools for their innovative approaches to improving education across the province. That's BC Premier Gordon Campbell with three award-winning students.

March 28, 2007 - Teachers' Awards

2007-03-20T09:20:00.000-07:00

I was back to the BC legislature again -- this time for Minister Shirley Bond's awards ceremony. Teachers from across the province gathered in her office to receive their hard-won award and Premier Gordon Campbell popped in for a few moments to congratulate everyone and say hello.

A note from Rachelle & Sean

2007-03-15T11:31:00.000-07:00

We're still really excited about the beautiful images that you took & I've received nothing but the highest compliments about our photos. More than five people have told me that they're the best wedding photos they've ever seen! Thank you again for all your work for our wedding. You really captured the atmosphere for the entire day.

Rachelle

March 11, 2007 - Northwest Trek Wildlife Park

2007-03-11T07:07:00.000-07:00

As a wildlife photographer, I love to travel to natural habitats and study animals where they live. With this in mind, I don't often visit zoos or wildlife parks. However, I made an exception today with an amazing place called Northwest Trek in Eatonville, WA -- three hours from Vancouver. It's touted as a "cageless zoo" where the majority of animals are free-roaming. You can only access the "roaming" area by tram so it limits humans' contact with the animals (and vice versa). The park has a conservation mission and takes in rescued animals that can't be released back into the wild. The majority of animals there wouldn't be alive today if it weren't for Northwest Trek. I joined the official photography tour, which happens about once a month from spring to fall. About 15 photographers from the Northwest were on the trip, all of us pointing out telephotos out of the windows of the bus that was reserved just for us. Although a bit rainy, it was an eventful day and I'll definitely go back.

You can see more pictures here: http://www.naturestocklibrary.com/keyword/Northwest+Trek

A note from Amy & Rueben

2007-03-10T16:13:00.000-08:00

Hi Christina.
Wow! We're absolutely thrilled with the pictures. You both did beautiful work and we really enjoyed having you there. You were so professional and yet so accommodating and easy to work with. The results are exactly what we were hoping for.
By all means, go ahead and add the public link to your site if you like. We'll look forward getting the proofs and CDs soon. Thanks again. It was a wonderful day and your wonderful images will help us remember it all the better.
See you soon.
-Rue

Infrared Nature Photography

2007-02-08T21:26:00.000-08:00

Today I had a chance to test out my new R72 digital infrared filter. This filter only works on certain digital models and I used my Nikon D70 to capture these. For the photography geeks out there who want to give this a try: 1) set your camera on a tripod and pre-focus. Turn the focus to manual. 2) put the R72 filter on your camera 3) adjust to manual 'pre' white balance using either an expodisc white balance filter or your favorite white balance method 4) use long exposures and shoot on manual mode only. You have to do some guestimating for length of time. The first image was 8 seconds, the second was 1.5 seconds and the third was 4 seconds, all at f8. These images are almost how they came out of the camera, except I desaturated the cyan, which was really strong in some of the pictures. Apparently, it's better to do infrared on a sunny day (it was nearly pouring most of today), but I was too impatient to wait.

Biography & Resume

2006-03-31T16:37:00.001-08:00

I'm a professional photographer based in beautiful Victoria British Columbia. After working in high tech and government for over 10 years, I quit everything to pursue my passion for photography full-time. I graduated from the Western Academy of Photography winning the "best overall student" award and now I am actively pursuing a business as a photographer specializing in wildlife, nature & travel stock photography, weddings and portraits.

EDUCATION

Western Academy of Photography
Diploma in Professional Photography, Victoria BC
Winner of "Best Overall Student" and "Best Outdoor and Travel Photograph"

Master's Degree in Journalism
Carleton University, Ottawa ONT
- Concentration in broadcast and documentary journalism
- Scholarship
- Teacher's Assistant in the broadcast/TV lab

Hons. Bachelor of Arts
Double major in Political Science & English Literature
Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo ONT
- Elected President of the WLU Students' Union, a $2.5M student-run corporation
- Winner of three volunteer & leadership awards

CAREER

Owner & Main Photographer
Nature Stock Photography Library
http://www.naturestocklibrary.com/

Owner & Main Photographer
Christina Craft Photography
http://www.christinacraft.com/

Public Affairs Officer
Government of British Columbia
- Wrote speeches & news releases for the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Advanced Education

Manager, Online Communications
Alcatel Networks (formerly Newbridge Networks)
http://www.alcatel.com/
- Managed a team of writers, copy-editors, HTML publishers, and web developers
- Created editorial standards and guidelines for the website
- Managed online marketing content
- Coordinated projects with web development teams from around the world
- Designed online marketing programs and campaigns

Team Leader, Web Publishing
Corel Corporation
http://www.corel.com/
- Managed a team of HTML publishers
- Created HTML publishing guidelines
- Managed online content

Web Designer
Christina Craft Web Design
- Designed websites for various companies in Ottawa

Documentary Writer & Producer
Produced and wrote several 15-minute to 30-minute documentaries on a variety of topics.

Journalist
ByTown News, Ottawa
The Alt News Magazine, Ottawa
Now Magazine, Ottawa

2005-11-28T10:12:00.000-08:00