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Comox Valley

2025 Herring Spawn on Vancouver Island

At the end of winter, Pacific herrings congregate in mass to spawn on eelgrass in shallow waters on the coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. This spectacular annual event attracts a lot of wildlife such as sea lions, seals, bald eagles, ducks, river otters and minks. Orcas and humpback whales can be seen from the shore.

Join me for a photo excursion during the herring spawn on the East coast of Vancouver Island! We spend our entire time in the outdoors to photograph nature and wildlife.

Before the workshop, I scout the region to find places where wildlife is the most active. Although the exact moment of spawning is unpredictable (it usually happens between the end of February and April), wildlife activity during this period is intense. When the spawn happens, you can observe the water turning a milky turquoise and the ensuing feeding frenzy from birds and mammals. At low tide, we can see herring eggs deposited on eelgrass and rocks. Note that we keep a safe and respectful distance from wildlife at all times and are very careful not to step on the herring eggs. They are part of a complex ecosystem that we must respect and protect.

Avoid seasickness on a boat tour and enjoy nature on land.

Daily tours on March 9, 12 and 14. Limited to 3 persons. Sign up early and get a free photo book!

Contact Catherine for a private tour or workshop.

Christmas Craft Fair at the K'ómoks First Nation Community Hall

On Saturday, December 14, come to the Christmas Craft Fair at the K'ómoks First Nation Community Hall. I will have copies of my new book Wild Vancouver Island and beautiful prints.

There will be many talented artists and artisans, food, music, kids table, and door prizes!

Venez me rencontrer aux marchés d'hiver !

La saison des fêtes approche à grand pas ! Le temps est venu de penser à des cadeaux uniques pour vos êtres chers. Les marchés d’hiver ont ouvert leurs portes alors venez me rencontrer à :

- Campbell River Museum, le 18 novembre de 10 h à 17 h,

- Union Bay Craft Fair, le 19 novembre de 10 h à 15 h,

- Black Creek Community Centre, le 2 décembre de 10 h à 16 h.

J’aurai des exemplaires de mon livre de photos Vancouver Island Marmot et de superbes tirages d’art.

Voici quelques-uns des tirages qui seront en vente :

Nature Photography Workshops on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, in 2022

Whether you are already on Vancouver Island or planning to visit this year, here is a list of my photo workshops in 2022:

  • 29 January - Strathcona Park

  • 26 February - Strathcona Park

  • 21-23 March - Herring Spawn on Vancouver Island

  • 27-29 May - Spring on Vancouver Island

  • 19-23 September - Tofino (in French only)

  • 3-7 October - Tofino

  • 13-16 October - Fall Colours on Vancouver Island

  • Half-day photo workshop, Comox Valley (in English only) : 14 May, 11 June, 9 July, 13 August

  • Half-day photo workshop, Comox Valley (in French only) : 7 May, 4 June, 2 July, 6 August

If you prefer, you can request a private workshop that ranges from one day to several days. Book early as I am already starting to get requests for this summer.

I look forward to showing you my favourite places on Vancouver Island for nature photography and helping you improve your photography skills!

Ateliers de photographie de nature sur l'Île de Vancouver, Colombie-Britannique, en 2022

Que vous soyez déjà sur l’Île de Vancouver ou que vous prévoyez de la visiter cette année, voici une liste de mes ateliers photo en 2022 :

  • 29 janvier - Strathcona Park

  • 26 février - Strathcona Park

  • 21-23 mars - Herring Spawn on Vancouver Island

  • 27-29 mai - Spring on Vancouver Island

  • 19-23 septembre - Tofino (en français seulement)

  • 3-7 octobre - Tofino

  • 13-16 octobre - Fall Colours on Vancouver Island

  • Ateliers photo d’une demi-journée, Vallée de Comox (en français seulement) : 7 mai, 4 juin, 2 juillet, 6 août

  • Ateliers photo d’une demi-journée, Vallée de Comox (en anglais seulement) : 14 mai, 11 juin, 9 juillet, 13 août

Si vous préférez, vous pouvez demander un atelier privé qui va d’une journée à plusieurs jours. Réservez tôt car je commence déjà à recevoir des demandes pour cet été.

Au plaisir de vous montrer mes endroits préférés sur l’Île de Vancouver pour la photographie de nature et de vous aider à améliorer vos techniques en photographie !

What makes my photo workshops different from others?

(Le texte en français suit)

  • I live on Vancouver Island. As a local, I know the area very well. I spend a lot of time in the field, all year long, no matter the weather, tracking wildlife and looking for the best places and times to photograph nature.

  • As an ethical nature photographer, I respect the environment: fauna and flora. The well-being and safety of wild animals always has priority over the participants’ aspirations. We limit our impact on their habitat as much as possible.

  • I offer a safe and friendly learning environment for everyone no matter their gender, sexual orientation, identity, background, culture, age or abilities. I am part of a minority myself.

  • During the workshops, my time is entirely dedicated to the participants, not to my own shots.

  • I am fluent in both English and French.

  • Learning does not stop at the end of the workshop. I am always available for follow-up questions.

En quoi mes ateliers de photo sont-ils différents des autres ?

  • Je vis sur l'île de Vancouver. En tant qu’habitante, je connais très bien la région. Je passe beaucoup de temps sur le terrain, toute l'année, quelle que soit la météo, à pister la faune et à chercher les meilleurs endroits et moments pour photographier la nature.

  • En tant que photographe de la nature éthique, je respecte l'environnement, la faune et la flore. Le bien-être et la sécurité des animaux sauvages ont toujours priorité sur les aspirations des participants. Nous limitons au maximum notre impact sur leur habitat.

  • J'offre un environnement d'apprentissage sûr et convivial pour tout le monde, quel que soit son sexe, son orientation sexuelle, son identité, ses origines, sa culture, son âge ou ses capacités. Je fais moi-même partie d'une minorité.

  • Pendant les ateliers, mon temps est entièrement dédié aux participants, pas à mes propres prises de vue.

  • Je parle couramment l'anglais et le français.

  • L'apprentissage ne s'arrête pas à la fin de l'atelier. Je suis toujours disponible pour les questions de suivi.

Holiday Season Shopping - C'est le Temps des Fêtes !

The Holiday Season is just around the corner. This year, send your loved ones who appreciate nature and photography a beautiful photo book on Vancouver Island, or a landscape, wildlife or abstract print, or book an in-person or online workshop. If you’re unsure which one they would prefer, ask for a gift certificate.

When you order a product or service from this website, you are contributing to the success of a small business owned by a woman. You are not sending me to space :-)

Le Temps des Fêtes arrive à grands pas. Cette année, offrez à vos êtres chers amoureux de la nature et la photographie un beau livre de photos sur l’Île de Vancouver ou bien un tirage de photo de paysage, abstraite ou animalière ou encore un atelier en personne ou en ligne. Si vous ne savez que choisir, demandez un certificat-cadeau.

Lorsque vous commandez un produit ou un service sur ce site Web, vous contribuez au succès d'une petite entreprise gérée par une femme. Vous ne m'envoyez pas dans l'espace :-)

Border Measures for Fully Vaccinated Travellers Entering Canada

On August 9, 2021, fully vaccinated citizens and permanent residents of the United States, currently residing in the U.S., will be permitted to enter Canada for discretionary (non-essential) travel. On September 7, 2021, provided that Canada’s COVID-19 epidemiology remains favourable, the Government intends to open Canada’s borders for discretionary travel by travellers from any country who have been fully vaccinated.

Read more from the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Assouplissement des mesures frontalières pour les voyageurs entièrement vaccinés qui entrent au Canada

À compter du 9 août 2021, les citoyens et résidents permanents entièrement vaccinés des États-Unis, qui vivent actuellement dans ce pays, pourront entrer au Canada pour un voyage discrétionnaire (non essentiel). Le 7 septembre 2021, à condition que l'épidémiologie de la COVID-19 au Canada le permette, le gouvernement entend ouvrir ses frontières aux voyageurs qui se déplacent pour un motif discrétionnaire, peu importe le pays d'où ils arrivent, s'ils ont été entièrement vaccinés.

En apprendre davantage sur le site de l’Agence de la Santé publique du Canada.

Television Interview - Entrevue à la télévision

On 4 July, I had the pleasure of talking to Geneviève Murchison, host of the television program Connexion on Radio-Canada, about my passion for nature photography. What a great way to start the summer!

In case you missed it, you can watch it here. It’s in French and starts at the 17:00 mark.

Le 4 juillet, j’ai eu le plaisir de parler avec Geneviève Murchison, animatrice du programme de télévision Connexion sur Radio-Canada, de ma passion pour la photographie de nature. Quelle superbe façon de commencer l’été!

Si vous avez manqué l’émission, vous pouvez la revoir ici. Ça commence à la 17e minute.

Nature Photo Workshops now open to Canadians across the country!

As of 1 July 2021, British Columbia is ready to welcome travellers from across Canada. For international visitors, the Canadian border remains closed for non-essential travel, including those who have been vaccinated.

Our nature photo workshops are given in the great outdoors only and we take all necessary precautions to ensure your safety during the pandemic. Masks are not required in the outdoors where the workshops are given, however we ask everyone attending the outdoor event to maintain a physical distance of 2 metres between one another, unless you reside together. We supply hand sanitation gel.

Please feel free to send us your questions and comments during this time of transition to normalcy.

Learn more about the nature photo workshops offered this summer.

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Government of British Columbia guidelines: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/covid-19/info/restrictions

Photo Workshops during the COVID-19 Pandemic - Ateliers photo pendant la pandémie de COVID-19

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All the workshops are given in small groups (5 participants max) and in the outdoors so you are less likely to get or spread COVID-19. You can either join an already scheduled workshop or ask for a private workshop for yourself or as members of the same bubble at no extra cost. We offer half-day, weekend and multi-day workshops all year-round. Feel free to contact us for details.

During the pandemic, we take all necessary precautions to ensure your safety. We ask everyone attending the outdoor event to maintain a physical distance of 2 metres between one another, unless you reside together. We recommend the use of a mask and we supply hand sanitation gel.

The day prior to the start of the workshop, you will be asked whether you have symptoms of COVID-19, have been in close contact with someone who has confirmed or suspected COVID-19. If you have any symptoms of COVID-19 prior to the workshop, please inform us immediately; we will reschedule you for another workshop once you have fully recovered.

Below are the current travel restrictions for Vancouver Island, BC:

  • Vancouver Island residents are allowed to travel within the Vancouver Island Health region for recreational purposes.

  • For British Columbians, travel is allowed within your health zone. Non-essential travel between health zones continues to be restricted.

  • For Canadians, all non-essential travel to BC must be avoided until further notice.

  • For international visitors, the Canadian border remains closed for non-essential travel, including those who have been vaccinated.

For current travel information, visit https://www.hellobc.com/what-you-need-to-know/

Further details on the current orders can be found at: gov.bc.ca/COVID-19

Ateliers photo pendant la pandémie de COVID-19

Tous les ateliers sont donnés en petits groupes (5 participants max) et en plein air donc vous êtes moins susceptible d'attraper ou de propager le COVID-19. Vous pouvez soit rejoindre un atelier déjà programmé, soit demander un atelier privé pour vous-même ou en tant que membre de la même bulle, et ce, sans frais supplémentaire. Nous proposons des ateliers d'une demie-journée, d'un week-end et de plusieurs jours tout au long de l'année. N'hésitez pas à nous contacter pour plus de détails.

Pendant la pandémie, nous prenons toutes les mesures nécessaires pour assurer votre sécurité. Nous demandons à tous ceux qui participent à l'événement en plein air de maintenir une distance physique de 2 mètres, à moins que vous ne viviez ensemble. Nous recommandons le port d'un masque et nous fournissons du gel désinfectant pour les mains.

La veille de l'atelier, nous vous demanderons si vous avez des symptômes de COVID-19 et si vous avez été en contact étroit avec un cas confirmé ou suspecté de COVID-19. Si vous avez des symptômes de COVID-19 avant le début l'atelier, veuillez nous en informer immédiatement ; nous vous reporterons votre inscription à un futur atelier lorsque vous serez complètement rétabli.

Vous trouverez ci-dessous les restrictions de voyage courantes pour l'île de Vancouver, en Colombie-Britannique :

  • Les résidents de l'île de Vancouver sont autorisés à se déplacer dans la région sanitaire de l'île de Vancouver à des fins récréatives.

  • Pour les Britanno-Colombiens, les déplacements sont autorisés dans votre zone sanitaire seulement. Les déplacements non essentiels entre les zones sanitaires continuent d'être limités.

  • Pour les Canadiens, tout voyage non essentiel en Colombie-Britannique doit être évité jusqu'à nouvel ordre.

  • Pour les visiteurs internationaux, la frontière canadienne reste fermée pour les déplacements non essentiels, y compris pour ceux qui ont été vaccinés.

Pour les dernières informations sur les voyages, visitez : https://www.hellobc.com/what-you-need-to-know/ (en anglais seulement)

Pour plus de détails sur les mesures en cours, visitez : gov.bc.ca/COVID-19 (en anglais seulement)

The story behind this shot - L’histoire derrière l’image

The story behind this shot

When we discover a new region, we have the advantage of observing the environment with more intensity and curiosity than locals. I took this picture during my first winter in the Comox Valley, a very long time ago. As a newcomer, I was mesmerized by the beauty of the estuary with the snow-capped mountains in the background and the high concentration of birds and marine mammals in that area. I thought the place had a lot of potential for nature photography. However the estuary is located in the heart of the town therefore it is surrounded by buildings and busy roads and I did not want them to appear in my shot. So I waited for a winter morning with some thick fog, which made the buildings disappear, and also created a beautiful atmospheric view. The sun was still below the horizon and the light was constantly changing so I quickly set up my camera and took this image.

Canon EOS 70D f/4.5, 1/400 second , ISO400 - Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM, focal length: 35 mm

Fog in the Comox Valley

Fog in the Comox Valley

L’histoire derrière l’image

Lorsque nous découvrons une nouvelle région, nous avons l’avantage d’observer l’environnement avec plus d’intensité et de curiosité que les habitants. J’ai pris cette photo lors de mon premier hiver dans la Vallée de Comox, il y a très longtemps. En tant que nouvel arrivant, j’étais subjuguée par la beauté de l’estuaire avec la chaîne de montagnes aux sommets enneigés en arrière-plan et l’importante concentration d’oiseaux et de mammifères marins à cet endroit. Le lieu offrait beaucoup de potentiel pour la photographie de nature. Toutefois, l’estuaire est situé au coeur de l’agglomération donc il est entouré d’habitations et de routes que je ne souhaitais pas avoir sur la photo. J’ai donc attendu un matin d’hiver avec un épais brouillard qui cachait les maisons mais qui créait aussi une belle atmosphère. Le soleil était encore sous l’horizon et la lumière changeait constamment, j’ai donc rapidement effectué mes réglages et j’ai pris cette photo.

Canon EOS 70D f/4.5, 1/400 seconde , ISO400 - Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM, longueur focale : 35 mm

The Basics of Photography

Composition, exposure, shutter speed, ISO, aperture, opening up, spotlighting, centre-weighted meter: you might be familiar with some of these terms but it’s not always obvious how to adjust your camera accordingly. I offer half-day and multi-days workshops to help you understand and practice the fundamentals of photography. Once you master the basics, you’ll be able to take manual control of your camera and get better results.


All my workshops are given in the field for a hands-on experience. Get in touch so we can arrange for a workshop.

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Upcoming workshops

Triangle of exposure

Three elements constitute the triangle of exposure: aperture, shutter speed and ISO:

  • Aperture (f/N): light passing through the lens

  • Shutter speed: how long the shutter stays open

  • ISO: image sensor’s sensitivity to light

A small aperture (i.e. f/16) gives a deep depth of field and is usually used for landscape.

A fast shutter speed (i.e. 1/1000 sec) is used to freeze motion, like birds in flight or action shots. It also gives a shallow depth of field.

A slow shutter speed (i.e. 1/4 sec) is great for motion blur like milky water effect or rain streaks. Slow shutter speed is also used for night photography or poorly lit areas. In any case, a tripod is highly recommended for long exposures.

Before you adjust the aperture, shutter speed and ISO on your camera, you need to ask yourself: What effect do I wish to create? What is the mood of my image? What am I trying to tell?

Use the light meter in your camera to help you get the proper exposure. Light is measured in Exposure Value (EV) and typically displays in cameras from - 3 EV to + 3 EV

-3 _____ -2 _____ -1 _____ ∆ _____ 1 _____ 2 _____ 3

under exposed correct expo. over exposed

Once you’ve taken your shot, check the histogram and readjust your exposure if necessary.

Time to practice. Let me know how it goes!

Solo Exhibition at The Hub

If you’re in the Comox Valley in August, check out my solo exhibition at The Hub, 545 Duncan Ave, Courtenay, BC. I will be showing some of my best images in big format! 24 x 36 inches, the perfect size for that empty wall in your living-room or office.

I am also featured in the Comox Valley Record, page 19, issue of 30 July 2019.

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Composition

Composition can be daunting. The good news is you can learn about it and get better with time and practice!

When I’m in the field, I always look for interesting shapes, patterns, lines and texture. Once I find a potential subject, I evaluate the intensity of the light, its direction and the need to use filters or not. I identify distracting elements, determine my focal point and move around to find my composition. I establish the depth of field, what should be in focus and which lens to use. Then I set up my tripod, which is essential in order to get sharp images. After taking my shot, I check the histogram and the clarity of my image on the back screen. From there I can adjust my composition accordingly. I find that seeing my image on the small screen tells me right away if the composition is good or not.

I believe that a poor image cannot be fixed with a software so I prefer to take the time to compose my images while I am in the field. I also prefer to spend my time outside rather than in front of my computer!

If you’re ready to learn how to get better images, sign up for an upcoming workshop or ask for a private workshop.

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Get off Auto, create your best images this summer!

Just added 3 workshops in English and 3 in French, all in the Comox Valley, and on Saturdays afternoon.

  • Learn how to use your camera on manual mode

  • Learn about exposure, depth of field, focus, and key elements of composition

  • Use technical and creative elements together to improve your images

  • Get more confident with your camera and your skills

  • Get more one-on-one time by being part of a small group of 5 participants

  • Take your newly acquired knowledge to your next trip

Book now!

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What wildlife really does when humans are away...

First look around and make sure no-one else is here. And then roll in the moss!

River otter, Lontra canadensis

8 New Nature Photography Workshops on Vancouver Island

Spring has sprung and things are moving for Catherine Babault Photography!

An article about Catherine Babault Photography was published in the March edition of the magazine L’Entr’aînés, a monthly publication of l’Assemblée Francophone des retraités et des aînés de la Colombie-Britannique. You can read it here.

In April I had an interview on Radio Victoria to talk about my workshops and my passion for photography. Listen here.

Vancouver Island Nature Photography Workshops

Vancouver Island Nature Photography Workshops

Eight multi-day workshops have just been added for this summer: 4 in English and 4 in French. They will be given in the greater region of the Comox Valley, in a radius of 60 km. We will cover the art of composition, use of light, creativity and workflow. I will take participants to some of my favourite spots to photograph nature and wildlife. This should be fun!

Check for upcoming workshops and new fine art prints or follow me on Twitter for the latest news!