Wild Vancouver Island - Discount on Pre-orders

Nature photography book Wild Vancouver Island by Canadian wildlife photographer Catherine Babault

I’m thrilled to announce my new photography book Wild Vancouver Island. I have been working on this beautiful book for the last few months and I can’t wait to show it to you! Wild Vancouver Island is a celebration of the beautiful landscapes and extraordinary diversity of species that inhabit this region. As you may know, I have a fondness for bears. Last fall, I had the privilege of photographing coastal black bears up close during the salmon run and I selected my best shots for the book, which also features many other species such as sea otters, humpback whales, Roosevelt elk, and several birds and mammals.

Wild Vancouver Island is a book for gifting, to you or a loved-one, perhaps as a reminder of the beauty of nature and the importance of biodiversity.

Get a 10% discount on pre-orders. I sign each copy! Let me know if you’d like me to add a personal note. For those of you who live in the Comox Valley, enter COMOXVALLEYFS at checkout for a free delivery at your doorstep.

PRE-ORDER NOW!

Published in Nature Sauvage, Autumn 2023 Edition

I have the great pleasure to have one of my photos of a river otter published in the Autumn Edition of the beautiful magazine Nature Sauvage. It is always an honour to contribute to this excellent nature magazine.

J’ai le grand plaisir d’avoir une de mes photos d’une loutre de rivière publiée dans l’édition automne du magnifique magazine Nature Sauvage. C’est toujours un grand honneur de contribuer à cet excellent magazine sur la nature.

On the cover of EVENT Magazine - Sur la couverture du magazine EVENT

Magazine EVENT poetry and prose on a desk. Cover image by Catherine Babault.

My artwork is on the cover of the award-winning magazine EVENT, Edition 51-3. This is the second time I have the honour of having a photograph on the cover of this prestigious poetry magazine.

You can purchase a print of this image titled ‘’Hello Yellow!’’ here. It is a photograph of the wooden facade of an old building painted yellow and weathered by the years.

Hello Yellow!

Une de mes photographies se retrouve sur la couverture du magazine primé EVENT, Edition 51-3. C'est la deuxième fois que j'ai l'honneur d'avoir une image en couverture de ce prestigieux magazine de poésie.

Vous pouvez acheter un tirage de cette photo intitulée ‘’Hello Yellow!’’ ici. Il s’agit d’une photographie de la façade en bois d’un vieux bâtiment peint en jaune et patiné par le temps.

Publiée dans le magazine canadien Nature Sauvage !

Je suis contente d’annoncer que trois de mes photographies de l’élan / wapiti sont publiées dans la dernière édition du magazine canadien Nature Sauvage (disponible en français seulement). Lors de cette édition qui couvre, entre autres, le wapiti, vous trouverez mes photographies en pages 24 et 25 (full spread) et page 26 (2 photos).

Nature Sauvage est un beau magazine où l'on peut lire des articles sur la faune et la flore principalement du Québec.

Si vous souhaitez en apprendre davantage sur le wapiti de l’Île de Vancouver, regardez ma vidéo sur ma chaîne YouTube.

The Roosevelt Elk on Vancouver Island, by award-winning nature photographer Catherine Babault

The making of my photo book Vancouver Island Wildlife

When I moved to Vancouver Island many years ago, I was fascinated by the diversity of fauna, flora and landscape. From the mountain meadows to the ocean, there are so many species to study and photograph. Some are permanent residents while others are seasonal visitors. All are very interesting. While exploring my new surroundings, I noticed the human impact on the environment and became aware of species at risk. With the help of a photo book, I hoped to show the beauty and diversity of Vancouver Island’s wildlife and raise awareness about our responsibility towards the conservation of its unique ecosystems.

For my book project, I researched many species to learn about their habitat, diet, biology, etc. I visited remote locations, sometimes by boat or floatplane. Often I got up in the middle of the night to be in the field by sunrise. I travelled long distances by vehicle and on foot. I walked in the snow, rain, fog and mud, sometimes I stepped on smelly things like rotten salmon on riverbanks. I prepared all my trips carefully because this is wilderness; I studied maps, topography, weather forecast, tide tables, sunrise and sunset times, and I maintained my vehicle in good condition, with an emergency kit and other essential items. This was a full-time project, working up to 60 hours a week, and it took me over a year to compile enough images for a photo book.

I edited thousands of images to select less than two hundred. My images had to be bold, uncluttered and well composed. I processed each one of them and converted them in CMYK for printing. Then I started to design the book and write the text. English is not my first language so I hired a professional translator in Victoria to proofread the text. I asked a professional photographer in my city to review my selection of images and give me honest feedback. At that point, I started to contact several printers in Canada before choosing one in Vancouver. I used offset printing instead of digital printing; although it is a lot more expensive, it is the best quality printing for a photo book. You could say that my book is 100% made in British Columbia from the subject to the printer. Some might think CAD$40 is expensive for a book but think about all the costs involved: camera equipment, travel expenses (gas, accommodation, meals), car maintenance, car insurance, business insurance, business licence, professional services (bush pilot, proofreader, printer, website…), and my time dedicated to this amazing project.

I feel very humble by the incredible success of this book. I won a Nautilus book award in the USA and received great feedback from the media. I am always touched to hear kind comments from readers in Canada, the USA and Europe. I hope that my book has achieved its goal: showing the beauty and fragility of our environment so that we are all aware of our collective responsibility towards its protection for future generations.

Featured in Boulevard Magazine

I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Sean McIntyre and photographed by Don Denton for Boulevard Magazine. It is an elegant lifestyle magazine featuring local businesses and artists, and I encourage you to read it here. I am in the In Studio section, page 28.

Publiée dans le magazine PrésentEs! Published in the magazine PrésentEs!

Je suis très contente d’être publiée dans le magazine PrésentEs! de l’Alliance des femmes de la francophonie canadienne dans un article où j’aborde l’éthique en photographie naturaliste. Cette édition de l’été 2021 est consacrée aux femmes et à l’environnement. Je vous invite à le lire ici.

I am very happy to be published in the magazine PrésentEs! of the Alliance des femmes de la francophonie canadienne; in my article I talk about ethics in nature photography. The Summer 2021 edition focuses on women and the environment. I invite you to read it here (the article is in French).