Snow Patrol

There's Always Time For A Backward Glance

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Sometimes we are privileged to gaze on paradise, but we don’t always realise it. Mountains have been a part of my life since my high school years, when I was a boarder at St Joseph’s College, Darjeeling – which probably explains why I spend so much time photographing them wherever and whenever I can.

A few weeks ago I was in Canada at the invitation of Yukon Tourism and literally a few hours before I flew home, Charles McLaren of Shadow Lake Expeditions took me on a memorable four-wheel-drive ride.

We explored the Coal Road area outside Whitehorse and when we returned to his vehicle after one stop, I was just about to put my seatbelt on when I spotted this sight. I asked Charles not to start up and not to move his vehicle an inch.

He looked at me quizzically, but I pointed to the rear-view mirror mounted on the left-hand side, where this mountain was reflected clearly in the glass. Yes, I could have got out and probably got a better shot, but by taking this from where I sat, I was able to capture an unusual view.

Around the perimeter of the rear-view mirror you can see the hillside in front of us, while the reflection itself shows the mountain that was directly behind us.

In retrospect, this would have been an even more spectacular shot a fortnight later. You see, the fall colours were just starting. A few days later the hillside would have been covered in reds and yellows, forming a virtual wreath for this mountain reflection.

Then again, the real challenge for any photographer is to capture the moment, not to wait for a better opportunity.


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Bring On The Bawdy Wenches

Arrr, Me Hearties, Make It Winches Instead

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Next time you're in Whitehorse, in the Yukon, and you go up the toughest of trails with Charlie McLaren of Shadow Lake Expeditions, you'll notice that he's not the sort of bloke who takes risks.

His SUV (what we'd call a four-wheel-drive) is equipped with everything. And I mean everything. The first shot in this post shows the neatly-wound steel cable on the winch that sits in front of his grille. It's clean. Free of encumbrances. No snags. No rust. If you're wondering about the slim line up the top of the frame, it's simply the reflection of the cable, as seen in the chrome bar above it.

Should the need arise, he's ready to use the winch and flick the switch (above) to get his vehicle out of trouble. And he's ready for anything. As you'll see from the photograph below, he's even prepared for the arrival of, er, Captain Hook.

(The Odd Shots concept came from Katney. Say "G'day" to her.)

If Anyone Can, Jerrican

Who’s Got A Stormy Petrol Story?

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Next time you’re in the vicinity of Whitehorse, go and say "G’day" to Charlie McLaren, who runs Shadow Lake Expeditions. He’s an architect, he’s passionate about the Yukon, he’s a mine of information about the region’s history, flora and fauna, and I reckon he has a significant percentage of adrenalin running through his veins.

I took this shot on his property. It was about nine o’clock in the morning and the autumn weather was cool enough for me to don a sweater. I took a few shots of the canoes, life jackets, ropes, oars and other equipment before I noticed this cluster of jerricans.

They caught my eye because there was a slight golden tinge to their surface as the soft light, dappled during its passage through the trees, played on them. I just thought it was a really interesting image, especially because the jerricans were at a variety of angles, rather than arranged in military fashion. The black caps also created a unique stop-start pattern across the bright colour, so I composed as tight a frame as I could.

The only time I’ve been completely flummoxed at a service station was three years ago, when I was travelling in Muskoka, from Gravenhurst to neighbouring Port Carling. I was due to drive back to Toronto later that night and I wanted to make sure I had enough fuel in the rental car, so I pulled in to the first service station that I saw.

I did very well here - for a while. I remembered that the fuel tank was on the right, unlike my own car. I remembered that I was sitting on the left of the car, unlike Australia. And then things fell apart. I could not lift the fuel nozzle off the bowser. I tried sliding it off. I tried lifting it off. I tried it with my left hand. I tried it with my right hand. I tried everything, short of singing to the nozzle.

That’s when the attendant used the PA system (reserved, no doubt, for absent-minded professors and aberrant Australians) to tell me that I had to first press a lever and then lift the nozzle. Oh, the embarrassment.

If it wasn’t late September, I would have thought it was April Fuels Day.

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Trouble Bruin

Bearing Up Remarkably Well

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Like the advertising slogan famously said, never leave home without it. If you thought the subject of this shot was deodorant, look again at the bold label on the curved surface.

I took this photograph on my last day in Whitehorse, when I went on a memorable trip in a sturdy 4WD (SUV, to most of my readers) with the erudite Charlie McLaren, an architect and adventure enthusiast who also runs Shadow Lake Expeditions.

His vehicle was packed with all the essentials. Snacks. Water. Juice. Binoculars. Winch. Wire. Plenty of fuel. And, yup, bear spray.

I’d been so intent on shooting as we drove up Coal Road that I hadn’t looked down to the vicinity of his mid-seat console. Then, after we returned to the vehicle after making our first stop at a stunning lookout point, I noticed the can of spray.

As you know, I always shoot objects exactly as they are. I never move them to make use of better light conditions or more interesting backgrounds, nor do I illuminate them artificially. To my mind, that is the true challenge for a photographer.

In this case, the bright orange tab provided a striking contrast to the shiny silver and black tones of the canister, while the grey-blue hues of the interior worked really well in the frame.

And can you see the sky in the shot? Look carefully and you’ll see vivid blue sky with wafting white clouds reflected on the convex shape of the canister.

Finally, what do you do when confronted by a bear? Do you solemnly intone "Let us pray"? Er, that would be no. Instead, you follow the advice "Let us spray".

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