British Columbia, Canada is home to many fantastic vacation resorts during all seasons. Whistler resort is in the Sea To Sky Corridor and provides an excellent location for all types of vacation. Skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking and sightseeing are the main outdoor attractions in Whistler. You can choose from a wide variety of holiday activities and deluxe Whistler Accommodations to host your entire travel group. Stay in the village or on the mountain slopes during your visit to enjoy all that the beautiful Pacific Coast resort has to offer.

Sunny days… oh sunny, sunny, sunny days…  As the winter that wasn’t continues, mother nature has managed to brighten our spirits by providing the residents of the Sea-to- Sky corridor some unseasonably warm temperatures and bright sunshine presenting the perfect opportunity to hit the Whistler Blackcomb side country.

One gondola, two chairlifts, a T bar, a short hike and a traverse later, our group has arrived at the gates of Garibaldi provincial park with our sites set on the ninth hole from the summit of Mount Decker.   Sitting at 2,421m above sea level, this flat top mountain provides seemingly endless descents for skiers of all ability.  Roughly a two hour ascent from the park boundary, backcountry enthusiasts will travel through glaciers, moraines and even come across ice caves along the way to the summit.

Once the summit has been reached there are various routes to choose for the descent.  Three of the most popular routes are the finger chutes (most difficult), the ninth hole and the main chute.  Each route presents a variety of hazards including cornices, wind loaded slopes, exposure and of course snow stability.

After assessing the options at the top, our group chose to ski the ninth hole as it was in the shade and had a relatively easy entrance. With some surface hoar powder on top and spring like conditions at the bottom, smiles were beaming all around.

If you ever searching for an adventure on Vancouver Island and have a bit of time and relatively good fitness, the West Coast Trail is for you.

This rustic 75km was originally built in 1907 as a pathway to rescue survivors from shipwrecks along this treacherous part of the coast that is now called the Pacific Rim National Park.

The trail is a two way trail that can start in Port Renfrew and finish in Bamfield of vice versa.  The trail itself features ladders, bridges, old growth trees, beaches, mud bogs, waterfalls and streams to collect your fresh (you need to filter or treat it) water for eating and cooking.

You will want to be sure to keep your eyes peeled as the trail is habitat to a wide variety of wildlife species. We managed to come across grey whales, black bears, bald eagles, seals and sealions among many other smaller creatures.  Fortunately we did not come across any cougars or wolves that also are known to reside within the Pacific Rim National Park.

Please keep in mind that this trail is extremely rugged and not recommended for anyone with poor fitness or minimal outdoor experience.  As an avid camper and backcountry traveller, even I was surprised at just how difficult this 75km adventure turned out to be.

Much like the title entails, this is the second installment of smiling places and beautiful faces… er…  This installment is brought to you from Edgewater Lodge, located right on the southern shore of Whistlers biggest and coldest body of water, Green lake.  With stunning views of Wedge mountain, Armchair glacier and both Whistler and Blackcomb mountains, it truly is the ultimate rural retreat within a close proximity to the village.  Situated on 42 acres of lush land, the photos practically take themselves here.

Friends and family gathered here to celebrate the matrimony of Dave and Jess.  Lets just say that these two are a match made in biker heaven.  Seriously though, I don’t think I have ever met a couple who shares a love for biking quite like these two.  From riding the North shore in Vancouver, to the highlands in Squamish and to the bike park and trails in town, it was a surprise to me that Jess didn’t ride down the aisle on her cross country bike!

With the sun shining (lets just say it was very lucky the wedding wasn’t on the weekend before), the beats of Ruckus Deluxe pumping and the Whistler brewery beers a flowing, it’s safe to say everyone was having a great time!

Reflecting back on some of my previous wedding posts, it seems to me that I may have inadvertently placed too much focus on the bride and groom and neglected to share some of the candid and picturesque moments that help to make the day so special.  By focusing on candid moments the true mood of the day becomes easily identifiable.

For this installment, we’re going back to the wedding of Jen and Jay Neil, which took place in the secluded valley of the Pemberton Meadows.  The sky was blue, temperatures were in the high 30’s and sun was shining bright.

Pemberton is a village located about 20 minutes north of Whistler and has a population of a mere 2,192 people.  Consistently warm and dry summers have made it famous for its agriculture, though most people now know it as the venue of the Pemberton Music Festival.

With Mount Currie towering over the town and surrounding fields, it truly is one of the most magnificent backdrops to work with as a photographer.  Combine that with willow trees, wheat grass and loose gravel roads it make a great venue for the fairy tale wedding!

For approximately 95% of Canada’s population a sunny day means a good day.  However, for the population of the Sea-To-Sky corridor, it means another day without our precious powder.  For the second straight year, Whistler Blackcomb is off to a slow start, receiving just 348cm of cumulative snow so far.  The issue seems to be stemming from global warming, as we are still receiving large amounts of precipitation, though the spike in temperature gives us rain instead of snow.

Historically, the resort receives an average of 1,175cm of snow per year, meaning there is a lot for Mother Nature to do should we wish to hit the average.  Fortunately, for the skiing and snowboarding enthusiasts, February and March were the months that received the most snowfall in 2014. Please see the chart below.

 As a photographer, this makes it more challenging to go out and get those epic powder shots.  Creativity and the use of light/shadow are essential to making interesting pictures.  Thankfully, Whistler Blackcomb offer some of the best terrain parks in North America and some very talented athletes who are always willing to strut their stuff!

While sun is good, powder is better, though a sunny powder day can’t be beat.  Until then, I guess we’ll just have to work with what we’ve got.

At Photography Whistler, we take you to a select location in the heart of Whistler village to photograph you and your loved one interacting and sharing laughs as you would in your day to day life.  This helps to make the shoot more candid than posed and avoids the cheesy stereotypes that are all too often associated with engagement photographs.

The location for this shoot is on Fitzsimmons creek, which runs directly between Whistler and Blackcomb mountains and through the village. This is a favourite spot of photographer Jeff Boyce as it offers a variety of different backdrops within a very close proximity.  Breathtaking mountain views, running water, old growth forests and a rustic bridge decorate the background while our bride and groom-to-be frolic in the foreground.

Using a combination of professional Canon camera bodies, lenses and lighting equipment the images turned out vibrant and crisp.  All post-processing was done using Adobe Photoshop to enhance colours and tones.

Here are a few select shots from the shoot:

A happy new year to all of our clients and friends at Photography Whistler.  I would also like to offer a sincere thank-you to everyone who contributed in making 2014 the most successful year for us.

We are very fortunate to have been commissioned to shoot professional sporting events, weddings, corporate headshots, engagements, special events, family portraits and more!

Big plans ahead for 2015 in the Sea-to-Sky corridor, so be sure to check back for periodic updates.