Seeing the Forest
through the Trees
by Berry Wijdeven
through the Trees
by Berry Wijdeven
![Haida Gwaii - Contemplative Pips](/uploads/1/2/6/9/126967338/published/ian2.jpg?1569877732)
It’s a grey, cloudy day as Ian Gould finds his way through the rainforests of Haida Gwaii. It’s late fall which means it has been pouring for days. The forest oozes with moisture as it responds to this over-abundance of precipitation. The foliage and mosses pop with colour and the red cedars shimmer and glow. These are the conditions Ian lives for. These are the conditions to get the most interesting photographs.
If a tree falls in the forest, Ian will probably be there to photograph it. Ian was born and raised on the islands and his life has been intertwined with the forests which cover the archipelago. At age fifteen, while still in high school, he started working on the booming grounds, the area where logs are floated onto the water so they can be picked up by a barge, and he has worked here, off and on, ever since. Ian is also a professional photographer and, over the years, has made the forests of Haida Gwaii his primary photographic playground.
While these forests are gorgeous to behold, they can also be notoriously difficult to photograph. There’s too much growth, too much decay. Too much green. Many people end up disappointed when they review their pictures after a day of venturing. Trying to capture in pixels what your eyes observe is difficult especially when there’s so much happening. Ian’s photos do manage to capture the richness, the complexity, the sheer beauty of the forests, but getting it right takes some effort.
If a tree falls in the forest, Ian will probably be there to photograph it. Ian was born and raised on the islands and his life has been intertwined with the forests which cover the archipelago. At age fifteen, while still in high school, he started working on the booming grounds, the area where logs are floated onto the water so they can be picked up by a barge, and he has worked here, off and on, ever since. Ian is also a professional photographer and, over the years, has made the forests of Haida Gwaii his primary photographic playground.
While these forests are gorgeous to behold, they can also be notoriously difficult to photograph. There’s too much growth, too much decay. Too much green. Many people end up disappointed when they review their pictures after a day of venturing. Trying to capture in pixels what your eyes observe is difficult especially when there’s so much happening. Ian’s photos do manage to capture the richness, the complexity, the sheer beauty of the forests, but getting it right takes some effort.
![Haida Gwaii - Heath and Pips](/uploads/1/2/6/9/126967338/ian3_orig.jpg)
Much of his spare time you can find Ian driving the back roads, scouting new sites, looking for new photo opportunities. After he has located a site of interest and determined the best composition, he marks the location and takes a few shots for his “do-over” file. He notes the date of the shoot and determines when he should visit that site again, a few weeks later, the following month, next year. He will come back when the sun is at the right angle, the cloud cover more to his liking, the water level in the creek more adventageous and the moisture level in the forest more favourable. This takes time. It has taken five years for some photos to come out just right. But the effort is worth it, for his images are stunning.
![Haida Gwaii - Looking for scat](/uploads/1/2/6/9/126967338/ian4_orig.jpg)
Ian was always interested in taking pictures but it wasn’t until he started spending summers guiding for Moresby Explorers, his brother’s ecotourism company, that his curiosity in photography was piqued. While guiding he met a number of renowned nature photographers. He noticed they had different perspectives looking for compositions and he became intrigued by the possibilities. So in his early twenties he quit his job and went to study photography at Langara College, never really with the intent to make his living at it but just because he wanted to learn more. When he came back from school he found work again in the forest industry making his living operating a boom boat, those little tugboats which maneuver amongst the bags of watered wood. This gave him the income to pursue what had become his passion.
Initially forests weren’t necessarily Ian’s primary focus. He was big on storms and would drive all over the islands to catch a good gale. His wife was concerned with the safety of those rambles and encouraged him to find material closer to home. Bring on the trees.
Initially forests weren’t necessarily Ian’s primary focus. He was big on storms and would drive all over the islands to catch a good gale. His wife was concerned with the safety of those rambles and encouraged him to find material closer to home. Bring on the trees.
![Haida Gwaii Ermine](/uploads/1/2/6/9/126967338/published/ian5.jpg?1569882579)
Forests, however, proved to be difficult. Forests are cluttered, crowded with distracting elements which need to be simplified. There’s a composition or two in there, but it takes time and patience. Ian discovered that he liked this challenge, that it slowed him down and forced him to work harder at the compositions. Also, unlike a storm or a sunset, the forests weren’t going anywhere which created the opportunity to choose his timing and wait for the proper conditions. It also gave him an edge over visiting photographers who stay for a short time and have to take the conditions as they come.
Many of Ian’s photos don’t have that single element which creates an immediate visual impact. Ian likes to take a natural element or a line which catches his eye and figure out what he can do with it, what other elements he can combine it with. This gives his photos more depth, more dimensions. This way one can look at one of his images month after month while it retains its visual interest.
Many of Ian’s photos don’t have that single element which creates an immediate visual impact. Ian likes to take a natural element or a line which catches his eye and figure out what he can do with it, what other elements he can combine it with. This gives his photos more depth, more dimensions. This way one can look at one of his images month after month while it retains its visual interest.
![Haida Gwaii - Pips locates a scat](/uploads/1/2/6/9/126967338/published/ian6.jpg?1570140961)
Ian is pretty content with where he is right now. He never expected to make a living doing photography. The first thing they taught him in college, he says, was that trying to make a career out of photography was a great way to ruin a good hobby. So Ian keeps on scouting, in his spare time, searching for new scenery, looking for that next amazing shot. Fortunately he shares the best of those shots with the rest of us, showing in pixels what our eyes don’t often get to see. And the islands are a better place for it.
Ian’s camera of choice is a Canon 5D (Mark III and IV) which he uses with a variety of L-series lenses. He also carries a medium format film camera for those special occasions. While Ian appreciates the opportunities digital photography has brought, he is not a great proponent of digital manipulation. Ian’s kinda old school that way and believes that to get the right shot you have to put in time and effort and be present when the conditions are just right. The following six pages show some of Ian’s photos. Some have been cropped slightly.
Ian’s camera of choice is a Canon 5D (Mark III and IV) which he uses with a variety of L-series lenses. He also carries a medium format film camera for those special occasions. While Ian appreciates the opportunities digital photography has brought, he is not a great proponent of digital manipulation. Ian’s kinda old school that way and believes that to get the right shot you have to put in time and effort and be present when the conditions are just right. The following six pages show some of Ian’s photos. Some have been cropped slightly.