Clive Bryson has two interests – nature and photography.
And the talented naturalist and photographer has combined his passion for both in Shuswap Nature, a new coffee table book.
Now 71, Bryson began taking photos in his native U.K. when he was 10 and began taking photography seriously when he emigrated to Canada 40 years ago.
“It’s not so much a challenge, it’s more about expressing myself,” he says, describing himself as a visual person. “I just brought the two together because I want to share my passions with other people through the form of a book.”
The photos, predominantly taken around Salmon Arm Bay, have been mostly digital for the last six or seven years.
Bryson says he had been thinking about creating a book for a very long time and spent over a year to design it, using self-publishing and photography software.
His favourite subjects are birds, especially birds in flight, and Bryson likes to capture them in his lens either early in the morning or in evening just before the sun is going down when the quality of the light is at its best.
Bryson likes the bay area and the nature trail that passes Christmas Island because it is accessible, with a lot of wildlife, mammals, birds and plants.
“There are very good viewing spots and good walking areas,” he says. “It’s a priceless asset that Salmon Arm has and everybody should know about it.”
Bryson says he tries to get out two to three times a week, more frequently in spring and fall when the light is more conducive to great shots.
“I don’t do much in summer because the light quality when the sun is high in the sky is not very good; you get very contrasted pictures.”
A member of the Shuswap Photo Arts Club and the Shuswap Naturalists Club, Bryson’s work has been published in numerous photographic magazines and he contributes a lot of his images to non-profit organizations.
He has won numerous prizes.
“I have won a lot of equipment over the years and have had my work displayed in Nikon House in New York,” he says. “ I don’t run a business; I don’t make money out of my photography but I like to share my work.”
Shuswap Nature is a 100-page, large-format coffee table book featuring full colour photographs on every page.
Bryson hopes that it will help both residents and tourists learn more about the beauty and uniqueness of the Shuswap.
He will be a feature presenter at the fall general meeting of BC Nature which is being held in Salmon Arm in September.
Bryson enthusiastically encourages young people in photography and sponsors a prize for youth at the Salmon Arm Fall Fair.
For more information and to view the book, go to Bryson’s website: http://clivebryson.pixu.com.