Comox Valley Naturalists Society

Sunday, February 18, 2007
A Photographic Exploration of the Flora & Fauna
of Namibia & South Africa

The featured speaker will be Bryan Walwork, who will share with us many images of the wildlife and the flowers captured last August on a natural history trip from northern Namibia to the Cape of Good Hope.

During the dry season in Etosha National Park, the animals rely on a few natural springs scattered throughout the grasslands and bush of this broad, flat plain. The resulting concentration of wildlife is a boon to photographers and to predators, who lie in wait at these water holes, with the certain knowledge that sooner or later, the animals will come to drink.

In contrast, in Namaqualand an unusually wet beginning to spring resulted in a banner year for the explosion of flowers. The colours and exquisite detail of the flowers in the resulting photographs make any discomfort experienced during the making of the images a distant memory. From elephants in Etosha National Park to flowers in Namaqualand, Bryan’s photographs represent a broad spectrum of wonderful sights.

To reveal the variety, detail and beauty of the flowers that carpeted the ground in Namaqualand, he spent hours on his hands and knees, and to capture the natural beauty and the power of the animals, he lugged a heavy tripod and lens everywhere he went. The result of Bryan’s efforts is a presentation that will appeal to naturalists at all levels and to anyone with a general interest in nature.

Bryan has been serious about photography for more than forty years. He started developing and printing in a darkroom at age twelve and his interest in the medium has become a passion. Today, he is a convert to digital photography, conducts studio lighting workshops in his home studio and gives presentations on a variety of photographic topics.

Only since retiring and moving to the Comox Valley from Vancouver in 2002 has Bryan begun photographing wildlife. Prior to this new interest, he concentrated his efforts mostly on photography in the studio and on abstract imagery.

Click on a link below to view descriptions of previous guest speakers.