Every day is a good day to take pictures is the philosophy Brian Thorsteinson adheres to.
The longtime South Cariboo resident loves exploring and photographing his surroundings. It’s a hobby that’s become a passion with prints of his photographs covering almost every available surface in his home.
“I take photos daily, wherever my nose takes me,” Thorsteinson said.
Thorsteinson has always liked photography recalling that he got his first camera, a Kodak Instamatic when he was a teenager. Even back then, he said he just enjoyed the look of nature and experimenting with his photography.
Of course, back then, he had to be a little more conservative with what he took photos of. With a limited amount of film, he stuck largely to landscape shots and other pictures sure to look good.
“You’d have 12 shots only so I mostly stuck to Cariboo scenery. You were lucky if you got four good photos out of 36, really,” Thorsteinson recalled. “Every photo taken was a chance because of the expense of developing them.”
With the rise of digital photography Thorsteinson can now “take photos and not have to pay for them.” The ability to delete the bad photos has taken the hesitation out of his photography. Most of the photos he now displays in his home were taken with a humble Canon EOS Rebel.
His recent acquisition of two mirrorless Canon EOS RP cameras has further fueled his photographic exploits. Thorsteinson explained they take clear photos with almost no noise which makes them ideal for shooting animals.
“I’ve been really liking it. I’m not really a camera person, I just put it on autoshoot and take pictures. I trust the camera and on the mirrorless, they recommend you use auto shoot because you can’t adjust the settings in real-time.”
What makes Thorsteinson’s photos remarkable is they are all shot as he saw them. He admits he neither uses Photoshop nor knows how to and doesn’t intend to learn.
On his computer, Thorsteinson has 40 folders he has sorted over 18,000 images into. Over the years, his subjects have included wild horses, dogs, abstract pieces, landscapes, winter shots, flowers, portraits and birds to name but a few.
One of his favourite subjects remains taking pictures of the old Cariboo homesteads and fences that can be found scattered across the area. Thorsteinson takes the name of his photography business, Rustic Fence Photography, from these favourite photos.
“I really want to capture growing up in the Cariboo. I’ve really gotten into capturing the heritage of the Cariboo including fences, old haying equipment, tractors and buildings,” he explained. “Growing up with them, they were absolutely part of the heritage of the Cariboo and the fences were my favourite thing.”
While fences today might be more standardized, Thorsteinson remarked that ranchers and farmers used to build several different kinds. These include snake fences, rail fences and Russel fences which all had “incredible workmanship” put into them. The aged colour of the wood especially appeals to his sense of style.
Thorsteinson particularly enjoys finding unique pictures you only see when you slow down. One of his favourites is of a series of photos he took back in 2017 of wildfire ash flowing into Crater Lake.
Despite the fact the water was flat when he took the pictures, the angle he chose created an optical illusion that made it look like the ash was falling into the lake.
“I’m not looking for (these phenomena) but when they show up, I take advantage of them.”
Some of his favourite places to take photographs included Farwell Canyon, Hemlicken Falls, the Iron Hills near Cache Creek, the Canoe Creek and Big Bar areas and his own backyard. With a view of Centennial Park Thorsteinson delights in taking pictures of the sunrise through a collection of coloured glass. He’s even set up his own window frame to place the glass in.
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It’s this kind of experimentation combined with keeping an eye out for photos wherever he goes, that Thorsteinson said is the key to success as a photographer.
“You just have to slow down when you’re walking and driving and look around,” Thorsteinson said. “You’ve got to take lots of photos and don’t be afraid to follow other good photographers.”
patrick.davies@100milefreepress.net
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