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Looking for images of British Columbia’s beautiful Cowichan Valley? You have come to the right place. Kevin Oke Photography has over 30,000 photographs available of the Cowichan Valley and the surrounding areas. From wooden boats to spectacular aerial photographs we can provide you with what you are looking for. Posters, screensavers and art prints are available as well. Can’t find what you want? Please contact us with your requirements.
We can work with you to provide the images you need.
This isn’t just a site about beautiful photography however. Cowichan Valley Photos is as excited about this area as you are and we want to make information available to you, whether you are a local or tourist. Come enjoy the Cowichan – The Warm Land.
The Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island has stunning sunrises, sunsets and clouds. A few photos from this area for you to enjoy. There are many more images on the site, please explore.
 Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) at Somenos Marsh, Duncan, British Columbia.  Sunrise at Somenos Lake, Cowichan Valley, British Columbia  Mt. Prevost from Cowichan Bay, Cowichan Valley, British Columbia
 Carmanah Valley, Three Sisters - 2009  Carmanah Valley - Cathedral Spires Poster - 1989 Twenty years ago I had just moved to British Columbia and heard stories about giant trees on the west coast of Vancouver Island. What I didn’t realize at the time is the Provincial Government had seceretly given permission to logging giant Macmillan Bloedel to clearcut one of the largest intact watersheds left on the island, the Carmanah Valley. While learning some of the history about this area I was approached by a small local environmental group, the Western Canada Wilderness Committee, to take part in an effort to preserve this amazing stand of timber. What an effort it was! Over a period of a few months many of Canada’s most respected artists visited the valley and painted their interpretation of the stunning biodiversity that exists. Native elders came in as well to lend their support to the cause. I was fortunate to be invited to photograph both the valley and the artists working, one of those assignments that you never forget. A beautiful coffee table book Carmanah – Artistic Visions of an Ancient Rainforest was the result and brought the beauty and importance of this area into the homes of many people throughout the world. In many ways, this was the beginning of a huge push in British Columbia to protect a very small percentage of the unspoiled forest that was left in a wild state.
 Carmanah Valley, British Columbia I was honoured to produce a poster (photo above) for the Western Canada Wilderness Committee as a fundraiser. The photo we used was of three massive Sitka Spruce trees that have become known as the Three Sisters. These three trees are joined at the roots forming a massive root structure over 6 metres (20 feet) in diameter and each tree climbs well over 60 metres (200 feet). Very impressive! The poster still sells well after 20 years and is now in its 5th printing! The Carmanah Valley was protected in 1990 as a Provincial Park with the Upper Carmanah Valley and the Walbran Valley added to the park in 1995.
 Fern, Carmanah Valley, British Columbia The valley is impressive for the large trees. The Carmanah Giant at 95 metres ((313 feet) is the world’s tallest Sitka Spruce. Many of the other trees are often 70 metres (230 feet) high and up to 9.4m (31 feet) in circumference. The Carmanah Walbran also boasts giant western red cedars, many of which are over 1,000 years old. It isn’t just the trees that are impressive however, the understory thrives with ferns and wildflowers while bears, wolves, cougars and deer call the valley home as well.
I had heard many stories during the past few decades of the Carmanah Valley being loved to death, too many hikers climbing on the giant trees and doing serious damage to the root structures. Protective boardwalks were put in place and many of the large trees have been roped off with the hope that people could enjoy these giants without damaging what so many had tried to save.
Well, here it is twenty years later and Harbour Publishing requested that I revisit the valley for a double page spread in the upcoming Cowichan Valley book that I am working on. With that in mind I headed up to the Carmanah, 93 kilometres of logging roads and a few hours later I was back to where it all began. My first impression is how much better the access looked compared to twenty years ago. When we first went up we passed through massive clearcuts, this time there were very few indications that serious logging had taken place. While the forest surrounding the Carmanah is still quite young it is well on its way to providing the shelter that the large animals require. The boardwalk system that has been put in place is doing a great job of protecting the trees and while I missed being able to wander through the forest I appreciate the need for this type of system. Overall I was very pleased with what I saw. I spent about 5 hours wandering amongst the large trees and was the only one in the valley, perhaps due to the bone jarring access trip to get to the trailhead. I came away realizing how much would have been lost without the unselfish work of so many volunteers 20 years ago.
 Fungus, Carmanah Valley, British Columbia
 Back Flip at Shawnigan Lake, Vancouver Island Summer has arrived early in the Cowichan Valley this year with high temperatures for the past few weeks. A trip up to Shawnigan Lake was in order, partly to fill in a few gaps for the upcoming Cowichan Valley book but also to see what the locals were up to on a hot day when everyone should be swimming or boating and avoiding work if at all possible.
I was not disappointed as the docks and beaches were busy with sun worshippers and speed demons enjoying the fine weather. There was also a group teaching young kids how to kayak including rolling and wet exits, pretty cool to involve kids at a very young age.
Shawnigan Lake has been known as a recreational playground for well over 100 years with its close proximity to British Columbia’s capital city Victoria. Definitely cottage country, the lake still has charm with small marinas and restaurants dotting the shore. If only they would get rid of the noisy jet skis!
 Learning to Kayak at Shawnigan Lake, Vancouver Island  Aerial photo of Shawnigan Lake, British Columbia
 Ready to Rope, Luxton Pro Rodeo, Luxton, British Columbia It’s always a good experience to photograph an event for the first time that’s entirely different from anything else you have ever done. You go in with only a guess about what access will be like, what lenses might be of use and basically, no matter how much pre-planning you have done, anything can and will happen.
I had an opportunity to photograph the Luxton Pro Rodeo yesterday and after doing a little internet research and talking with the photographer I was travelling with I determined I had no idea what I was going to shoot or how I was going to shoot. Going in a little blind! Shooting this way actually excites me and is part of the reason I love photography.
I knew within a few minutes of arriving that I had made a huge strategic error. As we were walking to the coral the cowboys, friends, wives and others were grooming their horses, inspecting their ropes and making last minute preparations for the big event. Many of the cowboys were practicing their roping skills on fake cows, making it look so easy although I imagine when you are riding a horse the level of difficulty goes up dramatically. My big strategical error; I really should have lined up a press pass as I didn’t have access to this area. This behind the scenes preparation was something I would have loved to photograph, maybe next year!
We situated ourselves in an excellent area for getting the classic shots of man and horse chasing down cows, crazy guys riding bulls and all the other rodeo sort of stuff. I photographed from this location for a few minutes but decided that for what I was looking for I needed to get in closer. I spent the next three hours trying to get in close and actually managed to do surprisingly well without having credentials. This proves in some ways that anyone with general access can get photos that are a little more interesting than your everyday, typical photos that are shot by the crowds. Some of the photos worked, some didn’t and I’ll definitely be better prepared next year if I return.
As I was working on these images this morning I decided that a duotone treatment would suit the subject. It worked out OK I think.
 Friendly Cows, Luxton Pro Rodeo, Luxton, British Columbia  Calf Roping, Luxton Pro Rodeo, Luxton, British Columbia  Cowboy, Luxton Pro Rodeo, Luxton, British Columbia  Tie Down Roping, Luxton Pro Rodeo, Luxton, British Columbia  8 Seconds, Luxton Pro Rodeo, Luxton, British Columbia
 Victoria Mother’s Day Garden Tour  Victoria Mother’s Day Garden Tour We (my wife, mom and I) spent Saturday at the 27th Annual Victoria Mother’s Day Garden Tour, a benefit for the Victoria Conservatory of Music. The weather was absolutely perfect with warm spring air and lots of sun. We visited about seven gardens ranging from small country gardens with thousands of plants intermingled together to a large oceanfront estate that was almost “too much and too perfect”. Victoria Conservatory of Music students were providing live music at many of the gardens, a nice touch. Something for everyone!
My favourite gardens tended to be the ones where the homeowners did most of the planting and gardening chores. They had a life to them that a garden designed by an “outsider” just doesn’t have. More of a personal touch perhaps. With the sunny weather and visiting these gardens around midday I didn’t shoot a huge amount of images but did shoot some close-ups of garden ornaments, the odd flower and a selection of images for garden ideas as we are beginning to plan our “next garden”. All in all, a wonderful day and for a good benefit.
 Musical Frogs, Victoria Mother’s Day Garden Tour
 Kinsol Trestle, Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island, British Columbia I decided to visit the Kinsol Trestle again to get an idea where the whole restoration project is headed. For those not familiar with the Kinsol Trestle, the trestle was completed in 1920, its dimensions measuring 38m (125 ft) high and 188m (614 ft) long, making it the largest wooden trestle in the Commonwealth of Nations and one of the highest railway trestles in the world. The last train past over the Kinsol Trestle in 1979 and in recent years the trestle has fallen into disrepair and has even been burned at some stage.
The Kinsol Trestle is very impressive both from the air and from the Koksilah River below. As part of the Trans Canada Trail, the trestle is an important link for cyclists and hikers making their way from Victoria to Cowichan Lake. Of course there is controversy about whether the trestle should be restored or whether a less expensive suspension bridge should be erected to cross this span of river. After years of study a decision has been made to restore the Kinsol Trestle. While many will applaud this decision, the actual restoration will be a huge undertaking.
So far about 4.1 million dollars has been raised with additional funding to be raised from local communities by The Cowichan Foundation. The forest around the trestle has now been cleared. I expect this was done to make restoration easier but to me this has taken away one of the real charms that this span had, cutting tightly through the forest that it loomed over. The hope is to have the Kinsol Trestle passable again for 2010. I’m looking forward to that but there’s a huge amount of work to do as these images show.
For more information or to help out visit the Kinsol Trestle web site.
 Aerial view of the Kinsol Trestle, Cowichan Valley, British Columbia, Canada.  Large Timbers on the Kinsol Trestle, Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island, British Columbia
 Longevity John, Duncan Garage Showroom, Duncan, BC, Canada.
The Duncan Garage Showroom is located upstairs in the historic Duncan Garage in Duncan, Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island. The Duncan Garage offers a huge range of music from well known recording artists to local musicians looking for the big break. All of this in the funkiest club you will likely find in all of Canada.
The Duncan Garage Showroom didn’t quite make CBC Radios latest “top ten music clubs” list but came close in the top twenty I believe. Longevity John, the clubs passionate owner should be proud and everyone in the Cowichan Valley should be as well.
From folk and blues to a little rock and who knows what else, this is one of the best gigs in town. Visit the Duncan Showroom Garage for the latest events information.
Spring is here and the gardens in the Cowichan Valley Region are looking gorgeous. This is also the time of year for garden tours so I though I would find out what I could. This is the list I have with the Victoria Garden Tour next weekend included.
The 27th Annual Victoria Mother’s Day Garden Tour
Benefiting the Victoria Conservatory of Music
May 9 – 10, 2009
10:00am – 4:00pm
Chemainus Garden Tour – Chemainus Garden Club
May 31 – 10 am to 4 pm
Cowichan Valley Garden Club Spring Show & Sale
St. Peter’s Church off Maple Bay Rd.
June 6
Mill Bay Garden Club 62nd Annual Flower & Garden Show
Cobble Hill Hall
June 13 – 9 am to 3 pm
Cowichan Valley Garden Tour
Cowichan Family Life fundraiser
June 14 – 10 am to 5 pm
 Aerial photo of Genoa Bay and Genoa Bay Marina, Vancouver Island
My aerial photography gallery is finally finished…. until I fly again in the next couple months. I have updated the Vancouver Island Aerials Gallery. The gallery now includes a large selection of Cowichan Valley Aerial photos as well as decent coverage of the Victoria area. For additional aerial images of the Gulf Islands please visit Gulf Island Aerial Photos. Please note that other photos are available and I’m also available to shoot specific images that you might require for your promotional or real estate needs. Contact me with your specific requirements or for additional information.
Vancouver Island Aerial Photos
 Gordon Bay Provincial Park, Cowichan Lake, Vancouver Island
 Duncan City of Totems, Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island, British Columbia
The City of Totems, Duncan in the Cowichan Valley has been purchasing totem poles for approximately 30 years and displaying them throughout the downtown area and the surroundings. Most of the native carvers are western Canadian but others are from Quebec and as far away as New Zealand.
I have been documenting many of these beautiful native carvings for the past few years and finally have put up a comprehensive totem poles gallery. There are approximately 445 photos sorted by the carvers name and date of the totems creation. I’m working on an interactive map that hopefully will be online soon so when you come to Duncan, The City of Totems you will be able to locate the particular poles.
The gallery is located at Duncan Totem Poles.
 Thunderbird Above Killer Whale - Carver: Harold Alfred 1990
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