Your Bio

Dennis Fast



Welcome to my world! I hope you plan to stay a while to enjoy some of the many photos of wildlife and nature that you will find here. My travels in pursuit of wildlife have taken me to adventures that very few people get to experience.

As a speaker at photo workshops and business conventions my journey continues across our great countries of Canada and the USA.

Beauty is everywhere, when you take the time to look, but it begins first of all in the heart.

Galleries

ABOUT ME : FIND OUT WHY I PHOTOGRAPH, AND HOW YOU CAN HAVE YOUR OWN SMUGMUG WEBSITE. If you like the look of SMUGMUG (and who doesn't?) consider getting your own site. Simply use my email address, denroy@mts.net, or my special code number, ydPq4H5DCyiZo , and we'll both get a discount!

ABOUT ME

FIND OUT WHY I PHOTOGRAPH, AND HOW YOU CAN HAVE YOUR OWN SMUGMUG WEBSI ...

Updated: Sep 23, 2007 9:21am PST

ANIMALS ANIMALS : You will find some of my favorite animals in this gallery. Along the way, I will share a few stories of my experiences with them. Explore all you want and get to know some of the most beautiful creatures on the planet.

ANIMALS ANIMALS

You will find some of my favorite animals in this gallery. Along the w ...

Updated: Jul 14, 2008 6:30pm PST

DEBBY THE OLDEST POLAR BEAR IN THE WORLD : The Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, was the long time home of Debby the polar bear. Debby was born in the Russian Arctic in 1966, and arrived at the Assiniboine Park Zoo as an orphaned cub in 1967, Canada's centennial year. In 2008, the Guinness Book of World Records officially listed her as the oldest polar bear in the world at over 42 years of age. In the wild, most polar bears do not live much beyond 20 years, although older bears have been documented. Debby was actually the third-oldest bear of any of the eight species of bears ever recorded. Over the years, Debby had been admired by millions of people from around the globe. As her age increased, so did her reputation, and people increasingly flocked to see the famous bear before she died. Sadly, that day came on November 17, 2008, when Debby had to be put down because of multiple organ failure. I was privileged to photograph Debby on July 17, 2007, just a bit more than a year before her death. As you can see from my portfolio of photos, Debby could still be quite frisky in the water. She seemed to enjoy shaking her head after a dive and sending water flying in all directions. The need for a new set of dentures didn't keep her from smiling obligingly for my camera. It was a delight to capture her friendly and playful personality in my photographs.

DEBBY THE OLDEST POLAR BEAR IN THE WORLD

The Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, was the long t ...

Updated: Dec 14, 2008 3:08pm PST

Animals of Montana : Recently I had the privilege of photographing wildlife at Animals of Montana which is a game farm run by Troy Hyde & Tracy Krueger. Troy trains animals to "perform" in movies and for professional photographers. Up to this point, all my animals had been photographed in the wild, so I was a little apprehensive about how a shoot with captive animals would go. I need not have worried, because Troy's animals are well kept and amazingly responsive to his control. Almost all published photos of wolves and mountain lions and other shy creatures of the wild have been photographed in places like Animals of Montana. What worried me most was that my photos would all look posed, but Troy's animals are allowed to run free in wild settings or in huge temporary enclosures. At the same time, they are repeatedly brought back into camera range by Troy and his excellent staff. The result of all this is, that, although you have animals in camera range, it is still up to you to react to animals behaving naturally and to be ready to capture the definitive moments. It is definitely a challenge, but also very rewarding, because many of the photos I got could not be duplicated in the wild even with years of effort. If you are a professional wildlife photographer, or someone who simply enjoys photographing animals for the sheer wonder of them, I couldn't recommend any place more highly than Animals of Montana. Check out their website when you have time at: http://www.animalsofmontana.com/about_us.html

Animals of Montana

Recently I had the privilege of photographing wildlife at Animals of M ...

Updated: Jul 14, 2008 6:30pm PST

POLAR BEARS 2008 : POLAR BEARS OF SEAL RIVER LODGE Polar bears are among my favourite subjects, and I have spent a lot of time photographing them. Unlike most photographers of the bears, I have done most of my shooting from ground level. All of the photos in this gallery were done through Seal River Heritage Lodge run by Churchill Wild. The bears in fireweed were done from a camp set up on a small island off the coast of Hudson Bay well north of Churchill, Manitoba, Canada. The winter bears were shot at Seal River Lodge, which runs polar bear viewing camps for a variety of guests during parts of October and November each year. It is a place I have visited often in summer, but winter is truly spectacular there. The repeating tides cover the rocky coastal landscape as winter approaches with a surreal coating of ice that is breath-taking at times. Add fog and early winter storms to the mix, and the wildlife photo opportunities are nothing short of incredible. Clear sunrise mornings are okay too! Although this gallery features only the bears of 2008, the arctic foxes, caribou, and northern lights would probably make the trip worthwhile in their own right. I would rate this location well ahead of a Churchill-only trip if you want a truly remarkable wildlife experience away from all the trappings of town, except for a comfortable bed and fabulous food!

POLAR BEARS 2008

AURORA BOREALIS : Northern Lights (aurora borealis) never cease to amaze me. I know the scientific explanation for them, but they make me want to believe in magic and that they are dancing just for me! On this night, I think they were!!

AURORA BOREALIS

Northern Lights (aurora borealis) never cease to amaze me. I know the ...

Updated: Jul 14, 2008 6:31pm PST

BIRDS I HAVE KNOWN : My passion for photography began with an early love affair with birds. They are not only beautiful, but represent the freedom from the bonds of earth and gravity that has made mankind want to fly since time began. The more I watched birds, the more I wanted to photograph them, and I am sharing some of my favourites with you here.

BIRDS I HAVE KNOWN

My passion for photography began with an early love affair with birds. ...

Updated: Jul 14, 2008 7:42pm PST

FLOWERS : As a wildlife photographer I find flowers to be a relaxing break from action. Flowers are as intricate and varied as any subject in nature, and at least they don't run or fly away just as you get them into focus! The main challenges with flowers are the wind and the proper depth of field. Individual flowers tend to look their best when separated from their background by appropriate blur, while groups of flowers need lots of depth of field. When done right, photographs of flowers can cheer your day and add some romance to your life.

FLOWERS

As a wildlife photographer I find flowers to be a relaxing break from ...

Updated: Jul 14, 2008 2:41pm PST

LANDSCAPES : LANDSCAPES. My travels have taken me to many places, and landscapes are my record of some of those. Many more shots will be added here soon.

LANDSCAPES

LANDSCAPES. My travels have taken me to many places, and landscapes a ...

Updated: Jul 14, 2008 8:53pm PST

Guestbook :

Guestbook

Updated: Sep 23, 2007 9:15am PST

BANNERS : BANNER 1

BANNERS

BANNER 1

Updated: May 01, 2008 3:27pm PST

Featured Galleries

ANIMALS ANIMALS : You will find some of my favorite animals in this gallery. Along the way, I will share a few stories of my experiences with them. Explore all you want and get to know some of the most beautiful creatures on the planet.

ANIMALS ANIMALS

You will find some of my favorite animals in this gallery. Along the w ...

Updated: Jul 14, 2008 6:30pm PST

POLAR BEARS 2008 : POLAR BEARS OF SEAL RIVER LODGE Polar bears are among my favourite subjects, and I have spent a lot of time photographing them. Unlike most photographers of the bears, I have done most of my shooting from ground level. All of the photos in this gallery were done through Seal River Heritage Lodge run by Churchill Wild. The bears in fireweed were done from a camp set up on a small island off the coast of Hudson Bay well north of Churchill, Manitoba, Canada. The winter bears were shot at Seal River Lodge, which runs polar bear viewing camps for a variety of guests during parts of October and November each year. It is a place I have visited often in summer, but winter is truly spectacular there. The repeating tides cover the rocky coastal landscape as winter approaches with a surreal coating of ice that is breath-taking at times. Add fog and early winter storms to the mix, and the wildlife photo opportunities are nothing short of incredible. Clear sunrise mornings are okay too! Although this gallery features only the bears of 2008, the arctic foxes, caribou, and northern lights would probably make the trip worthwhile in their own right. I would rate this location well ahead of a Churchill-only trip if you want a truly remarkable wildlife experience away from all the trappings of town, except for a comfortable bed and fabulous food!

POLAR BEARS 2008

Friends & Family