Team Power Smart

Five tips For Frame-worthy photos "they say, 'take only pictures and leave only footprints' – and if we can keep the footprint light, I think nature stands a chance." His ventures into the mountains are frequent, and, judging from his ability to capture so many animals on film, one might call him something of a wildlife whisperer. "I think the animals get to know me," says Paris. "There's this one place in Keremeos I hike up to every couple months, and it's a lot easier for me to photograph them now. They used to run away and I needed a long lens to catch them on film, but now, once they know I'm there, they just ignore me. I've been in a herd of 12 or 15 deer, including bucks and fawns, and they allow me to get pretty close to them." But Paris doesn't need to venture far from home to encounter wildlife. living on a third of an acre on a hillside in Chilliwack overlooking Mount Cheam, the animals often come to him. His yard is a piece of wilderness in itself: located on a 45-degree angle, it's chockablock with fruit trees and berry bushes partitioned by a number of roughly hewn switchback trails that cut upwards toward the pine trees that trim the perimeter of the property – a tempting piece of Keremeos Deer: the wildlife in Keremeos allows Larry to get up close and personal. paradise for brazen deer, opossums, raccoons, eagles and other birds. In fact, as we chat about his many backyard visitors, a mother raccoon is coaxing her three babies up the steps in his yard; the babies are almost too small to scramble up, and we can hear the vibrating sound they make as they chatter loudly to one another. Photos: larry Paris So deeply immersed in and connected to nature, it's easy to understand Paris's commitment to conserving energy and decreasing his impact on the environment. Thanks to the new MyHydro online tools for tracking energy consumption, larry is optimistic about the results of his next challenge, which he activated earlier this year. "I'm impressed with how visually telling the graphs are. It hit me over the head how much energy we used, and it's a real motivator," says Paris. "If I were looking at data from six months ago, it would mean nothing to me, but being able to see my consumption on an hourly basis has made me more conscious of my usage." Reviewing his consumption online, Paris noticed that their usage almost tripled during the heat wave at the beginning of July – inspiring him to focus on temperature control in order to achieve his 10 per cent goal. "The air conditioning is an energy black hole; I'm going to let it get warmer before turning on the a/C this year, or just go downstairs where it's cooler." In the 14 years that the couple have lived in their Chilliwack home, they've made several improvements to help lower their consumption, including upgrading to a high-efficiency washing machine, installing honeycomb blinds (which are especially effective at preventing heat transfer), and screening in the decks on either end of the house so they can leave the doors open and cool their home with the cross-breeze rather than rely on air-conditioning. They also use a programmable thermostat, wash in cold water and hang most of their laundry to dry. To Paris, these small sacrifices are more than worth it, knowing that the ultimate goal is to protect the natural environment he loves so that his five grandchildren will get to enjoy it too. "I have a lot of respect for nature, and I think the more we can leave it alone, the better. They say, 'take only pictures and leave only footprints' – and if we can keep the footprint light, I think nature stands a chance." ■ the wINNINg shot: Larry won the 2009 photo contest with this stunning photo of the Inside passage. planning to enter the Team Power Smart photo contest this fall (see page 4)? 2009 photo contest winner larry Paris offers aspiring shutterbugs his top tips for capturing the great outdoors on film. always be prepared Make sure you're always packing a camera, even if it's just the one on your cellphone – you never want to miss an opportunity. take Lots of pictures Digital cameras make it easy to be snap-happy. Paris says he often takes 100 photos to get just one good shot. Be patient When photographing wildlife, bring a long lens, stay perfectly still and silent, and wait for the perfect shot as you might only get one – the sound of the shutter clicking is often enough to scare wild animals away. Capitalize on the season fall is the best time of year for photographers, says Paris, who likes to take advantage of the shorter, clear days to capture brilliant sunrises and sunsets. Images for adverts an image can make or break an ad.The image needs to capture your attention in seconds. It should be clear, recognizable and easy to understand. a strong, simple image works best. 43 B r itish C o lumbia M agazine • fal l 2 0 1 3 team power smart fall 2013 11

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