from where I sit...

When is OPC
GOING FSC?

I have been asked this question many times since we launched the magazine back in 2007. I can say with pride that Outdoor Photography Canada magazine now uses FSC-certified paper for 100 percent of the magazine production. For those of you who do not know what that is, it basically means that the paper we use comes from forests that are managed responsibly and that adhere to strict environmental and social standards. For more information on the Forestry Stewardship Council Canada, visit its website at www.fsccanada.org/about.htm.

Welcome to the summer issue. As promised, this is the issue where we announce the first three winners of the online Editor’s Assignment contest representing the months of February, March and April. You can see the winning images on page 56. Next issue we will feature the May, June and July assignment winners. The contest runs to the end of the year. To enter, click on the banner to the left "Editor's Assignment".

In this issue beginning on page 38 we take you to the Great Bear Rainforest in BC in search of the Kermode or “Spirit” bear. Paul Burwell takes us on an unforgettable journey in search of Canada’s other white bear. Then on to the grasslands of Saskatchewan in Grasslands National Park, where Mike Grandmaison guides us on a tour in his usual fashion, showing us great places to photograph as well as giving us a brief history of the park. You can find that story starting on page 44.

The magazine wouldn’t be OPC if we didn’t have all the how-to stuff too. This issue Darwin Wiggett shows us that shooting Beyond the Rectangle is a good thing, while each of our columnists brings you tips and tricks to make you a better outdoor photographer. So sit back and enjoy this issue … summer won’t last for long.

Roy Ramsay
Publisher/Editor-in-chief