Robert R. Taylor
Robert R. Taylor is a man with a deep love of nature. For more than two decades he has explored and photographed the Hudson Bay region on an annual basis. |
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He graduated Ryerson Polytechnical Institute in Toronto in 1963, majoring in science photography. Robert was awarded a fellowship in the Professional Photographers Association of Manitoba and has earned the honour of Master of Photographic Arts of the Professional Photographers of Canada.
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In 1978 he was accepted into the prestigious Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, one of the few photographers to receive this honour.
The photographs of Robert Taylor have appeared in many national and international magazines and in several previous books. His prints decorate many offices and homes across Canada.
The Edge of the Arctic is the realization of a dream that started with a walk on the tundra many years ago. Through the eyes of Robert Taylor and the lens of his camera, we are given a taste of the majestic beauty of the North.
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"It was not a simple matter to select the photographs for this book. There is such a wealth of subject matter to be found in this fascinating region that one could spend a lifetime exploring."
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- During the short, intense summer, an enormous variety of wild flowering plants grow and turn the tundra into a kaleidoscope of colours and shapes. In the fall, the ground is a scarlet carpet of bearberries and white arctic avens. Tea made from the leaves and flowers of the Labrador Tea plant is very pleasant tasting and is rumoured to provide relief from rheumatism, stomach ache, and headache.
- Beluga whales congregate in the Hudson Bay and as many as 3,000 will visit the Churchill River to feed on the small fish and give birth in the warmer water. A whale safari can be booked throughout the summer and early fall. Belugas are naturally curious and sociable and often breach right beside the boats. Ever experience a full-scale barbecue on a mid-river ice floe? Nanuk Enterprises of Churchill is the only organization with official authority to capture live whales for zoos like Marineland and Sea World. They have been dubbed the "White Water Cowboys" because of their method of capturing the Beluga safely and humanely.
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Great works of art
Are there for the seeing
At our feet
And within our view,
A feast for the eye
That looks toward the land.
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- The small owls are widely distributed but seldom seen because of their nocturnal habits. These young Saw-whet Owls have just left the security of their tree-cavity nest.
- Along the marine coastline of Hudson Bay harsh winds inhibit the growth of branches on the north and west sides of the spruce trees, giving them a unique shape. In Churchill it takes two trees to make one Christmas tree.
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My experiences with the Great Gray Owl are truly one of the highlights of my interesting career.
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- Although humans are more appreciative of such creatures now than in the past, there are still those who would shoot the approachable and unsuspecting owls
- At this stage in the nestlings life, the female is obliged to tear the prey into small bits which she delicately offers to the hungry youngsters
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