https://www.davesandfordphotos.com/

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Hello. I’m Dave Sandford, a professional photographer based in London, Ontario, Canada. I’ve primarily covered professional sports for the past 19 years. During that time, I’ve worked extensively with the NHL, NBA and Hockey Hall of Fame. I’m proud to have covered 17 Stanley Cup Championships, 9 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships, 2 Winter Olympics, Super Bowl XL, NBA and MLB playoffs, as well as numerous All-Star Games for NHL, NBA and MLB. 

What you may not know about me is that my passion for photography was born from a love of nature and wildlife. My earliest attempts at photography, as a child and into my teen years, were of birds, critters and beautiful Canadian landscapes. I’ve been fortunate, as an adult, to photograph far beyond Canada’s boarders from the frozen tundra of the Arctic to the warm waters of the South Pacific capturing diverse wildlife and landscapes.

Over the past 2 years, my nature photography has taken me into the frigid waters of Lake Erie where I tackled the challenge of “the Gales of November” as well as a world away to the surf breaks off the southeast coast of Australia. 

2016 has been an exciting time in my life as well as in my career. This year, I ventured below the surface of the Indian Ocean for the thrill of a lifetime; cage diving to shoot Great White sharks. Later this summer I will be the photographer in residence for photographic expeditions to both the Arctic and Antarctic. 

With this site I hope to take you along on my journeys and bring you into my world through the images I capture. If you find an image that speaks to you browse the site as all are available as prints. Thanks for taking the time to stop by, keep checking back as imagery will be added on a regular basis.

Thank You Dave - for allowing me to share some of your photographs
"Force of Lake Erie Storm Waves"

He recently spent time on Lake Erie shooting the Great Lake 's turbulent fall season.
From mid-October to mid-November, the longtime professional sports photographer traveled each week to Port Stanley, Ontario, on the edge of Lake Erie to spend hours taking photos.

This series of images shows what this Great Lake looks like after the sunbathers and boaters leave and the weather begins to turn.

1. His goal was to capture the exact moment when lake waves driven by gusting winds collide with a rebound wave that's created when the water hits a pier and collection of boulders on the shore.

Dave Sandford
2. "The best way I can describe the water is it's like a washing machine. It's not like ocean waves, where you have a nice set that's rolling in. They are really erratic, they go all over the place, and there is a strong undertow there so it can be a very dangerous place."

Dave Sandford
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Dave Sandford
4. "I've had a number of people contact me that used to live by the Great Lakes .... and they said the photos really stirred something inside them because they grew up there and know what the water can be like."

Dave Sandford
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Dave Sandford
6. "I'm hearing from other people that are blown away. They say, 'This can't be a lake, it's got to be an ocean.'   They had no idea that a lake could generate waves of this size and force."

Dave Sandford
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Dave Sandford
8. "The wave [in this photo] looks sort of like a mountain. I've already had it printed up for my own wall at home. These waves move so fast. It's insane how fast they form, and then from the time that they form to that nice peak to exploding, it's a mere second."

Dave Sandford
9. "I really enjoyed that challenge, when I was out there, of getting it when it's in that almost perfect peak on both sides before it explodes, so it has that look of a mountain or a volcano."

Dave Sandford
10. "There was only one evening where the sun broke through. Most were very overcast days."

Dave Sandford
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Dave Sandford
12. "I enjoy the challenge of freezing things in time. Getting them at the right moment at the peak moment."

Dave Sandford
13. He said his sports photography and his waves series share one important characteristic. "In all the things I've made my living doing in photography there are no do-overs no re-dos. You get one shot at it and that's it, so it really helps you hone your craft."

Dave Sandford
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Dave Sandford
15. "When you're on a beach you don't have a studio setting where you can set something or someone up and have multiple opportunities to get it. It's one and done."

Dave Sandford
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Dave Sandford
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Dave Sandford
19. "No two waves are ever the same you either have it or you don't."