A photo portrait from a family trip through Romania and Bulgaria. Each country was distinctly different from the other due to different influences in their histories and modern-day trajectories. In Romania, we largely spent our time in the gorgeous Transylvania region with its Saxon-influenced architecture, folklore (you might be familiar with Dracula), and the mountainous countryside that linked our journey from town to town. In Bulgaria, we journeyed cross-country to visit more diverse parts of the country, including the mind-boggling rock formations of Belogradchick, the Medieval city of Veliko Tarnovo, the seaside resort town of Sozopol and the Madara national historical-archeological reserve.
Here in our mountain landscapes, there exist individuals whose passion is as big as the peaks that cradle them. These intrepid souls are artisans of altitude; their canvas is the very terrain that challenges them. Here are just a few of my favourite images from over the years.
I’ve been photographing ice since the very early stages of my career. Whether glaciers, ice caves, frozen lakes, or mountaintops, I would continuously find myself drawn to cold landscapes in search of ice in its many forms, textures, and hues. Icescapes are among the most dynamic, visually exciting, and rewarding places a photographer can document. But as I spent more time shooting ice, it became apparent that I was capturing something that is vanishing.
Rust-red roofs and sand-coloured buildings set again the azure blue of the Adriatic Seas. Quaint and historic towns that feel like a storybook in real life. Wild skies and crashing waves that keep a photographer on his toes. This, in a nutshell, was our family trip through the Western Balkans.
On a mission to document vanishing ice across the globe, I found myself in Ecuador back in February — a South American nation named for its position on the Equator. You may wonder why I’m chasing ice on the Equator, but Ecuador is home to Andean peaks towering up to 6,310 metres. It turns out that the country’s stratovolcanoes are home to a number of receding glaciers.
Larch trees are one of the only conifers that do not lay claim to the ‘evergreen’ title. These unique trees are well known for lighting up fall in the Canadian Rockies by turning their regularly green, soft needles vibrant yellow before shedding them completely to tuck in for winter. Igniting the landscape for a short season each year, they are a stunning subject for photography, and one of my personal favourites.
For a photographer, there is potential not just in capturing these ancient relics and photogenic statues, but also in the surrounding landscapes. Simply put: Easter Island is a beautiful place, with a rugged coastline, volcanic features, a gentle interior where wild horses roam, and turquoise-blue seas.
This latest trip to Antarctica was one for the memory books, filled with its highs and lows (including 7-metre waves in the Drake Passage!) and inclement weather that finally gave way to an incredible experience: five hours riding zodiacs through Charlotte Bay to photograph whales, iceberg and epic scenery. I'm already missing the sense of remoteness, scale and grandeur.
When the temperatures drop, the mountain environment transforms and gains new character – one that is especially appealing to me as a photographer. Mountains draped in white, sun bursting through fog on freezing cold mornings, a monochrome landscape... it all adds up to some spectacular photo potential!
Like many mountain dwellers here in the Canadian Rockies, I had my share of “seasons” working summer or winter jobs in various locations in Banff National Park before I finally put down some roots. My first, more permanent, move to Banff was in 2008. The town has provided the ultimate base for exploring for 10 years now.
I’ll admit it: the northern lights are intoxicating. For many years I’ve been drawn to cold, northerly destinations, both as a photographer and an adventurer. And beyond the desolate beauty and landscapes of these locations, whether it’s Greenland or Canada’s northern territories, it’s icing on the cake that they also provide us with the best opportunities to shoot the aurora borealis.
It always seemed so unattainable to me. But after two days at sea, and a year of anticipation, I was mesmerized when we first caught sight of a few rocks off Elephant Island through the thick fog – harbingers of our imminent arrival on the fabled White Continent. There is no wilder place on Earth, nowhere more remote, more inhospitable.
