It is with landscape photography (with a heavy mix of nature photos) that my passion for photography was rekindled. In Vancouver, Canada I started to push myself into the surrounding mountains more and more, getting addicted to the fresh rainforest air. I began to hike looking for the best views and most rugged terrains I could get to; ironically the hill I came to call home has no lookout! Back then I was shooting with a silver Nikon Coolpix (I think) point-and-shoot camera I would carry in my back pocket and quickly pull out when I was inspired. Around this same time, I began a website I called ‘Wild Ned’s Outdoor Adventures’, where my brother and I posted photos and wrote blogs about the hikes. The idea for the name was from an old roommate, and was soon abandoned after I bought my old Canon T1i DSLR camera and began shooting some local events and getting more serious about developing my personal brand as a photographer, and not a wild outdoor explorer!

Connecting with nature has always been in my blood. When I was younger my parents drove us all over this country and back again, quite literally. Before the age of seven all five of us had all packed into a Volkswagen Bus and drove across Canada three or four times. Seeing Mount Washington, experiencing thunderstorms in the Canadian Prairies, driving across the Confederation causeway from PEI to New Brunswick, or just hanging at Miracle Beach on Vancouver Island digging for oysters. Sense of adventure was strong.

While digging into photography more, I began reaching out to other photographers who I admired. One friend who took an amazing amount of adventure photographs told me to: “always say yes to adventure.” This seemingly simple thought changed the way I began to look at life. Suddenly the adventure had a reason, motivation; suddenly I had a challenge and motivation to take note of every awesome journey I heard people talking about, not just locally but internationally. As my list has grown, so have the kilometers on my car and frequent flyer miles.

May the journey be long, friends.