Landscape photography has allowed me to create meaningful connections with like-minded people. All of my encounters with fellow photographers quickly transition into friendship within a brief introduction. Jacob Klassen, Bryce Mironuck, and Joshua Snow are no exception. Each one of these dudes has become like brothers to me. Being out in the wilderness for a set period with no social media or work-related stress helps create these meaningful bonds. People are in tune with every conversation. Almost all simple conversations either go down the rabbit hole of witty humor or off the deep end into our history, present struggles, and future goals. These conversations are memory-filled moments, and I'm honored to have these dudes part of my life's tale!
This image here is a speech to Bryce's character. During our last night, I decided to shoot the Aurora for the final time. For this particular night, Bryce and I were the nocturnal humans, so we both mozied our way down to the lakeshore. With three previous nights shooting the Northern Lights, I was well adapted to my shooting practices. This allowed me to relax and fully immerse myself in the beautiful light show overhead. Due to Bryce's sacrifice to Talus Lake (the camera went for a dunk the previous night), I was more than willing to lend him my z7 or z6 to use. However, this particular evening he didn't have the desire to shoot, only to enjoy one last night under the Aurora with a pal to keep company and hang out with. I don't know many people that would be willing to do that while sleep-deprived for six days in the backcountry, starving to death and freezing our butts off. What a guy!
This image is one of my all-time favorite shots I've captured. During the day, I studied and played around with this comp for hours, trying to finesse my composition so that "if" the Aurora kicked off, I would be prepared. Thankfully it did, And the calm waters and beautiful pillars aligned and made for a dream shot of mine.
I hope you enjoy this image, and thanks for reading!
