“I can work my nine to five job and in ten minutes after leaving work, I can be taking photographs of black bears catching salmon. I can be on the ocean watching whales swim by, I can walk into the nature trails. And having lived in other cities in Canada, you don’t have that accessibility or ability to go out and see that every day.”
Through his photography, Michael has learned the importance of stepping back, unplugging, and recommends visitors to Campbell River try to take a moment to do the same. “That’s one thing that you can forget or you might not even know you need,” Michael says. “And that feeling that you have coming back, it’s very hard to make a tangible […] connection to that until you have that ability. And then once you do, it becomes this thing that you begin to seek more and more.”
“Photography’s given me a different perspective of Campbell River and the nature and the wildlife (because) you have to have patience,” he says. You can’t just force shots. Having that time to appreciate and to watch wildlife or sunsets and really try to take in those moments has changed my perspective of Campbell River and the beauty that it has, the wildlife that it has, and just the whole world around us…”
Spending time in nature helps us to develop a deeper connection to the environment, making us more likely to take steps to reduce our impact on it. Through hobbies like photography, we can take the opportunity to investigate our surroundings through a new lens, just like Michael does.
To get your start in wildlife photography and unplug in nature, check out these top spots for photography in Campbell River.
