CALGARY, CANADA

There are moments along my travels where I think, ‘I can’t believe I’m here’. These beautiful views that are unimaginable and look unreal. I’ve lived most of my life in Canada – all of it in Toronto – and with family out in the west, I’ve made my way out there once a year for the last 8 years. When it’s time to leave, I find it hard to say good bye – to my family, of course, and to the beautiful west coast. The mountains look different in every season and the sheer vastness of the wilderness is actually humbling. Living in the city it’s easy to forget where we live, the beauty of the earth and the resources we consume.

I took quite a few shots at this lake. I couldn’t believe the stillness and the calm of the water, the gorgeous sunlight playing with the clouds and how peaceful it made me feel. This is the first time I’ve returned to the west and have the chance to photograph some of this beauty myself.  As I took shot after shot I had to remind myself to stop and enjoy it with my eyes and not just my lens. I breathed in the crisp, cool, clean air and watched the mists disappear and the clouds shifting around the mountain peaks.

I glanced up at one point and saw my father, sister and brother-in-law chatting to my left while my brother, sister-in-law and mother walked ahead on the road to my right. At that moment I appreciated where we were – peace and contentment rolled into one moment.

The trip out west this year actually began with a funeral – a family friend had passed a couple of weeks before, someone whom I’ve known since I was a child. He had a love of photography and I remember when our family had a chance to visit, he’d take us for walks after dinner and he’d point out the different birds, the beaver dam by his house or the spot for a great shot. He was diagnosed with cancer only a few months ago and just like that, he was gone. There’s a footprint of him in my photos that day.

And as I passed this thanksgiving with my whole family in Calgary, I found myself completely content and thankful. We’re not a family that celebrates thanksgiving, but name of the holiday itself gives pause for thought. A lot can happen in a few months or even just a few weeks. Things can end – can change – as quickly as it began and it’s easy to let precious moments slip by without knowing it.

One photograph. One moment. Many thoughts and thanks.