One of the things I love most about photography and making videos is that it forces you to appreciate what’s right in front of you, no matter what it is. I’m trying my absolute best to convey what I’m seeing and feeling.

It’s a creative challenge. To push yourself creatively. To look beyond what you see. You start searching for those tiny details, the specific hue and haze of blue-green in the mountains. Figuring out the best way to frame it. I usually begin with a simple point-and-shoot. That helps me get a sense of the lighting, the colour, the angle. Then I adjust my settings and take another shot. Then I review it. Then I look around me for a better perspective. Sometimes that means just one step to the left. Other times, it’s walking to a different hilltop.

I crouch down. I like to shoot through things. I might find a bush or some wild grass growing on the mountain to add something to the foreground, or simply to frame the shot. To guide the viewer’s eyes. And then, when I take that shot, I know that’s the one.

And it’s this exact process that makes me appreciate the beautiful world around me even more. I can stare at the treetops and watch how they move in the wind. I’m noticing how the light falls on them, how it affects the colour of the tree. I’m noticing the texture. And then the colour, what colour is it? Is it blue? Is it green? A mix of both? Turquoise? I don’t know. All I know is, it’s beautiful. It’s more intricate than I thought when I first looked at it. I give myself the space and time to take in the environment and the space around me.

This is the magic of nature photography.

That’s the creative challenge, to dig deep within yourself and find a way to tell this very basic and simple story. I want the viewer to see something beautiful and go wow, but I also want them to feel something. That’s really important, because that feeling lasts. It stays with you.