Hello everyone.
Today I wanted to share my photos from my recent trip to Cape Breton island.
Last week me and my parents went on a family vacation to Cape Breton island here in Nova Scotia. Due to covid we had the creative constraint of staying within the maritime bubble. Honestly here in the Maritimes we’re extremely lucky that we have so few covid cases. My parents wanted to be in Toronto, but nobody’s willingly travelling to Ontario unless they absolutely have to.
We spent a week driving around the island, not staying in any one location for more than two or three days. By the end of the trip we realized that in order to get a good understanding of the place we needed to spend at least a month here. There are so many little towns and hikes and waterfalls that we wish we could’ve visited, but unfortunately we also need to accept the fact that nothing is ever perfect.
The Cabot trail was one of the most beautiful experiences we’ve seen. It’s a lot like Gros Morne, or some of the more scenic parts of western Newfoundland.
I don’t usually focus on nature but in Cape Breton it’s impossible to ignore. The landscape is always there in the background, always calling out to be photographed. Even though I focus my attention on photographing how the light feels, or how my family acts, I still couldn’t pull myself away from composing the ever present mountains.
Marcel Proust once wrote that you should never forget the importance of having a wide open sky above you. I think there’s something important to our mental health that requires feeling connected with nature. We’re still biological animals that evolved in the forests and the plains. I’m glad I spent time in this place where the landscape dominates the field of vision. It focuses my attention on my own smallness, and this is okay.
Thank you for your time.
-Jeremy Brake