The North West Part 1: BC Coasts | 2017

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Native Canadian Art. Part of an old totem pole, depicting a bear as seen by the big nostrils and eyes. Seen on Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands).

The North West Part 1: BC Coasts | 2017

Canada / Alaska series. Part 1
A collection of landscape photos.

Summer/Fall 2017
British Columbia, Canada

These series of images has been split up in 3 different series. One collection is solely focused on the coasts of British Columbia. The second collection is focused on the Canadian Rocky Mountains, both British Columbia and Alberta. The third is a collection of images that I took in the Yukon and Alaska, US. I separated them, because the style of images is drastically different from one another. But because I took them during the same trip in 2017, I feel like I should connect them somehow by explaining that all of these images have been taken around the same time. I started out in Vancouver, working my way up to Bowen Island, Sunshine Coast, Vancouver Island, Kootenay's and the Rockies, Yukon, Alaska, Haida Gwaii, the Rocky Mountains again and ending my trip back in Vancouver. This is a rough depiction, because in total I've driven over 16.000 kms in my camperized second hand pick-up truck and I've taken a hell of a lot of detours.

As someone who's practically been born in salt water, the coast is something I'll always be attracted to. Naturally, I stuck to the coast on the first part of this trip. First time ever being in a million+ city, first time in Canada, first time in North America, first time doing a 5 month solo trip and the first time buying my own car and living in it. As you can imagine, I needed some time to get my bearings and get used to my new environment. Within a short period of time I ended up on Bowen Island. Got a job for a bit, so I could make up a plan of what to do next. At first I stayed on Bowen Island, Sunshine Coast and Vancouver Island. After that I hitchhiked to the Canadian Rockies, where I bought my pick-up truck and drove off into the mountains, Alaska and the Yukon (Part 2 & 3 of these series). Coming back down from Alaska, I met up with friends in Prince Rupert and Port Edward, along the coast of central British Columbia. This is where we took the ferry to Haida Gwaii (formerly known as the Queen Charlotte Islands, named by the first white settlers). I had a rough idea of Haida Gwaii because of stories I heard along the way. But no story came anywhere near the amount of beauty this place has. Not only the landscapes, its nature, the wilderness, but also the historical importance, the art and the vibrant culture as well, were all things I massively underestimated. Along the way to the Yukon I learned lot about Canada's Native Art and its importance to the heritage and history of the land and its people. Something I really learned to appreciate during my time on Haida Gwaii. Naturally, I have to show my respect to the native people of Canada by showing a part of a (Haida) Totem Pole in the cover and the opening photo of this project. Because without it, my time in Canada would be a lot less memorable.

This trip has never been about photography or me trying to "look" for the essence of the north. This trip has been a somewhat personal journey; an escape and a way for me to get rid of unneeded stress, the feeling of being claustrophobic in Europe. Above all it was a way for me to feel grounded again and to have a breather. Therefore this is not a series, but a collection of stand alone images that I took along the way.

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