Considering its size, the number of photographers in 麻豆社国产is surprising.
From wedding to lifestyle, baby, landscape, real estate, sport, and portrait, there are many different types of photographers living and working here.
We spoke with three of them. Although they have different styles, they do have one thing in common: they all think 麻豆社国产is a great place to shoot.
Source: BRIAN AIKENS
BRIAN AIKENS:DANCE AND NATURE PHOTOGRAPHER
Brian Aikens is a self-described 鈥渙utdoors guy.鈥�
Like many in Squamish, he spends much of his time hiking. He likes the feeling of being in the forest and capturing the beauty he sees with his camera.
鈥淭he place just lends itself to [photography]. Whether you鈥檙e a landscape photographer, or whether you鈥檙e into environmental shots 鈥� or if you鈥檙e into nature shots or some combination of all the above, it lends itself to all of that,鈥� he says.
Aikens is an amateur photographer. By day, he runs a business that creates wireless lighting controls.
Photography is something he has been interested in since high school, but, for most of his adult life, he put it aside to focus on his business and spend time with his family.
During that time he followed the work of other photographers, trying to figure out the techniques and the equipment he would need to re-create similar shots himself.
鈥淚鈥檓 very visually-oriented, so I just see scenes all the time, and I am always wanting to stop and take a picture,鈥� he says. 鈥淪o it was a frustrating time, as I would see these shots, and I would take some pretty nice ones, but they weren鈥檛 extraordinary, (and) I knew they could be.鈥�
Now that his children are grown, he鈥檚 able to put the time and money into his photography.
One of Aikens鈥� niches is combining dance and landscape photography. The two are similar, he says: both are about form, shape, lines, light, and beauty.
After watching his daughter study dance, he was inspired, and recently he has been shooting dancers posing outdoors.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 a beautiful art form. It鈥檚 artistic, and it鈥檚 very physical. The blending of those two is an extraordinary thing,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 just think the two belong together.鈥�
As for what鈥檚 next, he鈥檚 planning to spend more time working on portraits.
See more of his work on Instagram.
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听PAULA OWEN: LIFESTYLE PHOTOGRAPHER
There鈥檚 never a dull day doing photography in Squamish, says Paula Owen.
As a lifestyle photographer, she spends a lot of time taking photos of families outdoors.
鈥淵ou鈥檝e got the mountains, you鈥檝e got the rivers and the oceans. I never get bored of being a photographer here,鈥� she says.
A professional photographer since 2012, she moved back to 麻豆社国产in 2014 after spending a few years working abroad. With so many scenic places to shoot, she doesn鈥檛 have trouble finding a good backdrop for her sessions.
Most of her shoots are for babies and families. Newborn photography, in particular, she says is 鈥渞efreshing鈥� and rewarding.
鈥淭here鈥檚 something about posing a baby in a very styled version 鈥� it鈥檚 the thing that I love the most,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 get to be very creative every time I get to work with babies.鈥�
Owens got her start in the fine arts painting portraits. After she had children, she found she didn鈥檛 have hours to spend on each painting: that鈥檚 when she took up photography.
But, at the time, she didn鈥檛 expect it would become her career.
鈥淚t鈥檚 such a gratifying experience to make art and people pay for it,鈥� she says. 鈥淔inally, I found something that keeps my interest all the time because it鈥檚 ever-changing, and every single person is different.鈥�
In the future, she would like to do composite photography, that is, creating an image by combining multiple photographs together.
You can find her work at
DANNY SWAINSON:ADVENTURE AND SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHER
Danny Swainson was enraptured by the Northern Lights and bought a camera to capture them.
When he鈥檚 shooting, he looks for the subtleties of how the sun touches the land and strives to find the best way to capture it.
鈥淚 fell in love with chasing light and composing moments,鈥� he says. 鈥淚n the north, there鈥檚 plenty of beautiful light when the sun is low on the horizon, and you get dark, contrasting shadows, and the sun bathing everything in a golden glow.鈥�
This 麻豆社国产newcomer started teaching himself photography three years ago while working in Inuvik, Northwest Territories, as a fisheries biologist. He started following photographers on social media, and, through trial and error 鈥� and with help from his partner Emily Santi, also a professional photographer in 麻豆社国产鈥� he found himself approaching professional skill level.
By day, Swainson works as a researcher in Squamish, but he shoots landscapes, wildlife, and sports photography on the side. He said he enjoys using his camera to document the world around him.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an exciting artistic output, allows you to share a moment in time with as many viewers as you can,鈥� he says. 鈥�(I like) trying to bring the joy that these landscapes and these adventures bring me to other people.鈥�
And as each photographer stressed, there鈥檚 no shortage of places to shoot in Squamish.
鈥淭here鈥檚 gorgeous landscapes, and its brand-new to me, it鈥檚 all exciting,鈥� he says. 鈥淓verywhere you look, there鈥檚 a different mountain vista, and that鈥檚 a lot of photographers鈥� dreams.鈥�
In the future, he plans to do more portrait photography.
See more of his work at Photography on Facebook.
