While the town of Lunenburg is very picturesque it was the foggy harbour that captured my attention. Just as I'd dialed in the ideal camera settings I noticed the ancient galley approaching from stage left and knew I'd found my shot.

I waited years for these conditions in my favourite forest on Vancouver Island. I made countless fruitless visits with the hopes of encountering fog only for it to evaporate as I climbed the hill. On this day however, the conditions were perfect and I knew just the tree to make my vision come to life. Can you see the tortured souls trapped on the trunk?

This print is signed by Gavin Hardcastle and has a […]

There's not much that can beat the Canadian Rockies during autumn and I knew just the perfect spot to capture some gorgeous mountain reflections. At first it looked like there was way too much cloud for any chance of good light, but as so often happens in the mountains things can take a turn real quick. In this case it was a turn for the better as golden light painted our little patch of heaven.

This print is signed by Gavin Hardcastle and has a […]

This print is signed by Gavin Hardcastle and has a […]

The famous sea stacks in the town of Vik offer one of Icelands most iconic scenes but the risks are high. I had to wait for low tide in the middle of a stormy looking day for a very short window of relative safety in order to make this image. This is definitely one of those 'don't do this at home kids' moments.

This image was one of those ideas that presents itself entirely by accident. I'm not usually one for environmental portraits but as soon as I saw my wife Amanda holding out her hands to touch that lovely cascade I knew I'd found my shot.

This print is signed by Gavin Hardcastle and has a […]

This print is signed by Gavin Hardcastle and has a […]

It's not often that my plans work out perfectly but on this day they did. The sun dropped to the perfect low angle to creep into this canyon and ignite the spray from the waterfall behind my back. The camera and I were totally drenched but there was simply no other way to capture the moment. You know you're alive when you're standing directly under a cascade of cold mountain creak.

I'll admit that sometimes I get lucky. On my second visit to this viewpoint in the Faroe Islands I knew as soon as I arrived that something magical would happen. At almost 11PM the sky erupted in a vivid display of magnificence and I couldn't believe my luck.

What a privilege it was to witness this moment in time. I count my blessings every time I look at this image. I was one of hundreds of photographers that day who all captured some wonderful images.

This print is signed by Gavin Hardcastle and has a […]

This print is signed by Gavin Hardcastle and has a […]

This print is signed by Gavin Hardcastle and has a […]

This print is signed by Gavin Hardcastle and has a […]

This print is signed by Gavin Hardcastle and has a […]

I almost ended up wandering the misty highlands of Iceland for the rest of time on this misadventure. Not long after creating this image the fog crept in and I was caught in a total white-out with no clue where I'd parked the car. By pure luck I was led back to safety by a small group of sympathetic sheep that took pity on this clueless Yorkshireman.

Where else but Scotland can you go out on a day of sideways rain and hope to capture a book-worthy image? These misty mountains don't look half as good on a blue sky day. As the saying goes "there's no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing".

Blue hour on the Donegal coast is a time of pure magic. Rather than quit after a nice sunset I stuck around as the clouds began to eat the sky, waves roiled up and birds went into a feeding frenzy. Sometimes all you have to do is just be there and wait.

This print is signed by Gavin Hardcastle and has a […]

It was actually closer to 1AM when I made this image. As the only person at the lake I relished the absolute silence occasionally disturbed by ice bergs slowly rolling over or calving into the lake. This was such a surreal experience and I hope I managed to reflect that with this photo.

It's hard to take a bad photo of this majestic waterfall if you know when to arrive. We showed up just before midnight during the early July sunset to watch the spectacle and it was totally worth the drenching.

There's nothing quite like sunlight that's bouncing off the moon to light up a beautiful scene like this. After photographing this same composition during sunset I couldn't wait to try it out once we got full dark. I was not disappointed.

This print is signed by Gavin Hardcastle and has a […]

This print is signed by Gavin Hardcastle and has a […]

Landscape photography often requires some questionable maneuvers on the edges of cliffs but this was a tight squeeze even for me. I picked my spot and stood uncomfortably for an hour while waiting for the light to reach it's peak. Just as my calves were going numb from the prolonged awkward stance, I finally managed to capture this lovely Nova Scotian sunset.

This print is signed by Gavin Hardcastle and has a […]

This canyon was one of the strangest places I've ever seen and not easy to photograph. The freezing cold snowmelt river might have made things more difficult as my hands were shaking from the cold just as much as from the excitement of capturing this special moment.

I'd also ripped my shoulder to shreds on the way down into the canyon but the temporary 'photographers high' took care of that, at least until later when the pain came home to roost.

For this glorious window in time I was ecstatically happy just to witness these conditions in this hard to reach canyon on Vancouver Island.

Who said you can't get great images during terrible weather? For me, the grey moodiness of this day makes the image much more atmospheric than those blue sky days. The puffins and gulls didn't seem to mind either.

These spectacular cliffs in Iceland actually had old trails to the edges of the cliffs but they were blocked off. I'm not one to shy away from a sketchy cliff edge but the chance of slipping on the mud was enough to ensure I did not jump the fence.

This print is signed by Gavin Hardcastle and has a […]

Fingals Cave on the Isle of Staffa is not somewhere I would recommend during rough seas. This afternoon visit was probably not the most sensible thing I've ever done but I carefully studied the incoming waves for quite some time before braving the interior of the cave. This image is the result of my stupid risk taking.

Some of the most beautiful places are entirely hidden. This sea cave on Vancouver Island is only accessible by braving a questionable descent via rope down a cliff into a dark chasm. After the initial climb there are waves that must be negotiated before reaching the back of the cave but the brave are rewarded by this hidden gem upon arrival. Just be sure you watch your exit before it disappears under the waves.

Timing is everything when it comes to photography. Show up on the wrong day and a waterfall like this might have dried to a trickle. Conversely, a biblical deluge might make the waterfall dangerous and ugly as it bursts its banks with random debris.

After countless visits to this lovely hidden gem on Vancouver Island I figured out the best conditions for the perfect volume of water combined with the ideal soft light and this is the result of all those failed visits.

I rarely get the perfect shot on my first visit so it makes it so much sweeter when the stars finally align to give me a moment like this.