Reconnection - Vol 6 Sneak Peek
Photographer, Hamish Kale, speaks to Photography Editor, Maya Arkane, about moving across the world and reconnecting with nature through photography.
Article by: Hamish Kale
Photography by: Hamish Kale
I’m standing atop Big Beehive, high above the bright blue glacial waters of Lake Louise in Banff National Park as a chipmunk scampers around beside me, looking for crumbs left behind by hikers. When I first saw this view, albeit snow-covered, during a visit in 2017, I always knew I would be back here, among the mountains. The past 18 months have brought some struggles, as moving across the world often does, but it is moments like this that make it all worth it.
Back in 2021, I graduated from Falmouth University and moved from the wild coastlines of Cornwall to the bustling city life of Bath. I needed to adjust back to city life and it took me a while to feel at home again. While Bath is a beautiful place with great access to natural spaces like the Cotswolds and many green spaces within the city, the grey skies and stone buildings made me feel somewhat trapped. After graduating, I spent a year travelling to such places as Scotland, the Lake District and back to Cornwall. I wanted to have that sense of freedom again and live in a place with spectacular landscapes.
So I left and made my way to Banff – a tiny mountain town with a population of around 8,500 people. Here, I am surrounded by the Canadian wilderness and several different mammals far more likely to eat me than anything you’d find in Bath.
I have certainly reconnected with nature since moving here – it’s impossible not to! The grand landscapes, snowy mountains and wildlife have inspired me to get my camera out again and appreciate solitude.
From photographing the aurora borealis, hiking deep into the backcountry and shooting isolated landscapes, to seeing and hearing the elk rut on the way home from work, you truly feel immersed in nature no matter where you are.
Moving away from home is tough and you go through moments wondering if it’s all worth it. It’s not cheap, it is not practical to see friends and family at home, you miss out on things, and you stress about where you’re going to live and work – let alone how long you’ve got left on your visa. Despite all of these scary parts, it’s perfect. You can’t beat an early morning ski through the snowy mountains, or a day hike through bear country with a couple of friends on the way to enjoy a beer in front of a strikingly blue glacial lake.
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See more of Hamish’s photography on his online portfolio.