Island photographer captures striking images of P.E.I. scenery in new book

John Morris appreciates all about luck.

The Charlottetown-dependent photographer has been travelling all across Canada chasing the ideal shot. From time to time he receives it, at times he isn’t going to. But for him perhaps the luckiest split of all is receiving to do this for a dwelling.

Morris, whose do the job primarily revolves all-around getting pictures of landscapes for calendars, not long ago released a picture ebook of his operate in P.E.I. 

Chasing Light-weight on Prince Edward Island capabilities 84 web pages of imagery from around the province. The reserve is now on sale on-line and in key bookstores in P.E.I.

Morris spoke about the e-book — and his career — with Mainstreet P.E.I. host Matt Rainnie. Here’s component of their conversation.

Notify us a tiny little bit about your route to starting to be an Island photographer.

I have always been fascinated in just driving all around and getting shots. Many years back right before I did it professionally, that was a key passion and interest of mine. Certainly now for the previous quite a few a long time, I have been performing it skillfully and have experienced the pleasure of driving from coastline to coastline and checking out our Island views and exploring new spots. 

When we initially fulfilled, you were being kind of associated in the globe of tech. What was it like for you to make a leap like this and to toss yourself into images whole time? 

It was really actually uncomplicated. I had a career give from a fairly substantial corporation in the States and I re-evaluated my lifestyle expressing, “Do I want to function in an workplace the rest of my everyday living or do I want to do one thing else like be exterior?”

That was when I was just finding into images. So I shifted my route. And lots of yrs afterwards, right here we are. 

Do you go out with like a locale in mind or do you hold out until finally it can be the perfect working day? Do you just generate and then anything catches your eye? All of the over?

It is all of the above, relying on the problem. In November, I drove to Cape Breton to consider to capture the Northern Lights. Me and a good friend went up and we have been only there for 24 several hours. Nevertheless, sadly, the Northern Lights only lasted about five minutes. And then we drove again.

You in no way 100 per cent know what is heading to materialize. Often you push on the lookout for a certain shot like in that case or in the situation of storms, lightning. And then other times, you might be just out randomly driving. 

You point out lightning. You will find a striking picture in your ebook. It really is the Basilica in downtown Charlottetown with lightning in the sky. Was that just suitable area, ideal time?

That just one was sort of a little bit far more prepared. That night, I was mindful there was a storm coming our way and I commenced off on Lower Queen Avenue. I realized I required the church in the shot. And it was just sit there and ready, hoping that lightning comes. 

Your travels with photography, where by have all those taken you via the decades? 

I’ve gone everywhere you go from Newfoundland to B.C. I just acquired back from a excursion to Montreal. At the stop of the working day, it truly is a good deal of kilometres on your motor vehicle, and it truly is a whole lot of enjoyment. 

It’s exceptionally blessed to be ready to experience the Maritimes like that. And all throughout Canada, you get to see the absolute most effective of folks. 

Your guide is termed Chasing Gentle on Prince Edward Island. What can you explain to us about that “light-weight” and what it features you? 

It truly is generally a modifying ecosystem. For instance, my place of work is in downtown Charlottetown. I walk down the avenue a million situations, and it is that a single time that the gentle is just absolutely ideal: That is what really issues at the conclusion of the working day, obtaining that one shot. It really is receiving all the situations just unquestionably ideal. 

What can you tell us about some of the other images that you’ve got captured here throughout P.E.I.? 

The go over is truly dependent on a graphic I took when I arrived back again residence in the slide. I try to remember I was house for a working day and I wanted to get up to the North Shore. And it just transpired to be the time of the calendar year that the farmers are harvesting in their fields.

I received out, it was that perfect sunset and it functions some combines just likely to the industry. Just an unquestionably excellent second and it was just a random drive. I realized I preferred to go to the North Shore and I failed to actually know what I was heading to seize. As luck would have it, I experienced the most stunning sunset. And obviously the farmers were being out performing away. 

And you’ve bought lighthouses and lupins and you have bought fishing, wharves — all sorts of items in right here. 

Yeah. Of course with us currently being an island, you can find a heavy emphasis on the h2o part. A lot of the photos do attribute our wonderful coastal scenery that we have. 

This is section of a ebook sequence. What can you notify us about some of these other e book tasks? 

So the other e book that came out the correct same time is called Chasing Mild in Nova Scotia, and it truly is comparable thought. This year I am hoping to start four books. I require to get back again to Newfoundland and get some imagery from there since there is a good deal of demand for me to get pictures in Newfoundland. And then the fourth one particular is likely to be a e-book on Atlantic Canada lighthouses. 

Exactly where do the travels consider you up coming? What are the ideas for the months ahead? 

I require to get to Newfoundland to get some iceberg photos, but I will not likely have significantly time simply because I have already been assigned to photograph the Memorial Cup in Saint John this year. 

Appears like a quite enjoyment way to make a living.

I’m amazingly fortunate just getting ready to journey. And, there’s a certain ingredient in which you might be not sure wherever you might be heading to be upcoming. I don’t forget very last calendar year I was in western New Brunswick photographing a lightning storm. That afternoon, I obtained a mobile phone call from Reuters or an email inquiring about heading to Southwest Nova. So you in no way know in which you might be going to be at times. And it can be a ton of enjoyment.

This job interview has been edited for length and clarity.