MOUNTAIN LIFE - Coast Mountains | Summer 2018

SUMMER 2018 MLCM 29 Mountain Life Photo Editor Todd Lawson talks to Shea about his winning photo from the Whistler Film Festival’s “Adventure Film Series Photo Contest.” Mountain Life: At first glance, it’s hard to tell if this was shot from another aircraft, or from the summit of a mountain. How did you capture this image? Shea MacNeil: This photo is taken from the summit of Mount Brunswick. I had never been to that summit before, so I hiked up with a fellow photographer and good buddy of mine with the goal of getting some good sunset shots. There was a pretty thick layer of cloud during the hike and we weren’t a hundred per cent sure if we were going to get the ideal shots or not, but sure enough it cleared just in time and we got lucky. It’s truly one of the nicest panoramic views I’ve ever seen in BC. I started to walk around the summit a bit looking to set up some shots when this plane just happened to fly by us. I hadn’t originally planned to shoot in that direction but when I saw it make a turn back towards us I knew I could get a pretty amazing shot with the sunset and scenery behind. I ran along the mountaintop to frame everything the way I wanted and snapped a couple shots in a row. This is the one I was most proud of. ML: What’s your favourite thing about shooting in the Coast Mountains? SM: I think mainly just the fact that there’s so much to see, and so many photogenic areas in this province. I, like a lot of other BC locals, planned on only coming out to BC for one ski season. But one rolled into another and so on and so forth and I’m still here four years later. I just completely fell in love with it and what it has to offer. There is just so much to do and see, and so much to photograph! There are just so many hikes, lakes, mountains, etc. You can always find adventure-filled photo opportunities if you’re looking for them. The weather also adds an interesting element. You can shoot the same location over and over and always find different ways to present it under different weather and lighting conditions. ML: Well congratulations on the win. There’s a nice sense of adventure and scale in this shot that really showcases the vibe of the Sea to Sky. SM: Thanks. Mostly I just knew I wanted to keep it wide, I wanted to show the landscape off more than the plane itself – sort of a “small person, big world” look. CONTEST FREE FLYIN’ BEHIND THE PHOTO W ITH SHEA MACNEIL Another winning evening over Howe Sound. SHEA MACNEIL