A Point and Shoot Camera in the Canadian Rockies

Cameras are expensive, and its only increasing . Sure, you get a lot for your money, but 7 years ago while my wife and I were back packing around the world we just couldn’t afford it. We were gifted a small Canon 1XUS point and shoot camera as a farewell present from friends, and now looking back, it was the perfect camera for the trip! Having spent a few weeks in Vancouver to purchase a van, building it out as our home on wheels, we set off for the Rockies! We timed this trip at the very end of winter and felt ready to survive the coming cold!

An opportunity to move to Cyprus for my wife’s work was too good of an opportunity to pass up, but with us just having finished our winter in the southern hemisphere, it meant going straight back into the cold. Thankfully, it was never that cold, but it was deserted! Windows boarded up, literal tumble weeds rolling along the beach… welcome to off peak travelling!

Researching online, it’s easy to become overwhelmed with the idea of shooting the night sky. Super expensive gear and confusing programs, all pointing to complicated stacking software and spending hours in the dark on a single photo, had me searching for better alternatives. I love exploring, moving around, trying out fresh compositions, so I wanted to develop my style and process around single image photos. No stacking required!

The south coast of Iceland has some of the most dramatic and popular landscapes in the entire country… We watched the icebergs drift slowly through the narrow waterway into the Atlantic Ocean, before heading down to the beach to see them washed ashore. This black sand beach littered with chunks of ice is aptly named Diamond Beach.

We set out north from Grundarfjörur and arrived at Eirksstair Viking Longhouse in time for sunrise. The 7-hour drive to our next accommodation in Laugar, had us driving through some incredible scenery… Stepping into the Mývatn Geothermal Area is like landing on Mars. The ground is dry and rocky, with protruding volcanoes, surrounded by desert like beds and craters.

Continuing our trip we departed Reykjavk early in the morning and traveled north. We booked 3-nights in Grundarfjörur, the ideal starting point from which to tour the Snaefellsnes Peninsula… 3 a.m. due to the possibility of aurora activity, we drove 10 minutes to Kirkjufell to try our luck. Despite the cloud cover, I took out my wide-angle lens and enjoyed the peaceful night sky and the sight of dawn.

Over the past few years, coinciding with the rise of drone photography, we have been bombarded with images from the magical landscapes of Iceland. A place of harsh conditions, where fire and ice truly meet as volcanic eruptions spray lava next to some Europe’s largest glaciers. But how accessible is it? how much does it cost? and can you do it on your own?

I’ve been using this for a few months now and thus far I’m extremely impressed. My very first trip was up to Broome, Western Australia. Honestly, I could not have picked a better place to test out its capabilities!