Fairmont Banff Resort in full bloom

As a physical unwinding from my hectic clinic routines, my wife and I, together with my best friend and his wife, took a breather and flew to my second home – Canada.

Our first stop was in Richmond, B.C. and we drove to Steveston Fisherman’s Village. This is where fishermen show off their daily catch (twice a day) ranging from fishes, crustaceans, and cephalopods – all breathing with freshness of the sea. It was dusk and the crowded human traffic plus the candid sea merchants oozing with facial expressions were perfect scenarios that photographers should not miss.

The next day, we flew to Banff National Park, Alberta. The weather reminded me of Baguio with a modern twist in their amenities and lifestyle. Our hotel, Fairmont Banff Resort, was like a castle with its most exquisite interior and complemented with staff that fits no less than a royal service. The backdrop stands the grandeur of the mountain ‘rockies’ devoid of vegetation boasting its robust rock ranges that extend to infinity.

The mountains need contrasting lakes to balance its “Yin and Yang” of nature. That’s where Lake Louise and Moraine Lake’s sultry expression seduces any artist. This serene body of water is cloaked with a layer of evergreen as shawl that emphasizes its graceful curves. Such scene was a feast for my Canon 5D Mark II, with its technology paired with stunning sceneries; even a novice can shoot as he paints artistic composition that can never put shame to its great creator.

The last leg was the Butchart Garden in Victoria, B.C. The place is a well-manicured, verdant, and majestic landscape. With thousands of flowers, only macro photography can bring out the best fidelity in interpreting nature at its best.

It was a true unreeling experience that again reminded me of a place in my home country where all qualities are there but the initiative to develop this natural gift of beauty is wanting.