VN #066: Small People in Large Landscapes
Published: March 9, 2025
Small People in Large Landscapes
My idea of photographing small unrecognizable humans amidst a vast planetary setting, dates back to the early 1970’s.
As I began my life of adventure in the unbelievably spectacular mountains of British Columbia, I quickly realized the insignificance of our human journey compared to the 4.5-billion-year journey of the land on which I was canoeing, hiking, and climbing. I always felt small and in awe; the magnitude of the landscape and its staggering beauty was both overpowering and irresistible.
Likewise, when I was beginning a career of guiding wilderness tours, I also realized the necessity of marketing. Eco-tourism, as it later became known, was a new concept on how to spend precious holiday time and money, and I needed to attract clients if I was to succeed. By using my hobby of photography, I showed the beauty of unknown British Columbia landscapes with ‘tourists’ within it. This planted the idea that these unknown places were recreationally accessible to experience. All they had to do was sign up on one of my adventure tours!
The idea worked, and a 35-year career in guiding wilderness adventures was established.
Fifty years later, I still photograph small unrecognizable people in vast spectacular settings.
Canoeing amidst icebergs in the Coast Mountains.
Exploring the high alpine.
Hiking through lands of reflected beauty.
Exploring a newly created landscape where no tourists have set foot.
Experiencing the vastness of a disappearing grassland ecosystem.
Approaching storm. A friend and fellow guide leads the way.
All of us at Chris Harris Photography thank you for your subscriber support!
Check out my Portfolio’s (updated)
Visit Exhibitions
Subscribe to my Newsletters
Subscribe to Visual Narratives