Trip Snapshot
- 📍 Location: Port Renfrew, BC
- 📅 Dates in 2026
- Dates may to be released
- 👣 Hiking: Moderate (1–3 miles/day)
- 💲 $1,250 USD (lodging & vehicle not included)
- 🧍 Limited To 3 photographers
Why Choose This Vancouver Island Photography Tour?
Vancouver Island isn’t just beautiful; it’s sacred. From moss-laced rainforests to wild Pacific coastlines, this is a land that invites awe, slows you down, and sharpens your creative eye. This tour is designed for photographers of all skill levels and focuses on landscapes, abstracts, grand vista, and any wildlife that may cross our paths.
Join our guided photographic experience led by a local photographer with over 10 years experience who knows this island intimately; its tides, trails, forests, and moods. Engage with the Four Elements – Earth, Water, Air, Fire – while leaning into the fundamentals of landscape photography.
At the heart of these workshops is a deep connection to the natural world. You’ll not only learn how to photograph landscapes, but also how to ‘see’ them with fresh eyes. You’ll develop an intuitive approach to capturing nature’s beauty.
This is a photography immersion in one of the most photogenic and spiritually potent landscapes in Canada. This tour is for those who want their photography to evolve—while spending intentional time in wild, beautiful places.
Whether you’ve just picked up your first camera or you’ve been experimenting for a while, our tours are designed to meet you where you are.
Group size is limited to maximum 3 participants so I can offer you hands-on support, custom coaching, and plenty of space for everyone’s creative process.
Rainforest-Focused Learning Outcomes
This workshop is all about photographing the world of ancient forests including moss-draped branches, filtered light beams, forest abstracts, and intimate scenes that require patience and presence.
- How to read rainforest light: soft overcast, fog pockets, canopy breaks, backlit moss
- Compositional approaches for simplifying dense, chaotic forest scenes
- Techniques for photographing moss, ferns, bark textures, and woodland details
- Working with polarizers to remove glare and reveal deeper greens and browns
- Creating forest depth using layers, shadow/light balance, and natural perspective
- How to find and photograph leading lines inside a forest: pathways, fallen logs, flowing creeks
- Slow photography techniques: moving slowly, noticing more, and letting intuition guide you
- Shooting mood: mist, low contrast scenes, soft rain
The rainforest teaches you to slow down and observe. You’ll learn to create images that feel alive, grounded, and connected to the deeper story of the landscape.
What You Can Expect
This is a 4-day photography tour out to Port Renfrew, tucked away on the wild west coast of Vancouver Island. This is an immersive experience in one of my favorite corners of the island.
On this tour, we’ll venture into landscapes that feel like they belong to another world: mist-draped waterfalls tucked deep in the forest, rugged beaches where driftwood and sea stacks meet crashing waves, and tide pools that come alive in the golden hour light. Expect to shoot in early morning, during the day, and golden/blue hour evenings.
Expect moderate activity: 1 – 3 mile hikes through forest trails with dirt, mud rocks and roots, rocky beaches, uneven ground, and early mornings. You’ll need to be mobile, but we’re not sprinting to any of the spots; we wander with intention, enjoying the scenery of the journey as much as the destination.
We will make time for iconic shots (Fairy Lake Tree) and enjoy the true magic deeper in the forest; among the towering trees of the ancient rainforests and world renowned woodland groves with large cedar and fir trees, where the mid morning light filters in like something out of a fairytale.
I’ll also share a few of my favorite hidden gems along the way with you: those off-the-map waterfalls, large trees, and quiet woodland spots.
Rainforest trails are typically easy to moderate but require good balance and awareness. I’ll walk you through what to expect for each location using my own experience guiding and exploring these areas.
- Root-covered trails, mossy rocks, and soft, uneven forest floor
- Occasional mud, puddles, or slick boardwalks
- Slow, mindful walking with lots of stops for shooting
- Short hills and natural steps created by roots and logs
- 1–3 miles of movement spread over several hours
Waterproof boots and trekking poles are recommended. We move slowly, safely, and with intention, giving everyone plenty of time to find their compositions without rushing.
Itinerary
Your itinerary is weather responsive; we’ll follow the weather’s lead, chasing the best light and moody skies to hidden waterfalls and rugged beaches. From there, you’ll wander the raw coastline of the Wild West Coast, where late afternoon light turns rock formations and tide pools into an otherworldly canvas.
Day 0 – Arrival and Mingle
- Mingle and grab a bite together
Day 1 – Misty Forest Falls – Sooke
- Sooke Potholes and the Sooke River – River and forest photography
- Mary Vine Falls and Tod Creek Falls – Soft, fern-lined cascades perfect in overcast conditions.
- Sunset shoot along Whiffin Spit—for reflections, driftwood, and big-sky seascapes.
- Stay the night in Sooke.
Day 2 – Hidden Gems + Ocean Meets Forest – Port Renfrew
- Grab to-go Breakfast at Shirley Delicious (I recommend a lunch too!)
- Hike to Sandcut Beach for a waterfall: a short, lovely forest walk to a coastal falls that flows over sandstone ledges.
- Hike to Mystic Beach Waterfall – a seasonal waterfall that spills directly onto the beach.
- Drive and hike to Sombrio Beach Waterfall – a magical hidden fall tucked inside a mossy canyon (2.5 miles rnd trip). Enjoy the beautiful tide pools, sea stacks, & wildlife. Eat Lunch on the beach.
- Botanical Beach/Botany Bay for Golden hour
Day 3 – Giant Trees & Untouched Falls – Port Renfrew
- Shoot at Fairy Lake Bonsai Tree – reflections
- Avatar Grove – focus on tree abstracts, textures, and forest light shafts in ancient rainforest
- Eden Grove – immerse ourselves in more ancient rainforest photography
- Visit Botanical Beach tide pools
- Golden hour at Botany Bay, perfect for slow shutter shots w/water motion & moody sky drama
Day 4 – Optional Sunrise + Return Travel
- Early Morning (Optional): Forest shoot at Fairy Lake or Botanical Beach.
Spots fill fast—join the waitlist if your dates are full.
Personalized 1-on-1 Immersive Custom Tours are Available; Inquire for Pricing.
All Prices are USD. Payments accepted Venmo, Zelle, Check, Cash.
Vancouver Island Photography Highlights
