Through his adventures throughout Canada’s rural areas, photographer Corey J. Isenor believes Canada’s distinctive beauty may lie outside of urban areas and instead in the most remote of areas.
Home to a handful of world-class cities, such as Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, it’s sometimes easy to forget how large and vast the country of Canada really is. Many settle into urban living in these cities, but with hundreds of unexplored kilometers in between, we sometimes forget that Canada’s beauty may very well lie in its most remote areas, leaving an endless amount of new travel opportunities from coast to coast and the 6,521 kilometres in between.
With a primary focus in capturing candid and authentic moments, photographer Corey J. Isenor has unintentionally been becoming an expert on the little known towns and landscapes that make up rural Canada. With a Bachelors of Fine Arts from Mount Allison University, he’s combined his social nature along with his musical passion and found joy through traveling within our country’s borders. With great insight, his documentation of the Great White North stands as a perfect representation of the unseen beauty in the wilderness.
“I love the landscape and natural geography and find that more captivating then the cities and communities we’ve created as humans,” Isenor tells LYFSTYL. “So far, the Yukon and Newfoundland have been my favourite places because of their sublime nature.”
Landscapes are an obvious choice in capturing Canada’s beauty. With many organic colours, he lets the natural look of breathtaking locations shine through and truly captures the irreplaceable feeling of exploration and discovery. The ever changing geography of the land manages to make for such natural beauty.
“Besides the stars in the night sky, which is kind of a given, I think silence and a bigger sense of space are really the biggest rewards when travelling remotely,” Isenor admits. “You end up building a new dictionary of sounds when you get away from familiar places and those sounds or processes of understanding can be very refreshing, plus you also hear things that remind you of home or the past and it’s inspiring tying those memories and distances together.”
Unlike what many have ever experienced, in the vast empty space of the natural landscape throughout Canada, travelers are consistently met with serenity and a mixture of new emotions. With the absence of city noise and light pollution, the ever-so present sounds of flowing water and wind in the trees along with the filled canvas of the night sky consume the body’s senses all at once.
The flora and plants change throughout the many provinces, and the different seasons continual present brand new visions of the path less travelled. While some might assume the best way to experience this is through a classic road trip, Isenor suggests the contrary as a more down to earth and effective means to get the most out of it. Why?
“I believe you’d see a truer picture of this country by train, small plane, or boat, since it’s still mostly wilderness,” he says.
“The pace of travelling in a car and having the opportunity to stop almost anywhere is great, but this country has far more to offer a photographer and adventurer where most cars won’t travel.”
What kind of social experiences can you expect? While many believe the city provides closer social interactions, many peoples experiences in the vast wilderness may surprise you. Many can find themselves in personable communities, where everyone knows their neighbours and the population is smaller, and therefore easier to interact with as a whole.
Whether it’s the unique and tight knit communities or the feeling of being consumed by the stunning natural space formations, the possibilities are endless when it comes exploration within Canada. Use the inspiration as your wish, but make sure the get out this summer and explore the vast lands in between your city center comforts.
Words by Eric Cooper – Explore more of Isenor’s work here.
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