Haida Gwaii for Destination Canada
This year has been the year of emails I can barely believe are real, and the one that started this little adventure for Destination Canada was one of them.
A short little email turned into a week of excitement in both Vancouver and Haida Gwaii, hours on a zodiac in Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, and a crew of new friends.
I was brought on as the stills photographer on set for Vacations of the Brave a mini-series which premiered this past weekend on Amazon Prime, and aims to bring Brave Americans (someone who has done outstanding things for their community) to Canada’s most beautiful and culturally significant places.
The 2nd episode starred Angela Luna, a fashion designer and founder of Adiff. Adiff is an apparel brand that makes jackets that transform into tents, helping refugees and homeless people across the world find shelter. The Haida people have a history of incredible design and weaving techniques and bringing the two together was a match made in television history.
I joined the crew in Vancouver at the Museum of Anthropology, where I met Angela for the first time and the wonderful staff there gave her a little context to the history of the Haida People.
Museum of Anthropology, Vancouver British Columbia
Haida Poles at the Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver BC
From Vancouver we headed North. Haida Gwaii isn’t an easy to get to place, the group of islands it is located just south of Alaska in the Pacific ocean.
Though it has been somewhere I’ve wanted to visit for years it takes a little planning. We took a little plane to Sandspit, and a ferry to Skidegate.
Intertidal shoreline in Gwaii Haanas
Skidegate, British Columbia
Working hard on barnacles. (Left to Right) Director Patrick Sisam, DP Jonah Wyn Pugh, and Sound Scott Taylor.
My favourite stop on the show must have been Gandll K’in Gwaay.yaay (Hot Spring Island). In 2012 an earthquake struck the Haida Gwaii archipelago and the iconic hot springs of Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve disappeared, but the hot water is miraculously once again flowing. It was magic.
Haida Mortuary Pole - Remains of a chief or high ranking person are placed in a box at the top of the pole (above) and eventually are returned to the earth (right)
DP - Jonah Wyn Pugh
THANK YOUS!
Thanks to everyone who made this week happen and Christian Horsfall at Ogilvy for having me out, and everyone I met on set: Angela and Autumn, Director Patrick Sisam, The production team: Brenda Surminski, Marc Swenker, Cinematography: Jonah Wyn Pugh, Mark Peachy, Mark Moher, Stephen Whitehead, Sound: Scott Taylor, Data: Atli Magnusson and Gloria Loree, Rick Graham. Thank you.
Right now Vacations of the Brave is being shown on Amazon Prime in the US. If you are located south of the border, check it out!
