The Best Places on Vancouver Island to take Family Photos

The Best Places on Vancouver Island for Family Photos

With the warmer weather and easier—or better yet, nonexistent!—schedule, summer is the ideal time to photograph family and friends. And what better place to Erin Wallis

do it than on Vancouver Island. Here, from 7 Island photographers, are a some of the most scenic and fun places for a photo shoot that are guaranteed to make you smile.

Campbell River

Off the top of my head, Saratoga Beach comes to mind. The reason I love Saratoga for generational images is the space you have there. It is ideal for spreading out! Especially for larger groups, another big consideration is accessibility for elderly/grandparents! Too many roots, stairs, unstable ground isn’t ideal for people with any difficulties and I find somewhere flat and easy ideal. Here are a few images I had from a Saratoga session. – Erin Wallis (erinwallis.com)

Cowichan Valley

For Mid Island, I would suggest Eves Park and Transfer Beach. Both locations are easy to find with quick easy access. First, get ready to have fun! Gone are the days that we all stand perfect in front of the camera and smile. Although it’s great to have one or two of those photos, my sessions are all about capturing the connection between family members and that means lots of interaction between myself and the family and all the family members themselves. – ashley Marston (ashleymarstonbirthphotography.com) South Island

Here’s my biggest advice: find a location you can get to within minutes of arriving. If you have little ones with you (grand littles) you have already used up most of their cooperation time getting them dressed up and driving to the location. If you have to walk a long distance to get to the perfect spot they will have zero love for you by the time you get there!

This also works great for grandparents and seniors. If you can get there shortly upon arrival, it’s likely going to be more accessible to anyone with mobility challenges. Remember, light is more important than location and getting everyone together for photos is already considered success. Focus on everyone having a great experience and you are more likely to get better images you can look back on and enjoy for years to come.

My fave spots include:

Glencoe Cove Kwatsech Park. Big grassy field. Beautiful views of the ocean. Gorgous beach for those who can do stairs. All in one spot.

Rowing Club at Elk Lake. HUGE grassy fields that look beautiful in summer and fall. The docks for the lake backdrop and lots of parking and washrooms. Maryam Morrison

– Maryam Morrison (findyourlightphoto.com)

nicole Israel South Island

When I have intergenerational shoots or clients who require easy location access, I recommend:

Albert Head Lagoon in Metchosin. The parking lot is right next to the water, a beautiful mixture of water and forested scenery.

Mount Tolmie in Saanich has a garry oak eco-system that offers a gorgeous view of Victoria. There is parking all the way up the mountain, so no hiking involved.

Island View Beach in Saanich Peninsula provides different backdrop options, with the beach and ocean to one side, and a grassy field to other. – nicole Israel

r-E-S-P-E-C-T! Find out what it means to me…

Respectfully exploring seashores and parklands

For countless generations, the Indigenous Peoples of the Lәḱәŋәn (Lekwungen), WSÁNEĆ, Scia’new and T’Sou-ke First Nations have been thoughtful caretakers of the lands within the Greater Victoria area. Living in respectful balance with all liv-

ing things is a fundamental principle of their beliefs and is still the basis of their relationship with the land today.

As a guest from the Kwakwaka’wakw Territory of the northeastern part of Vancouver Island, I share this sense of interconnection and balanced relationship. The people from my territory also believe that with respect, we appreciate the interconnection of all life and our essential part in the circle of life. This teaching and many others were taught to me as a child.

I was six years old when I learned a valuable lesson about respectful exploration. My family had travelled up island to visit relatives in the village where my mother was born. We were attending a wonderful feast featuring some of my favourites, like clams, herring, sockeye salmon and ť’ɫi’na (oolichan grease), a type of fish oil and delicacy to Coastal First Nations. After the meal, the adults settled in to share family stories, histories and traditional songs and as much as I loved to listen to the elders sing and speak the language, my mind wandered to the beach.

I wanted to flip over rocks, dig in the sand and scoop up whatever was hidden inside or underneath. While exploring, I picked up a large horse clam shell from the beach to hold what I found. A tiny sea star, hermit crab and sea snail were among some of my treasures, along with a few small stones that caught my eye. I added in a little sea water for my new friends and couldn’t wait to show the collection to my mother.

I made my way back to my parents, and triumphantly stepped up to present my menagerie. The sadness that came into my mother’s eyes was deeply disappointing and I felt my excitement drain away. My mother gently

took the shell from my hand, looked inside and said, “I think your little friends are scared and I wonder what their parents are doing right now?”

I remember looking away and shrugging my shoulders as my mother continued. “I don’t know what I would do if someone took you away from me. I would be heartbroken and would probably spend the rest of my life trying to find you.”

That did it! I felt a wave of overwhelming regret and burst into tears. How could I have been so thoughtless? My mother gave be a reassuring hug and then accompanied me to return my ‘friends’ to their homes on the beach.

As I grew up, I learned more about why First Peoples believe that all living things should be respected. From insects to eagles; from bees to bears; and from crabs to caribou, we believe that unless we have a purpose, like hunting, gathering or fishing, we do not have the right to disturb animals in their natural environment.

While raising my own children we often spent time at the beach respectfully exploring. I let them know that it’s okay to turn over a rock or two and thoughtfully observe the creatures underneath. It’s okay to look inside a tide pool and watch the tentacles of a sea anemone sway back and forth in search of food.

But I also let them know that it’s not okay to interfere with the animals. Instead, we learned about the traditional methods for harvesting and the multiple uses for plants and animals on the beach.

In my capacity as the Cultural Programmer for CRD Regional Parks, it is my role to develop education programs with an emphasis on promoting and celebrating the cultural history of First Nations in CRD Regional Parks. I work with a dedicated team to ensure Indigenous cultural teachings are respectfully applied to researching, preparing, and delivering park interpretive programs. I am proud to say that our collaborative efforts are now an integral part of raising awareness of Indigenous Cultural heritage in Regional Parks.

I am now a grandmother and looking forward to the days when I can pass along these teachings to my grandchildren and explain what R-E-S-P-E-C-T- means to me.

Leslie McGarry is the Cultural Programmer at CRD Regional Parks. For up to date information on CRD Regional Parks, visit crd.bc.ca/parks.