“Wait!” I yelled as we were just about to pull away from the Sechelt Library parking lot. I had spotted the most precious scene: a brilliant red autumn leaf dotted with perfectly round water drops. In the middle of this urban situation, I had discovered a subtle yet incredibly complex universe as I followed the leaf’s veins and bubbles.
One month earlier in the mountains north of Squamish, I had emerged from my tent bathed in moonlight and received the unexpected gift of a lifetime: a brilliant display of green and purple Aurora Borealis.
Photo of Shel Neufeld by Dwayne Himmelsbach
While away on mountain trips or at a parking lot in town, deep connection with nature and Spirit is possible. I am grateful to have discovered the art of photography, one of the main tools in my toolbox to help me slow down enough to truly open my eyes.
From an early age, I was enamored of both photography and music. Through the 1990s, I focused primarily on music, releasing two acoustic guitar albums and touring extensively, playing venues across the country. Sponsored by Greyhound, I practically lived on the bus. An Ontario city boy, I had seen enough of the West Coast on these tours to fall in love with its natural beauty and moved here permanently in the winter of 1997.
Later that same year, I discovered the Uts’am Witness Project, a collaboration of artists, the Squamish Nation, and environmentalists. For a ten-year period I volunteered with this group, helping bring the public to witness threatened old-growth forests north of Squamish, BC, in the context of Squamish Nation ceremony. My photography and love of nature took off in new directions, as I learned about the beauty and power of BC’s ancient forest. After this program succeeded in protecting this area in 2006, I continued (and continue to this day) to photograph wild areas and share and promote the natural world as my “witness,” in hope that my customers will appreciate and value it as well.
Combining my love of photography and music also opened up a third artistic path, projecting hundreds of images on a large screen while performing. I have hosted numerous benefit shows for various old-growth–related and political causes, including collaborations with local First Nations groups.
As I have been filled with and also humbled by my experiences in the natural world, I have felt, more than ever, a huge desire to share as much of these experiences as possible with others.
Whether it’s a large photograph on canvas or on a greeting card, I like to share not only the context but what that image and experience means to me on a deeper spiritual level. I do this through personal reflections written on the backs of my prints, cards, and larger photographs sold at artisan shows, markets, and through my website.
With two of my favourite fans living right in my house (my three-year-old daughter and six-year-old son), it’s easy to be inspired and grow on my pathway to deeper connection with the Earth and Presence.
I look forward to sharing my techniques and inspirations in October through photography workshops offered at the Arts Building in Gibsons, as well as at my gallery show during the 2013 Sunshine Coast Art Crawl and at my home on Orange Road in Roberts Creek. Large canvas images, prints, and custom photo orders are also available through my website at www.shelneufeld.com.
