2015….I can’t believe I haven't made a blog post since 2015. Time sure does fly as you get older. Speaking of getting older I turned 38 on April 14th; each year on my birthday my father and I venture out on our annual hike to one of my favourite locations for seascape photography. I found out about this location back in 2014 when I stumbled across a kayaker’s blog post about sea stacks, which he had seen while out on a hike. For those of you that follow my work will know I don’t do a lot of landscape photography but when I find a location for sea stacks or waterfalls I am all in.

So where is this favourite spot of mine you ask? Well it is located just outside a small community called Chance Cove, NL. The hike out to the stacks is approximately a 20 min leisure hike (I brought my 4 year old daughter on this hike and she did it with ease) along the rugged cliffs.

The hike begins from the main road where you take a sluggish walk along the rocky beach leading up towards the narrow peninsula that conceals your view of the sea stacks. At the end of the beach, slightly to your right, you will notice an unmarked path that leads you up into the woods. Upon your ascent keep to your left where you will follow the trail for about 7 mins or so; until you reach the end of the peninsula.

The trail for some time had been mucky, with many trees fallen and lying across the path. This weekend I was pleasantly surprised to see that someone had taken the time to clean things up. All the trees have now been removed from the path and beautifully made sections of boardwalk placed over the muddy/wet portions of the trail. This is actually a project I had planned to take on this year and was happy to see someone beat me to it. It is nice to know others are enjoying this hike enough to want to maintain it.

Once you reach the open area at the point you will notice a marked path leading back into the woods on your right. Take this short path across the tip of the peninsula to the other side and the location of the sea stacks. The first sea stack will greet you as you step out of the trees and being your walk down the right side of the peninsula. The first sea stack can be accessed by descending down the steep cliff side. There is one unmarked location which is best to make your descent. It is located about half way down the beach.

There are many photo ops at the first sea stack and even to this day I am discovering new compositions. Visiting this location during both high and low tides provide different opportunities to include various elements as your foreground. One thing to note is that even during high West or South West winds this location is great. I have photographed on this beach in 80km West winds yet everything is calm..you will feel very little wind and the water remains flat. Come to think of it every trip I have made a trip out to these sea stacks the winds have been either West or SouthWest. I really need to make a trip out with some nasty North or NorthEast winds to catch some wave action hitting the stacks. Here are some images taken over the past few years at the first sea stack

Now on to the second sea stack. Only a 2min walk from the first stack along the path above you will come to a green rope wrapped around the base of a large tree and a sign saying "Patrick's Head". This is your way down…take your time as it’s steep and slippery.

Even to this day when I reach the bottom and look out to the stack my heart races. It is truly stunning and at low tide to be able to walk right up and touch this sea stack is very cool to me. Before walking the beach take note of the sea stack’s shape because as you walk to the other side it changes and to me you start to lose the impressive details of the left side of the stack.

Again, like the first sea stack, there are so many different compositions and elements to include with this sea stack. Not only is there great photo ops beach level but you should also venture along the cliff edge above you to get a vantage point looking down. Here is an image taken of this sea stack:

There are very few places on the East Coast of Newfoundland & Labrador to photography sea stacks as impressive as these (at least from my knowledge). It is well worth the drive out to Chance Cove, NL to witness these spectacles of nature.

I hope you have enjoyed this blog post and I promise you, you will not have to wait another 3 years to see another. I will be posting more frequent and sharing many more unique locations for all of you to visit..and trust me I have a long list of places few have seen or photographed..so stay tuned J

Oh and one last thing..for those that might have missed it..I have an eBook out J It’s a guide book for Wildlife Photographers on Cape St. Mary’s Ecological Reserve. Even though it is geared more to Wildlife Photographers the book provides a lot of useful information about the reserve and what it has to offer for the nature lovers…and worth a read for anyone thinking about heading to Cape St. Mary’s Ecological Reserve. If you would like to read more about the book click on the link below http://www.bradjameswildlifephotography.com/ebook/ebook