Nova Scotia

Nature photographer Adam Hill waxes lyrical about the Canadian province where he grew up

There aren’t many places as special as Nova Scotia; it’s where I grew up and formed life-long memories. It’s also home to the highest tides in the world, amazing seafood, some of the friendliest people you’ll ever meet and the incredible Cabot Trail. This is where you slow down, savour what’s around you and appreciate life a little bit more.

As a child growing up in rural Cape Breton Island, I was surrounded by family, farms, rivers, lakes, mountains and very few bigcity distractions. Inspired by the beauty of hills and hidden streams, I began my journey as a photographer. With camera in hand, I discovered eagle nests, chased the light on mountains, watched loons raise their chicks and photographed new waterfalls each week. Cape Breton and the whole of our scenic province is a playground for nature photographers, with its array of seascapes, landscapes, skies and wildlife.

Like many east-coasters, it took leaving Nova Scotia to fully realise how special it is. During the nine years I lived in Canada’s Northwest Territories, the pull to return home grew stronger. While I loved living in the north, I couldn’t wait to see my home and stand on its rugged coastline, watching eagles fly overhead and breathing in the salty air. Four years after my family and I moved home to Nova Scotia, I could never imagine my life anywhere else.

Photographer Adam Hill was born and raised in Nova Scotia