HUDSON'S
Bowen Island, BC
BIG ADVENTURES IN BACKCOUNTRY
Photos by Grant Harder @grantharder
Photographer Grant Harder has an enviable portfolio—commissions for big magazines and brands, celebrity portraiture—but there’s something about how he’s just as happy spending time at his remote cabin that makes us like him even more.
Shop the Story →YOU CAN SMELL THE NATURE IN HIS PHOTOS — crystalline air, campsite dew. Admittedly, the life of an adventurer lensman looks different with two toddlers in tow. “We’re not able to go as far, as deep. There’s no multi-day hikes to ridge lines,” he says. “We do soft adventures now.” But stylishly at that: The third baby in the Harder family is a vintage Westfalia pop-top camper van.
“I love the feeling of being in nature and that’s what I’m trying to convey in a photograph. It’s not the place I’m trying to capture, it’s the emotion, it’s the way it makes you feel.”
“There’s an assumption that all Canadians love to spend time outdoors, love living in tents. This is absolutely true for me. I spent 10 years working in the reforestation industry sleeping in a tent or van for entire summers.”
“Some of the best hikes near Vancouver are in Garibaldi Provincial Park, specifically the Black Tusk area. Good campsites and gorgeous, clear mirror-like lakes.”
“I want to see the Inside Passage. Drive the Dempster Highway. Road-trip through Newfoundland. This is a big country with so many remote places. I think we should all consider Canadian destinations a bit more.”
“For me, summer is experiencing the seasons: In June the lake water is still really cold – I’m the only one swimming. By the end of August you can already feel fall coming on. Summer is a chance to just sink in and absorb nature.”
- HUDSON’S BAY What is your soundtrack to summer ‘21?
- Grant Harder I’ve been getting into Cumbia lately so we’ll see how the family feels about that. I’ve been listening to a lot of Quantic.
- HB Which Canadian stereotype doesn’t suit you?
- GH I may have grown up playing hockey, but I am in no way interested in hockey. Sorry, Dad.
- HB Which Canadian destination is hard to believe is in Canada?
- GH Eves Cone in Mount Edziza Provincial Park.
- HB It’s officially summer when...
- GH I’m paddling a canoe at our cabin.
- HB My summer uniform:
- GH Linen button up, swim shorts, cap and bare feet.
- HB What place, thing, or feeling says I’m home?
- GH My kids!