Built in 1894 to replace a home that suddenly burnt to the ground one night, Elkington House at Oak Park is one of Cowichan Valley’s best kept secrets. It’s also one of our most beloved treasures.
About Scott Johnson
Inspired by both my mother's vision and my father's technical and photographic aptitude, when they passed away I was motivated to share the charm of Vancouver Island with others through my photography. As I developed my own personal style, I quickly came to realize the limitations of modern SLR photography and spent a year studying High Dynamic Range (HDR) processing techniques. These techniques allow the finer details to be seen that would otherwise be lost in the shadows. The result is an image that best reflects exactly what I see when taking the picture.
We are located in the scenic Cowichan Valley, and are actively involved in both our local and artistic communities. We are proud to work together with various individuals and organizations to bring awareness to many relevant issues. We are a regular contributing author to LightStalking, a prominent on-line publication, and have been featured in Shutterbug magazine, in addition to hosting a popular photoblog. We focus on local architecture, land and seascapes, historical sites and artifacts, and various other sorts of sundries uniquely Vancouver Island.
Sweet Desolation
A sense of sweet desolation is found everywhere. This leaves you feeling as if you’re the only living soul in the world, surrounded by nature and creatures that are simply beyond description in their beauty.
The Second Life Of A Rusty Tugboat
There’s just something entrancing about rusty things. Just beneath the surface usually lies an interesting story. Some are obvious or easy to discover, while others remain a mystery forever leaving the observers to their own imagination.
Reaching For The Heavens
One of the best spots for a view and a photo is at the top of the Malahat section of the main highway. Rising upwards to a level of 300m, you’d think you were high atop the world, reaching for the heavens. In truth, you are already there.
Greet The Morning
A frosty morning is greeted by a wonderful red barn sitting in a farmer’s field. As the sun rises the frost begins to recede, revealing the true beauty of the landscape that we all love and call home. There is just something distinctly romantic about pastoral scenes like this.
The Church That Never Was And Always Will Be
This is a place I am drawn to, like a moth to a flame. Each visit reveals new vignettes, new little stories featured in a way I didn’t notice before. Either that, or somehow it’s changed.
Pastoral Dreams
I find Vancouver Island provides a constant source of discovery and wonder for me as we travel up and down the ribbons of highway seeking something that definitively expresses life on the island.
Winter’s Cold Breath
Home represents so much more than just lumber and shingles and plumbing, it’s a place that almost everyone associates with safety and warmth. A refuge from the madness of the modern world we all live in.
Fire In The Valley
The dichotomy of fire and ice was not lost on us and to this day this remains a picture that takes on a metaphorical presence of sorts, one that expresses a fiery passion for our craft tempered against a cold and relentless landscape.
Falling In Love With A Bridge
Composed of wood with no discernible heartbeat, this gorgeous span is no less a part of our community for it. In the summer of 2011 the refurbishment process was finished after a 20 year community effort helping to find $7.5M to complete this mammoth task.