Highland heart 2026 - TRIP SUMMARY
BY KRISTOPHER ANDRES
There is something about Cape Breton in the fall that literally makes your jaw fall open.
Maybe it’s the rugged coastline, the endless shades of autumn colour, the salty Atlantic air, or those moody skies that seem to change by the minute.
Whatever it is, Cape Breton has a way of pulling you in and slowing you down to appreciate all her beauty not just behind the camera lens but with your eyes as you enjoy being present in this colourful landscape.
A few days ago, Curtis Jones and I wrapped up another edition of Highland Heart photo workshop, bringing a group of photographers together for four days of photography, exploration, learning, and, of course, a whole lot of laughs along the way.
Our home for the workshop was the one and only beautiful Keltic Lodge, perched right along the coastline in the Cape Breton Highlands. Not a bad place to call home for a few days, if you ask me.
From the moment we started exploring, Cape Breton reminded us that this place is about so much more than pretty fall colours.
It’s about the rugged edges of the land, the rhythm of the ocean, the textures of ancient rock, and those little pockets of light that make you stop in your tracks and reach for your camera.
And then there are the skies.
You can arrive at a location under a blanket of grey, wondering what on earth you’re going to photograph, only to watch the clouds shift, the light break through, and the entire landscape transform in front of you, the sky literally moves a spotlight around through the clouds and shows you what trees it is most proud of. The light dances from tree to tree and we chase it endlessly with those long lenses.
That’s the magic of being out there.
You learn to watch, wait, and sometimes just stand there taking it all in.
But this workshop wasn’t just about chasing those big, dramatic landscapes.
It was about slowing down and seeing the details too. The patterns in the rocks, the movement of the water, the colours tucked away in the forest, and the little compositions that are easy to walk straight past when you’re busy looking at the bigger picture.
These are the moments I love sharing with people. Learning to look at a familiar scene differently, experimenting with our cameras, and discovering that sometimes the most interesting photograph is hiding right in front of us.
Over the four days, we moved between field sessions, demonstrations, creative exploration, and time spent working on our images. We talked about light, composition, and different ways to approach a scene, always looking for opportunities to push ourselves a little further.
And, as always with OFFBEAT, we chased the light.
Sunrise, sunset, and everything in between. Because when you're photographing a place like Cape Breton, you quickly learn that the conditions can change in a heartbeat, and you never really know what the next five minutes might bring.
Of course, some of the best moments happen when the cameras are put away.
There’s something special about spending four days together, sharing early mornings, stories, ideas, camera settings, a few questionable jokes, and all those little moments that turn a group of photographers into a community.
It’s one of my favourite parts of running these workshops. Everyone arrives with their own experiences, their own creative vision, and their own reasons for being there. By the end, we’ve shared a little piece of the journey, learned from one another, and hopefully come away seeing the world through our cameras just a little differently.
That’s what it’s all about, spending time with great people chasing our passions and creating an experience that will fill our cup and others as they look at our photos and see Cape Breton the way we did.
A huge thank you to everyone who joined Curtis and me for Highland Heart. It was an absolute pleasure to spend these four days exploring Cape Breton with you, sharing our love of photography, and seeing what each of you created along the way.
And to Cape Breton?
You never disappoint.
We'll see you again soon.
Want to join us on a future trip? We have an exciting selection of photography tours, safaris, treks, and workshops in locations across Canada and around the world. Led by world-class guides and curated to build your skills, show you incredible locations, and connect you with an amazing community, we’d love to see you!