Witnessing the island
January 22nd, 2026
Dave and Kelly Hutchison are a husband-and-wife creative team based in Qualicum Beach whose shared love of Vancouver Island shapes both their art and their lives. Dave Hutchison, an award-winning photographer with over 20 years of experience, has documented landscapes from the Great Bear Rainforest to Italy and the Yukon, with work published internationally. Kelly Hutchison, a visual artist, author and certified Forest Therapy Guide, brings a deeply intuitive and healing perspective to the island’s forests, shorelines and wildlife. Together, they co-created Vancouver Island: The Art of the Landscape (Two Trees Art Publishing $49.95), a richly collaborative portrait of place that blends photography, storytelling and reflection.
*
BC BookLook: Can you take us back to the moment you first fell in love with nature photography—what were you photographing and what shifted for you in that instant?
Dave Hutchison: I first fell in love with nature photography in 2005 when I was invited by a close friend to spend a week in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. I had just got my very first DSLR camera and a medium length telephotos lens. Spending a week immersed in nature photography definitely gave me the motivation to explore nature and photograph more frequently. Even though this was over 20 years ago, I remember a shift—I thought maybe this could be a new career one day. During that time, I also discovered that spending time in nature and capturing its beauty was a way for me to rest from work and to reconnect with myself and the natural world.
Eden Grove, Port Renfrew, BC Canada
BCBL: Vancouver Island has been your muse for decades. How has your relationship with this landscape changed as you’ve changed over the years?
DH: That is a great question. I just never seem to get tired of exploring Vancouver Island and the surrounding islands and coastline in search of new beaches, waterfalls, old growth forests and wildlife. I have lived on Vancouver Island since 2002 and have been fortunate to visit many corners of this amazing island (as seen in our new book). Over the years, I have seen many changes, especially in the urban areas, but what is wonderful to see is many locations remain untouched and have only changed a small amount over the years. The amazing remote beaches and forests keep drawing me back time and time again, especially in different conditions, seasons, light and so on. When my wife and I travel off Vancouver Island, we are reminded how lucky we are when we return home from being away.
BCBL: You’ve worked side-by-side as husband and wife on this project—what did creating this book together reveal about your partnership that you might not have discovered otherwise?
DH: One simple word, resilience. Working together as a team we are stronger. The book was a lot of work to put together—writing, choosing the photos, working with the editor and designer and hand selecting the paper for printing—taking almost a year of full time work. We had the same shared vision and goals, which became more clear as we created the book together. We learned a lot about ourselves and our partnership. That if you really want something, anything is possible with hard work and commitment to the time and space to do it.
T065A2, Biggs Orca Whale (Orcinus orca), Cowichan Bay, Vancouver Island, BC Canada
BCBL: Nature photography requires patience, timing, and surrender. How have those same qualities shaped both your creative process and your life together?
DH: I think that is a two-fold answer. This past year, Kelly has been photographing nature more and more. She understands the various things that need to line up for a wonderful image—patience, timing, surrender (not being in a rush) and over course LIGHT. I am so grateful we can share moments in nature together. It really does bring us closer together.
Also, moving closer to nature has helped us create more space in our lives to be creative. This might sound simple but often I think it is overlooked. We just love Central Vancouver Island.
BCBL: The book is described as a love letter to Vancouver Island. If the island could speak back to you, what do you think it would say after all these years of being witnessed through your lens?
DH: If the Island could speak back to me perhaps it would say, “Thank you for taking pictures of me to share with the world.” And of course “Keep on photographing!” 9781738378609
Mute swans in Fulford Harbour, Salt Spring Island, BC Canada
Leave a Reply