A Breath of Fresh Air: Photography and Fall Colours at Gault Nature Reserve

Recently, I’ve begun dabbling in photography, and it has quickly become an excuse to carry my camera wherever I go. I’ve decided to use this section of my blog as a space to share the images I’m proud of and, more importantly, the stories behind them. This is the first in what I hope will be a long series of posts about the places I discover and the moments I find worth sharing.

The spark for this outing came from a friend’s wife. She reached out to me and another friend last fall with a simple mission: get her husband out of the house. Anyone with a toddler knows they are adorable "energy vampires," and he needed a moment to himself. Since nature has a way of healing both body and mind, we headed to Gault Nature Reserve near Montréal to help him recharge.

It was a day of beautiful, dappled light, warm enough for a hike but not quite for a windy peak. We took the direct path to the summit, discussing life, politics, and technology as we climbed. Once at the top, we were met with a sweeping view of the northern Montérégie and the distant Montreal skyline.

On our descent, we slowed down and became more attentive to the life moving around us. While we spotted several deer, they caught me off guard and I managed to snap one shot—it’s far from perfect, but I’m sharing it anyway as a record of the encounter. It was a good reminder that in wildlife photography, you have to be ready before the moment happens and to take more shots than what you think you need.

However, the local chipmunks, well acquainted with hikers, were much more cooperative. These little critters became the stars of the day, and I’m really happy with how the photos turned out. I’m excited to share a few of my favourite shots with you below.

Enjoy the gallery!