When I was 21, my parents moved from the hard-hitting, nickel-mining city of Sudbury, Ontario, to the quaint touristy town of Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia. With little hesitation, I said goodbye to my high school friends and followed my mom and dad to the east coast of Canada.
I quickly fell in love with the Maritimes. I enrolled in Acadia University, a small liberal arts college in the Annapolis Valley, and spent my summers as a sea kayak guide at a small outfit across from my parent’s house. I vowed to spend the rest of my life close to the ocean in Nova Scotia.
Alas, after completing my PhD at Dalhousie University in Halifax, the job market took me elsewhere. Eventually, I was put out to pasture in London, Ontario, which is situated between Toronto and Detroit alongside some of the busiest highways in the world. Although I’ve grown loyal to London, it couldn’t be more different from the charming, picturesque towns of Nova Scotia. I still long for the ocean.
My father passed away from cancer in 2017. He died in the Fisherman’s Memorial Hospital in Luneburg, Nova Scotia. But my mom is alive and still lives in Mahone Bay. Fortunately, I make regular trips to see her. This past June, I spent a week with my mom. She’s 80 years old and goes to bed early, which provided me lots of time in the evenings to go out with my Leica MP camera and capture the ocean scenery on film.
I’ve spent over a quarter of my life in Nova Scotia and have visited it dozens of times since moving away. But this was the first time I’d ever photographed it. I shot a mix of colour (Kodak Gold 200) and black and white film (T-Max 100 and Tri-X 400), using a Summilux 50mm f/1.4 lens. My wife and son didn’t accompany me on this trip, so I was free to spend as much time as I needed savouring my surroundings and hunting for good shots.
I hope you enjoy these pictures of Mahone Bay, Lunenburg, and the surrounding countryside. If you want to follow more of my adventures of film, please consider following me on Instagram. You can find more of my photos at Leica Fotografie International.
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Matthias on Capturing Nova Scotia on Film
Comment posted: 04/09/2025
Comment posted: 04/09/2025
Christian on Capturing Nova Scotia on Film
Comment posted: 04/09/2025
I am also an "Ocean guy", so I know exactly how you feel/felt.
Comment posted: 04/09/2025
David Hume on Capturing Nova Scotia on Film
Comment posted: 04/09/2025
Comment posted: 04/09/2025
Gary Smith on Capturing Nova Scotia on Film
Comment posted: 04/09/2025
You've included some great photographs, thanks! I live close enough to the Pacific that my wife and I get there on a regular basis.
Interestingly, when I first opened your article only the first 4 photos showed up. I figured that I'd log out and back in before I emailed Hamish. That took care of things and I was able to see the rest of your work. I really like your picture of a rusty boat!
Comment posted: 04/09/2025
Russ Rosener on Capturing Nova Scotia on Film
Comment posted: 05/09/2025
Thanks for the quick trip to the tidal lands!
Comment posted: 05/09/2025
Curtis Heikkinen on Capturing Nova Scotia on Film
Comment posted: 05/09/2025
Comment posted: 05/09/2025
Bill Brown on Capturing Nova Scotia on Film
Comment posted: 05/09/2025
They put me up at their home for several days while my bike was being repaired. The cost of the repair required me to cut my trip short. I drove to Niagara Falls and then turned around to head back to my home in Dallas, Texas. As life goes I was never able to attempt that trip again. I was shooting Kodachrome 64 in those days and have often wondered what sights I would have documented. The articles in Rider magazine showcasing Nova Scotia always contained many beautiful photographs. Alas, I would never get any of my own.
I hope you are photographing your mom when you visit. My mom passed in 2019 at the age of 97. All my photos of her taken during my visits are priceless to me.
Thanks for sharing these images and giving me the opportunity to recall past adventures. Even those unfulfilled.
Comment posted: 05/09/2025
Alexander Seidler on Capturing Nova Scotia on Film
Comment posted: 06/09/2025
Comment posted: 06/09/2025
David Pauley on Capturing Nova Scotia on Film
Comment posted: 06/09/2025
Comment posted: 06/09/2025