Beyond Barriers

I became serious about photography when I purchased my first SLR prior to emigrating, at age 19, from my native Switzerland to Canada.

- Mystica Vora

When and how did your photographic journey begin?

Taking photographs and sending them back home was a good way for me to have my family and friends share in my adventures A Storm is Brewing © Christian Bucher as a new immigrant in a distant land. My knowledge took a leap forward when, a few years later, I had the opportunity to spend a lot of time in a dark room, developing and printing black and white film. I learned a lot very quickly. Photography soon became a passion and it has remained an integral part of my life to this day .

Your photographs are excellent. What do you look out for when you capture an image?

I seldom go out with a specific shot or subject in mind. When shooting B&W I am usually attracted to scenes with good structure, texture/ patterns, with contrast and good tonal range; images I know will work in B&W. I shoot in Raw but in monochrome mode so I immediately get an idea of how a particular scene will look in B&W. For me, first and foremost, there has to be an emotional connection with the landscape, or any other subject, I am about to photograph; if that connection is not there then I simply move on.

What do you love about photographing landscapes?