Yan Gao

I believe there is a unique story that has drawn me to this application page… The fist time I saw the Canadian natural scenery was from a travel brochure in a local convenient store in China back in 2000. It was that little brochure that caught my attention and inspired the curiosity that brought me to Canada. The moment I landed here I had instantly fell in love with the nature, landscape, wildlife and I knew my life was about to change permanently. In 2003, I shifted my life towards nature. I had given up my engineering career to become a Canadian Rockies tour guide. This allowed me to stay connected to nature and become the ambassador for the Canadian Rockies. There was a lot of doubt and struggles at the time to give up one’s full time career, but I knew I could only be fulfilled when I follow my passion. My PHD degree in electrical engineering allowed me to pick up technical photography skills quickly and be able to teach my clients who share similar interest. I am very detail oriented in photography and I do what it takes to capture the beauty of Canada with my lenses. While my clients are sleeping in hotels, I would spend numerous nights in the Rockies looking for the perfect shot. I know the true definition of passion, and what it takes to live it. My passion had taken me to capture polar bears and aurora in the arctic, the red soil of Prince Edward Island, and the majestical forest and harbour of the British Columbia. There is something about adventure that excites me and sparks creativity and art. Photography allows me to timestamp these memorable experiences to take home to share with others. My friends ask me where in the world I would like to take pictures. My answer is always the same: I have a lot more to explore in Canada and I am content.  This would provide me the opportunity to capture and share stories of Rockies. Infinite beauty already exists in this breathtaking land and would love to devote myself to creating the perfect masterpieces……!