After having been on Salt Spring Island for many years, photographing unique landscapes which included distant views from high up in the mountains and waterfalls hidden deep in the forest, I never imagined that I would be capturing some of my favourite recent images right off the highway close to my new home here on Vancouver Island.

Each time we drove along the highway, cradled by the mountains, one scene captivated us—an uninhabited islet floating on the calm waters of Oyster Bay. For a few months, my photographer brother, Michael and I kept checking to see if there was a way to photograph this remarkable landmark. And one morning, I discovered a way to reach the perfect vantage point.

In early January this year, we left home just after breakfast to photograph an old footbridge and tracks that form part of a dormant railway. The mist was moving through the trees, and everything was so softly lit along the creek's banks, traces of autumn leaves littering the forest floor.

And on our way back home, fog draped the mountains until they almost vanished from sight. However, I was able to make out a narrow footpath which led to that scene at Oyster Bay. We couldn't waste such a wonderful opportunity, so we took the next exit to see if there was an access road to the path. Luckily for us, there was! And so, with huge trucks barrelling along with the morning traffic on the other side of the concrete barrier next to us, we began to focus on that mystical oasis and its silhouetted arbutus trees with their filigree crowns. Soon, we were taken on a journey where the roar of the highway simply faded away.