St. John’s, Newfoundland – May 25, 2026

I arrived in St. John’s on the evening of May 24, just as the last light slipped behind the jelly‑bean rowhouses stacked along the hills. Newfoundland has a way of greeting visitors with a kind of rugged charm—equal parts wind, rock, and warmth—and by the next morning, it was already working its magic on our small group from Electricity Canada’s Security and Infrastructure Committee, ready for another photowalk, the time in three-parts.

Petty Harbour–Maddox Cove – Morning

We set out early on May 25, heading south along the winding coastal road toward Petty Harbour–Maddox Cove. Morning fog clung to the cliffs in that very Newfoundland way—never quite lifting, never quite settling. The village appeared slowly through the mist, its wharves and fishing stages perched over the water like they’ve been waiting centuries for someone to notice them.

Committee chair (and professional landscape photographer) Cam Fischer was already scouting angles before we’d even stepped out of the Uber. Ross Johnson, Electricity Canada’s senior fellow and also a fantastic photographer in his own right (Ross has been featured many times in this blog), was doing the same. I had my Hasselblad 500 C/M loaded with CatLABS X Film 320 PRO in 120 format—one of those films that seems made for a place like this, where texture and contrast tell half the story.

(All of these images are as developed and scanned, no retouching.)

(Note that some of the shots have mottling on the film, which is usually caused by moisture damage, for example if the film roll is stored for some time outside of the foil wrapper...how did that happen? Going through security at the airport, while they will hand inspect in lieu of X-ray, sometimes they open the foil wrappers to swab the film…and if I don’t shoot the film on a trip, it goes back into the fridge, and then out of the fridge again…so, lesson learned.)

We wandered the harbour, pausing at boats tied tight against the tide and weathered sheds leaning into the wind. The air smelled of salt and woodsmoke. Locals nodded as they passed, as if to say: Yes, this is a good place to be this morning.

---

Quidi Vidi Village – Noon

By midday, following (Zoom & Teams) meetings back in St. John’s, we made our way to Quidi Vidi, the impossibly picturesque fishing village tucked into a narrow gut between cliffs. The sun had burned off the fog by then, leaving a bright, crisp light that bounced off the water and the brightly painted buildings.

Quidi Vidi is one of those places where time feels layered. Old fishing stages sit beside a craft brewery; lobster traps share space with easels and camera tripods. It’s a working village, an artistic enclave, and a tourist stop all at once—and somehow it all fits.

We walked the narrow lanes, stopping often to set up shots. The CatLABS film handled the contrast beautifully, especially on the weathered wood and rippling reflections in the harbour. Cam and Ross traded notes on compositions while I snapped away and took in the scene, grateful for the rare combination of good weather and great company.

---

Cape Spear – Late Afternoon

In the late afternoon we drove out to Cape Spear, the easternmost point in North America. The wind was blowing—as it usually is there—and the Atlantic stretched out in every direction, a restless sheet of steel.

The old lighthouse stood stark against the sky, and the cliffs dropped sharply into the sea below. It’s a place that makes you feel small in the best possible way. The kind of landscape that reminds you how old the world is, and how temporary everything else can seem.

The lower sun gave us longer shadows and dramatic contrast—perfect for black‑and‑white film. I took my time with the Hasselblad, framing the lighthouse, the coastline, the silhouettes of colleagues bracing themselves against the wind, and to where the eye is naturally drawn: up the stairs or along the fence. It was a fitting end to a day spent exploring one of the most photogenic corners of the country.

Ross is in the picture above, about to take pictures of humpback whales, as they swim past the foot of the cliff.

---

A Day Well Spent

There’s something special about seeing a place through the eyes of photographers—especially when those photographers are friends and colleagues who care deeply about both the work we do and the landscapes we move through to do it. Newfoundland offered us its best on May 25: fog, sun, wind, and a sense of place that lingers long after you’ve left.

 - 30 -

Previous posts:

• L’Isle-aux-Coudres shot on large format B&W
• Nova Scotia, in Glorious Colour!
• Summer Meeting in Wakefield, Québec
• US Thanksgiving in Hillsdale and Hudson NY
• Medium Format in Banff, AB, on expired film
• Large Format, from Rimouski to St-Ulric: The good, the bad and the ugly
• Large Format at the lavender fields
• Peggy's Cove, Halifax and Digby
• Chicago: Surrounded by great architecture
• Large format photography: North of Montreal and downtown Calgary
• Classic Cars, in Colour, in Cuba
• 1st Time colour developing at home: photos of Cuba
• Large Format
• Quebec City photowalk on a cloudy morning
• Garden, at home, in bloom, shot on a really nice budget film
• Jardins de Métis / Reford Gardens
• Ottawa, at Night, in Winter, on Cinestill 800T
• Supply Ship Visit to Remote Québec (and Labrador) Villages
• Mamiya RB67, Egypt and Mount Sinai
• Paris: One week, one camera, one lens, and whole lot of film
• Nikon F4 (F4S)
• Nikon F4, part 2: Fall Colours
• Classic folding cameras capture Thanksgiving in Upstate NY
• San Diego, February 2023, Nikon F4, Tri-X
• Washington DC, Feb 2023
• Voigtländer Perkeo 1
• Voigtländer Vito II
• The beginning of a blog...