My name is Nicolas Lachance and I am a photographer and geologist based in Newfoundland Canada. I grew up in Northwestern New-Brunswick with the beautiful northern Appalachian boreal forests as a backdrop. Nature has always provided me with a deep sense of connection to my purpose in life and it is no coincidence that I became a geologist. It was in 2005 after graduating from UQAM University in Montreal that I picked up a camera for the first time with a serious intention of making it a hobby. Little did I know photography was to become second nature to me.

PILLARS OF EARTH

That purpose was to combine fine art nature photography and geology to produce geological art, and so Pillars of Earth was born (link to blog about Normans Cove). Pillars of Earth is the name I have given to my geology focused content and is the culmination of everything I have learned as a photographer and geologist. It is my current “raison d’être” as an artist and what I am most passionate about. The goal of Pillars of Earth is to produce compelling rock and landscape visual imagery that showcase the earth’s complex and dynamic past and present using Newfoundland’s incredible rock exposure along the coasts. The dynamic aspect of it is represented by tectonism and the faults ands folds created during the … appalachian orogenies. Many of these tectonic structures can be appreciated visually by non geologist and geologist alike since movement within a fold, or a fault can be easily recognized by a person who knows little about rocks. And so equipped with a drone and a camera, I scour the coasts to find the best rocks, the best looking geological structures so that you can enjoy viewing earth’s past from the comfort of your home the best of earth that could make great geological art.

THE ROCK

…and what better place to do this than on an island that is nick-named “the rock”, a place that was tantamount in the development? of the plate tectonics theory. after its numerous rocky shores, yes . These endless and continuous rocky shores are what permitted geologists to initially map and identify the tectonic zones of the appalachians (elaborate on the name). In addition

GSNL

I intend to incorporate

endless opportunities in NL for new discoveries

My focus here on this website is more from an art perspective rather than scientific. But the art aspect of it can be fueled by the science as well. It brings us to discover new places and new rocks through research and mineral exploration.

This twist, if you hadn’t figured out by looking at my website, is geology. Part of GAC-NL

quest to capture unique rocks and geology of NL

As the great photographer Henri Cartier Bresson once said: “photography is nothing, it’s life that interests me” and indeed that statement resonates with me. I am however as much interested in the many technical aspects related to photography such as the science of light, the psychology of perceiving art, post processing of digital images, and the technical aspects of cameras themselves. Working as a geologist in Canada brought me many opportunities for exploring the remote landscapes of northeastern Canada and to capture rarely witnessed scenes of natural beauty which cemented my love of landscape photography.

After living in Montreal for over 10 years, I moved to Newfoundland in 2011 to complete a Masters degree and was quickly blown away by the sheer amount of beauty found along the intricate coastal areas. During this time my exploration of landscape photography continued, but my love of photography deepened such that exploration of other subjects ensued. Astrophotography, travel, street, commercial and portrait photography are some of the topics I explored, and following a multi year break, I returned to capturing landscapes and nature photography with some additional skills, and a definite purpose.