Vancouver Island Mornings Before the World Wakes Up
There was a time when Vancouver Island Drones had a little motto:
We get up early so you don’t have to.
It was meant to be cheeky.
Turns out it was also just an accurate description of my inability to sleep past 5:30 in the morning.
At this point I’m not sure whether I’m a dedicated sunrise photographer or simply an aging man whose body has decided that sleeping in is for the weak.
Either way, the routine is pretty much the same.
Wake up stupid early.
Stumble toward coffee.
Look outside.
Realize the sky might actually do something interesting.
Throw the drone in the truck.
Head for the ocean before I can talk myself out of it.
And honestly, some of my favourite Vancouver Island moments happen in that little window before everyone else wakes up.
Not because I’m accomplishing anything particularly important.
Quite the opposite.
Nobody needs another photo of Esquimalt Lagoon at sunrise.
The Pacific Ocean was doing perfectly fine before I showed up with three batteries and a coffee.
But there’s something about those mornings that keeps pulling me back.
The roads are quiet.
The beaches are empty.
The water occasionally goes completely glassy.
The mountains start appearing out of the darkness.
And for maybe half an hour, Vancouver Island feels like it belongs entirely to whichever other lunatics decided being awake before sunrise was a good idea.
Most mornings, it’s just me standing beside the truck with a coffee getting cold faster than I can drink it.
The drone goes up.
I take a few photos.
Shoot some video.
Move fifty feet because apparently this piece of driftwood is dramatically better than the last piece of driftwood.
And generally wander around the shoreline pretending this is all very serious professional aerial photography.
It isn’t.
Mostly, I just like being there.
Because eventually I have to go home.
The five-year-old wakes up.
The house gets loud.
Breakfast becomes a negotiation.
Someone can’t find something that is directly in front of them.
There are places to go, things to do, jobs to think about, emails to answer and all the usual background noise of being a supposedly functioning adult.
I love that part of life too.
But I also really love the little bit before it.
That quiet stretch where it’s just coffee, salt air and whatever Vancouver Island decides to do with the sky that morning.
Sometimes the sunrise is ridiculous.
Sometimes nothing happens.
Sometimes I drive all the way down there to photograph a grey cloud sitting on top of another grey cloud.
That’s Vancouver Island.
You take your chances.
But every once in a while, everything lines up.
The water catches the colour.
The coastline lights up.
The Olympic Mountains show themselves.
A lighthouse lands exactly where you want it in the frame.
And you get one of those mornings where you look at the screen and think:
Well, shit. That was worth getting out of bed for.
The video below is about 30 seconds of exactly that.
A few recent mornings.
A few different pieces of coastline.
No grand story.
No cinematic documentary about the emotional journey of a middle-aged man with a drone.
Just Vancouver Island showing off before breakfast.
And the last shot is probably my favourite.
Drone packed away, sunrise still glowing, Yukon heading down Ocean Boulevard.
Because eventually you have to leave.
The coffee is empty.
The rest of the world is waking up.
And somewhere at home, a five-year-old is probably preparing to ask seventeen questions before I get through the front door.
So yeah.
Maybe we get up early so you don’t have to still works.
Although these days it might be more accurate to say:
I’m awake anyway. Might as well bring the drone.
Related Reads
Drone Accessories I Actually Recommend in Canada
You do not need 47 drone accessories. Just the practical stuff that keeps you flying longer, protects your gear, and saves you from ruining a flight before it even starts.
Hiring a Drone Pilot in Victoria, BC — What It Costs and What You Get
Straightforward pricing, what’s included, and what the process looks like if you need aerial photos, video, inspections, or a better look at something from above.
DJI Neo 2 Review: The Best First Drone for Kids, Creators, and Wannabe Jedi
Why the Neo 2 is still one of the easiest drones to recommend for families, kids, creators, and anyone who wants a drone that actually gets used.
