Found In The Powder

by Kyle Sanguin

Keefer Lake Catskiing Lodge, Cherryville, British Columbia. That is the “where”. Chasing skiers (and an extremely energetic Burmese mountain dog) down and around a mountain with a camera is the “what”. The answer to the “why” is a more complicated one, as all good answers are.

For years I worked as a wildland firefighter on a contract crew, shipping out to camps throughout BC, western Canada, and even the United States on occasion if our help was requested. I started firefighting in 1999, but it wasn’t until the Okanagan Mountain Park wildfire of 2003 in my hometown of Kelowna, British Columbia, that I began to discover my passion for photography. Over the course of the next month, in the rare “quiet” moment as the fire raged, I began to break out a camera and photograph the first-hand experiences of myself and my crew. It wasn’t long before those photographs were being sought out by media; you can find many of my early photos in a book titled “Firestorm: The Summer B.C. Burned”, which tells the tale of the destruction brought by the fire.

Unfortunately, the firefighting lifestyle also came with challenges. With a fourteen-on, two-off schedule, many firefighters spent their limited time off developing unhealthy relationships with alcohol – myself included. Ultimately, my relationship with alcohol developed into an addiction, and that addiction landed me at Top of the World Ranch, in Fort Steele, British Columbia in June of 2015. If I discovered my passion for photography on the fire line, it was during treatment where I truly decided to commit to its pursuit.

Following rehab, I enrolled myself in the Digital Photography Program at Kelowna’s Centre for Arts and Technology. It was there, refining my skills as a photographer, that I met a classmate who introduced me to the possibility of being a photographer at Keefer Lake Lodge. Keefer Lake offers cat-skiing across “86,500 acres of expert mountain terrain… There is no beginner terrain.”. Having been an avid skier (and later a snowboarder) since a very young age, I was fortunate enough to possess the unique set of skills required for the job. I started with Keefer Lake in the winter of 2018, and have been chasing skiers in the winter months ever since. I get to satisfy a thrill-seeking itch that has been particularly hard to scratch since leaving the world of wildland firefighting. I get to ski world-class terrain every single week, and I get the opportunity to work on my photography skills in an extremely unique setting. That is the “why”.

I do however, also take many different types of photos From portraits, to landscapes, to professional real estate staging. Many of my photos can be found on my Instagram which also contains a link to my personal photography website, where many of my photos are available for purchase. Currently, the website is mainly used for providing clients of Keefer Lake with a platform to purchase photos of their time with us. However, it will be updated soon to include some of my other work, which will be available to the public for purchase, Be sure to check back soon!

I am also available for contract work, so feel free to reach out through Instagram, or via e-mail: kylesanguin@hotmail.com.