Starting out in Photography
Jeremy Koreski is a world-class outdoor adventure and wildlife photographer. He’s been working in the photography field for 20 years. After doing some schooling in Vancouver to grow his portfolio and learn some business savvy he returned to his hometown of Tofino.
The photography scene in Tofino back then was a lot different than it is now. It was quiet on the island when Jeremy was starting out. There were only 2 others in town working in the field. He cut his teeth shooting weddings at first, learning skills that would translate throughout his photography career. Working under pressure, shooting action, lifestyle, and portraits; all that experience is gained fast in the wedding photography industry. Back then, he was even shooting on film, mailing negatives and photos back and forth to Vancouver.
Fast forward to 2022 and a lot has changed, but Jeremy is still completely enamoured with taking photos.
Joining Forces with Nimmo
It’s been over a decade since Jeremy started taking photo’s for Nimmo Bay. His connection to Nimmo began around 13 years ago. He made his transition into adventure photography and an outdoor magazine asked him to visit the resort to capture portraits of Craig for a cover shoot. What started out as a simple task of photographing Craig catching a big fish, turned into hours of not hooking a single thing. So the day ended without catching a big fish. They made a hard pivot and the cover shoot switched to an inside story feature instead. However, Fraser, who was in the beginning stages of taking over the operations from his father, Craig, saw great potential in a partnership and friendship.
Fraser asked Jeremy on that trip to come back the following year and take photos for the resort. Jeremy fit right in to the Nimmo Bay family. From that very first trip up, he got the pivot message loud and clear, was up for adventure, and had phenomenal talent with a camera to back it all up. Jeremy has stuck with us ever since, never shying away from a wild idea or making a complete 180 on photo plans.
Helicopter Magic
There was one other sticking point that had Jeremy interested from day one, his love of helicopters. This love of helis started on that initial trip to Nimmo Bay. While growing up in Tofino meant he’d been on plenty of float planes, going up in a helicopter was an entirely new experience. As they took off for the first time, it was clear that Fraser had him hooked.
“I had never been in a kind of vehicle in the air that could stop, hover and take advantage of that perspective with my camera. So, I was in love right away with helicopters. And so I went back the next year”
…And he’s returned every year since. The hovering power of helicopters sparked an immense creativity in him. To this day, Jeremy is well known for his ariel photography, and he’s got a unique way of capturing it. Instead of using a drone, he goes up in helicopters and likes to swing back and forth, getting the doors parallel to the ground, capturing that perfect shot. This adventurous, wild, and creative flair is part of what makes him the perfect fit for Nimmo Bay and a kindred soul with Fraser.
Brotherly Bond
There’s real magic that happens when Fraser and Jeremy come together to collaborate on a project. One of their greatest strengths is the brotherly bond they’ve formed. The combination of deep respect and wild bantering creates an atmosphere primed for creative thoughts to flow. They’ve learned and accepted each other’s quirks and use it to their advantage. Jeremy taught Fraser what’s possible to capture through the lens. At the same time, Jeremy’s learned to go with the flow when Fraser throws out what seems like an absurd idea for a photo.
“Fraser has always been a great creative director, I’ve said that over and over throughout my time there [Nimmo]. He’s really creative and really brilliant when it comes to dreaming up a lot of the things that we photograph”.
Between Jeremy’s talent to set up a shot and capture any subject in the dreamiest lighting and Frasers’ endlessly original ideas, they’re an unstoppable duo.
Unexpected Adventures
Some of Jeremys most treasured works have come from visits to Nimmo Bay. “A lot of my favourite outside or outdoor nature wildlife photographs have come from Nimmo. I’m not someone who shows a lot of work. I really wait for an image that I like”.
No matter how many times you visit Nimmo Bay, there’s always something new to do, to experience, or a new place to discover. It’s a photographer’s paradise, where constant surprises allow for fresh perspectives to flourish.
“It’s super fun. I mean, my process at Nimmo is to kind of just let things happen…And that’s one of the joys for me in photography, you don’t know what’s going to happen when you round the corner in the boat, or you go over a mountain with the helicopter. I’m still waiting to see a Sasquatch, you just never know.”
Favourite Photos
We chatted quite a bit about a few of those top images. As you scroll below, enjoy some of the behind the scenes details that Jeremy has shared.
Jeremy shot this photo overhead from the limbs of a tree, as a grizzly feasted on salmon along the shoreline. People always ask if there’s photoshop at play with this image. However, Jeremy truly caught the perfect moment. By using light and shadows to his advantage, he snapped the bear slowly emerging from the forest and into the sunbeam.
After 40 years of being at Nimmo Bay, Fraser stumbled onto a new location on this particular adventure with Jeremy. They found this majestic slot canyon only a 15-minute helicopter ride from the resort. This proves Jeremy’s statement of new and fresh discoveries appearing around every corner.
On a rainy day up in the helicopter, Jeremy spotted the perfect photo opportunity overtop an old growth forest. The windows were foggy and there was no shot from that angle. So he asked the pilot to roll the helicopter as hard as he could and basically do loops so Jeremy could get the shot. After a few passes, he turned around and realized that the rest of the passengers were green in the face and ready to lose their lunch.
This image demonstrates one that Jeremy convinced himself wouldn’t work. He shook his head when Fraser threw out the idea of setting up a floating bonfire in the middle of the dark ocean waters. Needless to say, they capture magic in that moment.
Jeremy pinpoints this image as one that perfectly captures the beautiful soul of Deborah Murray.
It’s been over a decade of Jeremy capturing the pure essence of Nimmo Bay, encapsulating the magic of this place one image at a time. Through the years, he has become more than just a masterful photographer to us, he’s become a part of the family.
Gear and Top Tips
All Photos of Jeremy by Andy Jones