For a Canadian growing up with a love of nature, photographer Cole Roberts has always found inspiration in the outdoors. His passion for connection and storytelling led him to create Way Up North, a biannual gathering where wedding photographers come together to learn, share, and grow—an event we are always excited to attend and support through co-sponsorship.

Though he carries his camera everywhere, he never forces an image. “Maybe it sounds strange to be a photographer who doesn’t go out to take photos”, he told us, following with “if I’m in nature and I see something I like, I’ll take a picture of it.”

This grounding source of inspiration is obvious in Cole’s work, and in his mindset. With over two decades of experience, he humbly tells us about the first wedding he photographed in 2008, which was (in his words) a disaster. “It’s been a long journey, and I’m still going,” he says with genuine love for the path he’s on.

““What catches my eye as a photographer is the subtle stuff that’s not as noticed... the moments between the moments.””

— Cole Roberts

In both his professional and personal work, he’s drawn to simplicity and small unnoticed details, or “moments between moments” as he described. This love of simplicity is never more apparent than in his black and white photographs. Cole prefers to shoot in black and white, explaining the perspective that “a black and white photo strips away all the complications.”