My earliest memory of photography is adventuring into book after book about photojournalism from a young age. Also photographing wildlife in the Rocky Mountains of Canada.
I’m mostly self taught as a photographer, but I do have a diploma in photojournalism from Loyalist College in Ontario, Canada.
For my first assignment I went to Washington D.C. to photograph the inauguration of U.S. President Barack Obama on January 20, 2009. The logistics of photographing in the sea of people really made it tough to get something different. I ended up standing on a lamppost for a few hours to get a shot of Obama walking down Pennsylvania Avenue. That was a weekend of events I will never forget.
Photographing the Stanley Cup in 2011 was a thrilling time. As a photojournalist most of your work is independent, and you find yourself working alone often. However, major sporting events like the Stanley Cup finals are different because you work with other Reuters photographers and editors. Everyone has a part to play and it all comes together in one solid package for our clients.
I love working on longer-term documentary stories, something where I can form a relationship with the people I am photographing and accurately tell their story through pictures.
Reaching a point with your subject where you both have a mutual respect for each other is a wonderful feeling. There is no short cut to this either, it just takes time and the willingness to listen. You cannot expect them to trust you if you do not trust them.
I have tremendous respect for my peers in the industry such as Andy Clark and John Lehmann. They can consistently make beautiful images in their own ‘backyards,’ so to speak, by finding enthralling photo stories and unique photographs close to home. I respect photographers who can photograph rather mundane situations in a fresh and original way.
