I was born in Toronto in 1970 and moved to the Sarnia-Lambton area when I was 3. When I was 4, we moved to Kettle Point and that is where I spent the better part of my childhood. My interest in photography began at 9 years of age, when my dad bought his Canon AE1 35mm camera and let me look through the viewfinder and press the shutter. That was in the summer of 1979 and that year my parents gave me my first camera for Christmas. There has not been a time in my life since that I have not owned at least one camera. In high school I spent more time behind the camera than I did in front of it, however photography was not what I had chosen for my career path. I attended Lambton College in 1996 in pursuit of an education in broadcast arts, but life led me in a different direction. I started working at a new company that supplied the telephone number information service or 411 in Canada. While there, I assisted in the creation of the training modules by providing voice overs. From there I worked at a few other jobs, however through every job that I had during the years, I still actively used my camera as one way to escape the stresses of life, and I spent a lot of time capturing family moments and random landscapes and points of interest.
In 2011, I accepted a position at a commercial photography studio and that is where my hobby began to take a turn toward becoming a career. I worked as a second shooter at a wedding for the first time in 2012 and in 2013 I realized just how much photography had become a part of me. In July of that year, I took my first commercial flight from London to Calgary. I was extremely nervous about flying but desperately anxious to look out the window and see the clouds from a different perspective. I snapped a few shots of the clouds and then put my camera down to continue looking out the window. Immediately my stomach began to turn, and I realized that the only way I could look out the window was through the viewfinder, and that I am happiest and most comfortable when I am behind my camera.
In 2016 I began working as an on-location photographer for the company that I was employed with. It was a challenge that I was not completely prepared for from a technical standpoint. As I progressed through each session, I soon realized that there was another, more important element to what I was doing that I had not previously considered. I had no control over what happened to the images after they left my camera, and I did not want my creative efforts to be owned by anyone else. So, I decided it was time to expand my hobby into something more and I enrolled in the Lambton College Photography Program. Although taking the entire photography program had not been my original intention, I am glad that I made the decision to return to Lambton and upgrade my knowledge base. I have met some amazing people, saw the beginnings of some extremely promising careers, and forged the foundations for a few life-long friendships. I have learned so much about photography in the 2 years of study at Lambton and I am proud of the work that I have accomplished. When asked what my ‘style’ is I can only answer, “Eclectic”, as I believe that each image has its own style, and I am simply the vehicle to bring that to life. With everything that has led to this point in my life, I am excited to showcase my perception to the world.
