I enjoy photography for its story-telling potential. There is the old quote that a picture says a thousand words - and I think it is true so long as you have a photographer that knows how to capture something interesting to say. 

In the spirit of story-telling and to thank you for connecting with me, I want to tell you a bit about my own journey as a photographer.

I have long been interested in travel photography and capturing the places around me. More recently I have branched out to the world of portraiture and am developing my own distinct style therein. I find myself gravitating towards environmental portraiture - portraits that tell a story through the backgrounds and contexts that make up the image.

Take my self portrait as an example. I wanted it to say something about me as a photographer:

The image in the frame is my favourite photo. I took it a decade ago in Benin, a country that continues to inspire me and teach me much about the world.

The wooden frame itself was made by my Dad, someone who also has a special photography connection to Ottawa and someone I can always count on to tell me how to improve my work.

The most special part, though, is the camera on the shelf. It belonged to my Grandma, a person I admired very much and someone who also shared her love of photography with her community. IMG_7172-1