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"If I don't create my own pictures I go bananas," he told altpick.com by phone from his Toronto studio. "I refuse to be one of those photographers who gets so busy he doesn't have time to try new things."
I'm multi-tasking ... setting some stuff up to print out. I recently shot some directors of a film company for a Canadian business magazine -- and the company now wants to use the photographs for its annual report. It's mostly the unglamorous work of sending negatives out and packaging up photos. Is it a small price to pay to be working for yourself? Some days I like it, some days I hate it. Working alone in a big studio can get kind of lonely or boring. But in the end, I love the freedom of working for myself. How did you get started as a photographer? My mom bought me a camera for my birthday when I was 13. Then in high school they had a photography class. I took that, and that's how I got interested. I knew I had a good eye. I didn't just think it, I knew it. Then what? I got a job working for Reuters news agency when I was 16. I was living in Ottawa [Canada's capitol city], and I just went to the Reuters offices and said, 'Can I hang out and watch you work? And one of the photographers said, 'Sure.'And that's the way it started. Did you later study photography in college? I'm not really one for school. I did a two-year program in journalism, but I quickly realized I didn't want to be a writer. I thought about switching to the photography program, but I thought that would be a waste of time. So instead, I got a summer internship as a photographer at the Toronto Star, Canada's largest daily newspaper, and went back the following summer. I have to say I've been pretty lucky: I never had to work in a restaurant.
I knew didn't like chasing after people. I didn't like covering accidents; I didn't like covering fires. I knew there was something else there out there for me: I wanted to do portraits; I wanted to start my own business. I started out freelancing as a news photographer and then worked my way up to what I wanted to do, which is magazine work. I was 23. When did you make the move to Toronto? About three years ago. I moved here with nothing. I didn't have any clients. I was in a bigger city with more photographers, more competition. It was like moving from Washington to New York. But now things are picking up. How would you describe your style? There's an emotion in it. People are usually not looking into the camera. They're usually looking away. The one of the Irish farmhand -- that's one of my favorites. It's just somebody I met, just wandering around rural Ireland. I have to say that I love men. I love photographing men. I've just started photographing women. Bruce Weber -- the one who photographs for Abercrombie and Fitch -- he is my favorite. If there was one person I could spend a week with, carrying his camera around, it would be him.
I really like the idea of going to London. It's bigger than New York, and the photography there is a bit different. Plus, I have dual citizenship there. Photography in Europe is a little bit more far out. In Toronto, fashion photography is very very conservative. In Canada, you're not really famous until you leave the country and do something. It's like a child with low self esteem -- we want to be recognized. When one of our own is recognized -- Peter Jennings, Micheal J. Fox -- we are sure to tell you about it. We are the little brother who is trying to impress the older siblings.
- Contributed by Kelly McEvers >> See more work from John Hryniuk >> See other member spotlights on the member spotlight index >> Find out more on how to become an altpick.com member |
