My first camera was a gift from my grandfather when he returned from the old country, a simple Kodak box camera that quietly set the direction of my life. As soon as it hit my hands, I ran outside to photograph my friends playing the most Canadian of games: street hockey. They weren’t action shots or posed smiles. Even at ten, I was drawn to the story behind the moment, the view through the torn mesh of the net, the ragged tennis ball on cracked pavement, the battered sticks, scraped knees, and the quiet tension of a face-off between friends. I didn’t know it then, but I was already making documentary photographs: images about life as it was.

That instinct to look past the surface and find the heart of a story has stayed with me ever since. My work has changed over the years, but the same curiosity and love for real, unposed life still drives everything I do behind the lens. Photography has never just been about taking pictures, it’s about witnessing people, moments, and the fragile beauty of the everyday.

My documentary work has become deeply personal. It’s less about the subject itself and more about the human story inside it. Somewhere along the way, I realized I was searching for connection and understanding. My camera became a way to listen, to look deeper, and to find the quiet heartbeat in every story.

The stories I tell are rooted in humanity. Whether it’s the migrant farm workers in The Holland Marsh Documentary, the firefighters of Station 104, or the faces and voices of The Chalkboard Project, my work is about connection and empathy. I’m drawn to moments that reveal who we are beneath the surface, our pride, our struggles, our resilience, and our dignity. Behind every uniform, every job, every passing glance, there’s a person with a story worth knowing.

Elliott Erwitt said “making photos has little to do with what you see, and everything to do with the way you see them.” That speaks to me. Anyone can see an image, but it’s personal interpretation that makes a photograph.

Awards

• 2023 Mississauga Artist of the Year – Recognized for my contributions to the visual arts.

• 2024 Mississauga Heritage Award, honoured for my extensive documentation of Mississauga’s evolving landscape and community.

• 2024 IAFF Media Award (International Association of Fire Fighters) Awarded for my immersive documentary “On Duty, Fire Station 104” in Port Credit, a project that involved embedding for four months with the firefighters of “A Shift”  to document their daily realities. The only Canadian to have won this award