Photography

CONNECT Magazine (2021-25)

Deep Winter at Lake Akan
Forgotten Dwelling at Yubari
Full Bloom at Goryokaku

While working on the CONNECT Magazine there were a number of opportunities to contribute my photography, in addition to the editing and article writing I was doing. Some of my best work there was a selection of 10 of my photos from life in Hokkaido, Japan published for the 2022 Art Issue, which you can see here.

Geraldton Newspapers (2015 – 2017)

Bernadette, Luke, Jack, Isabelle and Todd Cowcher take a spin inside virtual reality. Picture: Jon Solmundson The Geraldton Guardian
A river tortoise crawls out of the water to sunbathe on a log. Picture: Jon Solmundson The Geraldton Guardian
Peter Mack, with his wife Fran, attended the meeting in a lifevest, saying; “If they say this extreme inundation event is going to happen sometime in the next 500 years tonight could be the night, so I’m prepared.” Picture: Jon Solmundson
Chenin Burne, Em Eather and Nat Taylor show off the uniforms of WWI nurses. Picture: Jon Solmundson The Geraldton Guardian
Michael Alvares has just returned from flying kites at festivals in India, but with Alleron Hill and Rae-Vynn Calyum to help him he manages to bring out the skyfishing line to catch a bit of the Geraldton ocean breeze.
Raptor rescuer Janelle Ende gives her new patient, 12 week old barn owl “Willow”, a well deserved scratch under the chin. Picture: Jon Solmundson
Local historian Stan Gratte has been awarded a lifetime membership by the Wonthella Progress society. Picture: Jon Solmundson

With three papers to print a week, plus a quarterly magazine, Geraldton Newspapers had a constant need for quality photography, produced with efficiency—and I greatly enjoyed capturing the lively personalities of the Mid West.

Snorri Program (2015)

As part of the Snorri Program, which enabled people of Icelandic ancestry to study in Iceland and connect with their roots, I took a number of photos to document my time and for the program to use in their activities for promoting activities to the Icelandic-Canadian community. My photographs were featured, along with some words, in the Icelandic-Canadian newspaper Lögberg-Heimskringla and on the Snorri Program website.

Ryerson Eyeopener (2015)

Ross never takes off his hat, and rarely smiles, but he does appreciate a good joke. Taken in Toronto, ON, 20th of March, 2015.
Ross has long since gotten used to working with bare hands in the cold, and the constant motion of wittling down bird shapes from pine blocks keeps him warm. Taken in Toronto, ON, 20th of March, 2015.
Ross Ramirez carves hunting decoys along Yonge street, Toronto, ON – a hobby he’s had since childhood. Taken 20th of March, 2015.
The Ryerson Rams make an early slam dunk and take charge of the first quarter against the McMasters Marauders. Basketball game at Ryerson MAC, Toronto, in the Coca Cola Stadium, February 4th.

While I had originally travelled to Toronto hoping to take up radio journalism, due to some unfortunately timed staff cuts the radio faculty wasn’t available to exchange students. The photojournalism courses that replaced them, lead by veteran photojournalist Peter Bregg, and my subsequent contributions to the Ryerson Eyeopener were extremely helpful in developing my photography skills – both for news and feature.

Ryerson Student Learning Centre Exhibit (2015)

Students take advantage of the sixth floor ‘casual space’ in Ryerson University’s new Student Learning Center. Taken in Toronto, ON, March 9th, 2015. Contrast increased, levels altered, to create sillhouette.
Students take advantage of the sixth floor ‘casual space’ in Ryerson University’s new Student Learning Center. Taken in Toronto, ON, March 9th, 2015. Contrast increased, levels altered, to create sillhouette.
Students film the streets from the fourth floor viewing window of Ryerson University’s new Student Learning Center. Taken in Toronto, ON, March 12th, 2015. Hue increased, contrast increased, levels altered, to create more dynamic lighting/colour.
1st Floor lobby of Ryerson University’s new Student Learning Centre, reflected in a window from the second floor. Taken in Toronto, ON, March 12th, 2015. Levels altered, hues adjusted, to fix whitebalance in combined fluro/daylight environment.

With Ryerson University finally opening the doors on its expensive, multi-year construction project there was a call to produce an exhibit of photos which would show the new facility in use, with the dual purpose of creating an attractive visual feature for the new building and demonstrating its value. Four of my photos were selected for display in this exhibit.