I'm Doug. Writer, Photographer, Vagabond.
I’m the guy behind the lens and Alberta, Canada is where you’ll find me these days. Having grown up right here in the small town of High River, I’m proud to call this part of the big, wide world home.
Photography has been a constant progression in my life and mixed with travel, writing, and now woodworking, it’s part of what keeps me ticking. I got my first Kodak film camera very young and used it to document the important things in my life at the time, like Ghostbuster toys, a new bike, and childhood pals of the mid 1980’s. Only ever really dabbling for fun over the years, I eventually decided to do something with it and attended SAIT College in Calgary, AB for the Journalism Arts program and graduated with honours as a Photojournalism major in 2004. Since then, I’ve been very fortunate to have some incredible experiences living and working around the world before returning to Alberta in 2013.
What Inspires Me.
Behind the lens I can get the same rush from capturing the tiniest detail in the texture of a mountainside wildflower petal, a split second facial expression of a guitarist at a punk rock show, or the action of my dog Atticus while out walking in the woods. It’s all life in fleeting moments and that is what I love about photography and how it captures them. There’s not one thing that I love shooting most and finding inspiration for a good photograph in anything is the challenge that keeps me pursuing it.
Being immersed in the beautiful, chaotic mess of my woodshop is also where I feel charged up. Covered in sawdust at 2 a.m. building a frame out of some old weathered wood plucked off the side of a barn and hand picked to go with a certain piece has brought balance to the technological and clean world of camera gear and computers and really provided the missing link in the creative process with my art. It’s where I can get lost and experiment with new ideas or techniques and allows me to build and shape my vision from start to finish.
Looking Ahead.
I think being ambitious and motivated to reach some goals in life is very important, but just as important is remembering to be present and grateful now. It’s a fine balance that I often battle with, but keeping a foot in both of those worlds and finding harmony between fulfillment and achievement is my ultimate goal.