Open Shutter Live

In this episode, I sit down with Sharad, originally from India, he came to Canada as an international student—and found his creative calling through the lens of a camera. What began as a casual hobby became a powerful storytelling tool as he documented his life abroad. Photography opened doors, leading him to a mentor in videography and sparking a career that’s taken him through corporate events,...

Originally from India, Avijit “Knotty” Singh moved to Toronto in 2017 to study public relations. A photography course at school sparked a passion that soon took flight—literally. Now an aviator and photographer, Knotty captures breathtaking perspectives of Toronto from the sky, blending the thrill of flying with the art of storytelling through his lens. What began as a hobby soon gained traction:...

Originally from India, Kunal moved to Toronto and began exploring the city—and his creativity—through photography. Starting with just a Google Pixel, he quickly found inspiration during a trip to Banff with friends, which sparked his deeper passion for capturing the world around him. He eventually upgraded to Sony gear and hasn’t looked back. In this episode, Kunal shares:How photography helped hi...

Born in Nigeria, Josh moved to Alberta in 2012. Though he holds a degree in accounting, during the pandemic, he taught himself photography, and when sports returned, his passion evolved into storytelling through content creation. Josh followed his heart into sports media where he is now the Social Media Lead for the Saskatchewan Roughriders, helping lead one of the CFL’s largest and most dynamic c...

Meet Sujith, one half of the dynamic duo behind @theblurfocus on Instagram. Inspired by his partner’s love for portraits and color, Sujith reignited his own passion for photography — with a distinct focus on monochrome. His signature? Mastering light and contrast to craft striking, emotion-free images that let the viewer interpret the story. Active in the Toronto photography scene, Sujith draws in...

Originally from India, Arpan’s creative journey began with a simple desire to capture moments — even before he had the technical skills to do so. Overwhelmed by the many possibilities, he dabbled in everything, slowly honing his interests and discovering a deeper passion for photography. A friend introduced him to Instagram, and Arpan was immediately hooked. Through the platform, he connected with...

Jon is a passionate photographer who explores all styles—from landscapes to sports to street photography—placing no limits on his creativity. His work is deeply rooted in tech and crypto, attending major events like Collision and Futurist to document unique moments through his lens.🎭 The Human ElementWith an incredible eye for composition, Jon brings a unique perspective to every shot. While he d...

Meet Taha, a photographer, content creator, and YouTuber based in Toronto. Originally from Lebanon, he moved to Canada 2.5 years ago, leaving behind his career as a software engineer to follow his true passion—storytelling through photography and video.📸 Why Fuji? Taha’s creative journey took off when he purchased his first Fujifilm camera, diving deep into the exposure triangle and the art of co...

Start Where You Are. Use What You Have. Do What You Can. This is one of Elana's mottos which has helped her throughout her career. Elana found photography through film school which led her to working with various theatre groups where she flourished capturing cinematic BTS moments showing the human side of various performances. Through her portrait photography, she focuses on having the subject be...

Nikhil is a Events, Sports, and E-Shoots Photographer based out of Kitchener, Ontario. Nikhil's journey from picking up his first camera from Facebook Marketplace to shooting the local basketball team, KW Titans, led him recently to work with the Raptors 905 in the G League. He credits his work ethic, curiosity, and passion for capturing unique images that last. Understanding his skills had led hi...

Bob is a true outdoor athlete, being a runner, mountain biker, skier, and rock climber just to name a few of his passions. Another passion is photography in where he is able to capture truly unique places. Bob shares his insights, what he's willing to do for a photo, and how his start with film made him a better photographer. He tries to not let gear get in the way, he rather just get the shot any...

Darren McNabb recently retired from his real estate business and is now an avid photographer shooting everything from local landscapes to epic adventures around the world. Darren explains why his love for his previous business was starting to fade and knew it was the right time to transition into retirement. Even after retiring, he stresses the importance of having a purpose in your life, having t...

Jordan is a Toronto based Portrait, Event, and Headshot Photographer whose speciality is knowing how to use light to create unique images that clients love. Jordan recalls his experience of going to photography school, how he leveraged YouTube to gain knowledge, the power of mentorship, and what he does to prospect clients and gain business. If you're looking to make your side hustle full time...

Jason Foley returns in episode 141, his umpteenth time on the podcast, having shared his passion for macro, astro, and developing film previously. This time, he focuses on modular films cameras, the Hasselblad 500CM, BronicaS2, and the Mamiya RB67. What are their differences, how are they similar, and the price point for each. Jason's passion for photography stretches beyond the technical area...

In this episode of Open Shutter, I have the pleasure of welcoming Thanuja (TJ) who is a world traveller, having visited 50+ countries. In her travels, she has collected stories and insights into the creative process. A firm believer in the power of supporting local artists, TJ learns from others and applies this knowledge to her own process. However, TJ's creativity was in flux during her univ...

In episode 139, Boudoir Photographer Amy Cleary joins the program. Amy is a passionate and dedicated pro who always put the client first and make sure his/her needs are met. Amy explains how this niche is put in a box by peers and explains that boudoir photography has nothing to do with sex, it's about freedom and self expression. Amy shares her past experiences in dealing with models and shar...

Michael Lekas shares his experience of being a sports, model, and landscape photographer and how these different niches while all different, also compliment each other in certain ways. Michael got into film photography during high school and still kept up with it throughout his life, switching over to digital. He eventually got into motorsports photography. He shares his tips and tricks on how to...

I'm excited to welcome back Alice to the program, our last chat was an honest and raw conversation around creativity, being intentional, and how to actually achieve your goals. This time, we chat about how Alice's work has evolved, how she continues to be intentional, and why she continues to use vision boards. Alice is focusing on owning her voice, pushing out of her comfort zone, and cra...

Welcome to the 2025 Season Opener with local photographer, musician, and data scientist, Nishank Kumar! This is a great episode to open up 2025. Since we all have goals and resolutions at the start of each year, Nishank shares how he rebooted his creativity with photography after almost two years away. Our conversation includes the importance of community, pushing yourself out of your comfort zone...

Night Sky/Astro Photographer, Scott Visscher joins the program where he shares his early beginnings using a disposable camera in high school. The photography seed was planted as it was only a few years ago that he picked up a camera to dive into the craft and how to make a photo vs taking a photo. Scott shares his advice on how to capture the night sky, common mistakes photographers are doing, and...

Mike Dancy, aka UGC Dad on YouTube makes a return appearance on the podcast, this time discussing the ever changing world of User Generated Content. Mike has successfully navigated into becoming a full time UGC creator with minimal gear and experience. Mike shares his advice on how he landed his first clients, why being apart of the Amazon Influencer Program can help generate more income, and the...

Video Editor, and Producer, Music Artist, YouTube Creator, the list of titles is long for Chris Tarroza. Chris recently left Sportsnet where he produced NBA promotions including the Toronto Raptors. His decision to leave was based on not feeling fulfilled and wanting to step outside his comfort zone to produce work he was proud of. Chris has always been into music and started to experiment with pr...

Kasumi Kobo's journey from moving to Toronto from Japan with her dreams of playing hockey derailed, opened another opportunity to run her own business. She explains how she convinced her father that dropping out of university was the right move, the importance of failing fast, and staying true to your intuition. Using her experience as a player herself gave her a unique connection to working with...

Burhan joins me on this episode of Open Shutter, a successful wedding photography business owner. He tells the story of when going to university, he needed to buy a Macbook, whose owner, was a wedding photographer. This chance encounter led Burhan to shift his photography from urban/roof topping to wedding photography. He explains how he found his own creative voice in the industry through self ed...

GJ is a Toronto based fashion and commercial photographer serving a number of clients and agencies. He attended Toronto Metropolitan University for Fine Art during the pandemic. Finding himself isolated from his peers, he taught himself photography and lighting by simply practicing at his home everyday. His mantra of being intentional with your work and breaking down big goals into smaller project...