Open Shutter Live

Toronto based barber and creative, 416Sniper joins the pod to share his journey through barbering, photography, and finding purpose through creativity. What started as a profession quickly became the foundation that helped bring structure, discipline, and direction into his life. His love for basketball naturally blended into barber culture, inspiring him to pick up a camera and start documenting...

Toronto-based wedding photographer Daria Summers joins the podcast to share her journey as a business owner and creative. She talks about what she loves about capturing weddings, why client connection matters more than just making a sale, and the challenge of learning how to market herself in the North American industry after moving from Ukraine. Daria also opens up about balancing trends with aut...

Creator, entrepreneur, and business owner Sid Sawant joins the program to discuss his journey into content creation, what storytelling truly means to him, and why long-form narrative content still matters in a world obsessed with short attention spans. Sid shares how he began as an actor before pivoting into photography through headshots, later building a career in wedding and event photography. W...

Dancer, model, actor, musician, and poet Deiondre Hall joins the program for a conversation about artistry, discipline, and chasing your dreams without apology. Recently performing as a dancer for the Raptors 905, the G League affiliate of the Toronto Raptors, Deiondre shares how surrounding himself with the right people and support system has helped elevate his craft. Originally from Jamaica and...

Brittany Martin is a Toronto street and architecture photographer at heart, capturing the fleeting moments in the city. Brittany is drawn to contrasts that feel almost like visual riddles: crowded spaces that somehow feel empty, still moments inside motion, and fleeting human stories tucked between steel and glass. Lately, Brittany has been expanding the lens into portrait work while developing a...

Cinematographer Bianca Cline joins the program, live from Salt Lake City, Utah. With over 25 years in the film industry, Bianca’s journey spans films, commercials, and documentaries, evolving from her early days in Los Angeles to a career shaped by intention and resilience. She opens up about a pivotal shift in her career, recognizing she was saying yes to projects that didn’t light her up. That r...

Model and fine artist Becca Romero steps into the conversation, bringing a perspective shaped by both creative expression and human understanding. Starting her modeling journey at just 16, Becca shares how years in front of the camera built not only her portfolio, but her confidence, presence, and sense of self. What began as posing evolved into something deeper—a study of emotion, storytelling, a...

Meg brings a unique perspective shaped by an unexpected path, from social services to leading creative direction and mentoring entrepreneurs. She has oversaw 600 businesses in downtown Guelph, gaining a deep understanding of people, systems, and what makes something truly connect. At the core of Meg’s work is one belief: relationships matter. She leans into the messy middle, the raw, unpolished pr...

Actor, stand-up comic, visual artist, and photographer Brandon Zakkai (aka @visualshoegaze) joins the program for a conversation that blurs the lines between disciplines and dives deep into creative instinct. Known for his experimental approach to photography, Brandon works primarily with light and intentional camera movement, creating images that feel less like documentation and more like memory...

Wedding photographer Ed Yao joins the program to share his unconventional path into the world of wedding photography. Originally following in his father’s footsteps with a Master of Science, Ed took a year off to travel with a new camera in hand. What began as curiosity quickly turned into something deeper. He realized life in a lab wasn’t for him. As a natural extrovert, he craved connection, ene...

Filmmaker and photographer Justin Friesen joins the program to share his journey through the creative trenches of the music and film scene in Toronto. Justin originally studied film production with the goal of becoming a film director, but his path took an unexpected turn when his first paid project turned out to be a music video. That opportunity opened the door to the local music world and set h...

Canadian country singer Kip James joins the program to share the story behind his journey into music. Growing up in a household filled with classic rock, Kip didn’t discover country music until later in life. Once he did, something clicked. At 16, he began writing songs, putting thoughts and experiences onto paper and slowly shaping the sound that would become his own. Now 28, Kip reflects on the...

Kevin from Uncaged Photography joins the program to talk about the creative path that led him behind the camera. While his main profession is working as a personal trainer, photography has grown from a curiosity into a deep passion since he first picked up a camera back in 2010.The name behind his Instagram handle has an unexpected origin story. Kevin has long been interested in cosplay, and one o...

Giovanni McLeish started shooting cars alongside his boss, two enthusiasts chasing chrome reflections and clean body lines, quickly evolved into something deeper. Giovanni carved his path through car event photography and portrait work, embracing a jack-of-all-trades mindset while steadily refining his craft. Now, he’s intentionally narrowing his focus into the event and portrait space, where stor...

Ti-An DeMartines is a painter, photographer, yoga teacher, and manager at a vocational college. A graduate of York University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Ti-An’s artistic spark was lit early by her father, a hobbyist photographer whose images quietly shaped her eye. Today, she considers herself a travel photographer at heart, chasing landscapes, cityscapes, and wildlife with a sense of curiosity...

Creativity sometimes arrives disguised as catastrophe. Toronto-based photographer and creative director, Morgan Kitchen, joins the podcast with a story that bends in an unexpected direction. Originally from Savannah, Georgia, Morgan moved to Toronto in 2020, chasing new chapters and colder winters. He began in front of the lens as a model. Then life swerved. After being hit by a car and sidelined...

So Kim considers herself new to the industry, having picked up a camera in 2024, but she’s already making waves. She credits her outgoing nature and genuine love for connecting with people as the key to getting her foot in the door, building relationships that led to opportunities across photo and video events. Originally a Psychology major, So pivoted into content creation after realizing she’s a...

Jordan MacDonald is a photographer and videographer from Ottawa whose work has put him rink-side with professional hockey organizations, including the Ottawa Senators. But his story does not begin under arena lights. It starts in an 11th grade videography class, where a short film earned his group a perfect score and quietly flipped a switch. That moment led him to pick up a Sony camera, dive into...

We’re live from Seattle with Tariq, an iPhone photography enthusiast who finds beauty in the everyday moments most people pass by. Originally from Vancouver and an accountant by trade, Tariq is stepping into an exciting new chapter of life. Recently engaged and creatively reenergized, he’s redefining what photography means to him. Tariq lives by a simple but powerful mantra: **Passion. Vision. Opp...

To kick off the year, I’m joined by Konstantinos Kollias, founder of The One Word Brand, for a conversation that feels perfectly timed for fresh starts and new directions. Kostas breaks down how defining your brand in a single word is not a gimmick but a clarifying force that can reshape how you show up, create, and make decisions. At a time when everyone is setting resolutions and chasing clarity...

Street photographer Sean Danny joins the show to share his unique perspective and philosophy on the craft. Though his professional life is in learning and development—mentoring colleagues and guiding growth—Sean keeps photography as his personal outlet for creative expression, separate from his day job. He’s most at home photographing Queen Street West, a neighbourhood that inspires much of his wo...

Jeff De Haan is the other half of Mrs. Lightologist, Joanna (who recently joined us on the podcast). Like his wife, Jeff is drawn to street photography—though he admits he’s still finding his rhythm behind the lens. By day, he works as a courier, giving him a unique perspective on the city and endless inspiration for moments worth capturing. In this episode, Jeff opens up about imposter syndrome,...

Luke Grant is a Toronto-based street photographer who first picked up a camera out of necessity—and discovered a form of therapy. Working night shifts at a cancer centre with nobody around, left him craving human interaction, so he borrowed his wife’s camera and started wandering the streets, capturing life as it unfolded. Influenced by legends like Joel Meyerowitz and Alex Webb, Luke seeks to fre...

Joanna de Haan is a passionate Toronto street photographer with a love for capturing people and telling their stories. What began with taking photos of her son soon became a way of seeing the world differentlythrough faces, families, and fleeting moments that connect us all. Now, Joanna spends her time out in the community, meeting people where they are and documenting their memories with care and...

James Ding’s journey with photography began 20 years ago in Ottawa, experimenting with different styles and approaches. But it wasn’t until he started volunteering with non-profit events that he stumbled into what would become his true passion: street photography. Now based in downtown Toronto, James sees the city as a living stage. His commute isn’t just a routine — it’s an opportunity to catch f...