The beginning of my love for photography started over 20 years ago. I remember sitting on the floor in the unfinished storage area of the basement, looking through old boxes of my mom’s photos and memorizing my favorite ones, asking about them. In my last year of elementary school I carried around dollar store disposable cameras and took photos of anything I thought I wanted to remember (now I can't even tell what half of those photos are of!). My stepparents both photographed as a hobby, so I grew up around a lot cameras. When I was fifteen, I remember looking at some film images that my stepmom had shot at our family cabin, a little in shock at the quality and emotion it evoked in me. It was perfectly captured, in my hands, right in front of me - the feelings I get when I’m in my favorite forest, the deep green color and stillness of the air. It was a glimpse at a time in our lives in the trees, laughing and celebrating around a fire.
I didn't realize how deeply I loved photography until I was 18, travelling across Canada for 9 months alongside 11 roommates, volunteering for non-profit organizations with a program called Katimavik. My very first "gig" as a photographer was during that trip, taking photographs of a band I knew from back home. It was a show at a small community centre in the core of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. It was loud, the lights were very dim and I managed to produce shots I didn’t think were possible. It was moody and colorful and bright and dark all at once. Something inside me exploded. I needed to photograph. It was finally the way I was able to show how I saw the world, without having to use words. My love for photography grew rapidly from there, and I am so grateful for the chance to photograph moments or and tell stories.
- Paige