I’m certainly no expert in mental health and do not presume for a second that my advice is a solution for serious mental health issues. The trend towards more open conversation about our mental health is very positive and I encourage anyone who is struggling with mental health issues to speak with friends and family and to seek professional help when required.

As a photojournalist for the better part of three decades I have been fortunate to have had opportunities to document many world events, both joyous and incredibly tragic. It is the nature and most vital component of journalism that we bear witness to history in order to record it accurately and with sensitivity for the world to see, to feel, and to learn from. It is impossible to imagine that exposure to tragic events, either brief, prolonged, or repeated over years of work does not have some level of impact on the mental health of the professionals who share stories from around the globe. Yes journalists choose to work in these environments, as do soldiers, doctors, firefighters, police officers, paramedics, and so on. But it is only in recent years that PTSD among soldiers and first responders has really been getting the attention it deserves and in my personal experience the journalism field lags far behind in addressing the needs of its professionals.

Haiti 2010Stenlove Migine, 8, in her white dress, walks home from her father's funeral on Jan. 20, 2010. The whereabouts of her mother were unknown. The earthquake that struck Haiti on Jan. 12 , 2010 devastated the country and left hundreds of thousands of people dead, suffering and homeless. But 45 per cent of HaitÕs population is children, and these survivors are among the most disoriented and vulnerable. Many are confused, have lost their parents, their homes. Separated from their families many have taken shelter in camps or orphanages, been taken in by relatives or have just been picked up by strangers. Many can be found wandering alone, foraging for food, or looting with violent mobs. Their lives have become a thing of nightmares, but yet, the resiliency of a child could still be found amongst the destruction as some children played with kites, and soccer balls, and doing their best to be children. There is a myth that the camera acts as an insulator between the photographer and what they are shooting. In my opinion this couldn’t be further from the truth.

When we are making images the level to which we must visually engage with what we are photographing is elevated far beyond the glance we can give something with our naked eyes. It is the details in a scene that we cannot look away from while we wait for that moment when the image is strongest. We cannot look away when looking becomes too difficult. And we cannot be cold to the people whose lives we are portraying. It is those photojournalists who feel compassion and empathy for the individuals they interact with who are able to tell their stories in the most effective way. If you can remember an image that has left an indelible mark on your psyche then imagine what the person who lived and worked through that moment must feel.

If you choose to work in these environs, or know someone who does, perhaps there are things you might do to mitigate the impact of these moments.

In my career I have enjoyed beauty and have shed tears of sadness in hospitals, conflict zones, and during natural disasters. Telling any story honestly in challenging circumstances can be difficult but I will always look for moments of beauty - no matter how small - that give me hope and a brief break from everything else that is going on.

Rarely have these images been published but they are important to me because they show hope and human resilience when surrounded by chaos. They are a reason to smile when there are few, and a memory to look back upon that can be a distraction from the more dire details of that period in time.

Refugee portraitRefugee girl, and her tortoise in Mogadishu, Somalia. In Haiti I encountered a little girl in a white dress walking along a rubble-strewn street following the 2010 earthquake there. She was walking home with her uncle after a funeral for her father. There was no single assignment harder to photograph than Haiti in 2010 - physically, logistically, and emotionally - but I think that being able to find something to smile about, even if for only a brief moment, helped me get through those terrible days.

While in Mogadishu, Somalia I most unexpectedly stumbled upon a refugee girl and her pet tortoise. I was working on a story about mental health in Mogadishu and was visiting a very run-down warehouse that was being used as a mental hospital by a local doctor. In the courtyard I came across the little girl whose family had fled from conflict and famine and had found shelter inside a single, dilapidated room. She simply sat there, looking strong and confident, and allowed me to make images as her tortoise slowly tried to inch out from beneath her. n That scene, stark contrast to the famine around her, will bring a smile to my face until the end of my days.

Outside of Kabul, Afghanistan, a country whose people have endured centuries of war, I was able to photograph some school children playing among the ruins neighbouring their schoolhouse and was struck by their laughter as they danced.

KABUL CDNS_PMP070.JPGChildren play inside the rubble strewn Naswar Primary girls school in the village of Tangi Seyyedan. Most of the school has been destroyed during past fighting. Twice before NGO's have promised a new school, but nothing has been done.(Photo by Peter Power) These images may be few, but they are a regular staple of my work and endure as reminders to me of all that is good and beautiful in the world. When I look back on my career and my images I realize that I never set out to find these moments of respite from an often cruel reality, but I can see now how they have helped me focus on something uplifting instead of something much worse when I needed it.

Today I find peace and tranquility in the company of family and friends; most often surrounded by nature. My personal images, and often my approach to making them, help me slow down and appreciate the wealth of love and joy in my life.

Dealing with mental health issues is of course not as simple as thinking positively or finding a distraction from the world around us. It is not just a matter of finding something to smile about. Our mental health needs to be taken seriously regardless of who we are, what we do, or where we live. We are all a family and need to trust in others, share our thoughts, speak our minds, and provide encouragement and support in whatever forms that may take.

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Forest Texture 01Similar textures in the limestone and a tree on the Bruce Trail at Split Rock Narrows side trail in Mono MIlls, Ontario. Forest Texture 02Various shapes on a mushroom peppered with snow add texture in this image from the Bruce Trail at Split Rock Narrows side trail in Mono MIlls, Ontario. Defined as the visual and especially tactile quality of a surface texture can provide great opportunities for photographers to make images that may not be obvious at first glance. This is one reason why, as photographers, we need to look harder to see (and then capture) images that others may not even imagine.

Texture may be subtle, found throughout a scene, or be the dominant element in a fine detail shot. It may be simply be apparent in the finer details of your subject or only be visible when the light falls in just the right way.  To capture texture you first need to see it, and then you need to find the best time and method to capture it.

You may find good textures in subjects that have similar shapes or patterns, like the image of the tree against the limestone cliff. Other textures may reveal themselves in contrasting shapes. The image of the leaf and other forest debris on the mushroom is helped by the fine crystals of ice throughout. Sometimes it depends on how the light is falling on a subject for the texture to be revealed so you need to imagine how the appearance of the subject may be altered depending on the light.

This is where an understanding light and shadow and the impact they have on every image is very important. Why do photographers venture out in early in the morning? Or later in the day? Of course the warmth of the light at these daytime extremes is quite nice, but beyond that the lower angle of the sun adds shape and contrast, and helps to reveal detail in your subjects. This is texture.

If you’re not out looking when the light is interesting you may not see textures that are right in front of you. Consciously look for textures and if the light isn’t right in the moment make a mental note and revisit the scene another time. By this I mean another time when the light falls on your subject at an angle that helps to create highlights and shadows and reveals all of those rich textures.

Mr. ButcherMr. Butcher pauses while fixing up his garden late in the afternoon in rural Nova Scotia. Think of photographers who add or completely light their subjects with artificial light. Rarely are lights placed directly behind or above your camera. Photographers place their lights off camera, at angles that will help give their subjects shape, and of course, texture. If you have a subject whose face is “full of character” you want to have your light, natural or artificial, at an angle to your subject in order to create those areas of light and shadow and enhance the those facial textures. [A very common exception to this is the use of beauty dish where the light falling squarely upon the subject reduces the apparent skin texture and “softens” the skin in a very flattering way. Shadows on the sides of your subject may still be present which helps give shape, but the fine textures will have been largely eliminated. More to come on this in a future blog.]

Remember that with every image you shoot, you may wish to consider if the effect you are hoping for will look better in black and white, or colour. Textures may naturally look better in colour but don’t discount how a conversion of your image to black and white may really help those textures pop. The choice is yours so play with the possibilities.

While shutter speed is one of the three necessary elements to be adjusted along with aperture and ISO for a proper exposure there is far more that to consider if you’re to make the best use of your camera to create the memorable images you crave.

CFL: 1/1000 sec @f4, ISO160020170715 CFL Hamilton Tiger Cats B.C. Lions - Hamilton Tiger-Cats Brandon Banks (16) pushes off off BC Lions defensive back T.J. Lee (6) during first-half CFL action in Hamilton on Saturday, July 15, 2017.

Let’s not get too technical

While there are many technical factors to be considered when choosing a shutter speed I am not going to go into any of it in-depth here. Shutter speed is simply the amount of time, measured in fractions of seconds [or whole seconds] during which the mechanical or electronic shutter of your camera is opened, allowing light to pass through the aperture of the lens to strike the camera’s film plane or image sensor.

You need to understand that your choice of shutter speed will be dependant upon the speed of movement of your subject, the focal length of your  lens, the stability of your shooting platform, and the artistic effect you hope to achieve.

Simply put, to freeze peak action you need to choose fast shutter speeds - in the 1/500 sec range and higher - while still lifes or slower moving subjects can easily be photographed with slow shutter speeds as long as you are able to steady yourself appropriately. The general rule of thumb is that 1/60 sec is the minimum shutter speed for handheld photography, although with practice many photographers are able to shoot much, much slower than this.

Freeze the Moment

Assuming you have a suitable lens, decent light, and an interesting subject you should have no problem photographing peak action and keeping your image sharp, both in terms of focus and motion blur. This is where you may need to increase ISO in order to get the fastest shutter speeds possible. If you need your shutter speeds to be higher and you must sacrifice a small amount of image quality by boosting your ISO then do so.

Motion Blur

Don’t think for a moment that you cannot shoot action if you don’t have the best equipment or the light available to you is poor. This is where you can use your imagination to use shutter speed in some creative ways.

Many photographers allow a certain amount of motion blur into their images on purpose, creating very dynamic photographs that bring life to the subject matter. If you’re using slow shutter speeds in this manner you may need to brace yourself depending on how much of your image you want sharp.

Motion is relative

The other creative method for incorporating slow shutter speeds into your work is called panning. Panning the method of matching the speed of your subject as it moves with the movement of your lens. Since motion is relative you can essentially eliminate movement in portions of your frame by equalling the movement of your subject during a slower exposure. Since your camera and lens will now be moving “relative to” the background this is where the motion will now appear. Panning takes practice and getting an image is often the result of trial and error. The shutter speed at which you can pan is heavily dependant on the speed of your subject and how smooth you can pan with them. Objects moving in one direction perpendicular to you are more easily panned that those that are changing their position on two planes relative to you.

NAIG: 1/15th sec @f22, ISO200NAIG Athleyics - Women race down the opening chute during 2017 North American Indigenous Games X-country 16U competition held at the UofT-Scarborough campus in Toronto, Ontario on July 17, 2017.(NAIG2017/Peter Power) With both methods success will often mean having the focus of your image sharp while allowing motion blur to dominate other portions of the photograph, although it can be quite interesting and/or effective to have an image that is completely filled with some level of motion. There are other techniques that incorporate slow shutter speeds that I will write more about in future blogs. One incorporates the use of slow shutter speeds with flash, and the other is the use of extremely long exposures, sometimes measure in minutes, to achieve some very cool effects.

Knowing how you can be creative with shutter speed will help you to prioritize your settings and help you to simplify the entire photographic process. Go shoot, experiment, and don’t be discouraged by the amount of images that don’t work. You only need one gem from your series to shine.

Every photographic exposure is based upon the exposure triangle. The three elements of the exposure triangle, ISO, shutter speed, and aperture need to be set in combination to achieve an appropriate exposure. The rule of equivalent exposures states that if you change any of these variables you must change one or both of the others to achieve the same exposure you started with. So how then do you decide where to begin?

Bokeh ExampleDundas Valley, Hamilton, Ontario on Saturday, October 15, 2016.(Photo by Peter Power)

Artistic impact

Understanding the artistic impact that aperture has on your images will allow you to make critical decisions to produce the images you have in mind from any particular scene. The ability to manipulate aperture (and shutter speed) is what differentiates a person who records a given scene and the person who is actively makes a memorable photograph from it.

Aperture, which is measured in f-stops, is the physical opening of the iris or diaphragm of the lens. Just as the iris of your eye adjusts itself according to the level of light available a photographer is able to open and close the aperture of the lens. Aperture is measured in f-stops and the terms “open up” or “stop down” are most often used to describe the process of changing your f-stop to open up or stop down the opening of the lens. The mathematics behind the f-numbers requires more space than I have here but you should understand that they generally range from f2.0 to f32. What you need to know is that the lower f-number, f2.0 is a very wide open aperture that allows a lot of light while f32 is a very small aperture which allows a much smaller amount of light to pass through the lens during a given time frame.

Shallow Depth-of-Field

The aperture you choose impacts the depth-of-field (DOF) of your image or the area of acceptable sharpness before and beyond your point of focus. Many portrait and documentary photographers today choose to work with the lower f-numbers (shallow DOF) which helps to separate your subject from the background. Lenses with large apertures like f1.2 and f1.4 have become very popular despite their higher price tag. The aesthetic quality of the blur in out-of-focus areas in an image, known as bokeh, has become quite popular with amateurs and professionals alike. The use of very shallow depth-of-field not only separates your subject from the background but the out-of-focus areas themselves very much help make the image unique.

Portrait from Nunavut - Shallow Depth-of-FieldPeter Ningeosiak, 73, and eleven of his family members reside in his small, three-bedroom house in Cape Dorset, Nunavut on November 10, 2010.

At the other end of the spectrum landscape photographers and those using long-exposure techniques (a topic for another blog) choose to work with their lenses stopped down to their smallest openings, usually f22 or f32. This allows them to have sharp, crisp detail in their foreground elements as well as distant objects.

If you understand depth-of-field and how to control it you can then prioritize your aperture setting to give you the look you desire. You have now taken control of your settings and once again the complicated exposure triangle has been reduced to a single element. Because your ISO will likely be the first thing you set at any given shoot there remains only shutter speed to be adjusted to find your perfect exposure and give you the artistic effect you’re looking for.

With this knowledge your imagination and creativity can more readily be applied to the technical decisions needed to elevate the quality of your images. I encourage you to get out with your camera, experiment a little, make mistakes, and learn from all of them.

Your mind’s eye

The one key element that makes or breaks a photograph is the photographer’s ability to decide what your final image will look like before ever bringing the camera to your eye. This ability to “see” an image and its importance to successful image making cannot be understated. Once you understand what it is you want to accomplish with the camera the rest becomes mechanics. You must decide what is in front of you that you want to capture and how you can best use the tools available to you. You must make this decision and commit to it.

The manipulation of the tools of photography, the craft if you will, is what most people are able to learn. But the creative aspect remains heavily dependant on the eye of the photographer. Some say that you either have an eye for a photograph, or you do not. The photographers whose work stands out certainly have a unique eye - a unique way of seeing the world - that differentiates them from the masses. But if you are able to master the tools of photography to match what you see in your mind’s eye you will have made great progress toward a dramatic improvement in your own images.

Children play on an Innu swing, a Ueuepeshun, at an Innu camp on the western shores of Mistastin Lake, in the interior of northern Labrador on Sept. 21, 2014. Community leaders from Natuashish have come to these traditional Innu hunting grounds to help some of their young men and boys discover some of their culture and form better community bonds. The hope is that fewer of them will follow a path of substance abuse that has plagued these communities for many years.

Today’s cameras can be quite intimidating and do not easily inspire confidence in a struggling learner. The seemingly endless amount of features to choose from all need to be understood and navigated in order to make the best use of all the cameras have to offer. But, if your goal is to make great, thoughtful, inspiring images, you might consider simplifying your process. This simplification begins with knowing what you want and then using the tools available to make it happen.

I encourage my students to resist being intimidated by the plethora of dials and buttons and to reduce the necessary adjustments for their photography to a bare minimum. In practice there are only a few adjustments that one needs to concentrate on, and these become even more simple once you understand their relationship to one another and how they will impact your final image.

Basic exposure involves the choice of shutter speed, aperture and ISO - the exposure triangle. Add on an understanding of how focal length, focus point selection, and composition impact an image, and you have the makings of good photographs. There is no avoiding having to learn the relationship of the elements in the exposure triangle. A reliance upon an automatic camera mode may result in some pleasing images but will not necessarily give you the images you had in mind.

Shoot in manual mode

You must take control to make the most of your creativity to get the images you envision. This means working in manual mode. With a clear goal for your final image(s) you can then prioritize your settings and check them off one by one starting with the setting that will have the most impact on the final image. Doing so will reducing the confusing exposure triangle to a single variable that you adjust for the best exposure.

If shallow depth of field is your goal, for a portrait for example, you would choose the lowest ISO possible for the situation and set your lens aperture to the widest available. The final setting to adjust will be the shutter speed. This process can be repeated if you understand what the various camera settings will do for you and you make decisions to make your image a certain way. Once the creative decision is made and you know which variable will most impact it the other variables became secondary.

It can be a frustrating process trying to figure out how to get the images you want. There will be times you are pleased with your results but more often than not you may find yourself scratching your head and asking why your images did not meet your expectations. Professionals and skilled photography enthusiasts make the creation of memorable images look far easier than it really is. Try not to compare your photography to the works of those you admire, but rather use their images as inspiration for your own vision.

Do your homework to equip yourself with the basic technical know-how. Once you understand how creativity is impacted by your choices you will be free to make decisions and see pleasing results more often.

Preparation is key

Perhaps it’s my previous military training or simply a personal need to be organized down to the smallest detail, but past experience certainly contributes to how I prepare for every shoot and for every outing. Seasoned wilderness travellers know the safeguards necessary to ensure your ability to enjoy yourself and get home safely; preparation is the key.

Limehouse after fresh snowAt Halton Hills Conservation Area during fresh snowfall in Halton Hills, Ontario on Saturday, February 10, 2018.(Photo by Peter Power)

Always let someone know where you are travelling, and when you are expected home.

Prepare by researching the weather, looking at maps of the area you’ll be in, download maps to your smartphone (in case you lose your cell signal), as well as a navigational app or two. I use MapMyHike+, Canada Maps, or AllTrails to keep track of my location but I’m old school so I still insist on carrying a paper map and compass with me in the woods.

Canada Maps App for Navigation Using the Canada Maps App to log position while hiking on the Bruce Trail in Noisy River Provincial Park in Creemore, Ontario on Saturday, February 3, 2018.(Photo by Peter Power) You cannot beat local knowledge

Seek out local knowledge to better understand areas that might provide you with some great photographs but also where you might want to avoid or road/trail intersections which may cause you problems.

In the city or in the wilderness take some time to make note of key landmarks. Experts suggest taking photographs of unique features or prominent intersections, especially where you change directions. This should be easy for photographers, as long as we don’t mind making the odd snapshot just for safety’s sake.

Keep track of where the compass points are relative to you. Where is North, and in which direction is your destination or closest safe point?

Navigate safely home

If you do wander off the trail, or take a side street, stop before going too far and have a look back the way you came. This mental picture will help you navigate back to the trail/main street once you’ve captured and image of what caught your eye in the first place.

At the moment you realize you may have lost your way maintain your position and employ the STOP method of finding your way again. Stay calm, think about where your “error event” may have occurred, observe the area around you to find recognizable features, and plan how you will move from this point without getting lost further. This is the point where you should begin marking your trail clearly so if worst comes to worst you will be able to find your way back to this point - which may be the closest point to your original trail/route.

Remember, anytime you venture out it’s a good idea to bring along a few safety items. At minimum, bring some extra food and water, a map and compass, an emergency thermal blanket (space blanket), a first aid kit, a lighter, a flashlight, and a smartphone for when you do get a signal again.

Track and Tower TrailOn the Track and Tower Trail in Algonquin Park, Ontario on Sunday, December 10, 2017.(Photo by Peter Power)

Anyone who has ever had frozen fingers or toes has experienced the pain and nausea when the blood finally starts to slow into your extremities again. There are a few basic things you can do that will not only dramatically decrease your chances of getting the “screaming barfies” but will allow you to concentrate on capturing the great winter images you desire.

The bare necessities

All things metal, including our cherished cameras, lenses and tripods, become heat sinks in sub-zero temperatures. You cannot avoid handling your equipment so the first thing I want to stress is the use of a pair of thin gloves or glove liners. Avoid holding your cold gear with bare hands or exposing your bare skin to the elements for any period of time. The effects of windchill on exposed skin can be swift and serious. To protect against this I wear gloves made with wind-stopping fabric that are small enough to fit inside a larger pair of over mitts. I keep a small carabiner attached to my clothing or backpack to ensure that my over mitts don’t get lost on the trail, are easily accessible, and remain free of snow. Many brands of thin liner gloves are now made so that you can use a smart phone without taking them off. This is handy if you are using a helpful photography app like The Photographer's Ephemeris or similar.

Get a grip

Warm, waterproof boots and a pair of traction devices like YakTrax (or crampons for serious ice) will keep your feet warm and you upright and injury free. I always purchase an extra pair of thermal insoles for my winter footwear. Inevitably you will find yourself standing for a spell making your long exposures images or time lapse projects. This is when the frozen ground or ice beneath your souls you will zap the heat from your feet very quickly. A small investment in some good socks - I prefer wool - and some thermal insoles will help protect against this.

Track and Tower Trail, Algonquin Park

Layer Up!

Adding and removing layers of clothing is the key to staying warm and dry. Avoid working up a sweat as damp clothing will draw heat quickly from your core. A prolonged period of time with a reduced body temperature and no way to warm yourself will not only distract you from your photography but can prove life-threatening. I pack a huge down jacket that I can throw on over everything else to stay warm if I’m stationary for a lengthy period of time.

A balaclava or a buff will help keep the chill (and spindrift) off of your neck and can be pulled over your face when it’s biting cold. Chemical hand and toe warmers can be useful and a thermos of hot tea or chocolate is always a good idea.

Finally, I always carry a small pack of basic equipment which includes a small first aid kit, headlamp, knife, and a method for making fire. Educate yourself, review your systems, invest in the items that will keep you warm and your cameras working in the cold (last week’s blog) and go make some great images.

Good luck!

Battery performance is decreased in sub-zero temperatures but it’s important to know that they are not necessarily draining more quickly. Despite what your camera may suggest a battery indicating a low charge can often be resuscitated simply by warming it up. I  recommend having at least two batteries per camera body with the spares being carried close to your body where it will remain warm. Make a switch whenever the cold battery is indicating a low charge and each time you’ll discover that the once "depleted" battery inside your clothing will now indicate a greater charge. Continue this routine throughout the day and you’ll get much more life out of your batteries.

Not all batteries are created equal so shop carefully. I prefer to stay away from third-party manufacturer’s batteries because sometimes they do not hold a charge as well and may not “communicate” with your camera to provide you will the battery level. This is the case some after-market batteries made for the EOS 1D Mk IV, which is why I now make the investment and purchase only the Canon batteries.

Chemical hand warmers are a great addition to your kit that will not only keep your hands and feet warm in a pinch but can be used to keep your batteries warm, even while shooting. As part of a larger series on the Arctic I shot a three-hour time-lapse above the arctic circle - during a very short day - and needed to leave the camera in the elements to do its thing. To help preserve my battery’s function I left the 5D MkIII body I covered it with a waterproof cover and taped a hand warmer to the body adjacent to the battery compartment. It worked like a charm! Arctic TimelapseA collection of short time-lapse videos from a 2013 trip across the Canadian Arctic with Ian Brown for The Globe and Mail. When shooting extreme long exposures or time-lapses in the cold the possibility of your lens fogging up is very real. A simple solution is to wrap a hand warmer or two around the body of your lens. A bit of tape or elastic bands can be used for the temporary fix.

Condensation on and inside your equipment can be another danger which may limit the lifespan of your equipment. If you are moving your gear inside at all condensation will form when the warm air comes into contact with the cold air surrounding the camera. Everything will fog up, possibly including the elements inside your lenses. Should you then go back out into the cold you will have a major problem with ice on, and possibly inside your camera. The way to avoid this is to seal your gear inside an airtight bag before going inside. The condensation will form on the exterior of the bag and not on your gear. Carry a few ziplock bags in a variety of sizes that will fit your equipment and keep them where they can be easily accessed. These bags now come large enough to fit a full camera bag in if need-be.

Remember that snow is solid and will not leak inside or melt on your equipment. Even if your camera is buried in powder you can simply brush it off, give your lens a wipe, and get back to making photographs. Just don’t use something warm on your lens, or blow on it because that is when you will leave fog or water residue behind.

Next week I’ll share my system for staying warm while shooting in winter.

We Built This - Communitech - Vol. 1 In the the past couple of years my work has ranged from writing a 5,500 word essay to accompany my images from a self-assignment in Natuashish, Labrador to a book of creative portraits of technology industry leaders for Communitech, all shot on location using Profoto lights. Both were very different but satisfying professional achievements.

I was very pleased to see my story, Hunting Demons in Labrador, given five pages in The Globe and Mail, and a wealth of space and promotion on-line. Sharing such a wonderful experience with the people of Natuashish was a privilege I will never forget and it was an honour to be able to draw some attention back to the many challenges faced by the people who populate Canada's remote northern regions with a story that is both chilling and to a small degree, encouraging. My thoughts still go daily to the people I've met I'm my travels and wish them  continued success in their struggle to make their communities happy and healthy places for families to grow and prosper.

(Peter Power/The Globe and Mail) Smoke from oil stoves heating temporary housing tents for workers at the Baffinland Iron Ore mine site at Mary River, Baffin Island, Nunavut.

Then the proverbial shit hit the fan, and news came that three of the four staff photographers in Toronto would be getting layoff notices on Feb. 5th. Fawk!

There was no math to be done. No bumping. No uncomfortable union shit. Myself and two talented colleagues had essentially been shown the door. Another friend who has been working as a part-time photo editor is sadly gone as well, along with about 30 others. It was a sad, sad day.

Its a hard pill to swallow on the best of days, but to say it wasn't somehow expected would be a lie. I simply didn't think it would happen quite the way it did, and I didn't expect our department to be hit so hard. There will remain only two staff photographers for Canada's National Newspaper; one in Toronto and one in Vancouver.

"Oh well!" necessarily became my motto for the rest of the week.  There were only a few days left until publication of what would essentially be my last hurrah as a staffer at The Globe and Mail. I have been determined to accept the layoff for what it is and to maintain a positive outlook on the future. Thoughts beyond the coming days needed to be kept in the back of my mind, and if they did creep forward I didn't want them to compromise the work I still needed to do with a great team to make The North project as good as we possibly could.
 

(Peter Power/The Globe and Mail) Walrus hunter Nuna Parr's footwear is made from sealskin, which when sewn with traditional methods is waterproof.

Everyone who touched this work gave a fantastic effort, and it will forever stand out in my memory as one of those assignments that was done right from its inception through to publication. In the office I spent a huge amount of time with our web team and our newspaper layout designers. The new web publishing tool rolled out for  The Magnetic North on the web is brilliant thanks to them, and the paper was no less so impressive. If you haven't opened this link on a computer with a large screen I suggest you do so. It is a model we are all very proud of.

We also elected to return to larger photography galleries for this series and two from my work were published in similar formats. A Kaleidoscopic Portrait of the North and Twilight in Canada's North are the two titles of these galleries. I've been joking that this has been the "blue period" of my career. The incredibly unique, and very cool blue light in the north is half of that equation. The rest you can figure out I'm sure.

(Peter Power/The Globe and Mail) A young boy hides from the biting cold while his mother walks backward to protect her own face in Igloolik, Nunavut.

I doubt this will be the last of my work published in The Globe and Mail, but my career is about to take a dramatic turn. I am excited about the possibilities that lay before me and while I am determined to continue working on stories that matter to me, and to continue to work as a photojournalist, I will also be seeking out new challenges with photography, video and multimedia.

Journalism has always been my first love, and the reason I became a photojournalist. This will never change. But our evolving world has provided people in our profession with a wealth of opportunities in many, many areas and I would be a fool not to be excited about new challenges, new adventures, new techniques, and a new and varied group of people to work with.

Beginning in April I will be making images for which I will be the first copyright holder for the first time in my career. That is very exciting to me.

And so, I was laid off one week and published insanely well the next. Bittersweet indeed! But the sky is the limit from here on. Bring on the next 25 years!
 

A Yorkville, Toronto bicyclist sends pigeons scattering. (Photo by Peter Power)

Your personality. This is the piece of the puzzle that is impossible to teach aspiring photographers, but is perhaps the thing that contributes most to the images you are able to capture. Your demeanour, your interaction with people, your ability to approach others without triggering defence mechanisms, your honest face, and genuine interest in people are all personal traits that will pay off in spades as a photographer, as well as in life.

A great hat at the Bloor Gladstone Library in Toronto. (Photo by Peter Power)