Blog
2024: A Year of Triumphs, Challenges, and Growth Behind the Lens
As the New Year has arrived, I find myself reflecting on 2024—a year that transformed my life and career in ways I could never have imagined. It was a year of incredible highs, humbling lows, and everything in between. Through it all, photography remained my anchor, my therapy, and my voice.
2024 brought a cascade of milestones that reaffirmed my passion for storytelling through the lens.
This year, I was deeply honored to receive:
These accolades weren’t just validations of my work but reminders of the power of photography to connect us with the natural world.
My work found new audiences through features in renowned publications like Digital Photo Magazine, Our Canada, Canadian Geographic (including my first paid piece!), Digital Photographer Magazine/Digital Camera World, and media platforms like CTV and CBC. Sharing these stories reminded me why I started this journey—to inspire, inform, and ignite change.
The Arctic called, and I answered. Partnering with the Churchill Northern Studies Centre, I embarked on an unforgettable expedition to Churchill, where I encountered over 100 polar bears, Arctic foxes, and more. The stark beauty of the Arctic left me in awe, and its fragility deepened my commitment to conservation.
In one of the most humbling moments of 2024, I sold out Canada’s largest photography club for my presentation—an achievement they’d never seen before in their long history. Standing before that room, filled with fellow photographers, was a moment I’ll carry with me forever.
Not everything about 2024 was easy.
Yet, even in these challenges, photography was my lifeline—a creative outlet that reminded me to look for beauty in the chaos.
Photography has always been more than just a profession for me—it’s my therapy. It has helped me navigate mental health struggles, process life’s challenges, and celebrate the moments that make life extraordinary.
This year, I used my platform to advocate for mental health awareness, conservation, and helping others. These causes are not just passions but driving forces behind everything I do.
The horizon for 2025 is bright, filled with opportunities to build on the foundation laid this year.
I’m launching Arctic Frontiers: Life at the Edge of a Changing World, a speaking and gallery tour that will blend breathtaking visuals from my Arctic expeditions with stories of resilience and environmental urgency.
I’ll continue using photography as a tool for healing and connection, with plans to expand my mental health photographic projects and begin production on a film documentary that explores the intersection of art, mental health, and conservation.
For the first time, I’ll be leading guided photography trips, helping others experience the magic of capturing the world’s beauty while telling their own stories. Please reach out and ask me more about this!!
The heart of my work lies in connection—connecting with nature, with people, and with the stories that make us human. Photography has given me a platform to inspire action, raise awareness, and foster a sense of wonder in the world around us.
As I step into 2025, I’m filled with gratitude for the journey so far and excitement for what’s to come. Thank you for being part of this story. Together, let’s make the next chapter even more impactful.
Here’s to 2025—a year of creativity, purpose, and connection. Stay inspired. Stay curious. And never stop capturing the moments that matter.
- Shaun