Tom Trevatt 35/60

It’s been super nice this week, to have my buddy Tom Trevatt visit from the UK. Over the past couple of years, Tom and I have not only become friends but also creative colleagues through our shared passion for Headshots Matter. Tom is not just a remarkable portrait photographer; he’s also kind, honest and emotionally intelligent - all of which make him a great creative collaborator and a terrific friend.

It was great fun taking the doors off and exploring the Gatineau Hills.

Thanks Tom!

Tom Trevatt / Shot in the Gatineau Hills, Quebec.

Carley Schelck 34/60

It was lovely to see and photograph Carley Schelck this week. We were photographing Carley in the studio for some new professional branding headshots, and I couldn't resist taking a BW portrait for the 60 at 60 project.

It was fun to catch up with Carley and talk about her continued culinary passion project (and business), The Urban Element, along with its dynamic evolution. As many local folks know and remember, The Urban Element used to be located on Parkdale, in the old fire hall. Since the pandemic, it has been operating in a more versatile manner, utilizing and partnering with various physical spaces. Learning about that evolution took our conversation to interesting topics about leadership, working as a team, optimism, and the fun of constant reinvention. The fascinating outcome of our conversation was discovering that Carley and The Urban Element are not just a culinary company and owner; they both serve as a wonderful testament to the value of creative entrepreneurship.

Thanks, Carley, for sharing some time and your humble wisdom!

Carley Schelck / The Urban Element

Mark Vidalin 33/60

It was great to spend the evening with my buddy Mark Vidalin and his ‘56 MGA! Mark has been a friend for a really long time, and I've always been impressed by all that he does – from music to art, business ownership to family man, Mark wears all of these hats so wonderfully well! When we talked about a '60at60' portrait, I knew I wanted to photograph Mark with his car, as it has been his personal project throughout his adult life. He took it from a discarded car in a farmer's field to the classic beauty that it is today, right here in this field. Perhaps it poetically represents his patience and commitment to all things dear to him.

Thanks so much Mark!

Mark Vidalin / Musician, Artist, Business Owner and Loyal Friend

Perry Jackson 32/60

It was terrific to catch-up with Perry Jackson and his wife Tracy this past week in Halifax, where Perry runs a very successful commercial photograph studio - capturing both moving and still images. Perry is likely my oldest professional friend, with a friendship spanning over four decades. We first met when I was a photo assistant in the early eighties, then we become fast friends when Perry became my assistant, when I first started my commercial photography studio in 1983.

It was so great to share a few beers at a cool bar in the north end, called ‘The Local’, and talk about the fun days when we both were still cutting our creative teeth. And it was also great to still see, that no one tells a good story like Perry Jackson!

Thanks Perry, I’m truly grateful for all your creative support back in the early days and for your continued friendship!

Perry Jackson / Passionate Photographer + Preeminent Storyteller

Deborah Vail 31/60

It’s always a treat to see and visit my longtime and dear friend Deborah Vail. We’ve been friends for over 30 years and reconnecting in person, here in Halifax, has been lovely!

Deborah has enjoyed a long and successful design career in Calgary and Charlottetown, and I’ve always felt she was the best print designer I’ve ever worked with. Its awesomely cool that she now has the prestigious role as the senior graphic designer at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia.

Thanks so much Deb for your friendship and for braving the camera!

Deborah Vail / Halifax, Nova Scotia

Barry Styles 30/60

Last night, we had the opportunity to visit and share a delightful dinner with my dear friend Barry Styles and his wife Catherine at their home in Halifax. It’s been a long over due visit as it’s been well over 20 years since we last met in person. Back in the 90’s, while Barry owned and ran one of the best and busiest ad agencies in Calgary, I got to work with Barry and his team on many fun and important advertising projects. He wasn’t only the best connected man in town back then, he was also a dedicated business owner who took pride in getting the job done. Whether managing campaigns for the Calgary Stampede and other local and national brands, or assisting the Premier of Alberta with political messaging, he always did it remarkable strategy and unwavering integrity.

Thanks Barry and Catherine for the wonderful meal and even better conversation!

Barry Styles / Ketch Harbour, Halifax NS

Susan Odle 29/60

I had the pleasure of photographing Susan Odle in our studio, for an upcoming project that she will soon be unveiling. Susan is such a vibrant and driven person who exudes a cool and grounded energy that is very inspiring. She is super passionate about life and finding ways to blend one’s work skills and their creative passions. Keep an eye on Susan’s LinkedIn for her official unveiling!

Thanks Susan!

Susan Odle / Fixer | COO | Board Member | Creative | Mother | Mentor (and a whole lot of other things!)

Julia Scott 28/60

It was so lovely yesterday to meet up and get out for a photowalk with my dear friend Julia Scott! Julia is one of the nicest, most interesting free-spirits you’ll ever meet. She’s full of ideas, curiosity and optimism. Oh yeah, and she’s a pretty great photographer too! I’m truly grateful to call her one of my best friends.

Thanks Julia, for hanging out and getting on the other side of the camera for this!

Julia Scott / Intrepid Traveller + Cool Shooter

Jen + Djuna 27/60

It was such a pleasure to photograph Jen Sugar and Djuna Penn, in the studio a few weeks ago. Capturing a portrait of a couple is always such an honour, providing the opportunity to preserve a moment in time and, perhaps, a piece of family history!

Thanks so much, Jen and Djuna!

Jen Sugar and Djuna Penn

Lily Doré 26/60

It was such a treat and honour for me to photograph my step daughter Lily yesterday. It was an impromptu portrait, which is sometimes the best approach - less planning and more about embracing the moment!

Lily is courageous and kind, she’s an exceptionally loyal friend, she’s intelligent and curious, and she loves to make people laugh. I’m truly grateful and proud to have her as a part of my family!

Thanks Lily!

Lily Doré

Elsa Wiebe 25/60

Yesterday I had the opportunity to photograph Elsa Wiebe, who is an aspiring young artist. In addition to Elsa’s creative nature, she also has an overall calm and confident strength. During our shoot, it was fun to talk about inspiration and the potential paths in front of her. Regardless of the medium Elsa chooses for her art, I’m certain she will make a positive impact with her creativity.

Thanks Elsa!

Elsa Wiebe / Fine Arts Student

Al Brunet 24/60

It was great to catch-up and photograph Al Brunet last week. Al isn’t only one of the best creative directors in town, he’s also one of the nicest! During our shoot, we talked about the importance of collaboration and empowerment while leading a creative team. It’s cool how he mixes his many years of creative experience with his inclusive and problem solving nature to help organizations move their ideas and initiatives forward. Thanks Al, for the visit and for lending your kind face to the 60at60 project!

Al Brunet / Creative Director

Sekou Kaba 23/60

It was such a treat today to catch-up and photograph my friend Sekou Kaba! I first met Sekou back in 2017, almost a year after he ran for Canada in the 110m hurdles event, at the 2016 Rio Olympics. At the time, he was still busy competing as an athlete while also mentoring youth and doing motivational speaking engagements. I was always impressed by his humility, kindness and generosity as a person.

Sekou now splits his time between Canada and his home country of Guinea, keeping busy as an international entrepreneur. During today’s shoot we spoke about his various business ventures and how important it is to always move life forward, while embracing a constant state of learning. I love seeing how the determination and dedication he developed as a world class athlete, compliments his creativity and emotional intelligence so wonderfully.

Thanks so much Sekou, for making the time today!

Sekou Kaba / Olympian and International Entrepreneur

Julie Cafley 22/60

It was wonderful to photograph Julie Cafley the other day! She’s working on some pretty cool things these days, with her recent appointment as the executive director of Catalyst Canada, a global non-profit that works with over 500 corporation to drive inclusive workplaces. If that isn’t cool enough, Julie is off to New York this week, as she’s been chosen as a member of the Canadian delegation to the United Nations for the Status of Woman.

Pretty awesome, Julie!

Julie Cafley / Executive Director of Catalyst Canada

Tom Lawson and Sheila Casey 21/60

The 60at60 series wouldn’t be complete without a portrait of Tom and Sheila. They are active and ardent supporters of the Ottawa art scene and friends with many of the local artists in town. They travel often to interesting places where they find really cool and creative venues to experience. They love to volunteer locally and outside of our borders, which adds to their already full calendar of rich life experiences. They have creatively curated their home which is full of art (inside and outside on their front veranda), which makes visiting their home a pretty awesome cultural experience.

All of these reasons would be reasons enough to include them in this legacy project, but the real and better reason is, is that they are just really nice people. They truly care and are interested in their friends and also any new people they get to meet. And they really pay attention and are observant to the world. If you get to meet them on the street, at a cultural event or at a gallery opening and they ask you how you are, they really mean it. They listen to your answer, then ask you even more questions. When asked about their long marriage and happy life, they answer - “It’s pretty simple, we share the same energy and our default philosophy is that life is good and our future experiences will be fun and positive.” So yeah, I’m super glad and honoured to have them a part of the series!

Thanks Tom and Sheila!

Tom and Sheila / Ottawa’s Coolest Couple

Fanny Santamaría 20/60

It was great re-meeting and photographing Fanny Santamaría yesterday! Fanny moved from Bogotá, Colombia a dozen years ago and although she understandably misses her county and her family back home, she really loves the abundance of and easy access to nature here in Ottawa. After our shoot, we spoke about community and the importance of friends, especially having her family so far away. We also spoke about embracing adversity and differences and how, as Canadians, we need to cherish our sometimes delicate unity as a country.

Fanny also shared her passion for being a part of Ottawa’s Polar Plunge community, where she courageously faces the outdoor frigid water with a warm heart and her fun optimistic spirit!

Thanks Fanny!

Fanny Santamaría / Polar Plunger

Greg Pilsworth 19/60

It was really fun to photograph Greg Pilsworth this week for some corporate headshots as well as this 60 at 60 portrait. Greg has a pretty awesome job at Canada Foundation for Innovation, as a visual story teller. He gets to share informative content about many of Canada’s best research scientists with imagery, video and podcasts. To be able to do his job well, he mixes his creativity with his technical expertise, as well as years of extensive experience in the communication arts industry.

Thanks Greg, for being on the other side of the camera!

Greg Pilsworth / Visual Story Teller

Rosie 18/60

We just returned from a really terrific family cottage weekend. A weekend that was a pretty awesome experience bringing our two families together. It was also a weekend that my daughter Claire’s dog Rosie was a part of every moment. As I write this, I’m reminded how Rosie is so much more than just a dog or a pet, she’s also a really fun and comforting part of our growing family. So yes, she gets to be a part of the 60 at 60 series!

Rosie / Part of the Family

Clare Brennan 17/60

Anyone who is involved in the creative or design community here in Ottawa, knows who Clare Brennan is. He’s one of the creative pillars in Ottawa’s advertising community, as a partner in Fifty Strategy + Creative, an instructor at Algonquin College and also the founder of Creativity in Common - a pretty cool initiative which shares creative inspiration and ideas on Instagram.

Clare’s also been a dear friend for over 20 years. I’m very grateful for his friendship and our creative collaborations over the years.

Thanks Clare!

Clare Brennan / Creative Director / Advocate for Creative Thinking

Dr. Anmar Salman 16/60

Yesterday we photographed a corporate profile portrait for an Ottawa physician, Dr. Anmar Salman. During the shoot we talked about humility and the power of being confident in what we know and what we don’t, and that it comes best with age and experience. We also spoke about Anmar’s career and his experience living and working in other places. He was born in Iraq, lived in and studied in the UK and now lives and works as a family physician here in Canada. Having other living and work experiences really helps one appreciate community.

Anmar, not only really cares about people and community, he also has a cool interest in classic fashion style, of which he likes to blend with his interests in health and wellness.

As I get to photograph more people for the 60 at 60 series, it’s great to see how the individuals I get to photograph, help make up the dynamic fabric of our community and perhaps the continued tapestry of my friendships (old and new). As Anmar mentioned yesterday, a black & white portrait has the opportunity to capture the different shades of grey that we all harbour in our personas.

Thanks Anmar for bringing your sense of style and your kind perspectives to yesterday’s shoot!

Dr. Almar Salman / Family Physician