Kevin Thom - Hamilton, Toronto, Ontario Photographer

A lot of times, people ask me why I photograph famous things, when there is lots of other relatively unknown subject matter worth photographing. In a way, I agree, and try to photograph these things too, but I also believe that just because something is beautiful and famous doesn't mean that it doesn't deserve to be photographed. In fact, I think these famous sites are the supermodels of architecture. I'd be a fool to go to Paris, and not photograph the Eiffel Tower, just as I'd be a fool to turn down the opportunity to photograph Gisele Bundchen, for instance.

My approach instead is to try to find a new way to photograph these famous subjects. For instance, in this photo, I arrived at the Eiffel Tower at about 6:30am, long before the throngs of tourists arrived. I wanted to get the most interesting light, and as little human interference as possible. It was an awe-inspiring place at that hour. Only cleaning crews, some armed guards, and the occassional jogger were there to keep me company. I hope I was able to capture that feeling.

You can see more of my travel photography in the People and Places section of my full portfolio.

I took this photo in the summer of 2006. I spent about a week in Paris, soaking in the life of the city. The courtyard of the Louvre held a special attraction to me, with its balance and ageless beauty. The glass pyramid in the centre of the courtyard is controversial to some, because of its apparent clash with the classical beauty of the surrounding structure. Personally, I found it to be a beautiful bridge from the city's storied past to its vibrant present. As night descended on the courtyard, the pyramid offered some wonderful opportunities for photography.

You can see more of my travel photography in the People and Places section of my full portfolio.

Ron here wanted me to play up his grizzled mountain-man image for his acting headshots. This is slightly more dramatic than the normal headshot, but I think headshots should highlight an actor's strongest features. In this case, Ron effectively expressed this eccentric, wild character for my camera.

For more information on headshot photography packages, see my headshots page.

A good deal of my time is spent creating headshots for actors and business people. An actor's headshot is like a business card. But more than that, it must instantly convey that actor's personality and character. It must seize the viewer's attention.

At the same time, it can not deviate too far from the standard headshot composition that is designed to show the basics of someone's appearance. For this reason, it's always my goal to create headshots that are like visual resumes: they should convey a person's extraordinary attributes as succinctly as possible.

To learn more about acting headshots and corporate headshots, see my headshot page.

I've been many places, shooting many wonderful things, but sometimes you don't have to go very far to find beauty. This is the new facade for the Art Gallery of Hamilton, in my very own hometown, Hamilton, Ontario. The AGH sign has since broken off and fallen into the street, so I'm glad I got it while it was still in place. I'm also glad I wasn't there when it happened!

I've spent quite a lot of time taking photos in Hamilton. If you want to see more Hamilton, Ontario photography, check out the Hamilton gallery in my full portfolio.

This is the stunning National Grand Theater in Beijing, China. Its nickname is "The Egg" for obvious reasons. Its futuristic design made it appear like an interstellar spacecraft, so that's how I attempted to make it look in my capture of it.

You can see more of my travel photography in the People and Places section of my full portfolio.

Brian and Jordan are Accidental Company, a sketch comedy duo from Toronto. With a few simple ideas, props, a short walk through their neighborhood, and their boundless energy, we shot a series of memorable promotional photos for their show in the Fringe Festival.

To see some of the other fun people I've photographed, see the performers gallery in my full portfolio.

Corporate headshots are an important part of my business. I enjoy taking photos of business people like real estate agents, accountants and lawyers. If you are working on one of these fields, it's important to have a photo that conveys your competence, professionalism, and approachability to your clients and potential clients. Have a look at my packages for corporate and executive headshots.

I've got strong ties to the improv and comedy community in Canada and the US. Working with comedians is always a blast. Not only are they funny, but they're a creative bunch, and there is never any problem establishing a synergy to come up with images that jump off the page.

To see some of the other fun people I've photographed, see the performers gallery in my full portfolio.