2024 Recap: Black and White

It’s always an enjoyable time, as a photographic artist, to be able to “look back”. Often, you’re looking forward - in the “present” sense. Looking out at the world in front of you, and trying to interpret it the best you can. Those rare moments, though, that you find to look through a project, a month, or a year that’s been and re-live everything? Gold.

I seem to find fewer and fewer of those moments as I age; not because I can’t find the time (although that’s part of the reason); it’s moreso that I dislike more and more being stuck to a computer. I want to be “out there”. Watching the world go by, and leaping in, here and there, as life happens. Both with a camera and otherwise.

Here’s a few black and white images that I enjoyed from the year that’s been. I’ve been fortunate to see and witness a lot this year, as my work took me far beyond the borders of home and to cultures and vistas far beyond my childhood dreams. I don’t take these opportunities lightly, and just try to do them justice.

These are my visual stories. I hope they connect.

PS - stay tuned for some of my colour faves from 2024 in the weeks to come.

Monochrome Mongolia

I recently returned from a life-changing month in the remotes of Mongolia, where I was co-leading a photography workshop for OFFBEAT that saw us take two groups across the Gobi Desert before heading into the wilds of western Mongolia.

I last travelled to Mongolia back in the spring of 2019, and it was, in a word, incredible to be back in what I consider one of the most photogenic countries in the world. Sure, the natural landscape there is incredible…but what makes Mongolia, for me, is the culture. Outside of the capital of Ulaanbaatar the people are sparse, but the warmth and hospitality we encountered in each encounter was beyond.

I love wide open spaces (maybe that’s why I loved living in the Canadian Arctic so much), and this place…well, it’s where your soul sours. It's a place to get lost and find yourself again.

I have a number of colour images from this trip, but my focus was primarily the monochrome medium. Black and white speaks to me in ways I can’t explain. The running joke with our group during this trip was my constant refrain of “Hey, I think this would look really great in black and white….” (I think they’re making me a t-shirt with that as the slogan).

Interested in heading back to Mongolia with us in 2026? Join the OFFBEAT Mongolia Notification list here!