Ryan MacDonald

I am a photographer based out of Victoria, British Columbia on Vancouver Island. I grew up in the remote fishing community of North Shore, on Cape Breton Island where the population was 27 people. My love of people watching came at a early age when my parents would take me along on their many visits with elderly neighbours. I would sit quietly and study their faces as they laughed and told stories with their hands, taking in the details of their kitchens, tea cups, wood stoves, and rubber boots at the door.

Raised on an island full of storytellers, musicians, and characters, produced a strong sense of cultural pride. Being an active participant in its preservation was encouraged from a young age. Music was the first expression of my creativity and it eventually became a natural extension of my photography, with many of my projects stemming from my cultural identity.