Losing the field, finding my voice
A chronic injury sidelined this photographer, but the unexpected forced absence led to the launch of an independent publication dedicated to environmental reporting.
Nature and photography have been constants in my life, helping me manage stress and stay grounded in a chaotic world. But this summer, when a flare-up of a chronic injury kept me out of the field, I unexpectedly found something else: my voice in journalism.
This article is the story of how being forced out of the field helped me find a new identity as a journalist in a landscape of disappearing newsrooms.
In late 2024, I began experiencing a decrease in movement but a sharp increase in pain in my shoulder, something I’d been warned may happen, the aftereffects of a car accident in 2019.
Now, at the start of it all, it wasn’t too bad. I reduced the weight in my backpack, tried using a monopod, and gave myself more time than I usually would. But the pain and ever-decreasing range of motion continued.
By early this year, the mechanics of my shoulder were wildly off. Heading into the field soon became too painful. Urban parks now replaced the forested trails and hills I once explored, and longingly looking out the window.
The Crossroads of Content
This left me at a crossroads of what to do as the spring of this year came to a close.
When I started my photography journey, I also started a field notes or blog of sorts. Without a way to contribute new content, I thought of expanding into more informational and educational content and starting a newsletter.
I soon found that the stories I was hoping to share didn’t exist. Halton Hills, Ontario, and Canada as a whole are facing shrinking newsrooms, if they haven’t closed already.
I began looking into what it would require to tell those stories myself, and I quickly found that what I wanted to do already had a well-established name and set of traditions: journalism.
From Photographer to Photojournalist
Now, that’s not to say we don’t have local journalism; we do, with publications like HaltonHillsToday, which I’ve had the privilege of working with. Even before my journalistic pursuits, HaltonHillsToday published a column of mine about a chicken rescue, and they now publish a new monthly column from a local climate action group.
Comparing journalism with my previous career, there are many similarities. Follow the facts, tell the truth, and do so ethically. At the time, though, I didn’t expect to be perusing news to the extent I have.
Since then, I’ve slowly been building out the publication that has come to be known as The Field & Shutter Press. During that time, I even found myself writing for one of Canada’s leading environmental journalism publications, The Narwhal.
Despite the rewarding experience, the road has been paved with speed bumps. Just as the idea for The Field & Shutter Press began to really take shape by September, I experienced a major setback: a medical event resulted in a seizure during a procedure, which led to the temporary loss of my driver’s license.
I’m still on the road to recovery. But I’m hopeful I’ll be back behind my camera, returning to my usual trails and adventures next year.
Editor’s note: This article is a personal essay or reflection. It contains editorial perspective and opinion, and readers should distinguish it as such, separate from our factual and investigative reporting.
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