February 2026 Newsletter

Welcome Back…

Thanks for sticking around for another month of this very work in progress newsletter. February is a short month, but is so often filled with a flurry of activity once we all get back into the groove after the holidays.

The big update is I will be back at Market Collective this spring! The Christmas market where I got to meet so many of you was an absolute blast, and I’m super stoked to join them April 10-12 at Contemporary Calgary for their Spring market. There will be some new photos making their way to my table, so stay tuned to see what’s coming and I really hope to see you there!

I know you’re all here because of the photos, but a huge part of my day to day life right now is training for my first marathon. It’s been a real grind, but also so much fun pushing myself in a new way. I’ve been posting weekly updates over on Instagram that I’m sure aren’t the most exciting things, but if you’re one of the people watching, commenting, or sharing, thank you so much. The good vibes go so far into helping keep me on pace.

March is looking like a fun month. There are a few photo and video related jobs lined up, the weather is hopefully going to start giving us some green on the trees, and the hockey season comes to an end. That means way more time to focus on exploring some new creative challenges. My hope for this year is to create a few photography related projects that have been brewing for the last number of months, and to get back in the director’s chair for a short film in hopes we can land funding for a feature film that has been in the works for the better part of 5 years.

Thank you all for your support, and taking the time to read up on my life.

Hope to see you in April,

Ben

PHOTOS OF THE MONTH

February has two photos of the month. “Walk on the Beach” and “Bird’s Eye of the Beach” - really creative names, I know. Both of these photos were made somewhere between Lisbon and Porto in Portugal. I wish I had a better description, but unfortunately I stumbled across this beach while driving, and have no idea where I actually was. The parking lot was packed, and people were parking on the side of the road, so we figured it’d be worth checking out. We got to the ridge overlooking beach with these massive rock formations jutting out of the water, and had to check it out. We didn’t see any marked or obvious path down, so we made our own route that only required some minor rock climbing and a 10 foot drop into the sand with no idea how we’d get back up, just kind of assumed we’d figure it out like everyone else.

The water was a beautiful blue-green, and the warm sand added such a great contrast. These are photos that are hung in my living room as a set because they just look so darn nice together.

Both photos were taken on my trusty Fujifilm X-T3. I’ve been using this camera for eight years, and have such a massive emotional connection to it at this point. It’s been with me to over 15 countries, I shot multiple weddings with it, and it’s been my day to day camera for the better part of a decade. It’s recently been usurped as my daily shooter, but that’ll be a story for next time after I’ve had enough time to really dig into the new one.

Now for the important part. These two photos are going to be on sale until the end of March, or until I run out. Use the promo code POTM at checkout to get 15% off both of these prints in 8x12 or 6x8! If you’re in Calgary, send me a message and I can make those shipping fees disappear as well.

Thanks for an awesome 2025

First off, and I can’t stress this enough, thank you to everyone that came out to Market Collective’s Christmas weekend and supported all the local businesses (especially me). Being able to meet people and talk about my work was a massive highlight of my year.

Put Your Foot Down

This photo is one of two being displayed at Cambridge in the United Kingdom right now. It was taken in Phnom Penh, Cambodia while sitting in the back of a TukTuk in some of the most chaotic traffic I have had the pleasure of experiencing. It is somehow full chaos with no rhyme or reason, while still flowing seamlessly with no incidents.

Birds Eye of the Beach 8x12

CA$40.00

What’s on the radar for 2026?

2026 is shaping up to be an awesome year. I’ve already started working with a few awesome local companies to help build out their online presence both on social media and on their websites to help drive more traffic to their businesses.

I am also super excited to be involved in a number of photography exhibits, and in a coffee table book coming up shortly.

First, I have a photo in the InFocus Photo Exhibition in Edmonton, Alberta. The photo is titled “Blurred Lines”. I’ll have some more details on the photo if you scroll down just a smidge.

Second, I have two photos in the Shutterhub Cambridge Open in the United Kingdom. One photo is titled “Break Time” and the other “Put Your Foot Down”. Both photos were made on a trip to East Asia in 2025.

As for travel plans to make more photos, we’re still to be determined. As I type this, I’m talking to friends about potential places to explore. From Nepal and Tibet to the Baltic Region, everything is currently on the table. Being able to explore and find myself entrenched in new cultures is what keeps me going.

Locally, I’m super excited for the spring. There are a few projects in the works once the weather turns to help scratch that creative itch. Late winter is always a tough time, especially with the moderate weather we’ve been having the last few years. We get all the cold, but with none of the beautiful snow. A weekend in the mountains might be needed soon.

Stepping away from photography, but keeping it semi relevant, I have made the (potentially dumb) decision to sign up for the Calgary Marathon in May, and potentially a Gran Fondo or two in the summer. I have started a series on Instagram and Tiktok (maybe Youtube once I get on a bit of a roll) following my training journey from being in moderately okay shape to running my first marathon. It’s scary, and so much work, but I assume it’ll probably be worth it in the end. Even if it’s just to use as a little brag.

My socials will still be focused on photography, filmmaking and videography, but will also diversify a little bit into some fitness related stuff just to keep myself accountable because I’m sure both people watching my social media will be dying to know how slow I ran this week. If you’d like to join those people, give me a follow on social media and hopefully the algorithm deity will keep you in the loop.

Blurred Lines

This photo was made on the Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles, California. To achieve this look, I had on a 10 stop ND filter to block out as much light as I could, while slowing down the shutter speed significantly. As the person walked through my frame, her movement created a sort of ghostly subject with the bright colours of the pier creating a dynamic, and interesting backdrop.

Train to Fuji 8x12

CA$40.00