Welcome to Andrew Downs Photography
Rather than spend a lot of your time telling you the details of who I am, I figured this photo best describes what photography says about me as a photographer. Many ask if that's a staged photo of me proposing to Andrea, my fiancé. I can assure you, nothing was staged. This was the precise moment when I proposed.
And in many ways, the circumstances were not ideal. Rain drops had started to fall, the overcast skies provided a less than perfect sunset, while my then travel-weary girlfriend felt more inclined to stay in then venture out under cloudy skies. Yet we still made it down to the beach with my camera equipment in tow; one person a nervous wreck while the other utterly unaware of what was about to happen. I quickly set up my gear, turned on my camera's timer, and in a matter of ten minutes was able to capture a moment that will live with us for the rest of our lives.
It's an image that I believe best describes why I find photography so exciting and important. Taking the time to capture the most important and everyday moments in one's life is something I find worthwhile and utterly fulfilling. No matter whether it's a wedding, a fun day with family, a corporate event, or even just a quiet routine or private moment, being there to capture such memories has grown from a hobby seven years ago to an every day passion.
My approach to photography is this: keep it simple, keep it fun. Joyous occasions should never be tempered by an overbearing photographer. The best photographs are those that develop naturally, so my style is to not to disrupt this process and capture what happens naturally. Direction is given when asked, as we can all use a little direction when it comes to posed images, but you know who you are, you certainly don't need the guy behind the lens telling you how to be you.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions or inquiries. I am a Toronto-based photographer but will travel provided that traveling costs are covered by the client. I do not have set rates at present time as I work on a sliding scale.
Andrew Downs Photography has been published in the Toronto Star, Globe and Mail, and Hello Magazine Canada.