My passion for heavy metal music came around when I was about twelve years old. I'd never experienced something so enthralling and emotional, and I was hooked from the start. Growing up in a small town made it difficult to pursue these passions very far, but thankfully I had some great friends that knew some great bands. After moving to Halifax in 2006, I slowly but surely navigated my way into the core of the metal scene of the city; the first record I picked up after moving here was from local heavies Orchid's Curse's and I was determined to get as involved in the Halifax metal scene as I possibly could. How, exactly, I wasn't sure.

Photography was something I was always interested in, but something I never gave a whole lot of serious thought to at first. I'd met so many talented photographers in my life that I didn't think I had what it took to live up to their talents. When I first started getting to know the local scene, I'd bring my little point-and-shoot digital camera in hopes that I'd snag a decent photo or two. The same camera was with me at every "big ticket" concert that rolled through Halifax, always aiming for that one perfect shot that I could take home with me. Getting great photographs of great musicians quickly became another passion that I sought after fiercely.

During late 2012 I began helping my friend Bill Arsenault with some promotional work for his company, then after the holidays came on board as the sole photographer for Mettalworx Music Group, and soon afterward started shooting shows all over the city under the name Mettalworx Photography. 2013 was filled with a lot of trial and error, black eyes and minor concussions, and more memories than I know what to do with. I learned all the tricks I could in the heat of the moment from the middle of the pit. Perhaps not the smartest way to learn how to take live music photos, but definitely the most useful and eye opening for me. I've never been one for instruction manuals. It seems my best method of photographic education is being right in the middle of constant impending danger of flying bodies from mosh pits and spilled drinks from concert goers. It definitely taught me more than I could've learned from a book in the same length of time.

I was very fortunate to land some crazy opportunities within my first year of shooting. Some name dropping led to me being contacted by Dave from Ondes Chocs, asking if I would cover the second Spread The Metal Festival in Halifax. I got to live in a small photo pit for a weekend, crawling under platforms and through support beams to get the best shots I could, and shoot some amazing bands, including one of my all time favourites The Agonist. A couple months later I found myself taking up an invitation to head to Toronto for a Lamb Of God concert - another all time favourite band of mine - with basically nothing but my camera bag on my shoulder. I walked out of that show with a moderate concussion, new friends and amazing memories. To this day I still don't know how to express my gratitude for those incredible opportunities, especially considering how early in the game I was.
No two shows are ever the same; different stage setups, different lighting, different crowds. What may be considered too dangerous and difficult to some has become an exciting challenge for me. I have spent the last couple of years learning how to think on my feet faster than I can blink, as the pit can be relentless and people can't always help where their bodies get thrown. I've learned the value of being able to watch everything around me while still keeping focused on what comes through my lens. But my favourite lesson comes from seeing the unity and support that runs rampant through the metal community; I can't tell you how many times a concert goer has willingly acted as a barricade between myself and mosh pits while I scramble to get that one killer shot from the most dangerous place I could possibly put myself along the stage. I've been spared countless injuries thanks to these kinds of folks and I can't thank them enough.

Toward the end of 2014 I started shooting shows that weren't strictly heavy metal. This city is full of talented musicians across all genres, and although metal is what I love the most, I felt like I was limiting myself by sticking to just one genre. Branching out of my comfort zone allowed me to start taking on other endeavors, like shooting promo photos for bands. I also started receiving messages from bands asking if I could come shoot their show and was left flabbergasted several times at just how far my work had spread.

2015 brought about a lot of positive decisions and changes. Early in the year I wrestled with the idea of an image change and the realization that this was the time to really crack down and take what I do seriously, while continuing to shoot shows of many genres in the meantime. After a few months of careful speculation and deliberation, I announced the "relaunch" of my now independent photography project: The Photo Ninja. A play on a nickname given to me after shooting the band Dissectional in my early days, I decided it was the best fit for both my personality and for the work that I do. Although I will never stray too far from the pit, I have taken on more challenges by testing the waters of all genre types, taking on more band promo work, and throwing open the doors to a world of experimental work that had previously been left untapped for me. Working with things like tattoos, boudoir and portraits is very new and very exciting for me, and I'll continue to push my limits and reach for places that used to be so far out of my reach.

The future is bright and full of unfathomable opportunities and I can't wait to take them all on. To everyone who's been riding with me on this journey thus far, thank you so much. It's with the unyielding support I've gotten from people like you that's made me able to keep up with this momentum. To all the new bands to shoot and all the new fans and friends to be made, I'll see you in the pit!

Cheers!
-The Photo Ninja