Photographer's Profile

Brian Stefaniuk

BrianJStefaniuk Photography, Canada

Artistically, my first love was the trumpet. Once it grabbed my soul, I played everything - R&B, classical, orchestral, jazz, rock, Afro/Latino… just to name a few. I cut my chops in the bar scene with ‘The Ministers of Soul’, laid tracks on a few albums and performed at the 2012 Aboriginal People’s Choice Music Awards (it’s first jazz group nomination) and opened for the 2013 Winnipeg Reggae Festival with ‘The Nairobi Incident’. Shortly after the Reggae Festival, I was diagnosed with an eye condition that forced me to make a decision; either quit playing or risk going blind. It was actually a tough decision. How does one give up a life-long passion?? Having made the right decision, the artist in me needed an outlet. Within the year, photography found me, and I immersed my heart and soul in this multi-genre obsession; weddings, real estate, several community magazines, a Toronto-based advertising company, still life, wildlife, land/seascapes, portraiture, sports… and the list goes on. My favorite thing to do?? Driving up and down remote gravel roads. There are so many hidden gems standing out in the open!!! Beyond my photography and retouching work, I occasionally mentor and hold small private workshops, ranging from the basics of photography/editing to advanced. My 10+ years as a Regional Training Specialist with NAV CANADA made this a natural progression. HIGHLIGHTS ‘NORTH RUSTICO HARBOUR’, shot in Prince Edward Island, Canada, June 2014. It was published in the 2019 CANGEO Canadian Landscape Calendar and the 2021 CANGEO 365 Days of Canada Calendar. 'PELICAN ON FINAL' was shot at Lockport, Manitoba, Canada, September 2020 and has received numerous photography awards from several different International Photography Competitions: 2021 Neutral Density Photography Awards 1 – Honorable Mention 2022 European Photography Awards 1 – Platinum 2 – Gold 2022 New York Photography Awards 4 – Silver 'ESPLANADE RIEL' which was shot in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, September 2022, has already received numerous photography awards 2022 New York Photography Awards 3 – Silver 3 – Honorable Mentions