About

“The real world is all around us, but how much do we really see of it? The essence of photography is in seeing that moment of impact, when light and time, subject and scene combine to create visual magic.”

Artist, author, and educator Terry McDonald approaches fine art photography as both art and craft, exploring a variety of visual styles to re-create “the essence of place” and “the art inherent in nature”: dynamic, quintessential landscapes, engaging wildlife portraits, and intimate details of Earth’s most awe-inspiring natural, historical, and cultural places. 

No set-ups. No models. Just real-world photography, pure and natural.

“As real-world photographers, we cannot conjure or manufacture scenes. We must use the ambient and aesthetic elements in front of us to create compelling visual portraits.”

Although Terry grew up and has lived most his life in Canada, he has also lived and worked overseas for years in Tanzania, Germany, and England. Additional travel destinations have included East Africa, South Africa, and northern Ethiopia;  the Galápagos Islands; Southeast Asia; Europe, the UK, and Iceland; then back home to Canada’s provinces and National Parks from east to west.

However, projects closer to home are equally meaningful: the familiar contours of the Bruce Trail along Ontario’s Niagara Escarpment, as well as the subtle and dramatic beauty of cottage country and our wilderness provincial parks.

Terry lives with his family in Guelph, Ontario, his home base for hiking, backcountry canoeing, Nordic skiing, and hosting photo workshops.

He is a regular guest presenter at camera clubs and has offered numerous workshops both in the field and on-screen. Terry’s work has been featured in Photo Life, Light & Landscape, and Luminous Landscape and is held in private collections on four continents, and may be viewed at luxBorealis.com.