photographers

Web Exclusive: Meet the Photographers

Meet the photographers behind the stunning photos in this issue.

JAN AZIER has always been interested in nature photography, and has been drawn to shooting underwater since he began diving in 1993. Azier considers himself privileged because of the travel and scenery he has been able to enjoy. “A beautifully shot photograph gives a great satisfaction, but preserving the reef and its inhabitants must always take precedence,” says Azier.

JAN AZIER has always been interested in nature photography, and has been drawn to shooting underwater since he began diving in 1993. Azier considers himself privileged because of the travel and scenery he has been able to enjoy. “A beautifully shot photograph gives a great satisfaction, but preserving the reef and its inhabitants must always take precedence,” says Azier. “Only then is it possible to also in the longer term to continue to enjoy beautiful underwater images.” Featured in: Seahorse Power.

KENT KESSINGER was born in Akron, Ohio, and was raised by a pack of women who taught him to be courteous, kind and respectful. He is an army brat who has lived all over the United States and in Germany (where is ancestors left long ago), until his family settled near Durham, North Carolina, where he learned to appreciate nature. Kessinger picked up a camera at the age of 14 and has since been fascinated with photography. He eventually became the chief photographer of the Appalachian Voices activist group, and would go on to make documentaries. Photos featured in: Chris Turner’s article A Smear Campaign to Protect Coal.

ED KWONG is an illustrator and an artist whose work has appeared in editorial publications, comics, video games, theatre and music festival productions and on clothing. Kwong grew up in Vancouver and has steadily been making his way east, first to the Alberta College of Art and Design in Calgary, and more recently to Montreal where he now resides and works. He is also a fabulous chef, capable of cooking an Asian pork belly recipe that few restaurants can upstage. Featured on the front cover.

MATT WASSON did his doctoral research on the impacts of acid rain on birds at Cornell University, and has spent the last 15 years studying all aspects of the coal cycle — including mining, transportation, combustion and waste disposal. Wasson is an authority on mountaintop removal and other surface mining methods, and a gifted information technologist who has built web-based databases that relate to coal-extraction issues. Wasson also oversees the award-winning online campaign to stop mountaintop coal mining. Photos featured in: Chris Turner’s article A Smear Campaign to Protect Coal.

DAVE HARASTI is an avid diver and works as a marine protected areas research scientist for the NSW Fisheries. Harasti was awarded first place by Australasian Underwater Photographer of the Year in the digital category in 2003, and his work has appeared in Dive Log, Australian Geographic, Underwater Photography, Shark Diver and other publications. Featured in: Seahorse Power.

LOUIS HELBIG is an Ottawa-based artist and self-taught photographer who specializes in aerial images. His work has been exhibited and published both in Canada and abroad, and he is also a commercial pilot. Helbig’s images of Alberta’s tar sands — taken in the summer of 2008 and the winter of 2012 — are disturbing and contradictory, capturing beauty in a subject that is controversial and environmentally destructive, and forcing viewers to confront the seductive appeal of fossil fuel addiction. His background includes professional roles within public, NGO and private organizations, including the Government of British Columbia, Foreign Affairs Canada, CUSO and Sharp Wings. Helbig has an MSc in Economic History from the London School of Economics, and he represented Canada as a member of its national cross country ski team. Featured in: Jeff Gailus’ article An Act of Deception, print version.