Don Komarechka

Don Komarechka is a nature, macro, and landscape photographer located in Barrie, Ontario, Canada. From auroras to pollen, insects to infrared, much of Don’s photographic adventures reveal a deeper understanding of how the universe works. Exploring the world that we cannot see with our own eyes has been a common thread in Don’s career as a professional photographer.

Don teaches workshops in the areas of nature photography and macro photography, as well as photographic editing and creative compositions. “Photography is about sharing your unique view of the world with others – without using words. Helping others accomplish the same goal is extremely rewarding. I like to see the world through my camera in ways I normally cannot see with my own eyes. Seeing the world beyond vision is a gift that photography gives me.”

Don’s first mass-produced book, Sky Crystals: Unraveling the Mysteries of Snowflakes shows his attention to detail and desire to understand the world around him. Don began studying the science of snowflakes on the same day he first photographed them, nearly four years prior to the publication of this book. Since then, understanding and photographing snowflakes has become a non-stop passion. Don will be featured in an upcoming episode of The Nature of Things with David Suzuki. Always science-minded but never formally trained, Don uses photography as a way to explore and understand the world around him. Photographing something unusual or unknown is the perfect excuse to learn something new. Don’s work often pushes up against the technical limitations of modern camera equipment and the physical limitations of light itself.

“Pushing the limits of light while still producing visually stunning images is my passion. If someone is captivated enough to re-evaluate the world around them, I’ve done my job.” Don writes for Outdoor Photography Canada, teaches at Georgian College and is a recurring co-host on podcasts such as This Week in Photo.

Class 1

Finding your creative Self

Who are we as artists? What drives us to create? A journey of "what if?" questions results in who we are as creative individuals, using photography as our medium. Furthermore, photography is a mesh of two fabrics: art and science. Finding your creative self involves parsing what you understand from what you've yet to explore, always pushing yourself a little farther into the unknown.

Class 2

Alternative Light

From ultraviolet fluorescence to cross-polarized abstract art, there are many ways for us to bend reality into something new and previously unseen. Without any special lenses or camera modifications, join the discussion for a "down the rabbit hole" experience of exploring light in different and unique ways. There is much of the world in the universe at our feet that we can creatively explore and enjoy.