Inspirations Photo Contracts
Esther Brzezinski and David Cytryniak
As a photographer with autism I am always deeply touched by the lives of families with a member having a disability. A recent assignment was to take photos of Esther Brzezinski and her son David Cytryniak , who has autism. Esther shared with deep affection key moments in the growth of David, and how she discovered his gifts of composing and performing music. David’s sister Sarah, who has supported him, was witness to the 2006 Dawson College shooting. David then wrote a song about the event called “Innocence lost on a Wednesday”. His musical career has developed with songs on Spotify and Youtube. Esther has pursued her dreams in the field of acting and as a social media influencer and podcaster. It is a gift to capture compelling images of persons who have realized their dreams despite many challenges.
Joshua Simmonds
In my work as a photographer, I meet amazing people with disabilities who pursue their passion and profession. Blind psychologist Josh Simmonds is one such person. Clients of his psychotherapy practice realize that his disability does not affect his clinical skills, a style focussed on the client’s individual differences and cultural influences. Another passion is as a competitive dragon boat racer. He founded a dragon boat team for persons with a vision impairment. Simmonds fully captures the spirit of the magazine Inspirations. It was an honor to take a simple shot of him looking into his future of dedicated service.
Francine Boyer and Lena Baldoni
I recently took photos of a talented Montreal artist Lena Baldoni (32) and her mother Francine Boyer for the Spring/Summer edition of Inspirations Montreal. Lena has autism, but through the lifelong dedication of her mother Francine Boyer, and her own deep resolve, she developed her many creative gifts. She has created over 900 paintings on a wide range of themes, which are stored at her beautiful website https://www.sourireanime.com/ (The paintings are for sale). She is also very athletic and involved in track-and-field, swimming, parachuting, parasailing and tightrope walking! My photo captured the joy of an exceptional mother and the artistic passion of an amazing daughter!
Karadapte
In this photo assignment I discovered a unique and inspiring initiative in the disability milieu. “Megan Vincelli and Kathryn Yao have combined their love for martial arts and their expertise as occupational therapists to offer karate classes to children with physical, developmental or behavioural challenges. “It’s not just about mastering karate techniques, it’s about tapping into their potential, building confidence and embracing their unique abilities.” (Sue Montgomery). My photo was on the cover of Inspirations Magazine. It captured the joy and intensity of this very special martial arts class. Check out this innovative program at Karadapté.
SARAH ASPLER
I had the privilege to take photos of a display of the artwork and jewelry of Sarah Aspler. Sarah has a non-verbal learning disability and ADHD. She says that art is good for her mind because it brings “me back to the present, and it helps calm me down.” She is taking Art History at Concordia. I found it very inspiring to see how Sarah has surmounted challenges to pursue her dreams.