How come you changed your Instagram account?
The initial Instagram account started as an experiment, using a throwaway email account. I was still exploring the platform, trying to understand its nuances and potential, under the guidance of my wife and a student worker at my workplace. As the Instagram account grew, Hotmail began deleting dormant accounts.
Initially, this wasnโt an issue, but Facebook’s acquisition of Instagram brought about a wave of changes – one being a wildly inaccurate security measure that locked and challenged many legitimate accounts. Unfortunately, my account was one of those flagged, and the platform’s solution was to send a restoration link to the original email associated with the account. As you might have guessed, that email was the dormant account I had lost access to.
I was stuck in a conundrum with no way to restore my original IG account. It was a frustrating situation, but it also presented an opportunity for a fresh start. So, I took the plunge and created a new Instagram account.
What’s the story behind the logo?
I didn’t have a fixed profile picture in the early days of my original Instagram account. Instead, I used a rotating list of photos, eventually settling on a heavily stylized crop of a tree along Miramichi Bay. It was simple and became somewhat of a signature, but as time went on, I felt the need for something more unique and representative.
When the ghost.acolyte.v2 account was created, I was in full brand-creation mode. The goal was a permanent image that could be associated with my work, something that would become instantly recognizable to my followers. The obvious choice was between using my face or creating a logo. As any realistic middle-aged man would, I opted for the logo.
The inspiration for the Ghost Acolyte logo came from a nostalgic place. I wanted to encapsulate the essence of 1980’s computer gaming, a time and experience that holds a special place in my heart. Specifically, I was inspired by Amiga games from the British publisher Psygnosis. Their unique art style, a blend of fantasy and cyberpunk, had always captured my imagination.
In later years, I was particularly fond of the Wipeout racing series of games, which was created by Psygnosis alumni and featured cyber-inspired logos for its fictional racing teams.
Armed with a wish list and a vision, I approached a New York based illustrator with a proposal. She took my ideas and transformed them into a design that was nothing short of perfect. From that moment on, that logo has been a constant companion in my journey, a visual representation of my brand, and I’ve used it ever since.
How did the pandemic impact your photography?
The pandemic, like a storm, swept across all aspects of life, and my photography was no exception. It brought with it a mix of challenges and opportunities.
On the negative side, the pandemic put a halt to my travel plans. I had planned for 2020 to be a year of photography tourism, a chance to capture the beauty of various locales. But with travel restrictions in place, those plans had to be shelved. The uncertainty and fear that came with the pandemic also cast a shadow over my creative mood. There were long periods when focus shifted from staying entertained to staying employed, which obviously took precedence.
Alas, every cloud has a silver lining, and the pandemic was no different. It forced me out of my comfort zone and pushed me to explore new genres of photography. Macro photography, for instance, became a newfound interest. With limited travel opportunities, I had to experiment with new techniques and old (vintage) equipment to keep the process fresh and engaging.
The pandemic also provided the opportunity to spend more time on editing and branding. With more hours at my disposal, I could delve deeper into the post-production process, refining my images and strengthening my social network.
So, while the pandemic did bring its share of challenges, it also served as a catalyst for growth and innovation.
โฆ but really, who are you?
At the core, I am a man of many passions, born and raised in Ontario, Canada, where I continue to live and create.
I started as a writer, writing mostly introspective or snarky poetry. This love for storytelling coincided with a fascination with coding, a different kind of language that allowed me to create in a whole new way. I started coding in elementary school, which was unusual at the time – I was fortunate to have parents with the means to give a computer to a 6-year-old in the 80’s, and a neighbour who was willing to teach me to program in BASIC. From there, I ventured into the realm of electronic music, trying my best to make Amiga 4-track tunes as lively as the underground techno cassette mixes that fascinated my circle of friends.
Today, I am fully immersed in the world of photography, where stories can continue to be told through the lens of a camera. It was a fairly latent pursuit (didn’t try seriously until the age of 40) but probably the one I can see sticking with until the end.
Adding to this tapestry is my heritage. I am a descendant of the first African-American woman to hold a pilot’s license, a fact that fills me with immense pride. It provides inspiration to try what I wish to try – even if I’m not “supposed” to be doing it (for whatever reason that “convention” has conjured).