All Walks of Life
Chad Kirvan’s People-First Approach to Photography
Story by Sidney Ulakovic, Photos by Chad Kirvan
"I always say that there's two types of photos. There's photos that you make and there's photos that you take," says professional photographer and videographer Chad Kirvan, whose work encompasses everything from staged photography like corporate headshots and family portraits to more candid shots at concerts and festivals. Regardless of the occasion, Kirvan has mastered the ability to capture people authentically. “If it's something magical and you get it, like, what a feeling."
Growing up, Kirvan says he took photos casually but never thought much of it beyond that. “In high school, I was a huge stoner, like a big loser going nowhere, and I took an aptitude test. And the aptitude test suggested I would be good at [photography],” Kirvan says with a laugh. “When I discovered photography and film, something finally clicked. I realized I could use my personality, charm, and ability to connect with people to build a career that I love.”
Photographer Chad Kirvan
After high school, Kirvan balanced different photography gigs at newspapers and studios with other employment, and says the turning point to pursuing photography as a career was when he moved to Thunder Bay from southern Ontario and photographed local folk-rock group Greenbank. “We went on the road together. And that's when I quit my last job, like my coffee shop job—maybe that was the last time I had another job. That was when it was kind of real."
Since then, Kirvan has immersed himself in the local arts community. From capturing Definitely Superior Art Gallery’s living art fundraisers and shooting music videos for local artists, to bringing cover photo visions to life for The Walleye for over 10 years, Kirvan has developed a distinct way of making things pop. “Working for the magazine was a huge part of meeting people when I first came to Thunder Bay, and it connected me to a lot of amazing projects that I’m still involved with today,” Kirvan says. “The support from Adrian [Lysenko] along with locals like Damien Gilbert, Elliott Doxtater-Wynn, and Renée Terpstra really helped me in the beginning.”
These days, Kirvan says connecting with people is at the heart of what he does. If you’ve attended any local festivals and events, you’ve likely seen Kirvan at work—making and taking photos of both the people performing and in the crowd. “One of my strengths is being able to make people feel comfortable around me, even if we’ve just met. That relaxed feeling is what comes through in my images,” he says. “It’s also why event photography is so exciting to me. I get to interact with all kinds of people from all walks of life. Taking pictures is like a super power for me—it gives me the strength to talk to anyone, anywhere.”
To see more of Kirvan’s work, visit kirvanphotography.com or check out @thechadstagram on Instagram.
