This photo comes from a series called “Patricia’s Dolls” which tells the story of a woman from Chris’s hometown who was sexually assaulted by her father as a child and became pregnant, gave up the baby for adoption, and now cares for dolls as she would a baby to deal with the trauma.
Chris Donovan graduated from the photojournalism program at Loyalist College in 2017.
Hailing from the small industrial city of St. John, New Brunswick, much of his work focuses on industry and community and how the two affect one another.
Upon graduation, he was named Student Photographer of the Year by the News Photographers Association of Canada. He also received the Tom Hanson photojournalism award, which gives a top Canadian photojournalist in the first five years of their career a six-week paid internship at The Canadian Press in Toronto.
Chris was recognized as one of the Magenta Foundation’s top 100 emerging photographers for 2017. He was also awarded gold in the “Domestic Picture Story” category of the College Photographer of the Year international competition, and received awards of excellence in the “Portfolio” and “General News” categories.
Chris attended the 30th Eddie Adams Workshop in New York after his internship with The Canadian Press and based himself in Toronto to work as a freelancer. His clients include New York Times, The Globe and Mail, The Canadian Press, Maclean’s Magazine, Reuters, VICE and others.
Photojournalism program testimonial
I believe photojournalism is a tool to break down barriers of prejudice and stereotypes in our society. Good photojournalism fosters empathy and understanding. For me, the camera has been a passport to experiences that I could never have without it in my hands. The Loyalist Photojournalism program gave me the tools I needed to better understand the world. The teachers gave me the freedom to pursue stories that mattered to me during my time there and were endlessly supportive. I cannot thank the teachers and program enough. It has put me in a position in my life where I have the honour of witnessing some of the most intimate moments of people’s lives and helping them share their stories which is something I would not give up for the world.
Website:
http://www.chrisdonovan.ca/
