I photograph cities from the ground up — up close and in the thick of life, where asphalt, signage, weather, and human rhythm all collide. I make images not from the sky, not from a distance or a curated balcony, but from inside the city itself as it unfolds underfoot.
My practice is rooted in walking, waiting, and seeing slowly (and in Toronto, that often means doing the work in real winter). If you want the simplest explanation of how I actually build photos over time, start here: Three Sessions a Week for 105 Weeks.
This site is my public notebook — the thinking, the practice, the study notes, and the portfolio-building decisions that sit behind the finished images.
What This Work Is About
I shoot almost exclusively with a 28mm field of view. That choice isn’t arbitrary — it’s a commitment to context, relationship, and presence without escape. A wide lens doesn’t flatter; it demands decisions. It shows what is.
If you want the clearest “why” behind that constraint, read: Finding Style in the Street — the 28mm Field of View and the Discipline of Presence
And if you want the deeper truth of how style actually forms, not as a vibe but as a result: Style Is the Residue of Repetition
Portfolios Over Highlights
My ambition isn’t to accumulate hundreds of isolated “good shots.”
It’s to build a small number of deliberate portfolios — 15 to 20 images each — that hold together emotionally and visually. I shoot, edit, and sequence with that in mind, because bodies of work are where meaning starts to compound.
If you want to see the work that’s already “held together” in my eyes, start with:
What I’m Building Right Now
I try to keep the work organized into projects — because projects are how experiments become something exhibitable, publishable, and real.
My current list of photography projects lives on my Projects page.
Current active threads include:
- Project Two — Dusk till Dawn (urban landscapes when the light gets interesting)
- Project Three — Face to Face in Toronto (environmental + street portraiture)
- Project Three and a half — Self-portraits (training comfort, empathy, and repeatability)
- Project Four — Abstract Street Photography (winter abstraction as a deliberate visual language)
Influence Without Imitation
I’m shaped by photographers and thinkers — but I’m not interested in cosplay.
Henri Cartier-Bresson has been a guiding light in how I think about observation, restraint, and attention:
And Winogrand sits in my head any time I pick up a 28mm:
My goal is to take permission from influence — not instructions.
How I Learn (and Why This Site Exists)
Lately, I’ve been thinking of my process as two engines:
- the spark (permission, curiosity, play)
- the finish (craft, discipline, standards)
That idea is here: Two Engines: Rubin for the Spark, Adams for the Finish
This also explains why this website matters to me. It’s where the work slows down enough to be examined — where I can write through ideas, sequence images, and document the long arc of learning how to see more clearly.
If you want the single best “map” of how to use this site (and where to begin), go here: my Start Here page.
One Constraint, Many Tools
I’m not loyal to gear. I’m loyal to intent.
I’ll keep the field of view consistent, and choose the tool that fits the situation — because different cameras reward different kinds of risk: One Field of View, Three Sensors
Let’s Connect
If you want to reach me about a project, a collaboration, or just to say hello, use the form here on my Contact page.
— Paul MacPherson
Toronto-based photographer documenting cities from the street upward.
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Previous About Page – Updated January 6