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People of Ryerson: Ryan Gaynor

By Jake Klvanc

They say a picture can tell a thousand words. While first-year media productions student Ryan Gaynor is not a picture, he sure has a lot to say about them.

Waving a camera in one hand and letting the other emphasize his passionate speech, Gaynor, 18, tells of how much of his life has been spent peering through a viewfinder.

“I used to run around with the family video camera as a kid,” Gaynor said. “It was a big, clunky VHS camera. I was always shooting home videos, doesn’t matter when. My dad really got me into it.”

Hailing from the quiet town of Waterdown, Ont., Gaynor has been practicing much of his photography from the confines of the country, a contrast from the big city he now inhabits.

Gaynor’s niche is train photography, a passion that he said was inspired by locomotive photographer Greg McDonnell’s book Canadian Pacific: Stand Fast Craigellachie!.

“People don’t realize it, but the railroad encapsulates so many fantastics elements: drama, romance, beauty. It’s hard to understand without really delving into it, but I find trains to be incredibly special to see through a lens.”

Trains aren’t all Gaynor photographs, however; his interests range from everything from street photography to scenic landscape shots.

Gaynor also described how he does anything to “get the perfect shot,” reflecting on instances where he has climbed tall trees or knelt on a snowy plain in bone-chilling temperatures.

“If I can do more and get a better shot, I’m going to do it,” Gaynor said. “There’s no greater feeling than getting it just right.”

In the future, Gaynor said he wishes to delve further into cinematography, a craft he describes as the “perfect blend” of photography and videography.

“I’m really fortunate to have this love,” Gaynor said. “It has allowed me to both appreciate the present and reminisce in the past. It makes me observe life in a way that I wouldn’t trade for anything.”

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