André Gallant

André Gallant stumbled upon photography at dawn. His first camera provided a diversion from the family’s garbage collection business. A weekend job as a nightclub disk jockey put him on the road home just as the sun was coming up. Alone, mist rising in the dawn light, he began learning how to see beautiful pictures.

Twenty years later, his “good eye” - and the light - has produced a world traveling professional photographer. As his friend and teaching partner Freeman Patterson says, the Saint John, N.B. based Gallant “lives the adage that anything worth doing is worth doing well.”

“I’m retired” André often tells people. Photography is so enjoyable, I hardly consider it work. To some, getting up at 5:00 AM to capture the early morning light, or to venture out in Winter when most of the mercury is near the bottom of a thermometer does not sound appealing. But that is what keeps me so excited as a photographer. To see what most don’t get a chance to see, either around home or when I’m traveling abroad. 

Ever since my first job photographing for Destinations magazine  in 1990, I’ve been traveling the world shooting assignments, or photographing for my own files. When not traveling, I take pictures on a regular basis in and around the Saint John area.  With the Bay of Fundy at my doorstep, the Saint John river close by and the beautiful Kingston Peninsula half an hour away, it’s impossible to get bored when living in such a beautiful area. 

André teaches Photography Workshops in New Brunswick, with Freeman Patterson. He also conducts all day seminars in Canada, the U.S.A., the United Kingdom, as well as New Zealand. Author of three books; Dreamscapes, Destinations and Photographing People at Home and around the World, Gallant is a regular contributor to Photo Life magazine.