In focus: Our university photographer

It’s possible that no one at UBC has quite as varied a work day as Paul Joseph. As the official University Photographer since 2016, he’s just as likely to be snapping pictures of laughing UBC summer campers as he is to be capturing studious portraits of faculty Deans. In fact, it’s safe to say that Paul probably brushes shoulders with a greater variety of university folk than just about anyone else at UBC.

From UBC President and Vice-Chancellor Santa Ono to important visitors and outstanding staffers, Paul Joseph has met—and photographed—them all. “This place has some amazing personalities, all the way from the top, down to the guy who runs the UBC composting facility,” Paul enthuses.

Perhaps one of his most high-profile—and stressful—assignments to date was the September 2016 UBC Okanagan royal visit. Paul was tasked with capturing candid images of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (aka Prince William and Kate Middleton) on their tour of the UBCO campus. He recalls how he, along with press photographers, were subjected to careful scrutiny by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).

“We were instructed to leave our bags on the floor with the gear exposed and asked to leave the room,” he recounts. “The RCMP came in with a sniffer dog and went through all the gear. We were separated by where we were going to be positioned and escorted by the RCMP to pick up our gear, and were then put in a holding area where we waited for about an hour for them to show up.”

The stress of the event, he says, was worth it just for the experience. “When I arrived there in the morning, there were all sorts of people already lined up, from 90-year-olds to newborns. A lot of them were dressed in British regalia, sporting Union Jack flags and tartans—they were all so happy and excited to be there.”

As for the royals, Paul says, “their faces came alive when interacting with people on the route. And when a small group of Indigenous children came to present a gift to them, their faces just lit up.” Because of the high-profile nature of the event, Paul was under pressure to send in his photos as quickly as possible, to be shared on UBC’s social media channels. But even when he’s not dealing with royal visitors, the demands of the job can be pretty gruelling. Pointing at the step counter on his smartphone, Paul notes that he recently walked 12 kilometres on a single day.

Their faces came alive when interacting with people on the route. And when a small group of Indigenous children came to present a gift to them, their faces just lit up.
Paul Joseph

“I started out capturing brand photography of the rowing club,” he explains. “I was up with the rowing club at 6am for two hours. Then, at 10 am, I started a lifestyle shoot for Forestry which took us all over campus—and I was also carrying 34 pounds of lighting gear with me. That was kind of crazy.”

A graduate of Ryerson Institute of Technology (now Ryerson University), where he earned a degree in applied arts, Paul’s roots in photography run deep. His love of the medium was sparked when, as a 10-year-old on a family holiday in Scotland, his dad gave him his old Kodak Instamatic. “I took a photograph of Edinburgh castle, and when it was developed, I thought, ‘That turned out exactly how I thought it would!’ From then on, I just always had a camera in my hand.”

After high school, Paul was accepted into three different universities to study psychology—but when he received his acceptance from Ryerson, he didn’t hesitate. “It was a no-brainer,” he laughs. While he didn’t end up studying psychology, Paul agrees that his job does require him to be adept at understanding people and their emotions.

“A lot of people don’t look at having their picture taken as the highlight of their day,” he explains. “You have to be able to put them at ease relatively quickly, because often you don’t have a lot of time. I try to make it feel like they’re not being photographed, that we’re just having a conversation. I do a lot of talking when I shoot. I’ll ask people questions about their children, or something they’re excited about, just to try to change the look in their eyes.”

Asked to describe the best part of his job, Paul doesn’t hesitate: “Apart from being paid to take pictures, it’s the fact that I get to meet incredible people.”

Paul’s tips for capturing good photos

Use the Rule of Thirds: Imagine your picture is divided into a grid of three lines each horizontally and vertically. When framing your picture, place the subject where they most closely align with the intersecting lines—typically, leave two-thirds of the photo with background or foreground. Allow for negative space.
Remember the words of photographer Robert Capa: “If your photos aren’t good enough, then you’re not close enough.” Don’t be afraid to get close to your subjects, and try different angles.” When photographing children, get down on their level; when photographing adults, try shooting from below and above to create a more interesting shot.
If you want to isolate your subject, use a longer lens to let the background fall out of focus. Including an element that is closer than the subject, like the edge of a pillar or wall, can add the sense of peeking into a scene.

Paul’s top campus spots for beautiful photos