Our Team
Everyone at OFFBEAT is passionate about photography, lives life in a million directions and runs on caffeine most of the time.
And we wouldn’t have it any other way. Call us dreamers, but we thrive when creativity is unbound. Meet our team of leaders, OFFBEAT pros and marketing support below!
Our LEADERS
DAVE BROSHA
St. Ann, PEI
davebrosha.com | @davebrosha | facebook
Holding a passion for the world and an eye for the beauty it contains, Prince Edward Island-based, award-winning commercial, personal, and adventure photographer Dave Brosha is on a continual journey to seek out and capture the beauty of this world – whether it’s the beauty of some of the most extreme and pristine environments in the world or the beauty of some of a person’s most personal moments. In addition to living throughout northern Canada for much of his life, Dave has also lived in Asia and has travelled extensively through both the many provinces and territories of his native country and numerous countries abroad. An explorer at heart, his images – no matter what the genre – are full of heart and soul, and are a testament to the human spirit.
Paul Zizka
Banff, AB
zizka.ca | @PaulZizkaPhoto | facebook
Paul is an award-winning mountain landscape and adventure photographer. From the peaks of the Canadian Rockies to iceberg-laden seas off the coast of Greenland, Paul’s journey to capture the “under-documented” is a testament to his passion for exploration, his creative vision and fierce sense of determination. These qualities, combined with his keen eye for unique compositions, have resulted in an exhaustive portfolio of cutting-edge images. His photos have been featured in a variety of publications, including National Geographic Traveller, National Geographic Adventure, Maclean’s, Alpinist, Huffington Post, The Guardian, Islands and Climbing magazine. Paul lives in Banff, Alberta, with his wife, writer Meghan J. Ward, and their two daughters. [Bio photo: Stasia Schmidt]
KRIS ANDRES
Banff, AB
kristopherandres.com | @kristopherandres | facebook
Based in the Canadian Rockies, Kristopher considers the mountains (along with everywhere he travels) to be his second home. Kris is always up for endless adventures with a smile—no matter how "atmospheric" the conditions are. He will be overly excited in almost everything he does in life, capturing each story with the click of a shutter, in any and all genres—from adventure to landscapes to portraiture to food and more! When he’s not out creating, Kris is a full-time yogi working to refine himself every day. [Bio Photo by Paul Zizka]
SUPPORT + MARKETING
To ensure the wheels run smoothly, OFFBEAT has contracted the talents of industry professionals who fulfill a range of duties, including administration, community management, logistical support, web updates and content creation and editing.
NELLY ALMEIDA
LOGISTICS + ADMIN MANAGER
Ottawa, ON
@clickwithnelly
facebook
Born and raised in Aylmer, Quebec, Nelly is the youngest of a big crew of six. She is a passionate photographer whose journey behind the lens began at an early age.But beyond the lens, her professional background spans over two decades, with a foundation in customer service and office administration. She has honed her skills working at a high-profile non-profit organization in various roles, including member services, accounting, direct marketing and fundraising. This diverse experience has equipped her with invaluable skills in client services.She’s the go-to person for both solo missions and team efforts, bringing a mix of diligence and a positive attitude to the table.
JOEL ROBISON
COMMUNITY + MARKETING MANAGER
Cranbrook, BC/London
joelrobison.com
Facebook
Instagram
Joel Robison is a creative portrait photographer from Cranbrook, British Columbia, Canada. His work is a blend of whimsy and realism and focuses on the fine line between our imagination and the real work around us. Much of his work is inspired by his own interpretations of real-life events, dreams, fears and his understanding of mental health. His work has been featured around the world with clients like Coca-Cola, Google, Oprah Magazine, Adobe and others. He has taught workshops both online and offline around the world and is passionate about inspiring other artists to develop their own creative identity.
MEGHAN J. WARD
STRATEGIC ADVISOR
Banff, AB
meghanjoyward.com
@meghanjward
facebook
Meghan J. Ward is an outdoor, travel and adventure writer, the author of several books and a freelance creative marketing specialist. Since the founding of OFFBEAT she has contributed to overall planning schemes, community support and various marketing initiatives to help photographers make the most of OFFBEAT’s varied offerings. She and photographer Paul Zizka live in Banff where they are raising two mountain-loving girls. Her memoir, Lights to Guide Me Home, was released in September 2022. [Bio photo: Paul Zizka]
OFFBEAT PROS
Our OFFBEAT Pros are community educators, providing their wisdom, insight and hard-earned lessons through regular articles in our private online community, participating in our Ask Me Anything sessions, and frequently attending workshops as assistants and leaders. They represent a variety of genres, from boudoir to landscape, wedding to wildlife.
STEPHEN DESROCHES
Charlottetown, PEI
stephendesroches.com
@stephendesroches
facebook
From a love to create and build on ideas, Stephen has built his career around photography and design. When not designing educational and image-related products, the art of photography has become a full-time daily creative exercise for personal and commercial work. Photography for Stephen is about staying inspired to create. It’s about being forced away from an office, a computer screen and not being indoors. Photography is more than just taking pictures for Stephen. It’s a lifestyle that encourages adventures, exploring and documenting the important things in life that are always changing. [Bio photo: Dave Brosha]
COLLEEN GARA
Calgary, AB
colleengaraphotography.com
@colleengaraphoto
facebook
Colleen is a wildlife and nature photographer based in Calgary, Alberta. She is passionate about photographing wildlife in their natural surroundings, from the Rocky Mountains to the prairies. Colleen’s hope is that her images will help foster a connection between the viewer and her wild subjects, raising awareness to protect both the animals and their natural habitats. She strongly believes in ethical photography practices and all of her images are of wild animals only – nothing captive or baited. Colleen’s photographs have been featured in several publications worldwide including Audubon, Canadian Geographic, Wild Planet Photo and Nature’s Best.
KAHLI HINDMARSH
Canmore, AB
kahliaprilphoto.com
@kahliaprilphoto
facebook
Kahli is a landscape and night sky photographer based in the Canadian Rockies. Her work is a reflection of her passions; travel, mountains and inspiring landscapes. Often found hiking or chasing the aurora in the middle of the night, Kahli enjoys the challenge of finding unique scenes and interesting light. Sharing these breathtaking landscapes with others while exploring the world is what motivates Kahli, hoping to inspire people to experience for themselves. She has found a deeper purpose within photography by sharing what she has learned from her experiences.
MAG HOOD
Fredericton, NB
maghoodphotography.com
@maghood
facebook
Maggie is a wedding and portrait photographer based in Fredericton, New Brunswick. She fell in love with photography while in grad school, started her own business and hasn’t looked back since. Never taking anything too seriously, she is inspired by real moments and emotions, but also the process of creating an image from start to finish. When not shooting or editing, you can find her out exploring with her annoyingly holistic wife, Jess, and crazy pets. [Bio photo: Jessica McConaghy]
WAYNE SIMPSON
Elora, ON
waynesimpsonphotography.com
@waynesimpsonphoto
facebook
Wayne Simpson is an Ojibwe photographer from Aamjiwnaang First Nation, based in the quaint village of Elora, Ontario. Wayne specializes in dramatic portraiture and landscape photography. Simpson’s images have been published in such magazines as Outdoor Photography Canada, Outdoor Photography Magazine, Canadian Rockies Annual and Canadian Geographic, as well as in countless books around the world. His first photography book, Resilient, was published in Spring 2021. [Bio photo: Mark Heine]
CURTIS JONES
Newfoundland and Labrador / Nunavut
curtisjonesphoto.com
@cjonesphoto
facebook
Curtis is an adventure, landscape and portrait photographer from Newfoundland and Labrador who considers Nunavut his second home. Never tiring of seeing the sun rise from a new horizon or watching a contagious smile grow on the faces of friends and strangers alike as they step out of their comfort zone, Curtis seeks to tell stories with his photographs as he lives out his own. Throughout his career, he has had the pleasure of working with world-class athletes, artists, and production teams while shooting in some of the globe’s most raw, wild, and challenging locations. Equal parts adventurer, artist and clown, he is never far from a camera, a tent or a good punchline.
JOEL ROBISON
Cranbrook, BC/London
joelrobison.com
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
Patreon
Joel Robison is a creative portrait photographer from Cranbrook, British Columbia, Canada. His work is a blend of whimsy and realism and focuses on the fine line between our imagination and the real work around us. Much of his work is inspired by his own interpretations of real-life events, dreams, fears and his understanding of mental health. His work has been featured around the world with clients like Coca-Cola, Google, Oprah Magazine, Adobe and others. He has taught workshops both online and offline around the world and is passionate about inspiring other artists to develop their own creative identity.
SARA KEMPNER
Cumberland, BC
sarakempnerphotography.ca
Facebook
Instagram
Sara Kempner is a freelance photographer based on Vancouver Island, BC. Initially a self-taught landscape photographer, Sara’s photographic journey continues to evolve and now includes sport, event, and commercial photography. While she can often be found in the forest shooting mountain biking, Sara enjoys exploring a diverse range of genres and is more driven by the unique people and places that photography affords her to experience. Whether it's photographing solo athletes, starry night skies, large events or sunrises over the ocean in faraway countries, she is most content when outside, camera in hand.