Bio

A Toronto photographer of all that brings us together. Barry McCluskey's favourite aspect of being a photographer is that his daily office is constantly changing. From concert halls to wedding halls, from fields to rinks, he could not have anticipated what he would get to witness when he purchased his first camera from a Best Buy in Fredericton, New Brunswick, in May of 2016. With a Canon 6D, a 24-105mm and 50mm lens, what began with the hopes of travelling Europe and photographing its marvellous landscapes has first turned into a fulfilling pursuit of witnessing the world when people come together for something, or someone, that they love. Barry moved to Toronto, Ontario, in September 2016 with the intent on pursuing his passion for acting. Barry was accepted into George Brown College's three-year Theatre and Performance program at the start of the 2017 academic year but regretfully graduated a month away from the finish line due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Following what would become two years of self-taped auditions from home, the joy of acting being a communal experience being snuffed, and an agent with sticky fingers and no moral compass, Barry laid his acting pursuits to rest in order to support his photography aspirations full-heartedly; the chance to reclaim artistic autonomy of his creativity while putting others in the spotlight felt far more fulfilling, and necessary, of an artistic pursuit. Since becoming a freelance photographer, Barry's cameras have brought him to the 2023 IIHF Women's World Championships, the 2024 National Bank Open, Professional Women's Hockey League, Major League Rugby, NBA G League, OUA and AUS events, Canadian Elite Basketball League, Soulpepper Theatre, Coal Mine Theatre, Toronto Jazz Fest, Toronto Beaches Jazz Festival, Pride Parades, and Protests for Palestine, to name a few unforgettable experiences that he would not have had to the same extent without this medium to put others first. He currently lives in Toronto with his beautiful partner of nine years, Lexi, and works within the University of Toronto's Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education as a photographer with the Varsity Blues. At the time of writing this bio, Barry photographs with a Canon 5D Mark III and Canon EOS R. He has never had a down day behind his cameras.