© Finn O'Hara

Photographer and director Finn O’Hara is based in Toronto. O’Hara says, “Smokers just can’t seem to catch a break anymore. Over the past ten years, Toronto smokers have gone from smoking at the bar, to being forced into city alleyways. This cover shot, for Toronto’s The Grid, accompanied a confessional tale of the stigmas faced by smokers every day in Toronto, and what it takes to finally kick the habit. To illustrate the commitment of a winter smoker, we enlisted a hardened smoker and slapped them with a fictitious sub-zero blizzard.”

See a behind-the-scenes video of the shoot.

© Geordie Wood.

“On the sidelines of formal photography projects over the years, I bide my time making portraits of friends, neighbors and those close to me. The images serve as a visual sketchbook, a diary of quiet moments and sometimes as a surprising frame for the portfolio. Above, my friend Pam takes a break from the monotony of a long morning watching slide shows at a banal hotel in Newport, RI (2007).” – Geordie Wood.