As a Vancouver portrait and fine art photographer I feel my job is to connect with people, capture authentic moments and tell stories through my images.
My style is punchy with a flair for the cinematic and I use strobes and flashes to get the drama in my pictures. Natural light can be some of the most beautiful, but it is more often than not coming from the wrong direction, it can be high contrast with harsh shadows, or it could be overcast and dull. The artificial light also gives adds more pop to colours and freezes motion better for sharper shots.
For decades I used a legacy brand of camera but when they moved to mirrorless I had problems. I found eye autofocus was not great and left me with too many misfocussed, blurry shots. With their newest flagship body it would overheat in photo mode and shut down right in the middle of a shoot. That’s why I switched over to Sony. No more missed shots , no more struggling with equipment.
My main camera is now the Sony A7RV and recently I’ve been using the Alpha 1 with it’s features like high resolution and dynamic range, 30 frames/sec in mechanical shutter, class leading real-time tracking and eye autofocus, it excels at every type of photography I do. From portraiture and gallery work, to low light events, family memories and even my kids sports, I get the shots. With the Alpha 1 it’s tech and ergonomics are intuitive and fade away so I can focus on what is really matters: creating mood, narrative, and a connection to the people in front of my camera.
My name is Tom Gould and I capture peoples stories.
About Tom Gould
Tom is passionate about being a people photographer and strives to capture the human spirit through his images. He specializes in portraiture, editorial, fashion and fine art, utilizing both film and digital methods and a flair for the cinematic.
After receiving his first camera at fourteen, Tom developed a lifelong passion for photography and the arts, leading him to study art at Emily Carr University of Art and Design and jazz saxophone at Capilano University.
Tom’s work has been published in print internationally and his instructional article on photography and lighting for GoodLightMag! (@goodlightmag) was an editor’s pick of the year. Being a “pro supported photographer” for Sony Tom has taught workshops on photography and lighting, which Tom uses in innovative ways to capture the drama so evident in his work.
His gallery shows include The Gallery George (@thegallerygeorge) and Sun Contemporary. Tom’s work has been featured in art magazine, Karbnmagazine (@karbnmagazine) and he has been a cover photographer for Inspired 55+ Lifestyle Magazine for the past ten years. Tom is the main photographer for various events, including The Vancouver International Burlesque and Mariachi Festivals and Peerspace named him top event photographer for Vancouver in 2021.
He is the photographer for the 2023 “I Am Her” project, led by Amanda Leigh and L.E.A.D by Leigh (@leadbyleigh), a non-profit agency for women, by women, specializing in events of artistic protest & female rights. Tom photographed 100 women, whose portraits were exhibited at a gallery show in order to share their brave stories of challenges and triumphs and raise $30,000 for this worthy cause.
Tom lives in Vancouver, BC, Canada with his wife and two sons.