Melissa Renwick

Melissa Renwick

Based
Vancouver Island, Canada
Born
Calgary, Canada
Status
Photographer
“I’m inspired by those who choose to live in remote locations connected to the natural world. I’m a deeply curious person who is interested in the different ways people live and how their environment shapes them.”

Beat

Environment; human stories

One Shot

. Nain, Canada. Melissa Renwick
Echo Hence competes in a stick throwing competition during the Easter Games, in Nain, Newfoundland Labrador, on April 19, 2022.
“This photo encapsulates how the community gathers in support of one another. The competition wasn’t built off of winners or losers, but rather a willingness to show up.”

Profile

Some of my earliest memories of photography are from my high school’s darkroom. It didn’t matter that we were working with expired chemicals and film, as images took shape on paper, the rest of the world faded away. It felt like magic.

As part of my journalism degree, I took photojournalism classes and bought my first DSLR camera. I never set out to become a photographer, but the more I photographed, the more I wanted to continue. It’s a beautiful medium that has allowed me to be out in the world engaging with new people and new places every day. Photography continues to push me outside of comfort zone and remind me of the beauty in the ordinary.

My first news assignment was covering the 2013 Alberta floods for Reuters in Calgary. It was devastating to see so many lives uprooted and witness so much destruction in the city I called home. As I waded through waist-deep water, it felt counterintuitive to be racing towards the disaster as the rest of the city fled from it. The experience gave me a new appreciation for photojournalists and the tenacity it takes to work in the industry.

I was touched by the Newfoundland and Labrador community of Nain, which I recently visited for a story. Located in Canada’s subarctic, the coastal town felt like a world away. While communities like Nain have had the least amount of impact on climate change, they will be among those who are most affected by it. And yet, everyone I spoke to was at peace this. Instead of expressing anger or frustration, they shared hope. The community’s resiliency and ability to adapt is something we can all learn from.

Behind the Scenes

. Nain, Canada. Rex Holwell
Melissa Renwick accompanies Markus Kojak on a SmartKAMUTIK run to measure the sea ice thickness, outside of Nain, Canada in April, 2022. Photo by Rex Holwell.