Chris Donovan is a documentary photographer and member of Boreal Collective currently based between Toronto and New Brunswick, Canada.
Inspired by his industrial hometown, Saint John, on Canada’s east coast, his work focuses on the intersection of community and industry. This area of interest has led him to work extensively in Atlantic Canada and in Flint, Michigan.
Donovan works mostly on long-term documentary projects and places importance on active engagement with the communities that he photographs.
He is currently working on three book projects. The first, Stay Solid or Move West, is a diaristic look at Maritime culture and sense of belonging in Toronto. Those Who Stay Will Be Champions follows the Flint Jaguars high school basketball team and highlights the culture of basketball excellence in Flint, Michigan. The Cloud Factory documents his hometown of Saint John and explores issues of environmental classism in a city that relies on environmentally harmful industries for survival.
Donovan’s work has been recognized by Pictures of the Year International, the Alexia Foundation, the Sony World Photography Awards, the National Newspaper Awards, the National Gallery of Canada, and the News Photographers Association of Canada, including being named Canadian Photojournalist of the Year in 2017 and 2018. His editorial clients include The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Globe and Mail, Maclean's Magazine, ESPN, and others.
He is currently working toward an MFA in Documentary Media from Ryerson University and previously studied Photojournalism at Loyalist College and Fine Arts at Mount Allison University.
World Press Photo Involvement:
Award-winning photographer 2021 Photo Contest
Chris Donovan on Social Media:
Instagram: @cdonovanphoto
