Andy Clark: My Camera Always Within Reach

Andys photojournalism career began in 1970 when he was hired as a copyboy in the Pictures Department of the Canadian Press news agency’s Toronto head office. With plenty of mentoring and assistance from the CP Photo Staff, he learned the news photography trade from the ground up. Two years later, he was promoted to darkroom technician and then, in 1974, elevated to staff photographer, transferring to CPs Ottawa bureau to cover federal politics on Parliament Hill. In 1978, Andy accepted an offer to join the photo staff of The Hamilton Spectator newspaper. He worked for the Spectator for only a year before returning to news agency work and joining United Press Canada. Over the next six years, Mr. Clark worked for UPC, first in Vancouver, B.C., then returned to cover federal politics in Ottawa. In 1985, United Press Canada was closed down. Andy then briefly worked for Reuters News Agency before he was offered and accepted a position as the Canadian Prime Ministers photographer for then newly elected Brian Mulroney. Mr. Clark spent three years on PM Mulroneys staff before returning to Reuters based in Brussels, Belgium, as a photo editor working on the European Picture Desk in Brussels. After a year, he was transferred to Reuters London along with several other photo staff after the picture desk was moved to their headquarters on Fleet Street. In the early 1990s, Andy returned to Canada as Reuters chief photographer based in Toronto. After 10 years, Andy wished to return to full-time shooting, stepping down as Chief Photographer and taking the Reuters West Coast photographer position based in Vancouver, BC. After 14 years, he departed Reuters in 2014 and has since been working on personal photo projects and has since retired.

Over his 50 years as a photojournalist, Andy’s assignments have taken him to approximately 80 countries, many of which he has visited multiple times. He has covered stories ranging from famines and natural disasters to world summits, major sporting events, the first Gulf War, and conflicts in the Balkans. Throughout his career, Andy has been named Canadian Photojournalist of the Year twice.