Travis Parsons is building long-form photo projects across Newfoundland, starting at home in Grand Bank and the Burin Peninsula.
Born and raised in the historic fishing community of Grand Bank, Newfoundland, Travis has his hometown to thank for the majority of his artistic inspiration. His childhood was spent exploring rocky cliffs above the North Atlantic, wandering old merchant stores near the waterfront, and listening to stories shaped by hard weather, hard work, and a deep attachment to place.
That upbringing still forms the backbone of his work today—photographs rooted in cultural landscape and natural landscape, where vibrant colour and rough texture often carry a quiet undertone of melancholy. Beauty and strength live side by side here, and Travis is drawn to that contrast: the tenderness of small places, the grit of working spaces, and the traces of history that remain in everyday scenes.
Coming of age during a period when Grand Bank was in the midst of downtown redevelopment, Travis developed an even deeper love for the heritage of his hometown—and an awareness of how quickly places can change. That sense of love-and-loss continues to shape his images, whether he’s photographing a weathered stage, a lonely highway, or a coastline that feels like part of the family.
After leaving Grand Bank, Travis attended Memorial University, focusing his studies on cultural geography, history, and sociology. It was in St. John’s that photography took hold—early walks through Bowring Park, the character of downtown streets, and a growing obsession with light, form, and story. But it was after moving back home following graduation that his photography business became established, and his long-term documentary approach began to take shape.
Over the years, Travis developed into one of Newfoundland’s top wedding and portrait photographers while continuing to shoot landscape, commercial, and narrative work between sessions. A short stint as a journalist with the Southern Gazette helped push his work toward a more editorial, story-driven style—an evolution that continues to influence how he photographs people, communities, and the lived-in details that define them.
Books and long-form projects
In 2024, Travis published his first photo book, Down Harbour: A Portrait of Grand Bank—a long-form portrait of his hometown built from years of photographing its quieter corners and familiar details. The book is a love letter to Grand Bank as locals know it: not a postcard, but a place with real texture, real history, and real life.
He is currently working on an untitled Burin Peninsula book, focusing on the peninsula’s diverse cultural and natural landscapes—rural communities, working waterfronts, coastal roads, forests, barrens, and the long highway that stitches it all together. The goal is a whole-peninsula portrait: a mix of solitude and community, place and people, and the kinds of encounters that only happen when you stop, introduce yourself, and take the time to listen.
Beyond that, Travis is also developing a larger, longer-term untitled project—a broad visual portrait of Newfoundland’s lived-in culture. The focus is on the everyday: the places locals recognize instantly, the heart and resilience that run through small communities, and the real environments people move through day after day—without leaning on the usual tourist shorthand.
Publications, awards, and client work
Travis has had work published in Popular Photography, the Ontario Science Centre, Downhome Magazine, The Independent, and The Telegram. His photography has also been used in short film development, and he has been a guest on photography podcasts.
In 2013, Travis won the provincial Mentor of the Year award from Youth Ventures for his work mentoring young photographers, and in 2014, he was named Young Entrepreneur of the Year by the Burin Peninsula Chamber of Commerce.
While his focus today is primarily on long-form projects and published work, Travis is available for commercial photography, aerial/drone, editorial/documentary assignments, licensing (prints for offices and publications), brand/storytelling for local businesses, and speaking/workshops/mentoring. Past and current clients include Atlantic Towing, Staples Canada, Canadian Tire, Sobeys, Government of Canada, Legendary Coasts, CBDC, NOIA, Clearwater, Ocean Choice International, and many more throughout Newfoundland.
Work with Travis: To inquire about commercial photography, aerial/drone, licensing, editorial/documentary assignments, or speaking/workshops, reach Travis at travis@travisparsons.com
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