About Al Murray Photography
Photography has always been about moments for me.
Not perfect poses. Not staged smiles. Not creating something that looks good for five minutes on social media before people scroll past it.
The photographs that stay with us are the ones that make us feel something years later. A reaction after a winning point. A quiet look across a room. A split second nobody else noticed. Those are the moments I chase with a camera.
For more than 30 years, I worked in the financial industry. Photography was always there in the background, following me through travel, sporting events, city streets, and everyday life. Eventually, what started as a lifelong passion became something more meaningful. Semi-retirement gave me the opportunity to fully commit to photography and the storytelling side of the craft that had always drawn me in.
I studied photography through Toronto Metropolitan University’s Photography Studies program and have spent years developing my eye through travel, sport, portraiture, and real-world experience behind the camera.
Today, Al Murray Photography focuses on sports photography, portraits, headshots, branding sessions, and event coverage across Woodstock, Southwestern Ontario, and beyond.
Sport photography has become a particular passion of mine because sport reveals genuine emotion faster than almost anything else. There is tension, joy, frustration, determination, and anticipation packed into moments that last less than a second. Capturing those moments requires timing, patience, and the ability to see emotion before it fully happens.
Over the years, I have photographed tournaments and events connected to organizations including the Ontario Tennis Association, the National Bank Open, the Woodstock Lakers, Oxford Attack basketball, and a growing list of athletes, organizations, and businesses across Ontario.
At the same time, I enjoy slowing things down through portrait and editorial-style photography. Whether working with athletes, professionals, actors, business owners, or individuals looking for personal portraits, my goal stays the same: create images that feel authentic and natural.
My approach is relaxed, collaborative, and straightforward. Many people feel uncomfortable in front of a camera. That is normal. The best photographs usually happen once people stop trying too hard and simply become themselves.
Travel has also shaped how I photograph the world. I have been fortunate to travel internationally for both sport and personal experiences, and those experiences continue to influence the way I frame stories, light, emotion, and atmosphere in my work today.
Photography is not about collecting thousands of images. It is about creating a handful that people remember.
That is what continues to pull me behind the camera.
Let’s Create Something Worth Remembering
Whether you are looking for sports coverage, professional headshots, branding images, event photography, or something more personal and creative, I would love to hear about your project.
