Recently he became the first photojournalist to receive the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from the Canadian Journalism Foundation. Jury member Kirk LaPointe said Bregg “exemplifies what a lifetime of journalism should be: constant renewal, consistent excellence, high integrity and a commitment to community”. I ask him how young journalists can achieve anything similar.

 

“Take it one step at a time,” he says. “Every day is a very small building block that will define you after several years. Let your photos speak for you. Be discreet and kind with those you encounter along the way. Getting ‘the shot’ is important but not at the expense of others. The quality of your work, your attitude and how you treat others will define you.” For one moment, the cheerful, bald man with the characteristic moustache feels more like a life sensei than a photography teacher.

 

Since declaring himself “semi-retired” in 2009, Peter Bregg has continued to teach photography at Ryerson University, where he makes sure to tell his students to always carry a camera with them. “Once you press the shutter, a second later that picture is history,” Bregg says. “As people die often, history is often all that’s left.” 

 

42 years of his career he spent working for major organisations, such as CP, AP and Maclean’s, where assignments were handed to him mostly due to his position or location. However, his freelancing work in recent times is for many reasons just as impressive. He has been to Africa 13 times since 2000 and covered issues like HIV-AIDS, lack of clean water, eyesight and nature disasters, photo essays he describes as more rewarding than anything else he has covered, due to the ability to directly benefit a specific group of people.

 

“Having a defined assignment allows you to concentrate on the content of the images and the story,” he explains. “Starting from scratch means having to define an angle, what it will take to best tell the story and where it will appear.”

 

Peter Bregg operates with two Nikon D800 cameras; his main two lenses are 24-70 f:2.8 and 70-200 f:2.8, providing the full spectre. He also carries a 16-35 zoom, an 85 f.1.8 and a doubler for the 70-200 lens. “If in a sensitive situation, you might shoot discreetly from a distance with a long lens,” he says. “If you ever feel that something isn’t right, then it’s time to pull out. I share this advise with young photographers. I have known a few photographers who were not as lucky as me.”

 

Throughout the years, Peter Bregg has built quite the network and gained access to shoot celebrities others can only dream about. He believes in making contacts whenever possible but also stresses the importance of actually following up to stay in touch. While being official photographer for PM Brian Mulroney, he noticed the prime minister was “from working class roots who treated everyone as a friend”. Their good relationship paid off five years later, when Bregg returned to Canada to work for Maclean’s Magazine and was accorded much access by Mulroney. “I think part of that benefit is due to discretion and professionalism”, Bregg concludes.

 

In recent years, however, Bregg has worked as a freelancer but has not encountered any problems coming up with ideas or selling his stories. I ask him about his step-by-step procedure for freelancing work and he tells the story of how he recently ended up spending 18 days aboard Canadian warship HMCS Regina searching for drug smugglers that fund terrorist groups in the Indian Ocean.