Biography

I currently reside in Toronto, Canada, a vibrant city whose diversity reflects my own eclectic life journey. Though I my ancestry and heritage is Turkish, I was born in Svishtov, Bulgaria, a small town along the southern banks of the Danube River. The 1980s marked a transformative chapter when political upheaval and cultural repression compelled my family to relocate to North Africa. We lived as expatriates, and briefly as refugees, in Tripoli, Libya.

My lifelong passion for photography began in the unique atmosphere of Tripoli, while attending the oddly named "Oil Companies’ School" (OCS), an international institution attended by expat children. I was very fortunate to have had early access to rigorous photographic education, including training in traditional methods. With the help of an absolutely amazing teacher, Mr. Nellist, I learned all about film photography, including camera work, darkroom techniques and essential composition skills.

Our move to Canada in the late 1980s solidified photography as an enduring pursuit, including occasional teaching stints. Academically, my journey has traversed esteemed institutions including McGill University (BA), McMaster University (MA), and the University of Toronto Faculty of Law (JD). Throughout this journey, I've earned several prestigious scholarships, grants, and have authored peer-reviewed academic publications. After several years practicing law, I chose to pivot towards graduate studies, prioritizing my health and personal growth.

Currently, I am also a part-time Ph.D. student in philosophy at the University of Western Ontario, where my research focuses on environmental philosophy and early-modern German philosophical thought, particularly the work of Kant and Hegel. My family—my wife and our two young children—live with me in downtown Toronto.

For more information, please visit my links page:

linktr.ee/attila_ataner