Completely free, finally me. Self portrait, September 2021. © Laura Pedersen, 2021

Completely free, finally me. Self-portrait, September 2021. © Laura Pedersen

I’m a Canadian visual artist and photographer. Born and raised in Calgary, Alberta, I spent the first decade of my career working as a national photojournalist and videographer for major Canadian daily newspapers. I’m now a staff video producer at CBC News in Toronto, Ontario. 

I’ve also held staff photojournalist and videographer positions at the National Post, Edmonton Sun and St. Albert Gazette. I’ve also worked at Citytv Toronto, the Calgary Sun and the University of Toronto. 

Clients and bylines include: CBC Toronto, CBC News, The National, The Globe and Mail, National Post, Postmedia, Reuters, Carswell, CityNews/Citytv, Breakfast Television, The JUNO Awards, iHeartRadio, Law Times, Canadian Lawyer, CTV, City of Markham, University of Toronto, Blue Ant Media, Pro Bono Students of Canada, Calgary Sun, Edmonton Sun, Toronto Sun, St. Albert Gazette and many more.


Isolation Self-Portraits

In March 2020, the world came to a screeching halt. Suddenly there was a virus, and we had to stay away from everyone else. We were told to isolate in our homes, with no answers as to what the future was going to hold.

I felt trapped. Left with no one but myself to photograph, I turned the camera on myself. And so, my ongoing series of Isolation Self-Portraits was created.

The lockdowns are now over, and the world is returning to some degree of what it was before. But, things have changed. I’m currently still exploring my journey through this new reality through self-portraiture, of which you can see more of on my Instagram.

The online version of this article can be found on The Globe and Mail.