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<\/a><\/p>\n\u201cThis region has had a profound shaping of my consciousness to go out and do the things that I\u2019ve done,\u201d he said, pointing to the Ontario Street General Motors plant, the Welland Canal and quarries in Port Colborne as having a big impact on his early years.<\/p>\n
Burtynsky went on to receive a BAA in Photography\/Media Studies from Ryerson University in 1982 before launching Toronto Image Works. His images have appeared in publications such as National Geographic<\/em> and the New York Times<\/em>, as well as in museums around the world.<\/p>\n Burtynsky said he wants people to experience his art so that they can understand the impact society is having on the planet.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve spent a great deal of time in these landscapes watching them continue to change and watching us continue to change them,\u201d he said. \u201cOur collective impact is inevitable. As our population booms, so does our need for resources. We\u2019re spending the land and seas like currency and the Earth\u2019s systems are under threat.\u201d<\/p>\n Burtynsky encouraged the graduands to do something \u2014 big or small.<\/p>\n \u201cOur planet is fragile. Now is the time to take responsibility for our actions and our future,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n These days, Burtynsky\u2019s work has shifted toward 3D and augmented reality photography, which he calls \u201cPhotography 3.0.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI see it as a new way of expressing my art and a new direction for my photography. It\u2019s a long way from my first darkroom when I was 11 years old,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n He also encouraged the grads to take risks, and never accept no for an answer.<\/p>\n \u201cIn my work, no is always the first thing I hear. But I persevere, and often times no becomes yes. Take no as the starting point,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n