After greater than three a long time of capturing many various tales, Andrew Vaughan determined to place the lens cap on and retire from The Canadian Press.

Vaughan, 69, has been a photographer with CP since 1986. On Nov. 7, he introduced he would retire on the finish of 2022.

Identified throughout Canada for his work, he has been nominated for seven Nationwide Newspaper Awards and received 4. Vaughan has coated mass shootings, snowstorms and curling championships, however his precedence has all the time been the particular person within the story.

“You’ll be able to meet the folks on Spring Backyard Street or you may meet them in the midst of London, England,” stated Vaughan. “However that’s the large fascination that I’ve had with my job.”

Profession highlights

Vaughan received his begin in the summertime of 1979, as a photographer in Edmonton working for the Alberta authorities. In 1983, he moved to Ottawa and was employed by The Canadian Press after a pair years of freelancing.

Since working with CP, Vaughan has travelled the world. However an project that stands out to him was when he labored with The Related Press in New York on Sept. 11, 2001.

On Sept. 13, two days after the assaults that struck New York and introduced down the World Commerce Centre, he noticed a crying younger lady holding an indication along with her fiancé’s identify outdoors Bellevue Hospital.

“I’m her and I begin to take a pair frames,” stated Vaughan. “And also you don’t actually have interaction with folks as a result of they’re simply so distraught, however I believed she was going to faint.”

The lady Vaughan talked to was Rachel Uchitel, and his picture was printed by the New York Publish after which went world wide. Uchitel made headlines once more years later through the Tiger Woods controversy.

Vaughan stated he thinks the rationale his image resonated with so many individuals was as a result of he shot an “precise particular person versus a construction.”

Recognizing a personality

Michael MacDonald is a reporter/editor for The Canadian Press, and has labored there for 32 years. He has reported on “slightly little bit of all the things” with Vaughan for greater than 20 years.

“I can let you know that Andrew Vaughan is definitely one of many hardest working folks I’ve ever labored with,” stated MacDonald.

What MacDonald appreciated probably the most about Vaughan was his capability to identify a personality in a narrative.

“I can’t let you know the variety of instances the place I used to be masking one thing … and Andrew would casually say to me, ‘See that particular person over there? It is best to speak to that particular person,’ ” he stated.

Household assist

Vaughan has two kids and one granddaughter. His spouse, Elaine McCluskey, is a former journalist with The Canadian Press and an creator of six novels with a seventh within the works. Whereas Vaughan is grateful for his profession, he couldn’t have executed properly with out his household.

“The most important factor that you just sacrifice is your loved ones,” stated Vaughan. “They put up with lots of instances, the place on birthdays, anniversaries, to holidays you’re not there … my job would have by no means occurred with out that assist from my household.”

When McCluskey labored for CP, she discovered it exhausting to keep up her household and her profession. Particularly when Vaughan was “on name 24/7.”

“As soon as we had two kids and we have been each alleged to drop all the things and go off on the large story, it simply wasn’t going to work anymore,” stated McCluskey.

McCluskey stated she took the position of the “assist particular person” for Vaughan, offering suggestions and concepts, as she understands the story-making course of. In his retirement, she now expects Vaughan to do the identical for her.

“I’m nonetheless working as a result of I’m a author,” she stated. “So the joke is that Andrew’s simply going to drive me round to writing festivals.”

Apart from being McCluskey’s chauffeur, Vaughan has no plans for his retirement. He’s wanting ahead to the down time, however he doesn’t need to retire with out offering some recommendation for younger journalists.

“You simply should be respectful with the folks that you just’re coping with, even when they’re not treating you with the identical quantity of respect that they need to.

“Keep hydrated and put on your sunscreen too.”

Jake Webb Jake Webb is a fourth-year pupil within the Bachelor of Journalism (Honours) program on the College of King’s School.

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