The Beginning – The President

My interest in video first started when my uncle loaned me his video camera for a summer. I had so much fun, that when summer ended, I convinced my parents to help me buy a video camera. I used that camera to videotape everything. I slowly began to build a library of birthdays, parties and special events. I thought to myself, this is cool and fun.

While attending university, I got a job videotaping games and practices for the Ottawa Rough Riders football club. Now this was really cool. With some encouragement of the coaches, and disappointment of my parents, I left university for college to learn more about television. I was very lucky in college to find work early in my first year working for a duplication company. Of course, I was still working for the Ottawa Rough Riders. I also started videotaping games for the Carleton University football team. Between first and second year of college, I was extremely lucky to have a summer job at the National Research Council as a producer, camera operator, editor and a host of other responsibilities. This job was one of the best. Having a background in science I was able to appreciate and discover new technologies and discoveries happening every day in Canada’s leading laboratories. In the beginning of my second year of college, luck struck me again. One of the teachers at the college told me the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club was looking for video work. I eagerly got in touch with the Senators and soon began working with the coaching staff providing video for their analysis. During my second year of college, I started my own company, Palomar Productions. Soon after graduation I purchased some broadcast camera equipment and started offering my services to the world. Over the years I have worked on many different projects and I am always gaining new experiences on every job. I am always open to new ideas of being creative. Of course, being bilingual in Ottawa has given me the opportunity to work on English and French productions.

What I love about my job is that it does not always feel like work. Every day is different and I get to work with and meet all kinds of people. A lot of the people I have met are still some of my good friends. Some I owe a great deal of gratitude for their patients and encouragement in making me who I am today.
It is a great feeling having my own business. It is a lot of hard work, but the rewards always seem to pay off. But then again, it could just be my great fortune. I would not change a thing.

What’s in a name?

I get asked how I came up with the name Palomar for my company. It goes back to when I was younger. I have always had an interest in astronomy. The brief time I spent in university was in Physics and Astronomy. When I left university for college, I still loved astronomy and wanted to have a name for my company that would still reflect this love.

After looking through countless books and magazines to try and come up with a name, I stumbled across a picture that caught my eye. The credit for the picture said Mount Palomar Observatory. The name grabbed my attention and has stuck with me ever since. My interest in astronomy has dwindled a bit, but, like everyone else, I still love to stare up at the stars on a clear and dark night.