Photo Base Canada Ltd Foto Source - Scotia Centre

“I first got hooked on photography when I saw that first picture appear in front of my eyes coming out of the chemistry in the black and white photo lab,” says Mike Russo. And ever since that day in a ninth-grade darkroom, Mike’s free time has been spent snapping shots and processing images. Eventually, he would add capturing the memories of happy couples on their wedding day as well.

Combining business with his love for photography only became a full-time reality when Mike's career as a civil engineer came to a halt following company-wide layoffs. “As soon as other contractors found out I was on the market, the offers started coming in, but I thought to myself do I really want to do this?”, reflects Mike. As luck would have it, at that time the photography shop where Mike was a loyal customer came up for grabs. And that’s how Mike and his accounting-whiz wife, Susan, came to be the owners of Photo Base in 1996.