toronto based photographer and creative director phil garstka immerses himself in context; he carefully observes contrasts in and around causal relationships, or intention behind a negative space vs a calustrophobic one. the hipocrisies he struggles with, he attempts to digest in his images

whether he is personally shooting or directing a team, phil credits his bold tastes to a love of the unorthodox. in the editing suite, he has a knack for pushing the unassuming into something monumental, and might turn a fleeting interlude into something pivotal. 

and yet, guided by intuition, he ultimately hopes to keep every project deeply personal, and above all else, honest.

phil is currently an associate creative director for monday media, where he works with the likes of Bacardi, the Estée Lauder Companies and ELC IT, CBC music, and Pride Toronto, heading culture building and brand storytelling projects. 

he is currently undertaking a deeply personal body of work, confronting imposter syndrome and the effects of generational trauma, conflicted identity, cultural amputation, and ancestral absence.