Frame to frame, site to site, Conway retires after 27 years of excellence

The Daily Commercial News (DCN) will celebrate its 95th anniversary on Nov. 8. In the lead up to this milestone, the team has created special features that originated directly from our newsprint, including this celebration of noted DCN photographer William Conway.

William Conway, a master in his craft of construction photography, recently retired from capturing the magic, complexity and beauty of a construction site through his lens.

“After much deliberation, I’ve decided to retire,” said Conway in announcing his retirement. “I’ve fully enjoyed the 27-year relationship with DCN and all of the wonderful people I’ve worked with over the years.”

Conway’s construction progress photography became a staple in the DCN, his photos gracing both its front page and inside pages hundreds of times. In an era where everyone can be a photographer, or think they are, thanks to a smartphone, photography can appear pretty easy to do.

Well, one scan of Conway’s body of work tells a different tale.

His ability to apply his talent for composition, understanding the rhythm of a construction site or the complexity of a worker’s task, delivered images that made the industry and the DCN proud.

During his award-winning career Conway had to tackle the most impactful change his craft faced in its 200-year existence, the evolution from film to digital photography. From sending in printed proofs for photo selection to the DCN to then providing us with a Flickr link or emailing them as attachments, one thing never changed, Conway left us with many options to choose from.

His son Ian has also been shooting construction progress photos for the DCN for a couple of years now as his father transitioned away from his regular pace.

Ian also has been the creator of our DCN Drone Zone films, a new tool for capturing the enormity and scope of work site. We are honoured to be the medium through which this transition has occurred.

For many members of the DCN family new and old, William was a friendly face at industry events to talk shop with, whether it was photography or construction.

As the DCN celebrates its 95th anniversary this year we can firmly state that his contribution not only made the publication better, helping further entrench it as the definitive source for construction news, it also showcased construction in an amazing light, from one frame to the next.

We wish William all the best as he now takes the time to enjoy his family and grandchildren…and we’ll bet that his camera will not be too far away as he does so.