Your LINK with SAIT
Contributor spotlight
In every issue of LINK magazine, we introduce readers to a fellow SAIT graduate whose work is featured in that edition. For Fall 2025, we're showcasing Rob Olson (Journalism '98), who took photos for the story Taking Flight.
Photo by: David Rossiter
Rob Olson (Journalism '98)
Photographer for: Taking flight
The first thing Rob Olson did when assigned to photograph a 7 am release of racing pigeons was check what time the sun would come up.
“I knew light levels would be low and it turned out there wasn’t a proper sunrise that day,” he recalls. “But the overcast skies added drama to the shots.”
Using two cameras, Olson says the entire shoot was over in under five minutes — even with the fledglings circling around to sort out their direction before flying home.
Olson started his career as a photojournalist with the Lethbridge Herald soon after graduating, then worked at a portrait studio. Today he works with commercial and post-secondary clients. He still enjoys seeing his work in print — and enjoyed reconnecting with former classmate Leah Hennel (JA ’98) for this joint photo assignment.
“I asked, ‘How long does it seem since we were doing our final school projects?’ Leah said it felt like yesterday and, in some ways, it does to me, too. But in other ways I think, wow — that’s coming up to 30 years ago.
“So this shoot was kind of a cool full-circle experience — literally and figuratively — with the pigeons racing from southern Alberta back to Calgary.”
Meet the Fall 2025 team
Editor-in-Chief
Brian Bowman, Associate Vice-President, Advancement
Managing Editor
Alison O'Connor, Manager, Advancement Communications, Alumni & Development
Print Editor
Nancy Cope, Alumni Publications Editor, Alumni & Development
Online Editor
Nicole Brandt, Digital Communications Specialist, Alumni & Development
Creative Direction, Design and Production
Michelle Atkinson (NMPD '03)
Copy Editor
Colleen Lavender
Social Media
Kelsey Nixon, Communications Specialist, Alumni & Development
Advancement Assistant
Lou Boromeo
Advertising Sales
Astha Vohra
Printing
BP Media Inc.
Print Cover Photo
Kokemor Studio
Contributors
2C Media, Jennifer Allford, Hanso Chang, Josie Chu, Nancy Cope, DIALOG, f11photo via Getty Images, HarderLee Photography, Leah Hennel (JA ’98, Honorary Degree ’21), Kate Künz (ACA ‘84), Kokemor Studio, Ashley Naud (JA ’10), Rob Olson (JA ’98), Keagan Perlette, Pressmaster via Getty Images, Stuart Reece Photography, Jen Roney, Eric Rosenbaum, David Rossiter, SAIT Archives, Sal Sawler, Julie Sengl, Giselle Wedemire (GRDN ’23, JA ’13), Michelle Woodard, Zamrznutitonovi via Getty Images, Aleksandr Zyablitskiy Via Getty Images
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For more information or to book your advertisement in LINK, please contact Astha Vohra by email at astha.vohra@sait.ca.
Oki, Âba wathtech, Danit'ada, Tawnshi, Hello.
SAIT is located on the traditional territories of the Niitsitapi (Blackfoot) and the people of Treaty 7 which includes the Siksika, the Piikani, the Kainai, the Tsuut’ina and the Îyârhe Nakoda of Bearspaw, Chiniki and Goodstoney.
We are situated in an area the Blackfoot tribes traditionally called Moh’kinsstis, where the Bow River meets the Elbow River. We now call it the city of Calgary, which is also home to the Métis Nation of Alberta.