Rob MacIntosh (b, Boston, Massachusetts)

Rob MacIntosh brings a designer’s eye and a storyteller’s instinct to his photography. A graduate of the Massachusetts College of Art and Design (BFA, Graphic Design, 1969); he enjoyed a long career in design while remaining deeply involved with MassArt as Alumni Association President and Trustee Chair—reflecting his belief in public education and the value of a publicly funded college of art and design.

His connection to photography began early when his father built a small darkroom in their Dorchester apartment. During his studies at MassArt, exposure to the works of Ansel Adams, Minor White, and Henri Cartier-Bresson revealed photography as a language of form, emotion, and light.

After decades in design, MacIntosh returned to photography at the age of 70. A street-photography course with Jamaica Plain artist Robin Radin reignited his creative drive and led him back into the streets—watching, waiting, and responding to moments shaped by natural light and human presence.

His photographs have appeared in exhibitions and juried shows throughout Greater Boston and New England, earning numerous awards, including multiple Best of Show honors. Each print is produced by the artist using archival pigment processes to preserve tone, depth, and authenticity.

Today, his photographs continue to explore everyday moments as quiet exchanges of humanity.

Encounters gathers sixteen of these moments—connections made in passing yet filled with presence, illuminated by light, timing, and human connection.