Bill Keane

I started photographing weddings from my dorm room at the Claremont colleges back when Nixon was president and film was the only way to record images. A great deal has changed since 1968, but my fascination with photography, and ultimately the stories of the people I have photographed, has made every day of my 40+ years as a portrait photographer as interesting as the first. I consider myself very fortunate to be involved in what I love doing every day.

As I was growing up, my parents always made portrait photography part of our lives, as it had been when they were growing up. As my own children grew, I developed a deeper appreciation of how important those photographs had become in my life. There was the picture of my uncle and the horse drawn delivery wagon he drove for my grandfather’s business on the unpaved streets of Berkeley; the portrait of my other grandfather smoking a pipe as he fished on the bank near the family home in Morris, Illinois; there was my mom as a six year old child model in Chiacgo; and then there were my own baby pictures, and memories of family vacations. Because my parents passed away when I was in my 20′s, these memories of my family have become my own link to the past, and a way my family now can connect with their history. Of course, it’s also kind of fun to remember that my hair used to be dark!

The other joy of Keane Studios are the great people I get to work with every day. We are always complimented when someone says how involved we are in what we do, and that it’s been great to work with the entire staff. Please take the time to look at their bios as well!