Michele
My love of the arts was cultivated at a young age. I was born in New York City; the home of so many famous artistic movements. It would not be uncommon as a child to be taken to one of many famous NYC museums, or for my mother to take me to see Swan Lake at the Metropolitan Opera house. My mother was a hobby photographer and took beautiful pictures with her Minolta; mostly nature images of butterflies or flowers. A family friend gave me my first camera when I was about 6; it was a Kodak disc camera. I remember being told not to waste the film and to think about the shot before I took it. This mindfulness about what I am photographing has certainly been a theme throughout my career.
Eventually my family moved from New York to a suburb outside of Chicago. The town I grew up in was perfectly manicured, beautiful and quaint. Chicago influenced me in a much different way than the gritty nature of New York. The winters were so cold that I had much time on my hands to imagine, create, read, dream… the days seemed endless being stuck while the snowy -15 degree winter blustered outside. The high school I was enrolled in had a darkroom; and added photography my senior year. I jumped at the chance to be in the class, and was one of the lucky 25 students who was chosen. This is when I first used a camera manually, and the technical foundations of developing in the darkroom. I loved being behind the lens and photographing anyone that would let me. I had an automatic bond with photography, and from that point I always had a camera with me.
I studied Photography and Art History at the University of Arizona, where I would spend at least 15 hours a week in the darkroom. I remember one assignment where I took one photograph every hour, for twelve hours. It reminded me of what I was told as a child; to think about each shot I took. I also did a lot of conceptual work during my undergraduate program, while continuing to focus on my technical skills. The college also has a Center for Creative Photography that was founded by Ansel Adams. It has one of the largest libraries of photographic prints and books, by famous artists in photo history. I was lucky enough to hold these famous images in my hands and feel connected to the artists who made photography an art form.
I feel so lucky to work as a photographer at Keane Studios. I have learned so many things from Bill Keane, whom I definitely consider a mentor. His passion for photography and his studio has opened my eyes to so many great possibilities. I love every aspect of my work at Keane Studios, especially the clients I photograph. I love making my clients look and feel their best; and creating beautiful portraits for their families to enjoy.