Del Ryder
Profile
Curiosity and Discovery
As a child in upstate New York, I enjoyed walking through forests and wading through swamps just to see what was there. By age 12, I had my own microscope and learned that all those tiny animals with weird tentacles living in a single drop of swamp water were called Hydra. Experiences like that triggered more wonder: like, what could I discover up there in that night sky? So, I saved my money, bought a telescope and viewed most of our planets and the craters on our moon. I learned to pay attention and be patient because it led to discovery. I observed some very interesting things early in life. I found Jupiter and counted its12 moons and then Saturn and counted its 9 moons. I could not wait to show others what I had seen. I needed a camera.
First Steps toward Photography
In my senior year, friends encouraged me to join a newly formed high school camera club. Both my microscope and telescope could be fitted with a camera, so I planned to use the club's camera to record some of those extraordinary things I was seeing, including things I was discovering on my nature walks. Unfortunately, the club was full, so I missed an opportunity to learn to use a camera. That was disappointing, but on the positive side, I took two semesters of mechanical drawing that year and learned to use linear perspective to create depth and three dimensional space on a flat piece of paper. That training shaped how I would use composition in photography in a few years.
First Camera
I traveled west, way west. So far west they call it the Far East and bought a Minolta SRT~101at the Navy Exchange in Naha, Okinawa, Japan. That camera changed my life. So did traveling around the world with the Navy taking pictures.
Early Fine Art Influence - "Camera" Magazine
The Swiss magazine (CAMERA) showcased the work of established fine art photographers and was my first source for seeing what could be done with a camera. It inspired me to experiment with the framing, design [especially the arrangement of the objects and spaces within my frame], linear and aerial perspective and depth of field effects. Photography quickly became more than a hobby.
Focus on Art and Documentary Photography in New York
Photography was exciting. I wanted to learn more. After returning from military service, I completed advanced courses in photography at Syracuse University from the College of Visual and Performing Arts and the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and Journalism. Within those two schools of photography, I was able to hone my skills in both art photography and photojournalism. With new skills, my career advanced quickly. I taught for the State University of New York at the Tompkins/ Cortland Campus as an Adjunct Professor of Photography in the Fine Art Department. I began to photograph throughout the New England area on several road trips and exhibited my art photography in New York and Canada. A year later I became the Director of PhotoVisions, a fine art photography gallery. During my tenure, I curated eight photography exhibitions. I met with the Director of the Everson Museum of Art in NY to show him a recently completed series of new color photography. At the conclusion of our meeting he invited me to exhibit the entire series consisting of twenty hand printed color photographs at the museum. After the exhibit a few selected photographs from that series entered the Everson Museum's permanent collection.
Fine Art and Advertising Photography became Synergistic
I was using 4x5 and 8x10 inch view cameras for much of my artwork then, so it felt natural to begin freelancing as an architectural photographer. I quickly became known for high quality work not only in fine art and architecture, but also in advertising photography. Advertising, at that time, relied on color photography. As a student at Syracuse University, I had learned to process color film and print color photographs. After gaining several new advertising accounts, I opened my first photography studio. To make things more efficient, I moved my Simmon Omega and Beseler 4x5 enlargers and color print processors from my home into the new studio space. Personally developing and hand printing my own color work was very natural for me and the only way to maintain the highest quality possible for all my projects. I have always been attuned to the way color affects emotion and mood.
Living the Dream ( and Working ) in Southern California
Encouraged by success in working with advertising agencies representing local businesses in NY, I decided to move my photography studio to the West Coast. I opened a studio in Irvine, California and specialized in advertising photography and served national and international clients. With a strong portfolio of fashion, fine art and advertising work, I also began working with Los Angeles and Orange County talent agents to help build their models professional portfolios. Over the years, I won several awards for my advertising photography from ADDOC, the Art Directors and Designers of Orange County at their annual awards ceremonies.
Artistic Freedom and the Pursuit of Meaning
I enjoyed the fast paced, collaborative world of advertising photography as a career for several years, working with teams consisting of art directors, set designers, food stylists and hair and make-up artists. At the same time, I remained committed to developing my fine art work since it offered something very special... complete artistic freedom. And that freedom included working without preconceptions* especially with regard to my selection of images. I'm very attuned to images that evoke emotion and resonate with me as a feeling. Fine art photography has fostered a personal exploration and a way to merge my thoughts and emotions with the world around me.
I live in Huntington Beach, California. I'm out with my digital camera nearly every day. Photography is a perfect fit and an all encompassing passion for me. You will find several jpeg renditions of my photographs displayed here. I post new fine art photographs regularly and enjoy exhibiting my fine art photographs in art galleries in Southern California. My plans for the future include establishing a Cooperative Gallery in Orange County for fine art photographers. I hope you enjoy viewing these photographs as much as I enjoyed taking them.
Advertising Accounts, Photography Journals and Publications
A partial client list of advertising photography accounts I've held include the following: Allergan, Apple Macintosh, Avis, Beatrice Hunt-Wesson, Bentley Mills, Breyers, Coca Cola, Del Mar Avionics, FireTrac, F.X. Matt Brewing Co, ICN Pharmaceuticals, Ingram Micro, Knudsen, Lawry's, Marathon Inc, Northrup Grumman, Philips Electronics, Quantum Health Resources, Ocean Pacific Swimwear, Orange Coast Magazine, Taco Bell, and TRW. Publications and journals that have published my fine art photography include Afterimage, a magazine published by The Visual Studies Workshop, Rochester, N.Y. and Studio Photography and Design Magazine.
Education
* Zen Training and Practice ( Zazen ) Japan and U.S.
BA ( Psychology ) and MS ( Counseling ) degrees from Syracuse University.