My love of photography began as a little kid before I even had the opportunity to put a camera to my face.  I was one of those kids who loved to get my picture taken; for that matter I loved anything that drew attention to myself, but that’s a whole other story.  When I was about 6 or 7, I convinced my Mom to let me go out and play with an old school Kodak Instamatic that used 110 Film.  We lived near Lake Erie in Cleveland, Ohio so I went down to the lakefront park and began shooting away at the sunset; those 24 exposures were gone about as fast as I could roll the film.  I ran home hoping I could still convince my mother to take and drop off the film for processing that night; unfortunately it had to wait till the morning when I was promised that my Dad would drop it off on his way to work.  Four or five days went by (this was long before the days of one hour photo) and finally it was time to pick up the prints; my mother took me, and I am sure all of my siblings, in the old station wagon to the drive-thru Foto-Hut (it was literally a light blue hut with a Kodak yellow roof that could barely fit one person surrounded by hundreds of rolls of film).  I tore open the package and thumbed through the prints like wildfire, and before we had left the parking lot I had found my “keeper” and was insisting that my mother turn around to drop off the negative for an enlargement.

I enjoyed that 110 Instamatic for a number of years and captured some great pictures with it that I cherish to this day, but I still longed for what was to me the mystical power of a 35mm camera.  That day finally came when I was about 9 years old and got a call from my Aunt and Uncle in Florida that they had a Pentax K1000 they would be willing to give me on a permanent loan provided I took care of it.  Before the camera even arrived in the mail I was using my allowance to stockpile rolls of film and checking out stacks of photography books from the library.  That camera was all manual and it gave me the creative control and simplicity that I often long for today.  There was just something about dialing in an f-stop on the lens and turning a dial on the top of the camera to adjust you shutter speed that really made you one with the picture.

I loved that camera and the pictures it helped me make, but it wasn’t long before I had even bigger ambitions and the next thing my parents knew I had converted an old closet in our basement to full-fledged black & white darkroom.  The darkroom gave me some great prints, but it wasn’t long before my allowance was having a hard time keeping up with my expenses for chemicals and paper.  Fortunately high-school was just around the corner and that meant access to even better cameras and a fully stocked darkroom.  High school was blur as it is for many and the next thing I knew I was starting at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida in their Marine Science and Environmental Policy Program.

While at Eckerd I had my first opportunity to receive formal training in photography and by the end of my sophomore year between my major studies, participation in the schools Marine Search and Rescue program, and work as a sailing instructor I had already fully exhausted the schools limited photography curriculum.  Fortunately the visual arts faculty encouraged students to develop curriculum beyond the classroom and I was able to complete a photography independent study during each of my remaining semesters at Eckerd.  As part of these independent studies I had the opportunity to not only photograph the local area extensively, but also go on documentary photography trips to Cuba and the Copper Canyon region of Mexico.

Since graduation I have been employed as a Marine Scientist/Policy Specialist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) specializing in Wetland and Coral Reef Habitat Restoration.  However, my passion for photography never stopped, and for the last eight years I have worked a variety of freelance assignments and sold a number of fine art prints.  During this time I have had the opportunity to shoot throughout the United States, Europe, South America, and the Caribbean on a variety of assignments and projects.  Also during this time I was fortunate enough to meet my beautiful wife and we are blessed to have a daughter who is a little over a year old.

In late 2005, after hearing over and over from friends, family, and mentors that I had what it takes photography wise to do more than opportunistic projects, I decided to give it a go and formally launch Tom Moore Fine Art Photography along with this website. 

I choose the name “Tom Moore Fine Art Photography” even though I marketing more than “Fine Art” print sales, because for me every time I look through the viewfinder I am trying to capture a not a simple photograph, but a piece of art representing that particular moment in time that will never be repeated again.  When capturing a memory at wedding or an expression in a portrait, I strive to capture not only the light and color of a moment, but the power and emotion behind it as well.  When a photographer is successful at capturing a combination of beautiful light, vibrant color, and unique emotion, that end result truly can be called fine art.

Today I continue to shoot as often as possible, whether personally or for clients, and continue to try to expand my technical skills by studying the work of the masters.  Recently I have been working to adapt creative lighting techniques that photographers often only attempt in a studio and controlled environment, for use in my on location photography at weddings and events.

I hope you enjoy viewing some of my art,
Tom

tom@thomasdmoore.com

Photographer Serving all of Tampa Bay, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Sarasota, Manatee and Polk with:.

Fine Art Photography

Wedding Photography

Event Photography

Dramatic Portraits

Family Photography

Childrens Photography