Photographer's Biography - Michael Roman
He enjoys the creative opportunities that are available to him through photography. "I can't draw to save my life, and my pitiful grasp of the English language means that creative writing is beyond my reach. So photography has been a natural outlet for my creativity", he quips. An engineer by training, Michael has always had an eye for detail. "Photography has taught me to be aware of some subjects that many people would walk past and give little notice to. It has allowed me to appreciate so many of the subtleties and beauty around all of us. It's been an inspiration and reward all on its own". With his attention to detail and his ability to capture expressions, Michael used portrait photography to fulfill his creative drives. He became well known in New England photographic circles as an outstanding portrait photographer, and during the 1980's and 1990's Michael won numerous awards in international salons and exhibitions. These include Best Child Portrait medals in back to back years in the world's largest single division color slide exhibition and Best Female Portrait.
Various courses, seminars, and other training classes over the years have helped Michael hone his portraiture skills. Although he teaches portrait photography from time to time, he also continues to take classes in it. He believes, "There is no end to what one can learn about portrait photography. The various shapes of each person's face or body, the number of lights, their positions and settings, colors and textures of clothing, the choice of camera equipment, focal lengths, and camera angles ... all these are included in the factors that go into capturing the ideal portrait. The infinite combinations of all of these factors and challenges makes an endless puzzle of how best to capture what will please the client the most. I really enjoy these challenges and the sense of reward that comes from delivering photographs that are appreciated so much!" These days Michael's photography takes him not only to exotic sites like Europe and the American West but also to more ordinary locations like the pond and field behind his house. Yet he is most happy creating beautiful portraits. "Everyone is beautiful in their own way", says Michael. "My job is to create the best light on that beauty, to capture it and preserve it for a lifetime." |
Michael
developed his life-long love of photography in the 1960's shortly after receiving his first
camera, a Kodak Instamatic,. He was a photographer for
his high school yearbook and an active member of the photography club in college
during the 1970's. As his skills and experience developed, Michael's photographic
goals turned into a desire to create photos that delivered visual or emotional
impact.
A husband and father of two sons, Michael has been an active member of the New England Camera Club Council's
Model Activities Committee since the late 1980's and runs its Model Print
Contest in which literally thousands of photos are entered every year. He
also formed and ran for a number of years the Portrait Special Interest Group at
the Gateway Camera Club where he was among the top competitors and
won the coveted Slide of the Year award four times over a ten year period.
Michael belongs to and was a founding member of