Welcome!

Sonny has presented me with the opportunity to develop a blog to complement his website at sonnyjlewis.com. I’m not sure if I should be flattered that he trusts me with this project or concerned that I’ve bitten off a very big chunk of responsibility. I suppose that’s something that will be determined a bit down the road …

When we thought of doing a blog, I’m sure each of us had specific ideas that we thought would be fun to cover. Since it’s the beginning of a new project, I think it’s appropriate to shed some light on Sonny’s progression to becoming a professional photographer.

Sonny attended Maranatha Christian School from pre-school through his senior graduation. I was a bit worried when he announced that he wanted to attend the Ohio State University. Afterall, his high school graduation class consisted of fewer than 25 students. Didn’t he know OSU was HUGE and there were probably lions and tigers and oh my, maybe even scarier things???? Much to my delight, he earned his Bachelor of Science in Psychology and participated in the Honors Program while there.

After college graduation, he said he’d like to work for himself, perhaps in a computer / technical / or media-based field. He began working with Absolute Theatre in Powell for approximately three years and enjoyed learning about new technologies. The creative urge kept coming until he finally announced that he wanted to go into a specific area that would allow him to try new techniques, work one-on-one with individuals, and allow him to be self-employed. The search was on to find an educational program that would provide him with new skills.

Photography had been a hobby for Sonny for many years and it seemed like a good fit. After researching several photography schools, he decided to enroll in the Ohio Institute of Photography and Technology (OIP&T) in Dayton. The school was formerly called OIP and was for the photography students only. Recent graduates still refer to themselves as OIP grads – something they must feel separates them from the rest of the students … guess everybody likes to feel special. LOL. OMG, am I allowed to use instant messaging shortcuts?

It’s now two years since his graduation from OIP and he’s learning the ups and downs of running his own photography business. He specializes in high school senior portraiture in-studio and off-site locations. He enjoys family and children, as well as young professionals and executive portraiture. He holds a special passion for working with alternative printmaking processes in fine art photography.

Now that you know so much about Sonny, it’s time to get down to what he enjoys most: capturing unique portraiture and having a blast at the same time. One of his most enjoyable projects while at OIP&T included shooting a high key, white on white format, which brings us to Molly.

Our family was attending a wedding reception and we were seated with a beautiful young lady who happened to be attending University of Dayton. Her name was Molly and she was the image of confidence and sophisticated gracefulness. Wouldn’t she be a perfect model for Sonny to shoot? Not wanting to let an excellent opportunity get away, I whispered to Sonny what he thought and he too felt she would make an outstanding model. We asked her if she would be willing to come over to OIP for a morning and she agreed. Needless to say, we couldn’t wait for the day to arrive!

The photographs that we are featuring highlight some of the shots that give a good representation of the time that both subject and photographer enjoyed. We hope you will enjoy them, too.