Master in the field of portrait photography USA

One of the all time great portrait photographers was Don Blair. He was known as a master in the field of portrait photography where he used lighting and composition to create timeless images. His interest in photography came when he was in sixth grade, when he went to work for a photography studio carrying equipment and helping in the lab. He learned all he could from the owner of the studio and eventually took it over and named it Don Blair Photo Studio. He was an advocate of continued learning and growth. He was known for his kindness to amateur and professional alike, and was willing to share what he knew with everyone, if they had the desire to learn. He was a mentor to many contemporary photographers.

One couple that he mentored is Joseph and Louise Simone out of Quebec, Canada. They learned the skills of seeing light and paying attention to composition and use this to not just take pictures, but create art with their photography. They met while working at Don Blair's photo studio in the 70's. The experience they had at his studio and the things they learned set them on their photographic path and they are still creating beautiful photography today. They are unique in their photography in that Louise "paints" their portraits after they have been photographed. She uses both Corel Painter and Photoshop tools to do her painting digitally, creating timeless, lasting portraiture.