Mel Lindstrom Photography

Mel Lindstrom - Bio Mel has been an artist all his life. In his youth, he explored every artistic avenue from painting to poetry and along the way, discovered a love for composition and lighting that would help shape his future as a successful professional photographer. While attending High School in Northern California, To secure a place in his High School photography class, Mel convinced the instructor that he should bypass the long waiting list to become a teachers aid. That decision was to be one of the most important of his life. Within days, Mel was hooked. By the end of the year he was the lead photographer for the yearbook and school newspaper and the requested personal PR photographer for the principal. And by the time Mel graduated High School, he had transformed from an amateur photographer to a true professional-in-training. Mel attended the prestigious Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, entering the academy with an advanced standing and quickly excelling through the four year college by proving proficiency in several classes. Upon graduation he was hired by the school to work in the school’s color photography lab. After leaving Art Center, Mel worked as an assistant to many top LA photographers before becoming the lead photographer at a Houston-based studio. He opened his San Francisco studio in 1998 and has steadily increased his breadth of experience and capability. Along the way, Mel has received hundreds of accolades and awards from clients, fellow photographers, and the advertising industry. In 2008 alone he won more than 40 creative awards. From his early days as a professional photographer, Mel built a strong reputation with clients and collaborators for his ability to see and imbue a sense of beauty to any subject he shot. For many years, Mel has helped to train the next generation of photographers as an instructor at the Academy of Art in San Francisco and at the Art Center and San Jose State, as well as being a guest speaker at numerous universities and trade organizations such as APA, ASMP, PPofA and many others. A partial list of awards and samples of the result of his decades long investment in perfecting the art of capturing light can be found on this site and we would be happy to arrange a personal presentation of material specific to your industry or need. With regard to his own work, Mel has this to say: I began as a still life and food photographer in LA. I Did really shoot people because my understanding of people photography was either fashion or catalog work. Although fashion photography is exciting and creative, it requires a keen ability to deal with the multitude of egos that are usually on set. Catalog work seemed void of the creativity and intimacy that I enjoy so much. I was not until I began shooting intimate portraits for national business magazines that I fell in love with photography people. These day, although we still do a lot of product photography, I am better know for images involving people. THE PERSONAL SIDE: At what was nearly the pinnacle of his career Mel found that his first born son was very ill. This information changed every aspect of his life, including his career. At the time he was shooting nearly everyday. But the heavy workload and the intense hours of extra care and research at home quickly took its toll. " Parents should not have to hear potential diagnosis such as leukemia, kidney failure, brain tumor, nerve damage etc. The more tests that were undertaken the more we realized that we needed to take matters into our own hands. The truth of what was most valuable in my life became strikingly apparent" As he spent more hours each day occupied with his sons health, less time was available to apply to the career that he also loved so much. " Although I was lucky enough to continually receive work from longtime loyal clients, I had little new in terms of passionate imagery to show potential new clients". Several years have now passed. Matthew is doing far better and with daily love and care, he is out of any impending danger. And he has a new brother that gives him life and hope and as well as a new reason to strive even harder to surpass the milestones that doctors said he would never reach. "Time is freeing up from me. I can get back to exploring my fondness for photographic beauty that once held my focus for so many years". Presently Mel's work is taking on a new dimension that he terms High Def. Portraits. Along with some classic beauty shots of dancers, and the on going creative commercial project. Mel Lindstrom Photography 560 4th street San Francisco, CA. 94107 415-979-9340