outdoors | spotlight on hunting,
fishing and more
Photographer expresses his love
of nature
By
Ed Zieralski,
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
Saturday, January 16, 2010 at 2:13
a.m.
A Michael
Seewald photograph of Yosemite in the winter.
An award-winning photographer and avid fisherman,
Michael Seewald knows that a great photo presents itself about as often as
a trophy largemouth bass.
“Our eyes process 32 frames per second, so there
are about a million photo possibilities a day, but which one is worth
stopping for and making a piece of art out of it?” Seewald said. “I’m
always looking for the perfect photo, and I never know what it is.”
In his more than 40-year career as a
photojournalist, Seewald, 57, of Del Mar, has captured those perfect
moments often enough to stock a couple of galleries, which he has in Del
Mar and Leucadia. He has used his photographic talent to fund many trips
around the world. He met his wife, Valerie, through his photography.
“She was an art collector, and then one day, she
collected me,” Seewald said, laughing.
Photographers Forum Magazine once said Seewald’s
photos “communicate in a quiet, lyrical way.”
For Seewald, his photos share his deep faith in
God, tremendous love of nature and appreciation and joy of life. His motto
is, “Art by man … inspiration from God.”
Seewald teaches photography for users of digital
and regular cameras, and he says his classes are for all levels of
photographers. He teaches locally and throughout the world. His next
travel class is in Yosemite in March.
“I’ve had people come in from all over the
country to take these classes,” Seewald said. “On the first day, we build
a race car. The next day, we go out and race the car, build art. After
that it’s up to them to become winners. But I give them all the tools.
I’ve had people say they had two years of college photography, but they
learn more from me in two days than they did in college.”
Seewald was introduced to art by his mother. He
watched her paint and decided to try it. He was in grade school when he
won the first art competition he entered. He drew a haunted house scene on
the front of an ice cream shop in Chula Vista and won first place.
“I used the lights from inside the store to shine
through the windows of the haunted house to make it look more natural,”
Seewald said.
As a youngster, Seewald developed an appreciation
for light and what made good art, matched by his love for fishing. He
remembers fishing and clamming Chesapeake Bay and fishing the Great Lakes.
When his father moved to Chula Vista to become a Border Patrol agent, he
and his brothers and friends often took 20-mile round trip rides on their
bikes to fish Lower Otay Lake.
“We were bobber and night crawler guys who fished
for bluegill, mostly, but then one day I met an older fisherman who was
walking the bank and throwing a big black plastic worm,” Seewald said. “He
was catching more fish than us, big bass, all on that plastic worm. I
asked him for some fishing tips, and he showed me how he rigged it and
then reeled it back slowly. That was my introduction to artificial baits
and stitching (pulling line back by hand).”
Seewald remembers getting an old Brownie camera
in his early teens. He became the family photographer. He documented
trips, fish that were caught, anything to preserve the family memories.
He studied journalism and photography at
Southwestern College and then San Diego State. But for the most part, he
was self-taught as a photographer, a student of life and art.
“The only job I coveted in those days was Ansel
Adams’ job,” Seewald said of the legendary nature photographer. “He
traveled the world and shot photos and got paid. That was the perfect job.
But he already had it.”
Seewald figured out a way to sell his photos,
sight unseen, before his trips. That allowed him to pay for his travel and
return with photographs that not only were sold but also were worth more
the opening night of a showing.
“Photographs are going for over $3 million, so
that has really helped photographers at all levels,” Seewald said.
Seewald said he got away from fishing for many
years, but about five years ago he had an urge to return to his roots and
fish at Lower Otay Lake. He now has a Skeeter bass boat and plans to fish
in some money tournaments. Many of the trips will involve some kind of
fishing.
These days he travels thinking that next trip
could produce a trophy fish and a classic photo.
Information on taking Seewald’s photography class
or visiting his galleries is at seewald.com or (760) 633-1351.
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