Photography is more than a form of art, it is a way to preserve history like no other medium can do. By taking a picture, a moment in time has been captured just as it happened. That look of surprise as a woman sees her boyfriend get down on one knee or that look of awe as a groom catches his first look at his bride. A laugh, hug or tear, all these emotions have been caught on camera like no artist ever could. Photography has the power to convey our reality and ensure that it will be passed on for generations to come. Causes, events, and movements have been forever frozen in time and will live on. Shelby is proud to be the home of our own award-winning photographer Randy McNeilly who has been capturing moments since 1979 and specialized in custom portraiture and fine art printing.

A Quality product

Randy has been printing his own work for over 30 years, providing credibility in his field as he has carefully honed his craft. Printing in his studio has also enabled him to have full control over his work and he makes a big production out of creating the print including taking a light and color meter reading where his clients intend to hang the finished portrait.

“Digital photography is the best thing that’s happened to photography but the worst thing to happen to professional photographers,” says McNeilly. “That’s why printmaking is such an important component to our business. It’s about providing a custom product to my clients.” (from an interview given to LexJet)

The printing process is part of the craft and the product so it is given the same amount of care as everything else ensuring a quality product.

Award-Winning

Randy has been the recipient of several prestigious awards and appointments including becoming the 100th photographer in the world to receive the Fellowship Degree from the American Society of Photographers in 2009. In 2012, he was honored to receive a lifetime appointment to Camera Craftsman, one of the most highly respected independent photography organizations in the world and is an impressive accomplishment as they are an exclusive group of 40. He has also been a multiple Print Awards Winners recipient. He has earned the equivalent of six Master of Photography degrees over the years and continues to pour himself into his work. We also want to add that since this blog was posted Randy also placed in the Team USA 2020 finalist world photographic cup.

“After more than 35 years I am still passionate about my work.”

Passing it on

Any craft is worthy of passing it onto the next generation or it will be lost. Randy is dedicated to imparting his wealth of knowledge to the new budding artists. He has given multiple keynote speeches across the county and is a lecturer as well as a teacher. Randy has also encouraged others to pursue their dreams in the photography field including Joe Campanellie who was inducted into the American Society of Photographers Fellowship in 2010.

McNeilly stresses that spending time with each client is an important part of capturing their personality and learning what story is inside, begging to be told. This is the essence of what it is to be a photographer, they are storytellers. They find those pieces of history hidden within each person, that part that makes their story unique and captures it for all to see. 

We are proud to have someone like Randy McNeilly living in our town of Shelby and at Greenbrook Design we are honored to have some of his work on display. We invite you to tour our showroom and get a close up look at some of Randy’s work, making this another great reason to visit Shelby, NC. Randy offers custom-sized prints as well as framing if needed. 

Find out more about Randy McNeilly and view his work or visit our webpage on him here.