Michael Oster (Selfie - 2023)
“Rule #618 - Just because the lens is broken doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use it.”
Artist’s Statement:
My photographs tell stories far better than my words. I use the camera as an instrument rather than simply as a tool. I want to compose something beautiful and compelling. This keeps me sane while simultaneously has me flirting with chaos and insanity. My images are a reflection of this.
Why choose me to photograph your next project?
Simple, I’m a photographic artist with a very unique and distinctive background. I’ve worked in broadcast/corporate media in one form or another since 1992. My experience in video and music production allows me to see things outside the realm of ‘only photography’. I was trained by one of the finest photographers that you’ve probably never heard of (my father). I’ve taken all that I have learned over the decades and translated it into the visual realm - Artistic and compelling. My process may be somewhat unorthodox, but the results have a voice and a look all their own.
More to the story….
What happened to that guy who created the “Concept:FX” sound effects library? The person behind “The Difficult Listening Channel” podcast? The one who rewired synthesizers and circuit bent drum machines to make the sounds of ReGurgiTron? The dude who released a 54 minute CD of “music” that was made entirely from the manipulation of a single 13 second sample?
It’s almost like he disappeared into the ether. But he didn’t, he only evolved.
That guy is me. And what does any of this have to do with photography? Absolutely nothing on the surface. But that’s what makes perfect sense in the story of my life. And it goes something like this:
“These aren’t ‘pictures’ that I’m posting. They are compositions. They are the stories of my own internal conflicts and my perception of life.”
My evolution into photography as a professional began in 2015 (prior to that, it was a serious hobby going back a very, very long time), specializing in photography for real estate, architectural, and interior design clients.
And my “photographic education”? Well, I’m fortunate and ever grateful to have had amazing photography around me my entire life. I attended (and graduated) the “Stephen G, Oster School of Photography” (yes, my Dad). We had a darkroom in my house for most of that time and he taught me more about photography than I can even imagine. I’ll save you the boring details, though they aren’t boring to me :-)
This has grown into what you see here and here. These days I’m pushing the bounds of what I’m capable of as an artist in the realm of photography.
There’s more…much more still to come.
Education:
Graduated from Full Sail University (1992) with an Associates Degree in Recording Engineering
Graduated from the University of South Florida (1991) with a Bachelor's Degree in Criminology
Owned and operated F7 Sound and Vision since 1993 providing broadcast television/video, music and radio services.
More:
My discography - that’s right - audio releases on CD (now digital downloads). Hear what my recording and sound design has led to though the years.
Some of my images are available as custom prints.
‘jpeg days'
‘jpeg days’ refers to my photography before I went professional. I captured these images from about 2003 to 2013 and for many years they sat collecting dust on old hard drives.
Since at that time I didn’t have ‘serious’ editing skills needed to really present a photograph, these images waited for 10 years or longer for me to complete.
During my ‘jpeg days’ I was using non-professional cameras (especially by today’s standards) including the Olympus C-3000Z, Canon SD-1000, Apple iPhone 4S, and from about 2008 the Olympus E-PL1 and E-PL5. I was shooting in ‘jpeg’ format which is a lossy file that has a degraded image quality from the time the shutter is pressed.
I photographed the images in the gallery below while on various vacations or visiting my family. Subjects included architecture, landscapes, our pets, my Dad, random wild animals and other items that seemingly caught my eye.
What I’ve noticed about my photography of old is that I had better compositional skills than I did editing skills. I could ‘see’ what I wanted and do a decent job of framing it up. But, getting the image past that stage and to it’s finished state was a whole other issue.
And since I was shooting in ‘jpeg’ I had far less data to work with in the edit. These are some examples of my “pre-professional” photographic images.
Photographed many years ago. Edited in 2023.
Production Credits:
Projects I've worked on for outside clients and my own releases: video shoots, audio recording (editing, mastering), and other media related things.
(starting in 1992)
Yes, I wrote a couple of short stories. “If This is the Future…” being the prequel to “Bots”.
“BOTS When 22nd Century Technology Fails” I wrote this back in 2013. Good for some Sci-Fi laughs.