Local photographer Jeff Corwin has been photographing picturesque landscapes, stunning architecture and unique portraits for about 40 years. He started photography at the young age of 14 with the help of his dad. “[My father] got me involved, he built me a darkroom in the house when I was probably 14,” Corwin said. His career kicked off from there when he got a job as an assistant to a photographer in Los Angeles. Ever since, he’s been doing a mix of personal and commercial work. 

His commercial work has taken him everywhere from the peaks near Bozeman to an Italian aircraft carrier out at sea. Corwin has also worked with Boeing and Northrop to create an aerospace collection that showcases new designs and projects that both companies have been working on. As for personal work, he’s currently creating images that aid in the discussion of different social issues. His focus right now includes gun violence, environmental issues and migrant farmworkers. “I just love taking what I’ve learned in the commercial world for the last 40 years and using that for myself in the field,” Corwin said. 

Unlike many others in the business, this year hasn’t been financially strenuous for Corwin. “Since before COVID started, I hadn’t been doing much commercial work,” he said. Instead, he was focusing on a lot of personal projects this year, meaning that things like travel and meetings were nonexistent. “I just get in the car, and go out to the middle of nowhere and I spend several days shooting,” Corwin explained. The year has given him time to shoot landscape photography and find joy in new projects such as his fine art collection. 

Corwin also gave advice for aspiring photographers and artists: “specialize in what [you] know [you’re] good at.” On top of that, he mentioned that anyone aspiring to do anything in the arts should understand the importance of learning art history. Corwin said that, “all that input contributed to [his] work, and it ended up being vastly important to study other people’s way of approaching and seeing.” 

If you’re interested in seeing some of Corwin’s photography, you can find it on https://www.jeffcorwinphoto.com/