While there, he became good
friends with another member of his platoon, a man who never
went anywhere without his camera. Mink credits this friend with
giving him his first glimpse into the magic we can make happen
with those little black boxes we call cameras. He became fascinated
when his friend taught him that by manipulating lenses, filters,
and light, darkness could become lightness, and lightness could
become darkness. Unfortunately, Mink lost this good friend in
combat, a difficult period of time for him on which he doesn't
like to dwell. During this ordeal, Mink inherited his friend's
camera, and carried it with him during the remainder of his
stay in Vietnam, taking the photos his friend could no longer
take himself: and knowing he would not be teaching when he returned
home. Some time after, he received an Honorable Discharge from
the U.S. Army, and enrolled in the prestigious Rochester Institute
of Technology (RIT), where he continued to use his friend's
camera.
After graduation from R.I.T,
he found himself working for, and learning from, photographers
such as Joe Toto and Richard Noble in New York City. He then
worked different assignments in Europe from a home base in Ireland,
and also spent time in Australia.
Upon his return to New York,
Mink opened his own studio, concentrating on commercial photography.
Among others, his client list included Kodak, Johnson &
Johnson, Bausch & Lomb, Xerox, and United Technologies.
Mink remains always first
and foremost aware of the constantly changing technologies that
affect photographic work. About ten years ago, the digital bug
bit him hard and really got his attention. So much so, that
he began to shoot digital more frequently than print, because
of the additional control it afforded him in developing the
photos. Also, because of his involvement with Kodak at the time,
he saw that the world of photography found itself on the doorstep
of a new era, that it was about to take a giant leap across
the threshold, and that there, digital became synonymous with
photography. This event inspired him to delve deeper into photographic
illustrations, experimenting with different techniques such
as imbedding photos of real models into the foreground of classic
paintings, among other things, and he began to think about entering
the marketplace with his own creations rather than simply doing
commercial photography. Nowadays, ninety percent of the time,
you're likely to see a digital camera versus a print camera
in Mink's hands when he's working.
In 2002, Life once again
changed Mink's course, and took him from New York to Las Vegas,
then in 2005, to Tubac, Arizona, a community that comprises
mostly of artists, where he now resides and runs his own studio.
During this transition, Mink furthered his interest in photographic
illustration and began to seriously take photos for, well, just
for taking photos sake, rather than taking photos to satisfy
a corporate client. Though he continues to do some commercial
work, his emphasis now lies in creating works of art through
photography, inspired by the glorious landscape and the unusual
beauty of the Arizona desert where he finds himself.
You may browse the gallery
of illustrations available for purchase by clicking
here.
