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PHOTOGRAPHERS OF DESIGN

>>> Gordon Gregory, Bozeman, Montana

For a while there, photography was interfering with fly-fishing in Gordon Gregory's life. The architectural photographer had just moved to Bozeman, Montana weeks after September 11, 2001. "That first year was tough," admits the Virginia native. "I did anything I could to stay in business."

"Anything" included taking fly-fishing photographs and selling the images to retailers such as Orvis. "I love fly-fishing," says Gregory, who moved to Bozeman in part for its A-River-Runs-Through-It ambiance. "But when I was out there with my camera, I wasn't fishing. It was work."

Luckily for Gregory, things have improved vastly during the past seven years, and now he's become a much-sought-after photographer with architects, builders and interior designers. His images also have been published in Architectural Digest, Western Interiors & Design, Mountain Living and numerous design books.

Gregory launched his photographic career after studying graphic design with a minor in photography at Virginia Commonwealth University. "I always loved photography," he remembers, "but I never really knew you could make a living at it until I met a commercial photographer in Virginia." He signed on as an assistant with that photographer, as well as another shooter, while still in Virginia, learning the business from the ground up and getting the basics of architectural photography.

A residence by Trademark Construction, Bozeman, Montana.

A move to San Francisco led to more assisting jobs, but eventually he and his wife began looking for a small town in which to live and raise a family. Bozeman proved to be the place.

Besides the fishing images, Gregory did manage to get a toehold in Bozeman's creative architectural scene. "I knew one architect here in Bozeman," Gregory explains. "She hired me and helped me meet other architects."

Gregory found shooting in Montana to be quite different from the East Coast, or even San Francisco. "The quality of light is different here," he says. "Also, buildings are different here. Many places I photograph are made with dark, rustic materials that really soak up the light."

A home designed by Miller Architects, Livingston, Montana; interiors by Diana Beattie Interiors, New York, New York. Builder: Yellowstone Traditions, Bozeman, Montana.

Nonetheless, Gregory believes that his attention to lighting — something he learned both in school and on the job — does set him apart from other photographers. "I also think that my graphic design background helps me compose images more easily."

And those images are coming easily to Gregory these days. He's been busy shooting architecture and interiors regionally and nationally. If you see him out fly-fishing today, he's doing just that — fly-fishing. You won't see a camera in sight.

Gordon Gregory Photography, Bozeman, MT; (406) 556-9854 or www.gordongregoryphoto.com.