Today we’d like to introduce you to Creigh Ryan McIntyre.
Creigh, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My name is Creigh (pronounced “Cray”), but I go by my middle name, Ryan. I chose the name Creigh Photography because, in addition to being my first name, it is also the name of my grandfather, father, and son.
I was born in Los Angeles County, then moved to Murrieta, then to San Diego with a brief period in Oak Harbor, Washington. My family then settled in Rancho Bernardo during middle school and high school. During that time, I began getting into classic cars and going to car shows as well as meetups. I also worked at a local volunteer fire department. Both of these experiences combined to give me a love of cars and emergency vehicles.
Soon after my wife and I got married eight years ago, I bought an old Canon camera and several lenses. I was interested in how cameras operate and how to make use of light to capture how I felt. During those early years doing my hobby photography, we lived in Mission Beach. My photography bloomed during our days on the beach together, where I would spend endless nights photographing sunsets. I also attended some local classes and learned from online sources.
As my portfolio expanded, my techniques refined, and my equipment improved, I began volunteering at non-profit events and photo sessions throughout the county. For many years, I did portrait sessions and weddings, as well as dance and sports photography. As a lover of the outdoors, I also have continued with my passion for landscapes.
I continued expanding my portfolio when I stumbled upon a technique a few years ago called “Light Painting.” It is a technique that uses an artificial light source, such as a flashlight, to light up an under-illuminated subject while taking a long-exposure photograph. I took this technique to the beach and light painted boats and flowers at sunset and sunrise. I then visited a car show in Escondido and thought that if I can light paint boats and flowers, I can do it with cars. My first time light painting a car was at that show.
I then began meeting car owners all over the county and growing my automotive light painting portfolio. My automotive light painting has continued to evolve over the years. My large portfolio now includes cars, fire trucks, police cars, ambulances, and airplanes. I photograph these vehicles on location in front of skylines, the beach, or another fitting background. While the images are blended in post-processing, the backgrounds are not super imposed.
Has it been a smooth road?
For the most part, it has been smooth. I believe this is because I do it part-time on my own time, without needing it to be my primary source of income. It has certainly been a whirlwind adventure that has not been easy every step of the way. But, it has also allowed me to meet so many amazing people and be a part of so many great events.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I own Creigh Photography, a small photography business specializing in automotive light painting in southern California. I also do landscapes and special event photography on the side. I am most known for waving my light over vehicles at night, bringing to life a subject and performing a technique not a lot of photographers utilize in the way that I do. I view myself as a translator, translating what the car owner feels onto the image so other people can see the car’s magic as well. Most of my lighted painted images end up being printed, mostly onto metal, at the request of the owners once they see the digital image. I have decorated garages, houses, police, and fire departments all over southern California.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
San Diego is a photographer’s dream, with the skylines, the sunsets, the beach, and the nightlife. I would absolutely recommend any photographer to start in San Diego. However, because it is such a saturated market for landscape and portrait photography, my advice is to find a specialty that makes you stand apart.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.creighphotography.com
- Phone: 8586881886
- Email: creighphotography@gmail.com
- Instagram: @creighphotography
- Facebook: @CreighPhotography
Image Credit:
Creigh Photography
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