Artist of The Week : Thomas Crudale
Thomas Crudale was chosen as this week’s featured artist for his exceptional photography work, however, Crudale’s talents don’t end at photography. He grew up with a farming background, is a grade “A” student, an eagle scout, and a very talented bass player.
“My interest in photography began around sophomore year,” Crudale said. Although, rising artist didn’t begin to take photography seriously until his junior year.
As it turns out, the kid’s a natural. When asked about Crudale’s striking photo (shown above) he said, “Before that night, I had never tried this sort of shot, so it was kind of an experiment, but I’m certainly happy with the outcome. I needed someone else to help me with it, and luckily I was able to drag Jeff Kimmerlein out into the cold to help.”
The popular perception of photography is that it is easy, but many techniques separate the amateur from an experienced professional.
“It all starts with that click.” said Crudale. The photographer must analyze the background, determine the proper angle from which to shoot, and appropriate lighting. Not to mention the overall composition is the key to any good image, which takes a trained eye.
The rest is to be edited in Photoshop which takes yet another set of tech skills. “Some photos I only spend ten minutes editing, some I’ll spend three hours on,” said Crudale.
Last spring Crudale took a shot with such sublime composition that it won him a Silver Key in the Rhode Island Scholastic Art Awards. The picture was taken at Fenway Park last spring while attending a special photography day tour. Crudale saw a woman who, “just happened to be sitting one tier below where I was, and made a perfect subject.”
A photographer’s subjects are usually determined by availability: the artist’s farm animals for example. “I have a lot of goat pictures,” chuckled Crudale.
“Portraits are my favorite,” said Crudale. “I like to photograph people, because people are so diverse, and you can never run out of subjects.”
Last autumn, Crudale helped shoot a wedding in Cape Cod. He worked to provide photo coverage for about eight hours. “Shooting the wedding was really an awesome experience. It immediately became one of my favorite things to photograph, mostly because people are the main subjects.”
Crudale is planning to attend Rhode Island College in the fall, where he will study photography. Striving towards a career in professional photography, Crudale is firm in his goals. “Why wouldn’t I want to do something I love?”
