Photography is an expression, an emotion, a captured moment. It is art. And for Keith Mills, M.Photog.MEI.Cr., of Spring Lake, N.J., photography was the perfect way to expose his artistic ability to more people. With a background in visual art (and a degree in Illustration from the Newark School of Fine Art), Mills describes his transition from working on canvas to working with camera and film as a natural one.

"I realized that photography was the way to go to open my work to a public venue," Mills remembers about his decision to start in photography.

And it was a smart decision for Mills...one that has lasted for almost 40 years! By 1972, he opened Keith Mills Photography, specializing in wedding and portrait photography with an artistic approach garnered from his background. Today, his business has also expanded to include fine art photography.

Mills credits his ability to constantly evolve as an image maker and photographic artist as the reason he has been able to stay in business for so long. For example, when the shift to digital photography occurred, Mills was quick to jump on the transition and offer full digital services. In addition, he is able to stand out from his competition with his ability to digitally create fine art watercolor prints that rival those created by traditional brushes and paint.

"If you strive to be unique and different in your work, you will be set apart from the competition, and clients do notice the difference," adds Mills about how he has stayed successful.

Sharing Successes
Mills knows that evolving as an artist is important for successful longevity in this industry, and one way to evolve is to learn. He does so in his own career, and he's ready to help you do so as well.

Get ready to learn one of the techniques Mills uses to create fine art images digitally when he hosts his "So You Want to Be a Stripper: Photoshop & Painter" Super Monday class on May 16 in Spring Lake, N.J. In this class, he will teach you the ins and outs of removing and replacing pieces of your images ("stripping in or out") with Adobe Photoshop and Corel Painter to give your images and composites more power.  

"Those who attend this class will leave with a new appreciation of what they will be able to accomplish with the applications available in today's imaging world," adds Mills.

Learn more about his class and browse more Super Monday classes in more locations at http://www.ppa.com/education-events/sm_new.php.

Super Monday is an educational program sponsored by PPA every spring and fall. These daylong, interactive workshops are conducted in locations around the country, allowing PPA members to earn merits for sharing their craft and enabling all photographers to learn new skills and develop professional networking contacts.


Read more about Keith Mills here.

ALL IMAGES © KEITH MILLS