Tomm Furch,
Commercial Assignment Photographer

I know the importance of putting personality into the creation of advertising and journalistic photo images. The object is not to merely create "pretty pictures," but to capture the message the client wishes to convey on film. I've been doing this since 1967 and independantly as a freelance commercial photographer and photojournalist since 1985.

• My history as an advertising and news photographer goes back to 1967 when I started visual media life as a PBS journeyman, then television producer creating film documentaries and TV programs. These days I work primarily out of a studio high in the Rocky Mountains just outside Missoula, Montana, but also spend significant time in the Caribbean and Surrey, England...

• This image of a west coast beach near Joyuda, Puerto Rico. The image was part of Governor Rossello's official web page as one of a number of TF images for a Puerto Rican "pictoral tour." This image was also used as a two page spread behind the Message from the Publisher in Bienvenidos Magazine....

• Looking west toward El Morro from a battlemount at Fort San Cristobal. This photo was part of recurring assignments from the Puerto Rican Government office, "Compania de Turismo" (Tourism Company)...

• This pensive moment with Mr. Burrell was captured as a promotional shoot in conjunction with a concert at a Minnesota University. The scene was lit with stage lighting prior to a performance...

• A close relationship has evolved with Threshold Records and world reknowned Moody Blues. This particular shot of Justin Hayward with Graeme Edge in the background was gathered during an assignment in Salt Lake City, Utah during the Moody Blues Fall '99 USA Tour.

• A little bit of Mellissa Ethridge.. A little bit of Bonnie Raitt, and you've got recording artist Tracy Graham. Not yet well known in the U.S., but it is just a matter of time! This publicity shot was captured at a classic train station near Oxshott, Surrey England...

• Offshore powerboat racing has been a significant part of my journalism photography assignments with clients such as POWERBOAT and HOT BOAT magazines. Capturing this shot (my personal favorite) was only possible with the incredible helicopter piloting of Bill Duncan. 110MPH at 20 feet above the water is indeed a bit of a thrill! I held the camera, but Dunc' got the shot! ...

• This famous jazz guitarist and historian was a favorite, though admittedly not particularly exciting shot. It was however, a particularly challenging shoot as it was done without benefit of having "ideal" photo gear available following one of those nasty lost luggage incidents..

• It started with an assignment from Time, Inc./Entertainment Weekly magazine. Then the editors at Hyperion Publishing spotted the review with the accompanying image and assigned four subesquent James Lee Burke novel/promo author photos. ...