Artists: Gayle Streff

Profile:
Gayle Roger Streff was born and raised in Illinois, but his first trip to California was in 1945, at the age of 3.  He attended High School in a rural Illinois community where he was the yearbook student photographer, and a member of the Photo Club.

He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design from the University of Illinois in 1966.  His photography instructor was Art Sinsabaugh.  (A link on the blog listed below will lead to a retrospect of Mr. Sinsabaugh’s work.)

After college, he joined the Air Force and returned to California as a student at Mather AFB in Rancho Cordova.  Over the next 25 years as an Air Force navigator, he traveled to various places around the world, taking pictures primarily in 35mm slide format. Returning to California for a third time in 1984, he was assigned to Beal AFB, Marysville. 

Now retired, he has returned to his photography.  He was awarded second place in photography at the Rocklin Snowflake Art Show, 2008, and had a work selected for the Roseville Arts Open Show at the Blue Line Gallery.

Photography remains a hobby and a form of self expression for Mr. Streff.  He has stated, “I will photograph whatever catches my eye: a hawk, a lizard on a rock, a cloud formation, or the way a tree is silhouetted against the sky.  My philosophy of photography can be summed up in this short poem in free verse.”

Winds blow
Clouds roll by
Seasons change
Man leaves his mark
Life goes on

The work of man
The beauty of nature
Is all around us
All we need do is
Provide the frame

Here Mr. Streff displays his exhibit entries from the Snowflake and Open shows, plus a digitally modified image.  More of Mr. Streff’s work can be seen on his blog.

Blog:

http://visualart21.blogspot.com