Hi! Welcome to the Blog and Photography of Stephen Milano

After thirty-five years of making images for myself, I now photograph others to create lasting memories for them because I’ve found that everyone has a story to tell; something to celebrate; or, a special moment to share. It’s been an interesting creative journey through the years and on these blog pages I hope to share the experience.

I spent nearly thirty years on Wall Street in institutional sales and sales management. During that time I tried to strike a balance between the whole left brain/right brain mindset. To express the so-called right brain/creative side, in addition to photography, I’ve built models of old sailing ships with all their intricate rigging; tied flies for my fly fishing; submitted articles to outdoor magazines; wrote investment newsletters; taught.

Photography, however, has been the one interest that combined the left brain/right brain skill set. The technical aspect satisfies my need to become proficient; to have some control of the process; to study the “tools” and their uses. Then there’s the art and creative side of photography that requires that I simply live in the “now’; to “see” the possibilities; to become a “storyteller”; to “inspire” an appreciation in others for the beauty out there and in people. Maybe it should be called “whole brain photography”!

I often tell folks that I’m in my “second act”. I initially left Wall Street for a long dreamed of “sabbatical”—to explore; take stock. I wanted to find a “second act” that enriched the spirit and not just the wallet and that connected with people. Not surprisingly, photography stood out as the right way to go. So, I’ve spent countless hours, energy, and monies to travel, read books, study with the best teachers I could find and talked to dozens of photographers as part of my photographic journey.

This blog is about that journey—about the experiences; the travels and the celebrations; but especially about the photographs of those “unique moments that define lives, stories, and legacies”.