Journalist

       Tobey Sanford first picked up a camera to explore his own experience working at a Chicago inner-city rehab program as a Volunteer in Service to America. Since then, his explorations have taken him from the sea-swept decks of a Russian fishing trawler to the floors of the crashing New York Stock Exchange. He’s as comfortable covering celebrities like, Tony Bennet, Liza Minelli, Dwight Gooden, Charles Barkley, or even Secretary of the Treasury Paul Volcker, as he is documenting everyday heroes.

Storyteller

       Every photographer loves a ready made “photo measurable event,” but not every story has one. Since his first assignments for LIFE, Tobey has developed a reputation for having the creative ability to find a way to visually tell even the most challenging story. From the first discussions, he looks to understand and develop the visual possibilities of the assignment. Then, on location, he explores the content, feels the mood and senses the environment. From all this, he draws together the visual elements that will give the picture the depth to tell even a complex story in an image that is easy to read.

Artist

       As apprentice to the head photographer of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, William Pons, Tobey learned to photograph everything from rings to rooms. He gained editorial experience assisting LIFE photographer Henry Groskinsky and advertising experience from international photographer Bob Freson, giving him the flexibility to change formats from 35mm thru 8×10 as easily as most photographers change lenses. Now his location photography captures the spontaneity of life with museum quality.

       As a consultant to The New York Times and Martin Marietta and through teaching at the Maine Photographic Workshop and the International Center of Photography, other professional photographers come to him to draw on his expertise and experience as an artist, storyteller, and journalist.

Clients