William Dwyer isn’t a fan of bare walls.
That’s why when he saw all the empty wall space in Oxford Township Hall while paying his tax bill earlier this year, he asked if he could hang a few of his photos.
Today, the lobby is adorned with eight breathtaking and poignant black-and-white and color images including the Lincoln and Vietnam Veterans memorials in Washington D.C., the Great Wall of China and the World Trade Center.
Five of these photos previously hung in the governor’s mansion in Lansing. As you may have guessed, Dwyer, of Oxford, is no amateur shutter-bug with a disposable camera.
For the last 25 years, he’s made his living as an independent commercial photographer capturing images of four U.S. presidents and three Michigan governors, not to mention numerous corporate CEOs, sports stars, rock legends, professional wrestling giants and even a pope.
‘It has opened doors that probably normally wouldn’t have been open to me,? said Dwyer of his job. ‘I’ve met a lot of great people, a lot of interesting people.?
Coke with Keith
Not many can say they shared some Coke with Keith Richards ? Coca-Cola that is.
During the Rolling Stones? December 1994 visit to the Silverdome during the Voodoo Lounge Tour, Dwyer had a 20-minute conversation with the iconic guitarist best known for his excessive life-style.
Dwyer worked as the Pontiac facility’s house photographer for 18 years.
Spotting Richards sitting on a folding chair in the middle of the floor during a sound-check prior to the concert, Dwyer decided to casually walk by.
‘I figured that was my best opportunity to meet this fella,? he said.
Richards opened the conversation with ‘What’s your story??
Next thing you know, the pair were chatting about how the dome’s roof is held up by air and its affect on the band’s staging.
‘He spoke articulately and intelligently,? said Dwyer, noting at one point Richard’s had his assistant get them a couple of cans of Coca-Cola.
A flare for the visual
Raised in Rochester Hills (back when it was still Avon Township), Dwyer developed his love of photography early in life.
‘I’ve always dragged a camera around ever since my young teens,? he said.
Dwyer said he’s always been a very visual person who can tell at a glance when things don’t look right and fix them just as quick.
Although there’s an ‘artistic flare? that runs in his family, some of Dwyer’s visual gift can be attributed to his dyslexia.
‘All through high school I gravitated toward art classes because they were easier,? he explained. ‘I had a hard time with English (classes), so I shot yearbook pictures to get English credit.?
Days of Wage
After a 13-month stint working in his father’s tool and die shop following high school, Dwyer decided to go to college to study broadcast production.
While interning for ABC, he decided that wasn’t the career for him, so he applied for a job as a photographer at the Pontiac Times, a weekly newspaper no longer in business.
‘It was a great first job to have because you got to do everything,? said Dwyer, noting he did some page layout and wrote a few stories in addition to taking photos. ‘At a small paper you can do a lot of things.?
‘I learned more in six months at the newspaper than I did in four years of school,? he added.
Dwyer worked at the newspaper for about 3? years, then decided to become an independent commercial photographer.
Looks like he made it
Dwyer’s made a terrific living photographing countless bigwigs in the political, corporate and entertainment worlds.
Presidents Gerald Ford, George Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush have all found themselves at the end of his lens at one time or another.
He shared words with George W. Bush in Pontiac during his whistle-stop campaign in 2000. The two chatted a little bit about the idea of ‘returning decency to the White House.?
Meeting so many politicians led Dwyer to wryly observe, ‘These people are always much friendlier when they’re running the first time.?
But that’s not the case with Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, whom Dwyer’s gotten to know ‘pretty well? after ‘several conversations.? No matter what you think about Granholm’s management of Michigan, Dwyer said in person, she’s a ‘very charming lady.?
Dwyer’s work was displayed in the governor’s mansion for about 18 months.
Back in 2005, Granholm invited some 2,000 artists statewide to apply to have their work decorate the mansion.
‘I was not one of them, so I copied someone else’s (application) form,? he admitted. ‘They selected 43 pieces of work from 17 artists. Five of the pieces were mine.?
Being the house photographer for the Silverdome for nearly two decades gave Dwyer the opportunity to shoot everything from the Super Bowl XVI to Wrestlemania III (when Hulk Hogan body-slammed Andre the Giant) to Pope John Paul II’s historic visit in 1987. ‘I had the run of the place for several years,? he said.
But it wasn’t all fun and games.
‘I photographed 18 years of (the Detroit) Lions losing, which is more losing than any one person should have to suffer through,? Dwyer said.
The road less traveled
Dwyer doesn’t tend to stick to main roads when he’s out driving.
‘I always try to take a side road,? he said. ‘A road I haven’t traveled before.?
Why?
‘Because there might be something out there I need to photograph,? he explained.
One of Dwyer’s favorite photos came from one such trek off the beaten path in Pontiac in 1988. At the corner of Jessie and Auburn streets, he saw an old church being torn down. In the midst of the rumble and debris, all that remained standing was a mural of a black Jesus surrounded by angels.
Dwyer parked his car, jumped out, ran over and immediately starting shooting during the demolition.
‘I thought it made a great picture,? he said. ‘I thought it had a lot of metaphors. I like the spontaneity of it.?
Advice for amateurs
Other than ‘take the classes I teach,? Dwyer said the best advice he can give amateur photographers looking to improve is view other pictures.
‘Look at pictures you like in magazines, newspapers, (hanging) on the wall and try to see how they were made,? he said. ‘Try to think where is the light coming from, why do I like it, and see if you can reproduce that. Look at what you like and try to use that.?
In the past, Dwyer’s taught photography classes at Margot’s Gallery & Frame in downtown Oxford. He’s considering doing so again, maybe in the summer or fall.
Advice for potential pros
When buying equipment, be careful what you purchase. ‘Don’t go out and buy $20,000 worth of stuff that’s worth $200 a year later on eBay,? Dwyer said.
Remember lenses are more important than camera bodies. ‘The lens is your first point in capturing an image,? he explained.
It’s no use buying a camera body for $3,000, which will be outdated fairly quickly, and pairing it with inexpensive lenses that ‘never capture images well.?
If you want to get your name out there in the professional world, don’t charge an arm and a leg. ‘I did jobs really cheap in the first several years,? he said.
Always go that extra mile for your clients. ‘Please your clients, take care of them,? Dwyer said. ‘They’re paying you.?
Small town living
Dwyer moved to Oxford about 14 years ago after growing weary of life in a subdivision. He lives on a 10-acre plot along Coats Road with his wife of five years, Melba. When he’s not shooting photos, Dwyer enjoys raising organic chickens.
Overall, Dywer said he enjoys small town life, especially the fact he can go downtown to get his photos developed and pictures framed, then head over to the bank and post office, all in one shot. ‘I can park once and do everything,? he said.