About The Artist

I am a native Californian, born in Oakland and raised in Clearlake, I moved back to the San Francisco Bay Area with my family and graduated from El Cerrito High School. I obtained my first advanced camera while serving in the Air Force in Vietnam. Upon my return to the U.S., I settled on a career in the Fire Service. During my firefighting career I developed my photographic skills. Since retiring as a Fire Captain I have devoted myself to my love of photography. My fascination with photography started at an early age and was encouraged by my mother who was a landscape painter. I love to photograph landscapes, architectural structures, still life’s, and jewelry. My mastery of Photoshop enables me to explore the abstract, and combine word with image. Intrigued by the art of framing the ordinary in an unusual and aesthetically pleasing way, I am always looking for balance and beauty. Inspired by being outside in nature, I investigate the way that light enhances and defines an object or landscape. In addition to being able to offer my own unique photographs, I have worked with urban gardeners and artists to capture particular areas of interest in the garden…the beauty of a single rose, a unique sculpture, or garden design. I have also worked for a number of years with Bay Area artists to photograph their sculptures and paintings for both submission and publication. My work has been shown in the Viridian Gallery, New York, the ArtisZen Gallery East Bay and at Open Studios around the Bay Area. My work is in private collections throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. I can be contacted at gruizphotos@aol.com or (510) 815-1714. My website is gruizphotos.com.