About Gary and History

Gary was first exposed to photography in high school learning to take black and white pictures from a friend and developing film and printing in a darkroom. “From this experience I learned to make pictures and not just take pictures. I could create images and tweak them in the darkroom to make them look even better.”

Photography, however was not Gary’s first career. After receiving his training at Stanford University, he spent 24 years working as a paramedic. He worked in Silicon Valley, CA before moving to Orlando, FL. There he was hired as flight paramedic working full time on a hospital-based EMS helicopter. After 10 years in Orlando he started working on Florida’s first remote EMS helicopter service based in Sebring, FL. Working 24 hour shifts gave him the opportunity to pursue other interests on the 3 days off between shifts. He is self-taught in Photoshop and has been using it for over 20 years. Photography quickly became an obsession for him and in 1994 he became a part-time professional commercial and freelance photographer.

His family moved to Ohio in 2002 when his wife, Joanne was recruited to Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus. At this point he switched careers and became a full-time photographer.

He established Chisolm Studio as a full-service studio and his obsession with photography continues today. “I pretty much photograph anything with the goal of producing something different and getting an outstanding image every time, I am behind the camera.” From national ad campaigns for fortune 500 companies to the neighbors show dogs: including high school senior pictures, families, weddings, children, business and commercial photography and of course Headshots.

Since then he has won a number of awards in professional print competition, including Outstanding Image award in five state regional print competition by members of the Professional Photographers of America. He also took 2nd place in a national competition with an iPhone photo. He also has an image on permanent display in the new navigation exhibit in conjunction with the SCIDOME at Smithsonian Affiliate, The Works: Ohio Center for History, Art and Technology.

Having photographed many beautiful images for calendars over the last decade he has recently started selling custom sized fine art Giclee prints. A web site for his fine art prints is in the works.

Gary is a member of the Professional Photographers of Ohio, the Professional Photographers of America and Granville Chapter of AmSpirit Business Connection. Gary also enjoys woodworking and restoring vintage machinery with several projects always in the que. He is also founder and president of East Ohio Robotics a 501 (c) 3 non-profit that promotes STEM education through robotics in schools.

Gary is a resident in Granville with his wife and father of four children and grandfather to three.