Joe Parskey has had his focus on photography since childhood. While attending Emerson College in Boston in the 70's he studied it under Steven Shipps and Lauren Shaw (former students of Harry Callahan). Manipulating images in the darkroom and hand-coloring became Joe's special interest at the time. He credits the likes of Jerry Uelsman, Pedro Meyer and Minor White as some of his early influences.

"After college, I was very fortunate to work at a photo gallery that featured their work, along with that of Ansel Adams, Imogen Cunningham and many other twentieth century photo-artist icons. Enjay Gallery had work by Weston, White, VanDerZee, you name it. We had an exhibit of Edward S. Curtis prints of the early West that belonged in the Smithsonian. I still laugh when I recall that we used to pass around Paul Strand pieces with our morning coffee! It was quite an education in the history of photography with an up-close look at the work of the masters."

For many years photography remained Joe's hobby. With the advancements in personal computers, he began to experiment with the "digital" darkroom and discovered a new love for this modern twist on the photographic arts.

"I started manipulating photos on the computer when I bought my first digital camera. The images required adjustments and fine-tuning and one thing led to another. Before long I was having as much fun doing special effects with software as with the photography itself."

Joe starts with the basic image, shot either with a manual 35mm camera or with a high-resolution digital. He transfers the images using a frame scanner for film or a memory card reader for digitals. From there Joe goes to work molding the image using numerous software programs, in order to turn a simple photo into a work of art.

"Some shots are easier to work with than others. I may focus on one over a period of months before I get it right. Working in the digital darkroom is like working on puzzles. There's a reward one gets from fitting all the pieces together. Sometimes the image requires only minor manipulation. With certain shots you want to hold all the detail, while others almost demand painterly effects, dramatic sky enhancements, added elements and so forth. Examples of various styles can be found in my catalog."

Prints are on a variety of special media, including canvas, water-color, and other unique papers.

Joe lives in the coastal town of Scituate, MA, with his wife Janet, and their two children Hal and Emma.