He Captures the Spirit of the Moment

Photographic artist Tom G. O’Neal has emerged as one of the country’s most sensitive and perceptive masters of the art he has embraced.

Since the early 1980s, O’Neal has created exceptionally discerning pictures with an intensity that began in Los Angeles in the late 1960s, when he photographed rock-and-roll stars for album covers. His subjects included Steppenwolf, Poco, Crazy Horse, John Philips, Mama Cass, B.B. King, and Neil Young. During this period, he designed and photographed over 100 album covers, including Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young’s Déjà Vu album.

His metamorphosis began in the late 1970s, while in Africa taking photographs for the Peace Corps. In his personal quest for radiance and form, O’Neal began photographing pregnant women, many in the late stages of their pregnancy, whom he saw as superb living sculptures. His talent for capturing people in a profusion of stunning artistic poses led him to Europe where, for the next few years, he worked in Paris and London.

“During most of my career, I have primarily concentrated on photographing people,” O’Neal said. “In the seventies, however, I began to merge this concentration with still life photography. During my travels, I rediscovered this fascination, and the result is the images you see here.”

“These images represent a moment in time when I was able to stop, look and focus – on light, form, and color. For me, these inanimate objects came to life. I hope you feel the emotion that I felt; the excitement I saw.”

Returning to California, O’Neal opened a studio on the Monterey Peninsula, where he is a people shooter with an unbound passion for fine art photography. When he is not traveling and looking for the exceptional shot, he is in his studio working on his own creative endeavors and on commissioned work.

Tom O’Neal’s philosophy is “to capture the rare and awesome milliseconds of life. Whether a still life or of people, each photograph represents a burst of excitement.”

The breathtaking brilliance of Tom O’Neal’s photographic artistry reveals that he has indeed fulfilled his remarkable sense of the aesthetic.

1988-present
Owner, TGO/Tom O'Neal Photography. A photo studio specializing in portraiture, commercial, and fine art photography.

1983-1988
Principal, Admakers Advertising & Design, Monterey.

1978-1983
Freelance photography, working mostly in Paris, London, and California.

1976-1978
Photographic assignments in Africa for the Peace Corps, U.S. Embassy, and U. S. Information Service.

1974-1976
Freelance photographer based in Monterey.

1967-1974
Album cover photography for music industry, contracted by group management and record companies.

Portfolio available upon request.