A Lifetime of Images

Steve Coray's path is nothing if not unconventional. He never really had a master plan to become a professional photographer. After discovering a love of photography in his mid-teens, he took a couple of classes in high school, then just shot for the fun of it. He completed a B.S. in Marketing at the University of Utah, then an A.A.S. in Commerical Art at what was then known as Salt Lake Community College. But photography was still just a hobby. A short stint as a graphic designer followed. More schooling, then about seven years working in a technical role in the software industry. Then burnout. With free time on his hands, Steve enrolled in a correspondence program through the New York Institute of Photography. Eventually, having gained some structured, formalized photography education, he took a photojournalism job in St. George, Utah. Three years there, learning on the job, proved to be the best teacher of all: Sports, feature work, news photography story-telling, ethics, working under crushing deadlines, eventually managing a small staff, and earning a handful of journalism awards along the way. Back in Salt Lake, Steve launched Coray Photography & Design, and ended up shooting over 150 weddings and a wide variety of events and portrait assignments. Besides all of those wedding couples, a partial list of his clients included the University of Utah Alumni Association, Western Governors University, Davis School District, Davis Educational Foundation, Swiss Boy Vacuum, Christus St. Joseph Villa, Davis County Clipper, Utah Highway Patrol, Associated Press, CG Consulting, Applied Computer Techniques, The Wentworth, K.T. Maize, Rose Cove, and musicians James Derrickson and George Gregory. Along the way, he also introduced the joy of photography to thousands of students for over a dozen years. Now mostly retired, Steve is back to shooting just for the love of it. His primary subjects include: nature (for relaxation), rodeos (for excitement), and people (for connection). But his journey is incomplete. He will always be a student of photography and of life. He examines images by other photographers almost every day. He participates in photography groups, workshops, presentations, and loves to connect with other photographers. Steve reads. He watches tutorials. He still loves shooting and connecting. Never really satisfied, he continuously strives to improve.