Pulsifer Photographic Focuses on the World

Ask Craig Pulsifer what he’s up to these days and the Salmon Arm photographer will tell you, “As much as humanly possible.”

Pulsifer left engineering for full time photography in 1999 in what he describes as the Helen Keller School of Visual Arts. His self-taught, eclectic style makes for interesting viewing. “My portfolio strikes some as intense and divergent,” he confesses. “I’m drawn to contrast and extremes, and that’s what is keeping me going these days – extremes.”

Building a photography business in a town of 16,000 is intense if not extreme, especially given that his wife, Lib, has chosen to home school their five kids. Bread and butter work comes largely from portraiture and commercial work, which occasionally can be re-licensed as stock imagery. This plays into Pulsifer’s broader plan to diversify.

“We’re mostly shooting a mix of people and lifestyle stuff using natural and studio location lighting – images for local clients and other newspaper and magazines that appeal to young, affluent audiences,” he explains. “But, ultimately I’m trying to use my gifts as a communicator to help make a difference in the world through digital storytelling.”

Recently, Pulsifer teamed up with his nineteen year-old son, Chris, to build a new media lab in their home from which to create content for the web.

“Most of the stories we’ve done so far are for non-profits and aid agencies who are hard-pressed to afford media coverage,” he says. “Our whole audio/visual and editing kit is designed to fit into two suitcases so that we can stay light, but still maintain high production value in the end product.”

For a closer look at some of his work, you can visit Pulsifer’s online portfolio at http://www.craigpulsifer.com.