My art business has been designated as a "Trusted Art Seller" with The Art Storefronts Organization, which means you can shop with confidence, and know that I stand behind the quality and value of my products.

I began taking pictures as soon as I could hold a camera. Walking around the backyard and through the woods with a Kodak one-time-use film camera was part of my day-to-day fun, and I was always so excited to get the film developed and see what I had captured. Usually rocks, trees and the occasional newt or interesting insect. But that love of nature photography grew and grew. 

Zoom ahead to my teenage years, when I took an Intro to Photography course in high school. With weekly assignments of subjects to photograph and short essays to write on the poetic messages portrayed through the images, I was in heaven. Most of my assignments I turned in involved nature as my chosen subject, as that was always my favorite. There is just absolutely endless beauty around us - and within us - when we learn to look for it. 

I showed my mother some of my photographs I had taken for my assignments and she became my inspiration for selling my works. She told me that she felt that most of my photographs were as good, or even better than, many of the photographs she saw in the calendars she received in the mail every year from nature conservation charities. As the owner of Wisdom of the Ages, a spiritual store and class center in Simsbury, CT, USA, she offered that I could try selling my photographs in her store! With some recommendations from my photography teacher on copyrighting and formats to put out for sale, I was off and running at starting my business. 

I started Photography by SC, LLC in 2013. My photography had begun selling well in Wisdom of the Ages as greeting cards, unframed prints and gallery-style photo canvas. I began offering my works at craft fairs and finding even more people who enjoyed nature just as much as I did, and appreciated the way I captured it enough to buy it. My dreams were taking off. 

I chose the name SC to put on my photography because I did not want to draw attention away from my work by having my name be the first thing noticed about it. SC is an abbreviation for Sensei Charlie, a title I earned through my martial arts practice. In choosing my business name, I recognized how important it is to me that people connect with the beauty of nature first - and if they want to discuss my creative process with me, that is wonderful! But if they'd prefer to peruse the wonderful work of art that is our Universe without my interference, that is wonderful, too. From my perspective, I am only the one to capture what already exists out there in the world. 

My aim is for my photography to act as a window, through which people can see the beauty of nature and recognize, really feel, that we are one with that beauty. We are a part of the wonderful world around us. And therefore, we are a part of each other. We can all learn to love each other more. 

Later, I found a quote by Lao Tzu that I felt represented my notion of keeping my name off of my photography. It goes: "Because he doesn't display himself, people can see his light. Because he has nothing to prove, people can trust his words. Because he doesn't know who he is, people recognize themselves in him. Because he has no goal in mind, everything he does succeeds."

My goal is to represent the natural beauty of the world as clearly and directly as possible. From macro shots at the perspective of an insect to wide angle views of spectacular landscapes on the other side of the world, my work is here to help bring peace and inspiration. 

Rather than studying photography in college, I traveled twice to Iceland where I took classes on manual photography and some elements of composition while in the field, practicing as I learned and getting to photograph some of my favorite scenery I've seen in my life thus far. Immersing myself in raw, untouched nature is one of my favorite things. The beauty of the Aurora borealis I was able to capture on my second trip to Iceland on 9/27-28/2016 now hold the place in my heart as some of my favorite photographs and most heartfelt memories. On the day I flew into Iceland for the second time and the following two nights, I experienced and photographed what remarkably became an internationally-recognized increase in Aurora activity over Iceland, the likes of which had not been seen in 10+ years! On 9/28/2016, the government of Iceland even chose to shut off the city lights in the capital of Reykjavik to allow for better viewing of the spectacular Aurora in the night sky - something which had never been done before. Many of my photographs available in my "Aurora borealis" section are from those two nights and show many of the rare Aurora formations and phenomena we witnessed.

A trip with my martial arts teacher Roy Shingen Goldberg Sensei to Japan in 2019 allowed me to photograph many of the sacred sites, shrines, temples and natural scenery of such a beautiful and historic country. I am grateful for the ability to offer a window into that wondrous world and look forward to my next trip overseas to further build my portfolio of photographs outside of the USA, as well. When you sign up for my newsletter, you'll be the first to know! :) And I always carry my camera with me everywhere I go - I never know when a moment worth photographing will come my way!

My work hangs in my mother's store Wisdom of the Ages www.WisdomoftheAges.biz , where I am often working alongside her, managing the store and helping with classes and events. Some of my works are also for sale in several other New England, USA stores, as well. This website is the premier location to shop all of my work in any size or format you would prefer, but if you're ever around CT, you can stop in to meet me and see some of my work in person! 

I am also an author of fiction novels and inspirational, spiritual poetry, currently with two books published and many more in the works. "Conversations with an Angel: A story of healing through the passageways of grief" was published in 2017 and "When You Realize How Perfect Everything Is", which is an uplifting book of poetry containing works by both myself and my grandfather, NY Times Bestselling Author Dr. Bernie Siegel, was published in 2020. 

I am also a direct student of Roy Shingen Goldberg Sensei of Daito Ryu Aiki Jujutsu Kiyamakai and I lead an Authorized Study Group at my Hikari Dojo inside Wisdom of the Ages in Simsbury, CT, as well as travel with Goldberg Sensei to many of his seminars to train. I am accepting new students in my Study Group at any time.

Please explore my website and contact me with any questions! Thank you for your interest in my work!

Charlie Siegel ~ SC