Photographer Profile: Mel Sauerbeck, Concepts, Beauty, People, Travel, Digital Light Painting, SE Asia, the World

Mel Sauerbeck, the vision behind NavaSwan Images, spent much of his early professional life traveling and working as a photojournalist for small news services. Then in the late 1980’s he relocated to New York to take a position with Time Warner, Inc. where he worked with photo editors and imaging staff of top magazines, such as Time, Life, People, Sports Illustrated and Fortune.

Since then, this style-making photographer has traveled the world creating images for a diverse range of projects: from commercial, advertising and stock photography to fine art and digital light painting images to travel, beauty, fashion and editorial assignments. His award winning images have appeared in countless publications in over a hundred countries around the world (Vogue magazine, American Photographer, New Age Journal, the cover of Time magazine and dozens more). His images have also been used in advertising campaigns by companies throughout the world (CitiBank, Microsoft, Bank of America, US Postal Service) to name but a few. He has twice received Awards for Excellence from Time Inc. Magazines.

How I got the cover of Time magazine.

One sunny Autumn afternoon my good friend, Rogers, and I were in Iowa City at Prairie Lights Bookstore, browsing the latest photography magazines. Glancing down at the rack of consumer and news magazines next to the check out counter one image stood out from all the rest and, to my surprise, I knew that image. Reaching over I picked up the new Time magazine and was looking at an image I had been asked to create for my stock photo agency, six years earlier. No doubt, it was the same image, only the magazine had dropped in a photo of someone's head into the face of the timer. Looking through the magazine I found the photo credits and yes there it was (Photo: NavaSwan). After the magazine came out I began to get phone calls, questions, "Did I really have a time bomb, where was it now...". Even someone from my Catholic elementary school called, asking for an interview. Well the truth is, it's just a wooden broom handle that I cut into equal sections, wrapped them and a darkroom timer with a bit of electrical tape and a length of wire... Years later, poof, Time magazine cover. But please, don't go tell everyone. Sometimes a bit of mystery helps the illusion along.

Contact Mel at navaswan@yahoo.com for his availability on select assignments worldwide, licensing of images and for Limited Edition prints. Phone: 1-641-781-0640

NavaSwan Images Views from the pathless path....