Picture perfect-- Attorney captures life's fleeting moments through his camera lens

By Jeanine Matlow Legal News You might say that Dave McCreedy has discovered the best of both worlds. The assistant prosecuting attorney with the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office Appellate Division found a fulfilling career that leaves enough spare time for him to explore other pursuits, particularly his passion for photography. Prior to the prosecutor's office, McCreedy attended Kalamazoo College and University of Michigan Law School. He handled military casework for U.S. Senator Carl Levin for three years before law school and clerked for U.S. Court of Appeals Judge James Ryan after graduation. "'Law and Order' was one of my favorite shows," says McCreedy, who grew up in Reed City, between Big Rapids and Cadillac. Today the 42-year-old resides in Canton with his wife and their two young daughters. "I knew that I wanted to have a career in public service," McCreedy says. "I keep pretty regular hours so I get to serve the public and spend a lot of time with family." Among his favorite pastimes are Ultimate Frisbee, waterskiing, and photography. When their first daughter was born in 2004, McCreedy decided to invest in what he calls "a decent digital camera." When he merged his passion for gardening with some shots of his lovely landscape, a new pursuit was born. "I started taking pictures of nature in our yard whenever I could," he says. "I found out I had an eye for it." McCreedy says photography forces him to take time out to study things. "I think we live in a very image-driven and visual society," he says. "It's so easy to just walk by something without noticing how beautiful it is." It can be something incredibly simple that gets his attention. "I can look at that little flower growing out of the crack in the sidewalk or the shadow of a piece of artwork or patterns or colors," he explains. "I intentionally stop and look in order to appreciate something." His subject matter is subject to change. "It's mostly landscape, although I've been taking more portraits lately," he says. McCreedy's work has appeared in two juried shows at the Padzieski Gallery in the Dearborn Community Center, and one at The Village Theater at Cherry Hill in Canton. He even does his own matting and framing for the photos. Recently, McCreedy created a portrait studio in his basement where he mostly captures the faces of family members and friends. He made his own colored fabric backdrops for the photos. When his relatives get together for special occasions, McCreedy takes a group shot and gives the image to his loved ones as a gift. "An up-to-date picture in a nice frame is something that everybody enjoys," he says. Jan Bartee, principal attorney with the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office Appellate Division, became an instant fan of his photographs after seeing them at an art show. She remembers her response was, "These are awesome. You need to do something with this." Bartee says the pieces really spoke to her. "Each one says everything but nothing," she says. She credits her colleague with doing a fine job on the matting and framing too. She was so taken by one of the images, that she felt compelled to buy two of the same: one for the office and one to hang at home. "Dave is very gifted and very talented," Bartee says. "He knows what parts to emphasize and what not to emphasize. He knows how to play with the image." While McCreedy enjoys the process, Bartee relishes the results. "I find his photos to be very relaxing and encouraging," she says."They're just so beautiful and they capture things you could miss." Published: Mon, Mar 15, 2010

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