Lee Varis

Lee Varis is a photo-illustrator working in Hollywood. He has been involved in commercial photography for the last 30 years. He started working with computer imaging about 20 years ago and currently works with digital as well as conventional photography in conjunction with computer graphics to create images for use in print advertising.

Lee's work has been featured on movie posters, video box covers, CD covers, numerous brochures and catalogs. His creative imaging has been featured in National Geographic, Newsweek and Fortune magazines as well as trade journals like PDN, New Media, Micro Publishing News, PC Photo, Studio Photography, Rangefinder and Photo Electronic Imaging. Most of Lee's work starts off as photography that is manipulated in the computer using a wide variety of imaging software. Images are often re-combined with digital painting and effects or with additional photo elements to create digital images that transcend the original source materials.

Clients, art directors and fellow artists look for inspiration at Lee's web site:

http://www.varis.com

There he displays imaging work and a "Methods" section with practical imaging information.

Lee has also been involved with consulting and training activities for numerous corporate clients. He did two series of imaging seminars for Apple Computers that took him around the country to most of the major metropolitan areas and is currently active in seminar programs with PPA, APA and Julia Dean Photographic Workshops as well as a monthly "Photoshop for Photographers" workshop in Los Angeles.

Lee's latest book is 'Skin : The Complete Guide to Digitally Lighting, Photographing, and Retouching Faces and Bodies' with Sybex. This is a professional level how-to guide to all aspects of digital photography of people. The work offers intermediate and advanced Photoshop techniques as well as digital-specific photo techniques for digital photographers looking for the next level in expertise.

Lee wrote "Digital Photography for Creative Professionals" with Rockport Publishers in 2003. This is an examination of professional applications of digital photography for commercial graphic artists and art directors concentrating on workflow issues and creative solutions for graphics workgroups. He has also written articles for Design Graphics, PEI, PC Photo, Rangefinder and Digital Photo Pro.

As a fine artist, Lee has been working on a series of images based on the Tarot. Current progress on this project is on display at:

http://www.newmillenniumtarot.com

The future of imaging, and specifically photography, is clearly digital. Lee has a firm command of both traditional and digital techniques, giving him a clear advantage over the computer technician who is not equipped to make creative judgments and the conventional artist who lacks the skills necessary to realize the digital future.