About egCoyle
Biography
Born in Philadelphia, PA in 1947, e.g. (Ed) Coyle started life as Robert Allen Gessler. He was adopted by Jack & Peg Coyle at five days old; their second son had died shortly after birth.
The adoption would be unknown to Coyle until a letter from the Social Security Administration arrived in June of 1995. (More about this later.)
The Coyles were a kind, blue-collar family. Jack worked for an oil refinery and Peg for a “five & dime” store. Throughout his life the family was entertained by his artistic eccentricities. He didn’t really fit the family mold but his comedic talents redeemed his “artsy-ness”.
An unremarkable student, Coyle ended the summer of 1965 by enlisting in the Army to begin life’s adventure. Through Ed’s twenties he tried his hand at French cooking and woodcarving to satisfy his artistic drive. Neither was sufficient.
“In 1974, the Arab oil embargo had caused a recession in the Florida building boom. As I sat on a sand dune watching the sun melt into the Gulf of Mexico, I was enthralled with its beauty as it peeked through the abandoned grid of an unfinished condominium complex. I wrote a poem to describe what I had seen. The next morning I read my opus. It was woefully inadequate. My words could never do justice to what I had witnessed. I had no idea how I would achieve my goal, but I decided to become a photographer.”
His desire to learn prompted him to accept a job as an unpaid apprentice with a studio photographer. Four hundred dollars a month of G.I. Bill money paid for Community College business courses, rent, and food.
From a drawing class he came away with two valuable lessons:
1. His brain was not wired to combine eye, hand, pencil and paper.
2. To become an Artist he must first become a Craftsman, understanding and controlling his medium.
The “adventure” continued, always with the underlying passion for photography and a burning need to know more about making photographs.
In 1985, Coyle met his muse. On August 1, 1985 he married her. Pam’s job was and remains more stable and lucrative than the art of photography. Her four children ranged from 8 to 16. The Mr. Mom job was open. Love, more than domestic skills, allowed Ed to keep the job.
In 1988, the family moved West to allow a rural life style for the children. The move proved to lead Coyle to his training as a master photographer.
In 1990, Coyle joined a state and national photographer’s association. A dozen or so generous photographers shared critical judgments and technical knowledge. Formal testing to qualify for accreditation as a certified professional was the beginning.
One of the tricks of the photo trade is to “spot” prints. Negatives collect minute specks of dust and other artifacts that show up as white spots on a print. These spots are touched out with dyes. Coyle set out on a quest to make “pristine prints”. No dust or artifacts on negatives or prints. This obsession culminated in a darkroom technique that produces archival negatives and prints that are technically flawless.
Having conquered the darkroom to a satisfactory level it was time to specialize.
In a 2001 interview Coyle stated:
“In 1995, I saw Edward Weston’s 1923 photo of Tina Modotti * for the first time. Seventy-two years after the image was made, it elicited feelings akin to love yet devoid of lust. *(Eighth image down on linked page.)
The image is timeless. Weston had captured her perfect, serene beauty with equipment that was primitive by today’s standards. Weston’s command of his craft was apparent --- and to be emulated.
To leave a similar legacy is a worthy goal for any photographer.
I would learn to photograph nudes … well.
I had no idea that my creative journey would require so much more than photographic craftsmanship. I continue to see through the lens and listen to my collaborators."
Having made the decision to specialize in the Art Nude, Coyle sought a mentor. Through a convoluted series of events he discovered a workshop taught in Maine by Lucien Clergue.
Clergue encouraged Coyle from their first meeting. When visiting the Master at his offices in Arle, France, Clergue honored Coyle with a request of one image from the few that Coyle had brought along. (Mg-021-97)
When Clergue later visited Charleston, Coyle was given a reciprocal choice of what Clergue had brought along. (The image is not available via electronic link. Respect of Clergue and his copyrights prevent a display of the image on this page.)
In 1998, all of the children had become young adults and there was no longer a need to live in the western timberlands. A visit to Charleston in January of 1999 convinced artist and muse to relocate.
In 2000, Silvershadows L.L.C opened for the business of making art and private commissions. Since then clients and collaborators have given Coyle their trust to be rewarded with experiences and images that have filled some with giddy joy and others with emotional tears as they discover their physical beauty through his lens. There are no tricks or props to hide these women.
Coyle practices what the Photo-Secession movement of the early 20th Century dubbed “straight photography”. His tools are light & shadow, aperture & shutter speed, woman & trust.
The art and craft of photography has made a quantum leap with the advent of digital capture. It was not until April of 2006 when equipment became available that provided quality comparable to his film equipment that Coyle made the leap. The new challenge was to become as proficient with digital as he had become with film.
Coyle applied his knowledge of photographic theory and studied the medium as diligently as ever, with great success. In 2007, he converted his negatives to digital files.
When the aforementioned letter arrived from the Social Security Administration in June of 1995, it informed him that he could choose to contact a particular adoption agency. A biological sister was searching for Edward Coyle.
For reasons that will not be elaborated upon here, it had been decided to turn the five-day old boy over to a church group for adoption.
He had lived in a family that loved but did not understand him; however, knowledge of his biological family revealed that he came by his artistic bent honestly.
His father and uncle were accomplished amateur photographers in the 1930’s and 40’s. His oldest sister was at the beginning of a promising art career when she died of cancer at age 22.
As for the sister who found him, one look at her home and it was obvious that she could have chosen to be an Interior Designer. She chose an executive route in medicine and made money rather than art. Today they enjoy a sibling relationship without the rivalries carried over from childhood.
Why “e.g.” when friends and clients all know him as Ed? After learning about his father and the circumstances surrounding his adoption, he decided to honor both of his fathers. The Coyle recognizes Jack, who gave him his work ethic and moral compass. The “G” is for Fred Gessler, to recognize the roots of e.g.Coyle’s talent.
