Local photographer published in SI, ESPN magazines

“In eighth grade I knew that I wanted to grow up to be a photographer,” recalls Osentoski.

A 1980 graduate of Whitmer High School, Osentoski served as a photographer for the school’s newspaper and year book. He continued his studies at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh where he obtained his degree in commercial photography. 

Osentoski also meet his wife, Michele, a photography student as well, while at college.

With degrees in hand, the couple moved to New York City in the fall of 1986. Both found work quickly as freelance photographer’s assistants with photographers that specialized in food and wine photography for magazines and advertising agencies.

According to Osentoski, “New York is one of the biggest food photography markets in the world”

Tired of assisting and wanting to control their destiny, the Osentoski duo took a leap of faith and opened their first commercial photography studio in 1988 in the heart of the city. It was during this time that Osentoski began to develop his unique style by lighting objects with flashlights, crystals, and mirrors.

“Jobs are hired by your look” explained Osentoski.  His “look” or style was favorably received by some of the biggest advertising agencies in the world and he quickly started getting large commercial photography projects from such clients as American Express and Seiko watches.

With the birth of their first child in 1993, the Osentoskis decided that raising children in New York City was not to their liking.  The couple closed their studio and moved back to the Toledo area. 

Working together as a team, they opened a new studio in an old warehouse on the riverfront next to the Channel 11 television studios in downtown Toledo. Osentoski’s success as a commercial photographer in New York helped open doors to the local advertising agencies.

“My first big job was working on a project for the Toledo Children’s Hospital,” recalled Osentoski.  He then acquired other prestigious clients, such as Libbey Glass and Calphalon Cookware.  Together these companies kept the studio busy photographing products for their respective catalogs and eventually became his primary clients and the cornerstones of his commercial photography business.

Business was booming in the late 90’s as was his family. Osentoski and his wife desired to raise their family in a rural setting. In 1996 they moved into an old farmhouse on two acres of land in the Genoa area and built a state-of-the-art digital photography studio to service their expanding business.

Photographing action sports was not an interest to Osentoski until he started shooting his older son playing soccer for the Genoa Comets during his sophomore year. Osentoski would photograph his son’s games and then post the digital action images onto his web site for the parents of his son’s teammates to view and purchase. 

During Genoa’s march to a regional football championship two years ago, Osentoski could be spotted roaming the sidelines capturing the magic of the Comet’s season.  He created a coffee table-style picture book documenting the championship season which is still available for purchase today.

“I shot sports for fun” quipped Osentoski, “but I decided to take it to the next level and started contacting national sports wire imaging services looking for assignments.”

Last spring Osentoski began his professional sports photographer career by covering several U.S. Men’s Soccer matches.  He has been on the sidelines of Division I college football games, the baselines of NBA basketball games, behind the glass at NHL hockey games, and on the pitch of the MLS Columbus Crew professional soccer club.  A notable highlight for Osentoski was being designated as the official photographer for the U.S. Women’s National Team soccer exhibition match against Germany at Cleveland Browns Stadium in May. 

Despite the glamour of shooting big-time sports, Osentoski still earns his living at the local level.

Oz Digital, LLC is a multi-faceted studio offering photography services ranging from high-end commercial work to action photography for youth sports.  Osentoski’s portfolio can be viewed at www.ozdigitalstudio.com, which represents the commercial division and www.ozdigitalphoto.com which is tailored to their consumer clients.

In addition to his commercial and consumer work, Osentoski is using his professional sports photography experience to grow the studio’s senior portrait business by incorporating traditional portraits of high school athletes with actual game action shots into a uniquely designed package.  He also offers his professional services to local sports tournaments. 

Whenever the Detroit Tigers are playing at home this season, Osentoski can be found in the photographer’s well in the visiting team’s dugout along the first base line at Comerica Park. His recent success with having his images published in SI and ESPN Magazine has prompted one colleague to utter the catchphrase, “I’m shooting what Oz shoots.”