Huntley grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, where he was given a camera at a very early age. Photos were always a part of the mix in his home, as his father was an enthusiastic snapshot and home movie maker. Accordingly, there was no shortage of camera gear in Huntley’s home. His first camera was Rolieflex clone - seeing the subject on the little ground glass viewer was endlessly fascinating to him, and his initial images were of his brothers and friends on the basketball court in his backyard. However, after discovering the piano, music became his primary hobby, and for years, he didn't make a photo.
After starting a family in his 20s, and a brief stint in the family business, Huntley got the urge to use a camera again. He eventually set out as a commercial photographer, seeking a vocation with a creative side to it. His assignments included fashion, architecture, publicity, editorial, and product photography. He opened his own studio in downtown St. Louis, where he worked in 35mm; medium format; and 4x5 and 8x10 view camera formats. He apprenticed in two commercial studios, refined and matured a high degree of skill in black and white printing for his commercial and portrait clients, and produced a wide variety of color work for advertising and catalogs.
While working as a commercial photographer, Huntley developed friendships and links with many local artists, and was sought after for his skillful photographs of their artwork for their presentations and portfolios. He frequently was called by the St. Louis Art Museum, and other institutions for documentation of their holdings. He developed a deep appreciation of art in many mediums, but more or less kept his work focus on the commercial tasks at hand.
After moving to San Francisco in 1989, Huntley began a new career in tech, working in the fields of network integration, digital communications, and software consulting. He left tech in the early 2000s, and later opened a pawn shop in his own San Francisco neighborhood. After retiring in 2020, Huntley has returned to photography, but solely from the artist’s side of his personality, and his own point of view. His primary interest is capturing the look and feel of the urban and suburban environment.
After starting a family in his 20s, and a brief stint in the family business, Huntley got the urge to use a camera again. He eventually set out as a commercial photographer, seeking a vocation with a creative side to it. His assignments included fashion, architecture, publicity, editorial, and product photography. He opened his own studio in downtown St. Louis, where he worked in 35mm; medium format; and 4x5 and 8x10 view camera formats. He apprenticed in two commercial studios, refined and matured a high degree of skill in black and white printing for his commercial and portrait clients, and produced a wide variety of color work for advertising and catalogs.
While working as a commercial photographer, Huntley developed friendships and links with many local artists, and was sought after for his skillful photographs of their artwork for their presentations and portfolios. He frequently was called by the St. Louis Art Museum, and other institutions for documentation of their holdings. He developed a deep appreciation of art in many mediums, but more or less kept his work focus on the commercial tasks at hand.
After moving to San Francisco in 1989, Huntley began a new career in tech, working in the fields of network integration, digital communications, and software consulting. He left tech in the early 2000s, and later opened a pawn shop in his own San Francisco neighborhood. After retiring in 2020, Huntley has returned to photography, but solely from the artist’s side of his personality, and his own point of view. His primary interest is capturing the look and feel of the urban and suburban environment.