"I have never found anything more challenging than photographing people,” John Sobczak has said. “During the brief moments we are allowed access to an individual we must discover something of his or her true nature and capture it on film. Often we must overcome the individual's own preconceived idea of themselves to do it."
John has been a professional photographer based in Detroit for over 30 years. His images have graced the pages of Time, Newsweek, USA Today, as well as many local publications including Hour Magazine, Ambassador Magazine and Crain’s Detroit Business. His commercial work has included billboards, brochures & annual reports for such clients as General Motors Corporation, AT&T, Chrysler, Lear and Ford Motor Company.
His work has been featured in many exhibitions including solo showings, and he has won numerous awards, including a regional and district Addy for a portrait of Jeff Daniels that appeared on the cover of Hour Magazine. An ongoing theme in his work has been his pursuit of recognition for the many talented, creative individuals among us. This led to the creation of two portfolios; the first being a series of portraits of jazz musicians, including Marcus Belgrave, Earl Klugh and Geri Allen, for the Graystone Jazz Museum. The second portfolio was a series of portraits of some of the area's funniest comedians, including Tim Allen, Dave Coulier and Soupy Sales, for the MS Society of Michigan.
His books have included "The Vision of Words," a collection of works by Michigan writer with photo-illustrations by John; “Motor City Memoirs,” portraits and stories from notable and interesting Detroiters; “Cleveland Classics, Great Stories from the North Coast,” and “A Motor City Year.” His book of dance photography, “Dance / Box / Lens, Portraits in Motion,” was published in 2016.
In 2007 portfolios of his work became part of the permanent collections of two of the most prestigious museums in the country, the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Detroit Institute of Art.