Tom Sheckels’ enterprise focuses on Moorestown and the world.
A trip to the Galapagos Islands is a bucket list item for an avid photographer, but when Tom Sheckels arrived there in 2005 to explore the scenery on a Linblad photographic excursion, he also discovered a new career path. At that time, Sheckels was a serious photography hobbyist about to retire from the environmental engineering field. The leader of the Galapagos group took an interest in Sheckels’ work and told him about a niche stock photo agency that specializes in marketing the kind of high resolution, long and narrow shots that Sheckels had mastered.
When he returned home and contacted them, Panoramic Images Inc. was very interested in offering Sheckels’ images for special applications like billboards, textbooks and travel brochures to their many clients looking for large pictures. He signed on as a contract photographer, and since then, hundreds of his shots have been licensed thousands of times as art prints, wall covering murals, stretched canvasses, advertising, trade shows and in web and print publishing. Panoramic Images also partners with Art.com, FineAmerica.com and AllPosters.com which offer people alternate ways to purchase Sheckels’ work.
As Panoramic Images Inc. opened a new world for Sheckels, he brought the world to them. Through the years, he and his wife Lydia have traveled to dozens of locales across the globe. He is especially proud of the large landscape and nature shots he captured during forays to Africa, China, Russia, Papua New Guinea, Svalbard and Antarctica. In addition to exotic images of foreign lands, Sheckels also trained his lens on numerous American cities, including several breathtaking photos of Philadelphia’s skyline that have been used for advertising by Coors Beer, Sprint and were even included in the television series “House.” Culling from thousands, Sheckels now has almost 800 exceptional shots in circulation through Panoramic Images and is looking to build that library to 1,000. He will be taking shots in Central and South America later this year, and next summer, he and his wife have plans to go to Greenland.
Close to his heart, Sheckels has also developed a catalogue of photographs that celebrate Moorestown, where he and his family have lived for many years. In addition to prints, Sheckels offers these iconic township views on notecards and other specialty items that are for sale in various Moorestown shops, including Moorestown Hardware, Health Haven and Navy Blue Home & Gifts.
For the past several years, Sheckels has had numerous pictures in the popular National Geographic Desk Diaries. Eleven of his photos were included in one year’s edition. He is also at work on a self-published coffee table book on Africa Wild Life that when opened flat will be 26 inches wide to optimize his panoramic views. While Panoramic Images has exclusive commercial rights to Sheckels’ photos, he can also market them to individuals through his own website, www.toms.pictures. People who are interested in buying or discussing his photos can email him at tom@toms.pictures.
Sheckels is excited to share these spectacular views with a wider audience.
“The eyes can only see so much when looking straight ahead, such is the case with typical camera shots; the field of view is relatively narrow,” Sheckels said. “But people look around when immersed in a wonderful place, and that is what I love to capture with my panoramic imagery.”
Sheckels is past president of the International Association of Panoramic Photographers, a group whose mission is to educate, promote and expand public awareness about panoramic photography and to support its members through the exchange of ideas and information. Sheckels notes that while digital photography has made panoramic imaging more accessible to hobbyists, the kind of high resolution shots that can be used in commercial applications still need to be executed by a professional. A great deal of skill is needed to competently “stitch” the sequence of photos together that comprise a panoramic shot — especially when dealing with moving subjects like animals, waves or crowds.
Sheckels has also donated his photographic skills to the MBA and is responsible for many of the association’s vivid shots of events, Spotlight recipients and other occasions. Additionally, Sheckels served as an officer on the MBA’s Board of Directors for seven years and has volunteered countless hours in other capacities for the betterment of Moorestown. The MBA salutes Sheckels as a unique entrepreneur and for his many contributions to the community.
