Dimensions Photography: Life through a lens

LANCASTER- For Rich Warmus, owner of Dimensions Photography, it is all about capturing those precious little events that happen throughout a person’s life, whether it is their wedding day, portraits of newborns or high school seniors. Whatever the occasion, he is there to make sure your moment lasts forever in his images.

Warmus discovered his passion for photography when he attended the University of Buffalo, studying anthropology. Having to take general education classes, he decided to take some art classes, which he absolutely loved.

“I did very well in them and I became very interested in them and it just went from there,” remarked Warmus. “I ended up working at the school’s photo labs and taking every photo class I could take.”

Warmus graduated with a bachelor’s of fine arts degree in photography.

He began as a wedding photographer for a local photography studio and was there for 11 years until one day he decided to open his own studio.

“My opportunities to grow were not there,” said Warmus. “I wanted to do something on my own and showcase more of who I am and what my work consisted of.”

Warmus’s studio is located at 5876 Broadway St., in Lancaster.

“I started in the small building next door for four years and there was a need to expand so when this building became available I purchased it,” Warmus said. “It was my fifth year here in August."

One area Warmus specializes in is family portraits. Clients have the option to choose where they would like to be photographed.

“Whether it is in their backyard in the woods, the beach, it can be any specific location that represents who they are,” commented Warmus. “I love to meet new people. It allows me to be myself around them as well. If we’re in their backyard or home, that’s their environment and it lets me connect with them to find out who they are, what they do in their lives, and try to incorporate it into their portraits.”

Clients can also be photographed in the studio. Warmus said he has about 30 different backgrounds that are hand painted by different artists from all over the country.

“Some of them are very unique and one of a kind,” remarked Warmus.

Warmus said high school senior photography is his second love. Seniors are allowed to bring or wear anything that represents themselves and it is incorporated into the photo.

Warmus added his love and passion for wedding photography is also still there. In fact, one of his favorite experiences was flying to New York City to photograph a wedding.

“The bride and groom were engaged at Tavern on the Green, so a week before the wedding, without the bride’s mother’s knowledge, we flew to New York City,” said Warmus. “We went to Tavern on the Green, to the top of the Rockefeller Center, the castle in Central Park, Lincoln Center, and did an amazing photo shoot. The last one was at Time Square at dusk. At the wedding, we had three large portraits covered up and during cocktail hour we unveiled them. People were amazed. It was a wonderful experience.”

During earlier winter, Warmus said it is the studio’s slow season so they go to a lot of seminars such as Senior and Youth National Conference in Florida to refresh their knowledge, share ideas with other photographers, and vendors showcase new products in photography.

“It is a great way to co-meet other photographers and get different other ideas from different parts of the country,” said Warmus

He is also a member of Wedding and Portrait Photographers International.

In addition to what Warmus does at his studio, he is also serves a board of trustee for the Lancaster High School’s Academy of Visual and Performing Arts. He helps organize all their events and helps plan the curriculum. He is also a co-organizer of the East End Arts and Crafts Show, which was held last weekend and was very successful, said Warmus.

To contact Dimensions Photography call 685-0018 or to view some of Warmus’s work, visit www.dimensionsphoto.com. Images on the Website change every couple of weeks. The studio is closed Sunday; opened from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Thursday, and Friday; noon to 7 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday; and Saturdays are reserved for weddings, but someone is usually in the studio from 10 a.m. to about 3 p.m., if not leave a message.