Rustin Michael

Hello, I am Rustin Michael Cerveny. the namesake of the Rustin Michael brand.

Below are two quotes that I enjoy.

"Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."

                        -Harold Thurman Whitman

"Do what you love, Love what you do"

                                                            -Unknown

These two quotes sum up why I am a photographer. Photography makes me come alive whether it is photographing a beautiful bride or an amazing landscape. I love taking photographs.

I find photography amazing and it has been a passion of mine for over ten years. Photography allows anyone to freeze a moment in time and save it forever. Throughout my career, I have had the pleasure of photographing everything from actors on a film set to a tank round traveling down a range at 1500 meters/sec.

I became interested in photography just before my senior year in high school. I started out using my dad’s old Minolta manual SLR. Once I had saved enough money, I purchased a Canon EOS ELAN just in time for my first photography class as a senior in high school. I found the whole process of making photographs amazing. I loved looking through the viewfinder and framing shots, processing the film, and making contact sheets and prints in the darkroom. I couldn’t get enough of it.

After high school, I attended a local community college and studied under the amazing fine art photographer Jack Radcliffe. I began taking every photography class I could fit into my schedule. During this time I also worked at a professional photo lab making custom prints for other photographers. This experience allowed me to study what other photographers were doing while I learned the process necessary to create a good print. I also continued to refine my skills by shooting for Young Life, The Aegis Newspaper, NAARP, The Army Times, and the occasional wedding.

After completing my studies at the community college, I moved on to Towson University in Maryland, and completed my B.S. in Computer Information Systems. Having a good background in computer technology has allowed me to move easily into digital photo processing as darkrooms quickly became obsolete. While studying at Towson, I met a beautiful woman named Victoria. I graduated from Towson and married Victoria the same week.

In recent years I have used my passion for photography in several ways besides capturing some amazing weddings. I worked on an Army base, doing high-speed photography of artillery testing, helping to protect our men and women in the armed forces. For the past 6 years I have had the pleasure of donating my photography skills to support the annual Ed Block Courage Awards, a NFL charity. I also provided still photography and graphic design support for an award winning short film.