Press & News | Dale May Photography | Lürzer's Archive, People, PDN, Communication Arts
PRESS & NEWS | DALE MAY
June 2025 - Lürzer's Archive 200 Best Advertising Photographers Worldwide 2025/26 - Dale May named 200 Best for his hybrid photography and photorealistic CGI environment work.
Dale May's advertising photography campaigns and personal work combined got him a spot among 200 of the worlds best advertising photographers and was featured in Lürzer Archive's 2025/26 annual. [You can see more of the work here]

October 2025 - Starlight Falls Motel, Room 4 - New York Shorts International Film Festival
Dale May's short film "Starlight Falls Motel, Room 4" was an official selection at the 2025 New York Shorts International Film Festival in New York City. Written, directed, and produced entirely by May, the film stars Phil Hyland (Hellraiser 3) and Phil Costello (Jer-Z Knights) and was shot on greenscreen in May's home studio.
Room 4 is a direct demonstration of May's hybrid production methodology: photorealistic CGI environments, VFX, and animation built from the ground up and seamlessly integrated with live-action photography to create a fully realized cinematic world without a single location shoot.
In Room 4 of the Starlight Falls Motel, the mystery runs deep. Detective Jack Malone's emotional baggage runs deeper. A woman and her child have vanished without a trace. Enter Malone: recovering alcoholic, homicide detective, and walking emotional crisis. Motel manager Harold has details about the incident and a few words about the property's finer amenities. Jack has other things on his mind.
[Explore The Starlight Falls Motel Case Study] and [Watch the full film on Vimeo]

April 2025 - Jer-Z Knights (2003) - Dale May's 2025 Director's Cut
Dale May's directorial debut, "Jer-Z Knights," was an official selection of the 2003 Sundance Film Festival. Written with his bandmates in Satanicide and starring May himself, the film has now been remastered for a 2025 Director's Cut using AI upscaling and image enhancement techniques to restore and elevate the original standard-definition footage. Several new scenes were added using CGI animation to bring greater clarity to the film's original creative intent. [Watch the 2025 Director's Cut on Vimeo]

Oct 2024 - Lürzer's Archive 200 Best Digital Artists Worldwide 2024/25 - Dale May named 200 Best for his hybrid photography and photorealistic CGI environment work.
Dale May's advertising photography campaigns and personal work combined got him a spot among 200 of the worlds best Digital Artists and was featured in Lürzer Archive's 2024/25 annual. [You can see more of the work here]

Nov 2025 - Oprah’s 100 Favorite Things 2025 - Dale May's CGI cover, logo and animation for Oprah Daily Magazine
Dale May was hired by Oprah Daily to create a Holiday Magazine cover and logo for Oprah's 100 Favorite Things issue. The jobs was to combine portrait photography, shot by Ruven Afanador and place Oprah in a CGI snow globe with a pile of Holiday gifts and snow. Then, deliver an animated version of the final cover. They also asked Dale to create an Oprah "O" logo in the shape of the winter puffy jacket and hat with an animated ribbon thet read "Oprah's 100 Favorite Things" all created with CGI. To animated the still cover, Dale used AI animated plates of Oprah's arm and a stuffed bear and composited them back into the still image so only parts of the image would move, using Dale's hybrid methods of photography to solve complex problems on a short deadline. [Watch the animated versions here]
Editorial Director: @pilar_guzman
Executive Visual Director: @makingitlast
Contributing Visual Editor: @_hannah_anderson_
Design Director: @mattslashben
Contributing Art Directors: @pbcury @gillianmacleod_design
Photographer: @ruvenafanador
Photo illustration/Animation: @dalemayphoto
Set design: @glitterville
Fashion Editor: @jennycapitain
Hair: @iamlawrencedavishair
Makeup: @derrick4mkup
ALL THINGS OFT: @raeannherman @justinejanthony

Sept 2024 - International Photography Awards - Dale May awarded Photographer of the Year in the Digitally Enhanced Category for his personal project "Last Trip Home"
This 2024 IPA award winning cinematic personal project was created with model Emerson Croasdale, the daughter of one of Dale's high school friends. Dale was awarded Photographer of the Year in their special digitally enhanced category for his hybrid method of photography, blending studio portraiture with photorealistic CGI environments. [You can see more of the work here]

Sept 2024 - International Photography Awards - Dale May awarded 2nd Place in Digitally Enhanced Category for his personal project "Live Free Or Die"
This 2024 IPA award winning personal project was created with long time actor, friend and long time collaborator Alexander Patos to create a cinematic story about a free spited biker and his pet piglet Hamlat. The series is a conceptual series created with hybrid photography and photorealsitic CGI environments. [You can see more of the work here]

August 2024 - Prix de la Photographie, Paris (PX3) -Dale May given the Silver Award in the Professional Advertising, Self Promotion Category for his personal project "What Could Go Wrong?"
This PX3 award winning personal project was inspired science moving to fast for safeguards. The project was created by Dale's hybrid photography method of studio portraiture combined with photorealistic CGI environments and props. [You can see more of the work here]

May 2024 - Professional Advertising Photography Awards - Dale award 1st Place Gold for his personal project "Live Free Or Die"
Dale May's personal project "Live Free Or Die" features friend and long time collaborator, actor Alexander Patsos in an image series about a free spirited biker and his pet piglet Hamlet. The series was created with Dale's hybrid photography method of studio photography and photorealistic CGI environments and one of many that helped Dale achieve Lürzer's Archive 200 Best Photographer's and Digital Artists. [You can see more of the work here]

Mar 2023 - Communication Arts, International Photography Awards and more - Dale May's Award Of Excellence for his personal project "1974"
Dale May's personal project "1974", Featuring actress Emily Shephard and his son Damien Stryker May won 5 awards, including a Communication Arts Awards in the 64th Photography Annual, IPA 2023 International Photography Award "Honerable Mention", a 2023 Prix De La Photographie PX3 Gold Award, a Gold 2023 Refocus Award, and a 3rd place Honor of Distinction from the International Color Awards. The image was created using Dale's hybrid method of portrait photogrphraphy and photorealistic CGI environments and one of many that helped Dale achieve Lürzer's Archive 200 Best Photographer's and Digital Artists. [You can see more of the work here]

Aug 2022 - Prix de la Photographie, Paris (PX3) - Dale May given the Bronze Award in the Portraiture , Self Promotion Category for his personal project “Ophelia's Dragon”
This PX3 award winning personal project was inspired by and features Dale's daughter Ophelia Rein May. The project was created by Dale's hybrid photography method of studio portraiture combined with photorealistic CGI environments and props. [You can see more of the work here]

Aug 2022 - Prix de la Photographie, Paris (PX3) - Dale May given the Bronze Award in the Portraiture , Self Promotion Category for his personal project “Acme Flame-Throwing Robot”
This PX3 award winning personal project was inspired by his son and also features Dale, his son Damien Stryker May and dog Jimmy. The project was created by Dale's hybrid photography method of studio portraiture combined with photorealistic CGI environments and props. [You can see more of the work here]

Sept 2022 - International Photography Awards - Dale May awarded 2nd Place for his personal project "Starlight Falls Motel, Room3" image series.
This IPA award winning personal project was created with long time friend and collaborator Natasha King, who has modeled on many of Dale's award winning projects. The series is a cinematic conceptual series created with hybrid photography and photorealsitic CGI environments. [You can see Case Study of this project here]

Oct 2021 - International Photography Awards - Dale May awarded 2nd Place for his "Acme Flame-Throwing Robot" personal project.
This IPA award winning personal project was inspired by his son and also features Dale, his son Damien Stryker May and dog Jimmy. The project was created with Dale's hybrid photography method of studio portraiture combined with photorealistic CGI environments and props. [You can see more of the work here]

Apr 2016 - Communication Arts - Dale May 's CA Award Of Excellence for Environmental Portrait of influencer Kelly Eden
Featured in the Communication Arts Photography Annual 57, this personal project was shot in Kelly Eden's home, showing her unique and colorful interior design and personality. The concept was based around influencers and the world outside of the tiny screens where we're used to seeing them. The image was created in camera and Dale's dog Jimmy was added in post. [You can see more of the work here]

July 2015 - Communication Arts - Dale May 's CA Award Of Excellence for his Celebrity Portrait Photography of Benedict Cumberbatch
Featured in The Communication Arts Photography Annual 56, this editorial cover shoot series of actor Benedict Cumberbatch were for commissioned by Time Out London Magazine for their London Film Festival Cover. Dale had 15 minutes to photograph Benedict during a press junket. [You can see more of the work here]

People.com Magazine talked with Dale May about his Lego Wars images and his inspiration behind them. Dale stated, “I’ve always found that you can't wait for inspiration. You just have to keep shooting and working. I picked up my storm trooper LEGO keychain and decided to approach it like any of my celebrity portraits.”
Dale May was featured in the “Fashion” section of MarieClaire.com, which went live on May 2, 2014. The feature was also highlighted on the homepage on “the list” as the #1 daily must-read. In the interview Dale discussed his inspiration for the Lego Wars series, how he got into fashion and the iconic brands he aligned with the characters. Dale stated, “The thing I'm most proud of is that this artwork has bridged generations and people of all ages. Whether someone is buying a piece for their child's room, or they feel a sense of nostalgia and want to hang it in their living room or office building, the work is something that the whole family can appreciate and talk about together. Yes, I think women are drawn to the fashion pieces, but I think, anytime a mother can have a connection with their child through a common interest, it's a powerful thing.”
Glamour speaks with Dale May about Lego Wars, the connection between Star Wars and fashion, and his experience working with Jared Leto. Dale stated, “I've always been inspired by pop culture, movies, music and street art as well. My Lego fashion pieces were inspired by a limited edition (10,000 figures made), gold foil C3PO, which I purchased on Ebay for $190—$190 for a tiny piece of plastic! I said, "This must be the Louis Vuitton of Lego figures." Once I created V3PO and saw how the look and character of the figure seemed right at home on an LV background, I started drawing other comparisons.”
In this interview Dale May discussed his inspiration for Lego Wars, the concept of the project, and his career as a celebrity photographer. Dale stated, “My intent was to revisit these timeless plastic toys, creating a new way for generations of all ages to appreciate these toys together. I felt that the entire piece of art should resemble the high polished glossiness of the subject itself, so the images are printed very large, face mounted with acrylic and rear mounted with aluminum Diabond, creating a slick, contemporary look.”
Dale May's Stormtroopers, from his ever-popular LEGO WARS series, was spotted in the May/June issue of At Home in Faifield County, a local publication focused on home decor & lifestyle. Stormtroopers can be seen adorning the wall of a young boys' bedroom in a local home being featured as the "Family Style" exemplar for this months' cover story.
“Love, love, love the Lego Wars series by New York based fine art photographer Dale May. With both Lego and Star Wars being pop (art) icons, it’s hard to think of more representative imagery of pop culture than this!” Trendland.com
New York based photographer Dale May’s ‘Lego War’ series combines two much-loved and nostalgic themes, Star Wars and Lego, with iconic fashion branding. The result is a contemporary and timeless example of pop culture.
May's Lego Wars series is highlighted as the PDN "Photo Of The Day". Photo District News
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