Press & News | Dale May Photography | Lürzer's Archive, People, PDN, Communication Arts
PRESS & NEWS | DALE MAY
April 2026 - Workbook Features Dale May's Camcevi HCP Campaign for Accord BioPharma - Hybrid photography, photorealistic CGI and cinemagraph animation for pharmaceutical advertising.
Workbook features Dale May's new Camcevi pharmaceutical advertising campaign for Accord BioPharma, produced through Proximyl Health. The hybrid production combines live patient and physician portraits with photorealistic CGI environments and cinemagraph animation, demonstrating Dale's single-vendor approach to high-end pharma campaign work. [Read the full article on Workbook]
June 2025 - Lürzer's Archive 200best 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 world's best advertising photographers and was featured in Lürzer's Archive's 2025/26 annual. [You can see more of the work here]
November 2025 - Oprah Daily Holiday 2025 - Dale May 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 job was to combine portrait photography, shot by Ruvén 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 a winter puffy jacket and hat with an animated ribbon reading "Oprah's 100 Favorite Things," all created with CGI. To animate 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
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] | [Watch the full film on Vimeo] | [IMDb]
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 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] | [IMDb]
October 2024 - Lürzer's Archive 200best Digital Artists Worldwide 2024/25 - Dale May named 200best 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 world's best Digital Artists and was featured in Lürzer's Archive's 2024/25 annual. [You can see more of the work here]
September 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]
September 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 Patsos to create a cinematic story about a free spirited biker and his pet piglet Hamlet. The series is a conceptual series created with hybrid photography and photorealistic CGI environments. [You can see more of the work here] | [View the Case Study]
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 by science moving too 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]
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 Photographers and Digital Artists. [You can see more of the work here] | [View the Case Study]
March 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 five awards including a Communication Arts Award in the 64th Photography Annual, an IPA 2023 International Photography Award Honorable 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 photography and photorealistic CGI environments and was one of many that helped Dale achieve Lürzer's Archive 200 Best Photographers and Digital Artists. [You can see more of the work here] | [View the Case Study]
October 2022 - Lürzer's Archive 200best Digital Artists Worldwide 2022/23 - Dale May named 200best for his hybrid photography and photorealistic CGI environment work.
Dale May was named among 200 of the world's best Digital Artists and featured in Lürzer's Archive's 2022/23 annual for hybrid works combining photography, CGI environments, and full CGI imagery. The Starlight Falls Motel project was among the body of work that contributed to this recognition. [View the Starlight Falls Motel Case Study]
September 2022 - International Photography Awards - Dale May awarded 2nd Place for his personal project "Starlight Falls Motel, Room 3" 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 photorealistic CGI environments. [You can see the Case Study of this project here]
August 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]
August 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]
October 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]
April 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 was 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]
May 2014 - PEOPLE - Coco Vader and X-Ray Troopers: LEGO Star Wars Characters Get Quirky Art Makeovers
People.com Magazine talked with Dale May about his Lego Wars images and his inspiration behind them. [Read the full article on People]
May 2014 - MARIE CLAIRE - Here's What Happens When Star Wars Gets a Massive Fashion Makeover
Dale May was featured in the "Fashion" section of MarieClaire.com. 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. [Read the full article on Marie Claire]
May 2014 - GLAMOUR - Coco Vader! V3PO Louis Vuitton! You HAVE to See This Fashion Meets Star Wars Art
Glamour speaks with Dale May about Lego Wars, the connection between Star Wars and fashion, and his experience working with Jared Leto. [Read the full article on Glamour]
May 2014 - THE DARKROOM - May the 4th with Dale May
In this interview Dale May discussed his inspiration for Lego Wars, the concept of the project, and his career as a celebrity photographer. [Read the full article on The Darkroom]
May 2014 - AT HOME - Stormtroopers Hit Bedrooms Everywhere!
Dale May's Stormtroopers, from his ever-popular LEGO WARS series, was spotted in the May/June issue of At Home in Fairfield County. [View the article]
September 2014 - TRENDLAND - FEATURED Fine Art - Lego Wars by Dale May
Trendland.com featured Dale May's Lego Wars series. [Read the full article on Trendland]
January 2014 - IDOL - Dale May's Lego Wars Series
New York based photographer Dale May's "Lego Wars" series combines two much-loved and nostalgic themes, Star Wars and Lego, with iconic fashion branding. [Read the full article on IDOL]
December 2013 - PDN - The Force Is Strong With This One
May's Lego Wars series is highlighted as the PDN "Photo Of The Day." [Read the full article on PDN]
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