'Tony' Gaye, 65, a Phila. photographer

Stephen Anthony "Tony" Gaye, 65, of Northern Liberties, a commercial and fine-art photographer who had studios in and around Philadelphia for about 30 years, died Thursday, Dec. 13, of a heart attack at his home.

Mr. Gaye, who described himself as a "studio still-life photographer," was known for his work for advertisers and his fine-art work in galleries, said Frank Bolling, a longtime friend.

"He did the photographs for the most recent Campbell's annual report," Bolling said. Mr. Gaye also shot photographs for Herr's snack foods and other companies.

"At the same time, he had a fine-arts career in which he did work that was considered for galleries," Bolling said. "His work was shown in galleries and universities around the country."

He served as a faculty member at the University of Delaware and the Art Institute of Philadelphia, where he taught photography.

Born in 1947 in Oklahoma City, Mr. Gaye, the son of a petroleum engineer, attended 14 schools around the world.

He graduated from the American School in Tripoli, Libya, and served in the Army during the Vietnam War.

Mr. Gaye earned a bachelor's degree in fine arts at Vanderbilt University in 1973 and a few years later received a master's of fine arts from Rochester Institute of Technology.

In the early 1970s he worked in the music scene in Nashville, singing and playing the guitar. Mr. Gaye was married and divorced three times.

He moved to the Philadelphia area in the mid-1970s. Mr. Gaye and a partner opened G/Q Studios Ltd. in Kennett Square in 1978. He established a studio in Philadelphia's Spring Garden section in 1984. In 2002, he opened Tony Gaye Photography in Manayunk.

Mr. Gaye was a board member of the Philadelphia chapter of the American Society of Media Photographers.

Bolling said Mr. Gaye had just completed a yet-to-be-published book, titled Harlista's Cubanos, focusing on 35 owners of vintage Harley-Davidson motorcycles in Cuba.

He shot photographs for On the Record: The Soundtrack of Our Lives, a pending documentary series on the history of recorded music. Mr. Gaye took portraits of the country music stars Earl Scruggs, Kitty Wells, and others.

Mr. Gaye is survived by daughters Chelsea and Zoe, and a son, Matthew.

A memorial service is scheduled for Saturday, March 2, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Moon & Arrow boutique, 754 S. Fourth St.