Haddad was a fitness specialist at Loyola University in Chicago until 2009, when he moved to the island after the death of his father to take care of the condo his parents owned. To put food on the table, he found a job at the local grocery store where today he still serves as a buyer. “I haven’t done the business side of photography as I should, I know that,” he admits. “I’ve sold a good number of images at shows and online, but not enough yet to go it alone as a photographer. Hopefully, that day is coming.” Now 39 years old, Haddad began “experimenting and learning” the fine art of photography in Chicago, where he wouldwander the city and find interesting shots “at all hours of the night. Little by little, I kept improving and I’ve been helped a lot by the comments and suggestions people have given on images I posted to Facebook.”
One look at his Facebook page demonstrates the passion people have for his work — with many images generating thousands of likes, hundreds of shares and compliment after compliment. “I prefer to process images as close to straight from the camera as I can,” he explains, “and if I need, make any adjustments in post production. I’d define my work as trying to capture the natural beauty of Southwest Florida, while pushing the boundary a little bit.” As Haddad looks ahead, he sees great opportunity through his viewfinder. “I think there’s a lot of potential for my work and I’m excited about the future,” he says. “I’m in the process of building a website, and I’m not in any galleries yet, but I think anybody who visits here would love to take my stuff home.
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