I’m Mike Dooley, a coastal fine art photographer. My landscapes and seascapes hang in hospitals, medical offices, nursing homes, banks and restaurants across Rhode Island. Some get there through art consultants and framers, some come straight from me.
A while back I walked into the blood lab for routine bloodwork. The woman at the front desk called me up, took my information, and there it was, hanging on the wall right behind her. One of my photographs.
I told her I took that picture. She got all excited. Somebody stuck their head out of a doorway and asked, “Are you serious?” Next thing I know they’ve got me standing in front of it for photos, and one of the phlebotomists asks if she can put her lucky pink coffee cup in the shot.
Turns out people ask about that photo all the time. Where was it taken? The staff even had bets going. They couldn’t wait to tell their regulars they’d met the guy who made it.
Let’s face it, nobody likes getting bloodwork. But if one photograph can start that kind of conversation in a blood lab, think about what it can do in a surgical waiting room.
Where does my work hang?
Mostly in places where people wait, work, or try to catch their breath for a minute:
- Hospitals and medical offices (and yes, the blood lab)
- Nursing homes, including a winter print of Salter Grove I signed for the Rhode Island Veterans Home
- Gregg’s Restaurants & Taverns in North Kingstown, Warwick and East Providence
- Centreville Bank, about 30 photographs for one of their buildings
- Offices, lobbies, and plenty of living rooms
People still send me pictures when they spot one out in the wild. It’s a little like Where’s Waldo, except Waldo is a lighthouse.
Why does calm coastal art work in a business?
Here’s the thing about busy spaces. They’re already loud. Phones ringing, monitors beeping, signs telling you where to stand and what to have ready. That wall doesn’t need one more thing yelling at people.
My photographs are quiet on purpose. Long exposures that smooth the water out, a clean horizon, early light. It gives your eye somewhere to land. Hospitals have actually studied this, and I put the research on the healthcare page if you want the details.
And when the picture is a place people know, like the Newport Bridge, Point Judith, or the Venice Fishing Pier, something else happens. Somebody stops and says, “Hey, I’ve been there.” Now your wall is starting conversations instead of just filling space.
Who do I work with?
Healthcare and senior living. Waiting rooms, exam rooms, hallways. I’ve spent more hours in those rooms than I’d like to admit, so I have a pretty good idea of what helps and what doesn’t.
Hotels, restaurants, offices and vacation rentals. Places that should feel like the coast without looking like the gift shop at the end of the pier.
Art for hospitality and offices →
Art consultants, framers and designers. This is how most of my work ends up on a wall. You ask for a file, I send it, you print it. That’s pretty much it.
How does it work?
- Tell me about the space. An email is fine. What the room is for, who’s in it, rough sizes, how you want it to feel.
- I send you a short list. A handful of images picked for your walls. Not a link to 500 photos and a “good luck.”
- It gets printed and hung. Usually through your consultant or framer. If you don’t have one, I have people I trust for printing and framing.
Want it signed? I’ll show up with a Sharpie.
Who’s behind the camera?
I’ve been photographing the New England coast for more than 30 years. Before that (and alongside it) I was in the Air Force working on C-130s, and then spent a long career in tech. That’s probably why I think about light the way an engineer thinks about a system. Figure out how it works, then make it do what you want.
Past president of the Photographic Society of Rhode Island. Two books, Hope and Through My Eyes. My work has been on NBC and in Shutterbug Magazine, and I’ve had solo gallery shows, including one that was supposed to run 30 days and ended up running 90. The biggest print I’ve made was 91 inches wide.
Mostly, though, I’m the guy standing in front of the most beautiful scene on the coast, staring at the ground looking for a good rock.
About Mike → · Press & Recognition →
From Maine to the Gulf
Most of my archive is New England. Lighthouses, rocky shores, harbors, a lot of sunrises. Now I’m heading to Venice, Florida, and starting on the Gulf: the fishing pier, the South Jetty, Caspersen Beach, Siesta Key.
If you’ve got a wall in Sarasota County that wants the Gulf on it, or one up north that wants the Atlantic, let’s talk.
Questions people ask
What kind of art works best in a business?
Calm images with a clear horizon or a simple subject. Landscapes and seascapes work almost anywhere: lobbies, waiting rooms, offices, guest rooms.
Do you sell prints or license files?
Both. Consultants and framers usually license the file and print it themselves. If you come to me directly, we’ll figure out the best way to get it made.
How big can you go?
Big. My photographs get printed at feature-wall size all the time, and they hold up. Tell me the wall and I’ll tell you what works.
What holds up best in a busy space?
Gallery wraps are the most popular. No frame, no glass, just hang it. For high-traffic spots like waiting rooms and hallways, metal prints hang just as easily, wipe clean and hold up to bumps.
Do you only work in Rhode Island and Florida?
No. A file can go anywhere a good printer can.
Can I see them in real spaces first?
Sure. Start with Prints in the Wild, and I’m happy to send you photos from spaces like yours.
Tell me about your space
What’s the room, who’s in it, and how do you want them to feel? I’ll write back myself, usually within a day.
Email me at mike@mikedooleyphotography.com.