Bio
Photographer and educator Tom Wolf is a lifelong resident of Western New York and a lover of all things Buffalo. Among the many things he loves about Buffalo are the proud ethnic celebrations such as Dingus day, the international art scene, its amazing architectural legacy, and accessibility of pro sports teams. He is fascinated by the history of Buffalo from legacies such as presidential influences to anecdotes of how Buffalo wings were invented. Starting with his early childhood summers at Humboldt Park (now Martin Luther King Jr. Park) Wolf grew up to become the team photographer for the Buffalo Bills. He has seen the transformation of the city from its twilight years as an industrial force to its current cultural and social awakening.
A commercial and fine art photographer for 25 years, Wolf’s photographs have been featured at the Smithsonian Institution, the Peter A. and Mary Lou Vogt Gallery and Logan Galleries at Chautauqua Institution He states that some of his best work has come “as a result of chance” and in photographing life’s “unrehearsed moments.” Over his career he has photographed Presidents Ford, Carter, Bush and Clinton. Wolf’s images of former and present Mayors Byron Brown and Michael Bloomberg, Congressmen Tom Reynolds, Bill Paxon, Jack Quinn and Supreme Court Justices Roberts, Rehnquist, O’Connor, Ginsberg and Scalia have appeared in news publications worldwide. He has also provided photographic and art direction for the on-air commercials for Reynolds (R-NY, Former Chairman of the National Congressional Republican Committee).
In April 2003, Wolf received a coveted NFL Pro Football Hall of Fame Photography Award. His dramatic photo taken from atop Ralph Wilson Stadium of Buffalo Bills’ Cornerback Antoine Winfield (#26) was one of four photos to be recognized by the NFL that year. As a photographer for the Bills, his photographs have appeared in Sports Illustrated, People, ESPN the Magazine, and Inside Sports as well as weekly in the Bills’ Digest. He was a team photographer and then lead photographer for the Buffalo Bills during what is considered by most to be their “glory years” of the 1990’s. Wolf has captured many record-breaking moments in sports and his work is featured in memorabilia and product lines marketed by Upper Deck, Photofile and EA Sports. He has shot the World Series and Ryder Cup and his coverage of the Buffalo marathon was touted by the Buffalo News as “…some of the best photos of Buffalo and most dramatic marathon shots we have ever seen.”
Tom Wolf’s photographs can be seen in the recent marketing campaigns for the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA), The Erie County Fair and Canisius High School, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of WNY, Crag Burn Golf Club, The Sheridan in the Falls, Our Lady of Victory National Shrine, Moog and the J. Fitzgerald Group. He specializes in higher education. His clients include Canisius College, Villa Maria College, The University of Buffalo School of Management, Niagara University, D’Youville College and Daemen College.
He graduated from Canisius College with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Communications and earned his Master of Fine Arts degree from the Academy of Arts University with Summa Cum Laude honors.
Tom Wolf’s has earned the Adjunct Faculty Teaching Award at both Canisius College in 2014 and Villa Maria College in 2020. He also created the popular Travel Photography Program in Italy for Canisius College.