About Neil

In Memorium

Born in 1939 in Quincy, Massachusetts Neil Wetherbee Sr. overcame a very difficult beginning. His father was absent in his life and his mother succumbed to cancer when Neil was only 16. He quickly realized that despite the painful loss, he would need to figure out a way to keep going and fend for himself. Ever resourceful, he traveled across the country to California to his Aunt. During that time he worked odd jobs and learned to drive trucks to make ends meet.

Eventually he returned to Quincy where he met the love of his life Mary McGrath, who soon became his wife and blessed him with an only son… who is named after him.  Neil Sr. did whatever he could to provide for his young family, including taking a 3rd shift job at Honeywell which he soon realized would not fulfill him.  Soon, thanks to fate, he discovered photography. He fell in love with a Nikkormat camera and realized he had found his calling.

He traveled throughout New England often with his son in tow, capturing classic landscapes, natural beauty and quaint villages.  He particularly favored “the golden hour” when everything within sight gets a golden hue and changes depth and perspective.

Neil won numerous national and international awards over the course of his career including the Boston Globe Photo Contest in 1973. That award grabbed the attention of WCVB’s Good Morning show. In subsequent years, he was ranked as high as 5th Best Photographer in the world by PSA (the Photographic Society of America) and in 1974 was awarded the distinction EFIAP (Excellence Federation Internationale de L’Art Photographique).

He later travelled to Japan, China and throughout the United States capturing scenes with his unique eye.

Over 1,000 of his photographs have been exhibited in International exhibitions in over 30 different countries and in over 40 states in the United States.

Neil won over 50 Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals, including 8 PSA Gold Medals for Best of Show, over 100 Honorable Mentions and Certificates of Merit and numerous cash awards.

Neil passed away peacefully, in March of 2020. Neil’s surviving family is curating his vast catalog of work since his passing. They want the rest of world to see Neil’s unique eye and mastery of capturing light. He was able to transform almost any scene into one filled with magic by making sure that he was in the right spot at the right time.  

Neil Wetherbee’s photography can remind us all that no matter how rough life can be, if you find your passion, you can rise above the difficulty if you allow yourself to see the beauty in the world around you.  

Please enjoy his vision yourself as you browse through his work.