Terry Gruber is a photographer who is best known for his ground
breaking photography of cats and starting a new brand of wedding
photography which has become known as wedding photojournalism. He was
born the son of acclaimed artist Aaronel deRoy Gruber. Terry first
became recognized when, as editor of the 1975 Vassar College Yearbook,
the NY Times, People Magazine and Esquire highlighted his unique
approach of documenting the first years of co-ed college life.
Terry worked as an assistant to fashion photographer Francesco Scavullo
in NYC. Later, Terry landed deal to write, Working Cats a book where he
took candid portraits of cats that lived in places of business in the
Tri-State area. Two other cat books, Fat Cats and Cat High: The
Yearbook, were later published both to great success, the latter
selling over 250,000 copies. Terry changed the way people think about
"cat pictures".
He later attended Columbia Film School where he received an MFA in
Screenwriting and Directing. His short, Not Just Any Flower, made under
thesis advisor Martin Scorsese, won the student Emmy Award and numerous
others and premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.
Terry would take often pictures at friends' weddings as a gift to the
bride and groom. Soon after this tradition began, Terry's pictures
started to appear in national publications such as Martha Stewart
Living, InStyle, Vanity Fair, People, Vogue, W, OK, NY Times, USA Today
and almost every bridal publication. This led Terry to create his own
photography business where he and 6 photographers photograph weddings
of celebrity clientèle and NY society, but also bar and bat mitzvahs,
corporate functions, and portraits.
Education: 1966-1971 St. Pauls School, Concord New Hampshire ;1971-1975
Vassar College, Poughkeepsie NY, AB Film Major;1988-1985 Columbia Film
School, NY, NY MFA Screenwriting and Directing
Author/Photographer: Working Cats 1979, 1980, 1981 Harper & Row
hardcover, soft-cover US, and Japanese and German editions;Fat Cats
1982, 1983, Harper and Row soft-cover US, Japanese and German editions
;Cat High: The Yearbook 1984, 1988, 1990 Congdon and Weed, Prima
Publishing;Getting Married 1992 Merkendorf & Beamer
Contributor: InStyle Weddings 2005 InStyle Melcher Media &;I Do! The
Great Celebrity Weddings 2005 People Books;A Perfect Home Wedding 2000
Kerry Eielson ;Vera Wang on Weddings 2001 Harper Resource;The Wedding
Dress 1993 McBride-Mellinger;Town and Country Elegant Weddings 1998
Hearst Books;Wedding Days Marla Hamburg Kennedy;I Do 1998 Marla Kennedy
Exhibitions: 1980 - International Center of Photography professional
cats from his book Working Cats;1981- Camera Club of New York, Fat Cats
Exhibit;1982 - Nikon House Brilliant Color;1989 - Christies East
Editorial Wedding Images;1998 - Silver Eye Wood Street Gallery,
Pittsburgh PA exhibited his "Honeymoon Series" in a mother/son show
with Aaronel deRoy Gruber;2006 - Hudson Yards, Montana on the Hudson:
Scene Unseen
Public and Private Collections: Carnegie Museum of Art;Getty Museum
Photography Collection; Erie Museum Photography Collection
Film Awards: Emmy Award winner subject Best Comedy, Not Just Any
Flower, 1988; Sundance Audience Award for short subject, Berlin Film
Festival Silver Bear
Television: The Wedding Album Fox Television Series January 2007
(Terry's career as a candid wedding photographer, his stories and most
recognizable images are used in this comedic television drama)
