It was this uttering, made by a Navy Photographer friend in Spain looking over rolls of freshly developed negatives in 1970, that set the wheels in motion for what would become Sam Notarbartolo’s prolific photographic career.

After serving in the Navy and attending College, Sam  began to seek out his life’s passion. Embracing the memory of the joy he felt snapping the shutter as a hobby, he pursued a job in photography and landed his first assignment as an assistant to Fashion Photographer Mel Dixon, who had worked with Avedon and Hiro.

Quickly gaining high-profile clients like Oscar de la Renta and Playboy, he traveled throughout the 1980s from New York to Florida, the Caribbean Islands, South America, Mexico and New Orleans. His subjects included Singer/Songwriter/Actress Maria Conchita Alonso, Fashion Designer Oscar de la Renta, Venezuelan Singer/Actor Josè Luis RodrÌguez “El Puma” and Israeli Actress Daliah Lavi.

When asked how he describes his Style, the Photographer says, “I describe my work as ‘Sensuality-based.’ I bring out the Sensuality in a Woman. 

Notarbartolo set up his studio in South Florida in 1981, and he has since shot fashion magazine covers and spreads for Harper’s Bazaar, PlayBoy, Penthouse, Cosmopolitan,VIP Guide Miami, Lincoln Road Magazine, Fort Lauderdale Magazine, CitySmart, Vanidades, Buenhogar and Florida International. His roster of advertising clients include real estate projects like Miami’s The Loft and The Park Central Hotel, South Florida’s Spa Eleven, Fashion designers Julian Chang and Boulfè, Jewelers like Coralie, Cosmetic Company Cosmyl, and Interior Designers like Fran Murphy and E.G. Cody.Peering through the lens of his camera, Notarbartolo says he sees what he gives to the world: “I make people feel beautiful and comfortable. That’s my gift.”

“…and his Eyes are Still Wide Open”