Bill McCaw grew up in suburban Washington, DC. Although his parents and siblings had little enthusiasm for photography, he developed a keen interest after receiving encouragement from the family doctor, a Polish immigrant named George P. Lemeshewski. Dr. Lemeshewski presented a gift to Bill on his 12th birthday that initiated a love of photography which has continued unabated since that time in 1957.... a complete 4x5 Speed Graphic Press Camera outfit.
As he progressed through his early schooling, Bill could be found in the school darkroom, laboring over black and white prints that were published in the annual yearbook at Fairfax High School. He even set up a small portrait studio in a rental cottage next to the family home. Although he recalls wanting to attend the Brooks Institute of Photography after graduation, his parents were unwilling to finance what they perceived as a "hobby". This, however, was to prove only a temporary setback.
After receiving two engineering degrees from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Bill pursued his career in photography by moonlighting during his spare time. With no formal education available, he read every book on photography he could get his hands on, and practiced his craft when he wasn't reading. The work of Ansel Adams was an influence on his developing style.
His career took a major turn when he and his wife established Fine Art Photography, a home-based business in Silver Spring, Maryland. During the time leading up to opening their business, they learned that it would be necessary to include wedding photography and portraiture in order to "pay the bills". The business was a big success, and Bill soon began accepting commercial photography assignments as well. His clients included such companies as IBM, Marriott Corp. and Pizza Hut, and many others in the DC area. His work was published in the Washington Post and New York Times, among others. Meanwhile he was devouring photojournalism in The National Geographic magazines every month, and yearning to travel and photograph people and landscapes worldwide.
During the early 1970's, Bill began collecting limited edition prints. He was very interested in the art of Lebadang, a Vietnamese artist living in Paris, who painted in a style which blended traditional asian art form with post-impressionism. In 1995, he traveled to Amsterdam and visited the Van Gogh museum and the Rijksmuseum. His interest in impressionistic and post-impressionistic art was growing stronger, with influence from Monet, Degas, Renoir, Cezanne, Sisley, Pissarro and Manet. Other responsibilites and interests, however, took priority.
Bill had always wanted to live outside the US, and he researched many prospects before fate took control. He was introduced to Yuan Tianqiong (aka Linda), a wonderful Chinese woman, in August 2007. Marriage and retirement from his engineering career soon followed, and he moved to Chengdu, China in March 2008. With time available, he was now free to indulge in his life-long love of photography and art. Since then, Bill has studied and practiced his art with the aid of the Internet and its many resources. He completed eight paintings, three of which are in the impressionistic style. With the blessings of his new wife and family, he adopted the Chinese name "Yuan Zheng Zhong", and he has chosen to sign his limited edition prints with the moniker "Yazz".
