Stephen Reese of Penn Valley, a highly regarded photographer and longtime math teacher beloved by his students, died on March 23 at Lankenau Medical Center, aged 84, writes Gary Miles for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Reese spent three decades, starting in the 1960s, teaching high school math to students in Philadelphia. In the 1980s, he decided to pick up a camera and simultaneously teach and take photographs. He specialized in portraits.

“He had a passion for portraits of families,” said his wife, Helen. “He was so good at engaging with children that he knew how to wait, how to get just the right photo at just the right time. He taught me a lot about patience.”

He operated Stephen Reese Photography studios in Narberth, Merion, and Penn Valley for three decades. Throughout these years, he commemorated countless weddings, religious ceremonies, and family milestones, among other events.

He also often visited art museums to study portraits and improve on his angles, color, and composition.

Later in life, he embraced his cellphone camera because it allowed him to catch poignant moments without having to adjust any settings or modify the lighting.

Read more about noted photographer and longtime math teacher Stephen Reese in The Philadelphia Inquirer.