Irving Orenstein, 80; ran ad agency, was a photographer [The Philadelphia Inquirer]

Aug. 19--Irving Orenstein, 80, of Huntingdon Valley, an advertising agency owner and photographer who focused on athletes and dancers, died Tuesday, Aug. 17, of heart failure at Penn Hospice at Rittenhouse.

From 1968 until retiring in 2001, Mr. Orenstein operated Orenstein Advertising in Philadelphia. His clients included U.S. Healthcare, Cigna, and U.S. Steel Corp. In 1986, he told an Inquirer reporter that a sizable portion of his business was placing employment ads in newspapers. He explained, "It's easier to sell qualified people a car than to get them to switch jobs. They have to be pried loose with an ice pick. And the way you do that is with ads that are honest, complete, provocative, readable, and sensible."

Mr. Orenstein was an accomplished photographer who developed his prints in his home studio. In 1995, after photographing gymnasts for six years, his photos of 7-year-old twin gymnasts won an award at the Abington Art Center's Juried Member's Exhibition.

He described to The Inquirer the challenge of such photos, with chaotic practice sessions in dimly lit gyms. "I might stand there for 15 minutes or so just to get the rhythm of it in my bones. My job is to create order out of disorder and hopefully grab some beauty out of it."

In 1999, Mr. Orenstein exhibited 23 photos of young ballet students in the winter show at Abington Art Center. He also photographed boxers working out, marathon runners, and street scenes, daughter Susan said. "He avoided posing his subjects and tried to capture their emotion," she said. His work is in the photo collection at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

After retiring, he volunteered to teach photography to students at Spring Garden Elementary School and organized an exhibit of their work in City Hall in 2006.

Mr. Orenstein graduated from West Philadelphia High School and then enlisted in the Army. A clarinet player, he was assigned to the newly formed Army Bagpipes Corps. He was called back to active duty during the Korean War and served in Germany.

After his discharge, he earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from Temple University. He was a newspaper reporter and then was a copywriter for Al Paul Lefton Co., an advertising agency, before starting his own firm.

In addition to his daughter, Mr. Orenstein is survived by his wife of 54 years, Mildred Birk Orenstein; daughters Carol, Janet and Ellen; a brother; and three grandsons.

A funeral will be at 1 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 19, at Goldsteins' Rosenberg's Raphael-Sacks Memorial Chapel, 310 Second Street Pike, Southampton.

Contact staff writer Sally A. Downey at 215-854-2913 or [email protected].

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