About

Film Days - circa 1982

Film? What's Film? - Circa 2008

I grew up in Freeport, NY.  Now living in Babylon, I love taking nature photo’s on Long Island and all over the world.  The art was learned originally from my father who photographed many things but photographing car racing was his love.  That may be why X-treme sports photography is becoming an important interest for me.

Long gone are the days of my fathers slide shows. Hesitantly I have gone all digital but now would never go back. My experience in the computer field makes me comfortable around the “digital darkroom” as well as creating digital slide shows and photographic presentations.

I love to take my preference for nature photography and incorporate it into other areas such as portrait work.  There is a place for the standard close up portrait work, but that type of photo takes the person and extracts them out of their surroundings.  The person could be anyone at that point.  Placing the person in their surroundings shows who that person is, not just what they look like.  It takes a part of that person and creates a personality.  It tells a story.

On the other hand, getting close up in nature photography enables people to view what they normally wouldn’t see.  A close up flower for example just before the morning dew disappears. Sure, you can see that if you get up early enough, but how many of you have time to really look and see the detail?  Not many I would think.  I love to Photograph a slice of time so it can be studied and pondered for as long as you like.  When someone “ponders” over one of my photo’s, that says more to me than anything that comes out of their mouth.  I once heard a magician say, (this is paraphrasing), “It is great to get the applause after an effect, but when you hear a gasp? Then I know I did my job. Applause can be polite, but is thought about, a gasp is involuntary, it just happens!”  I hope one day to be at an exhibit or client of mine, and hear a gasp; well, not a horrified gasp but a happy one.

Peace to you,

John Vercelletto