Today we’d like to introduce you to James Vitullo.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
The start of my career in the arts was when I was eight years old. My aunt encouraged painting classes, and this was where I felt at home. After creating countless compositions, from abstract to landscape, I knew I needed to be in this field. During this period of time, my father purchased a Nikon D200 and a few lenses and attachments. After he was immersed in photography, he then realized that this was not what he wanted to continue doing. He asked me, a thirteen-year-old at the time, whether I wanted to try my interest in photography knowing what I was already involved in. He trusted me, a clumsy kid, to take care of such an expensive object and pass it down to me! I had no clue what I was doing, but all it took was countless walks outdoors and finding my own angles and framing that interested me without inspiration posing as a distraction. Ever since then, I have been building my portfolio and going after job opportunities with preparation, motivation, and determination.
Please tell us about your art.
I am a professional freelance photographer who shoots fine art, wedding, portrait, event, and commercial aspects. My work is all over the board, including the living and inanimate, animal and portrait, urban and natural. I specialize in candid aspects as well as in-the-moment captures. Wherever I am, I end up with a composition worth visualizing behind the lens of my Nikon. My mind conjures up ideas that conform to the situation at hand, such as angle, framing, and potential post-processing outcomes. I view myself as a cultural producer as well as a photographer. Artists produce culture, add to it, and share it with the world, which is what I value. There is a fine art series I am currently working on, titled “Midst.” “Midst” is a project that lends the ability to dive into one’s life in a seemingly first-hand experience. These visions come from dreams or through the waking process, and projection into the real world is the true challenge. My inspiration for this series is constructed tableau artists, such as Sandy Skoglund and Gregory Crewdson. Each work in this series is open for interpretation and the story is one-of-a-kind in any mind. This series can be seen on my website (portfolio.jimmyvitullo.com).
Choosing a creative or artistic path comes with many financial challenges. Any advice for those struggling to focus on their artwork due to financial concerns?
The biggest challenge facing artists today is effective and affordable marketing in today’s society. The work speaks perfectly for itself but trying to get one’s name out there is difficult in terms of standing out from the competition and from other artists nowadays. For those emerging artists out there, stay determined and motivated to create your own opportunities and go after them by all means. Know when to take no for an answer and always find ways to improve and network with others. There may be that unexpected opportunity that advances your career! Take risks, break rules of composition in the art world, and do what you love.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
My work is featured or showcased in 1104 S. Wabash Avenue on the eighth floor, at the McHenry County College in Crystal Lake, at the M Supper Club restaurant in Crystal Lake, in the Columbia Shop on Wabash, and in many books by Photographer’s Forum Magazine. I am also back in art fair season starting in May 2018, and I have them posted on my social media platforms. My Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Flickr can be found on my website (portfolio.jimmyvitullo.com). People can support my work by following me and sharing and liking my work on social media. I highly encourage people to help me get my name out there and refer me to anyone who may need portraits or freelance work done! If people help me land certain jobs, I have gifts for them in return! Word of mouth is the best marketing I know of, and that is what I always push for with any chance I get.
Contact Info:
- Website: portfolio.jimmyvitullo.com
- Email: jimmyvitulloj@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jambajim8/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jamesavitullophotography
Image Credit:
©James A. Vitullo Photography
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