Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Cirelli.
Michael, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I’m a New Hampshire based Photographer, Filmmaker, and Photography Educator that has documented the culture of skateboarding and other topics for the last 20 plus years. My passion for photography and the arts started back when I was a high school student, working in a small darkroom developing and printing my photos at Suffield Academy in CT, I enrolled at Cleveland Institute of Art for my BFA and had every intention of majoring in painting but quickly changed my path to photography. In my third year at Cleveland, I took advantage of the school’s Mobility program, which allowed me to study at Parsons School of Design in New York City.
It was during that time that I found a job at the Polaroid 20×24 Studio, home to a famously large camera that weighs 225 pounds and measures five feet tall. There are only five such cameras in the world, and the chance to work with such a large photographic canvas attracts photographers from across the country. I got to assist photographers like William Wegam, Chuck Close and Mary Ellen Mark. To this day, I owe a lot of my success and knowledge in Photography to my experiences with the Polaroid studio. It was really inspiring to see how so many different photographers used the same camera to showcase their personal vision.
In 2002, I moved to New Hampshire to open my Photography business and also started teaching Photography to High School students. I am currently teaching Photography full-time at Windham High School and freelancing. I graduated from the Visual Arts MFA program at Lesley University and have continued to create photographs and short web-based films with companies such as Matix Clothing, Red Bull, Nike SB, Venture Trucks, UXA NYC, self-published three photography books and started a clothing brand with a friend called New Hampshire Apparel.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I create a lot of photographs and videos for the skateboard community. Mainly documenting the progression and culture of the activity. Showcasing where the skaters skate, the clothing/styles they’re into and tricks they learn and perfect. I use both digital cameras and film cameras, HD video cameras, and super 8mm motion picture cameras. Some of my favorite cameras to use are my Nikon D5 and my Hasselblad Xpan (for large panoramic images) The main concept I would like people to take away from the work is that I enjoy documenting and showcasing people, their personalities/culture and the things they do.
Any advice for aspiring or new artists?
I would tell younger artists to try to do as many internships as possible. It will give them a lot of insight on how artists they admire and respect function as a working artist. I did that when I was working my way through school and it provided me tremendous insight into the art field.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
You can see my skateboarding and portrait work at www.michaelcirelli.com, my wedding/commercial work at www.cirelliworks.com and the New Hampshire Apparel can be viewed at www.newhampshireapparel.com.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.michaelcirelli.com
- Phone: 603-490-1366
- Email: cirelliworks@yahoo.com
- Other: www.cirelliworks.com
Image Credit:
Michael Cirelli
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