Today we’d like to introduce you to Jenna Manto.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
My very first camera was a bubble-gum pink Barbie film camera that I got for Christmas when I was 5 years old. Although the pictures that came of it were nothing more than extreme close-ups of my family members and portraits of my dolls, I believe that this camera is what sparked something inside me, some kind of love of capturing moments in time. I remember always going to CVS to get disposable cameras before vacations with my family and at one point I even had a cheap underwater camera that developed many blurry shots of my sister, cheeks puffed up and eyes shut tight, plunging under the water’s surface for the photo. I distinctly remember how exciting it was to me to see what I shot and how it all came to be through the negatives that I also got to keep. It wasn’t until the start of high school that I got serious about photography and got my first camera that wasn’t a point-and-shoot; it was a Fujifilm FinePix S3200.
My best friend got the same camera around the same time and we would always set up photoshoots to capture portraits of each other, coming up with strange props like magnifying glasses and old doors ripped off the hinges, waiting to be thrown out. I became even more passionate about photography through these shoots and eventually upgraded to the Canon Rebel t3i, the camera with which I currently shoot. This camera, although seen as a beginner’s camera, has been with me through everything – including the torrential downpours of this year’s Boston Marathon – and I am not sure I’ll be able to part with it even when I upgrade. Since my Barbie camera days, I have photographed for college newspapers, started my own photography business, and am now about to embark on a trip to Australia to capture new cultures, people, and ways of life.
Please tell us about your art.
I capture fleeting moments in time. Although I wouldn’t dare compare myself to the great, well-known photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson, I aspire to capture the decisive moment as he mastered. In other words, I seek to photograph those split seconds in time that hold the truth of the time period, the event, or the scene. Also, like Cartier-Bresson, I have always preferred candids, images that are not posed, although I also make posed portraits. I have always been a fan of candid’s because I think that they tell the truth of the moment better than posed and stiff images where everyone is smiling on command. In my images, even the posed portraits for graduation shoots, I look to capture candid moments and shots that capture how the subject is feeling and the vibe that they give off behind the lens. When I am shooting with a subject, I try to give minimal direction and work with what is natural to them in terms of posing and smiling. When people look at my work, I hope they see a realness of emotion and behavior, a true reflection of the subject. My intent is to always convey the truth of the moment, and that is above all the most important goal for me when creating any photographs.
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?
As a college student currently attending Boston University, I understand the financial struggle of a budding photography business fairly well. Camera equipment is not cheap and it becomes hard to invest in lenses and other equipment when there are other more urgent bills to pay. The most important piece of advice I have received about photography equipment thus far is that you can have the fanciest camera and lenses out there, but if you don’t capture the decisive moment, what is it really worth? That being said, there are times when certain wide-angle and telephoto lenses as well as other types of equipment are necessary for a shoot. I know that BU offers a service where you can rent out equipment for free as a student depending on the class you’re taking, so I would suggest checking to see if your school offers something like that. I would also suggest creating a separate fund specifically for a piece of equipment you are working towards. When you have a visual of what the reward is going to look like it can be easier to save up for it over time.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
For anyone wanting to see my work, book a shoot, or collaborate with me, I post on my Instagram @jennamantophotography as well as my Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/JMantoPhotography/. Feel free to message me or email me on either of those platforms! I love to talk all things photography so even if you just want to discuss lenses or places to shoot, feel free to reach out.
Contact Info:
- Email: jmantophoto@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennamantophotography/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JMantoPhotography/
Wearing a woolen Brixton fedora with a studded leather band, $50, and a ribbed cotton Free People sweater, Annacaroline Caruso stands in front of the door to 55 Monmouth St., Brookline, Massachusetts on Feb. 18.
Image Credit:
Jenna Manto
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