Today we’d like to introduce you to Alex Mancini.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Alex. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My interest in photography started in high school – luckily, I went to a high school that cared enough about the arts that we had quite a few arts classes to choose from. Out of the classes that I took, photography was what I enjoyed the most and what came easiest to me. I pursued that through college, and right out of college moved to Boston and began shooting events. At a Pride event that I was shooting, I ran into a columnist from The Rainbow Times, New England’s largest LGBTQ newspaper, who loved what I was doing and connected me with the publishers. I became their lead photographer for 4 years, and they were amazing to work with. At the end of those 4 years I realized that event and editorial photography was not where my heart was, and left to focus more on my own projects.
The photography that speaks to me the most is creative portraiture. More than simply taking someone’s headshot, my goal is to create a story inside an image or series of images while simultaneously pulling out the energy of the person in the photograph. My portfolio highlights this, but in the last couple of years I’ve been focusing more on literally sharing stories through a photo and interview project called Beyond the Binary that I’ve been doing in the Boston area, which got its start through a collaboration with The Rainbow Times. It centers on sharing the stories and photographs of genderqueer and non-binary folks, a community that isn’t covered often. My main goal was to give others a platform and be able to provide a resource for those who are questioning, but it has also allowed me to explore my own feelings about gender. I’m hoping to eventually expand it across the country. Fitchburg State University gave my project a solo exhibition for the 2018 spring semester, which just came down.
I’m going to be starting a new project soon, which I’m excited about!
Has it been a smooth road?
Figuring out what I want to do with my art has always been my biggest struggle – I’m still trying to figure it out. Shooting nightlife for another client, EDGE Media, was a struggle because I was doing it partly because I enjoyed it and partly because I needed some extra money at the time, and it ended up being the wrong fit. I’m not the type of person who can leave the house at an hour when most people go to bed in order to be at the venue while it’s at its peak and end up in bed around 2 AM – it’s fun if you’re partying, not so fun if you’re working. It also wasn’t challenging. But I wouldn’t have known any of that for sure if I hadn’t just gone and done it. The same goes for the editorial position I had. It’s been trial and error, and I’m getting closer and closer, I think, to what I really want to be doing.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Alex Mancini Photo story. Tell us more about the business.
I would say I’m known for my friendly approach and my ability to deliver great shots on time (as far as shooting for clients goes). I work to make folks feel comfortable, to respect boundaries, and to make whatever’s happening as fun as I can. For my Beyond the Binary project, it’s been very important to me that I let everyone I interview access their photos and transcribed interview before anything is posted, and allow them to choose which photos I’ll use and even edit the transcription. I put myself in their shoes and know that I would be much more comfortable participating in anything where I was allowed a say in what was shown about me. Unfortunately this has meant that a few people who never got back to me with an okay to post are not in the project, but I would rather that than post their interviews without their final okay.
I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished so far and who I’ve worked with, and all the people I’ve gotten to meet and known throughout my project, and the fact that I am following where my path is going rather than someone else’s path that I “should” be following.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
It’s going to be interesting to see how social media will continue to evolve art forms like photography and film, as well as equipment and access to it. It’s easier now than it ever has been to get involved in these areas, even if you don’t have money for fancy gear or a degree. While it can be upsetting for those of us who have worked for the degrees and the fancy gear, I also think that at the end of the day, it’s about your skill and passion for what you’re doing. I’m ready to evolve in whatever direction things go in while staying true to my own vision.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.alexmancini.net
- Email: alexmancini58@gmail.com
Image Credit:
Alex Mancini
Coelynn McIninch
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