Documentary / fine art photographer Nick Pironio, based in Raleigh, North Carolina, sent us some amazing photography the other day. Although the series he saw fit for us were good (‘last night’ & ‘Laura’), we personally favoured some of his other pictures. In his impressive photography portfolio we found striking portraits from barbershop college students, urban chicken ‘farmers’ and former U.S. senator and Democratic presidential candidate in 2008; John Edwards. With more interesting concepts and projects on the way, Nick seems like a photographer to keep an eye on!
“I spend my days covering stories for clients and working on projects. At this moment I’m working on getting some momentum on a new project in which I will define love, and prove that love exists. It will be a collaboration of words that describe what love feels like and images that show moments of uncensored love. The photographs will be of same sex couples asleep in bed. I will spend the night in their room and wake up before they wake up and photograph them asleep together. People will look at the images and be curious enough to read the artist statement in order to understand the reasoning and in doing so the work will evolve from just stunning images to mind expanding information.
In this new world full of camera phones people have finally begun to speak in a visual language on a regular basis. Photographing shape, colour, composition, emotion and those decisive moments. Blogs have become grounds for people to exercise their curatorial skills and in doing so have begun to define what a carefully edited selection of images can do, which is far more powerful than a selection of incoherent images that one might love individually, but placed together have no direct message/meaning. For applied photographers, it is up to us to become the poets and literary greats of the medium exploring ways to communicate visually. One saying I always go back to when I think about taking a photograph or even in editing my work is the phrase ” you take beautiful pictures, but why?” I always question why…
I’m commissioned by organizations to use my style for communication of their message. That’s why I was hired to cover John Edwards by his campaign.
I like to place myself in awkward situations; I like to test the limits of fear. I like to get myself in trouble of that one shot, it’s even better if it doesn’t work out because at least I know I did my best and pushed it to the limit.” – Nick Pironio
