We recently connected with Vincent Barone and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Vincent thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you tell us a bit about who your hero is and the influence they’ve had on you?

My brother Nick Barone would fill this role for me. Not only did he present the opportunity for me to do photography for the band he is in, Mac Saturn, but he has been my support system for all goals I’ve decided to pursue like fitness and social media.

I have watched him take a leap into the deep end of uncomfortability and have been lucky enough to document the journey of the band, our bond and my time as a photographer for Mac Saturn. He inspires me everyday with his attitude toward tackling new heights and trying new things. Something we both have struggled with our whole life’s. To be able to stand by him, while also chasing the things I’m passionate about, is a dream achieved in my book.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Vincent Barone, or more commonly found on social media as @VincesVault. I am a retail manager during the day, but during my outtime, I work to run multiple social media accounts across a different niches, as well as shoot and edit concert photography for a band called Mac Saturn.

I started into photography when I decided to pick up a camera around when COVID first hit. I had taken some photography classes throughout school. My older brother, Nick Barone, approached me about shoot for the band he is in, Mac Saturn. At the time, I hadn’t had any previous experience shooting concerts and was more of a videographer than a still photographer. but I was appreciative and accepting of his proposal. I got a ton of practice with the band shooting smaller venues as they continued to grow.

Over the last few years, the band has been making strides in the music industry and have taken me with them when they can. I now have shot some of the most notible venues in the state, like Saint Andrews hall, the Filmore and multiple Soaring Eagle venues. I still do some video editing/ compilations while shooting for shows, but recently have been much more focused on dialing my shots in.

Fast forward to today, I have 2+ years of experience shooting exclusively as Mac Saturns photographer. Due to photography not being my main source of income, I still balance shooting shows with working a 9-5 managing a retail store.

Outside of photography

I run a few different social media accounts such as my tiktok (24k) @vincesvault where I make 2-3 daily posts, featuring my fitness progress and some joke content. My hashtag #vincesvault holds over 5.5m views and the page holds over 1.5m likes. With this, I try to inspire others to not care about what others have to say. Post your content regardless.
This has also been a great source for brands to look at as I can creative very easy/funny/informative short videos to showcase a products or the effects. The main purpose of this account was to break into a new niche and to drive followers to other accounts. Lifting was a great medium as it’s been a passion of mine for years. if I can make people laugh along the way, that’s even better. I. I believe that authenticity through a phone screen goes very far with viewers.

I use my Instagram (3k) @vincesvault as a photography gallery to showcase recent shots from Mac Saturn shows and venues. Before it was a photo gallery, I used my instrgam to post, film and edit vape content for companies when that industry was first breaking through about 6 years ago. About 3 years ago I decided to rebrand and focus my efforts on my photography for the band and to use my page as more of a showcase.

I want to show that you can jump into anything and if you work at it enough, you will get good at it! Doesn’t matter if it’s fitness, photography or wanting to write with your opposite hand! Starting it now will always be the best route. Don’t worry about what others think. There are people who will support you!

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

As corny as it sounds, for me the most rewarding thing is hearing that someone Took their first step toward their dream because of witnessing your journey. I feel as if we all sometimes wait for someone to tell us if our ideas or passions are worth the time, the effort, and the hardships. I promise you if it makes you happy, it’s worth it all.

“We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons.”

How did you build your audience on social media?

I built my following on tiktok by being authentic, posting frequently sighing a niche and working with the algorithm. Authenticity goes so far on social media. I tried to be very personal and open with my followers, respond to every comment, and try to make each person feel like it was worth their time to watch the video.

If you find a video format that hits the algorithm good and drives up views, there is no shame in rinsing and repeating with different ideas in the same format. Don’t worry about what your page looks like to the outside, and don’t worry about the numbers too much. Post content that you enjoy and feel good about, don’t worry about following the trend instead try to make your own. Essentially, throw a bunch of stuff at the wall and I promise something will stick but you have to get it out there first!

My advice would be to pick a niche and post consistently in there. make sure you respond to your DM‘s, listen to feedback, respond to all of your comments. Try to remember that these are all real people watching your stuff, they really appreciate when you interact back with them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/vincesvault
• Instagram: Instagram.com/vincesvault
• Other: Tiktok: @VincesVault

Image Credits
Personal photo: Thom Seling Other uploads: Vincent Barone